[Dialation (OP)]

Hi,

I live in the UK and i tried to get a fluorescent tube to glow under the power lines / pylon near me as an experiment as i have seen it is possible...

However this did not work at all - it did not even glow slightly...

I tried to hold it - sideways and upright - and tried to stick it in the ground - and then tried holding it up and walking around and under the power lines...

Litterly nothing...

I must be doing something wrong here - the light came straight out of my kitchen and is a long tube and i assume its fluorescent  it does glow next to a plasma ball.

the tube says 58W on it - maybe its too high for what I'm trying to do - also the air was damp as it had just been raining...

Also is every pylon and line high voltage - if not maybe that was what also stopped it working...
Maybe not many people are using that line at this time - it is late but not massivily but if hardly anything is going through it then could it also possibly be that?

Any ideas on how i could get this to work - even if i get a lower W light - that's fine as long as i can get it to work - i want to prove to myself with my own eyes this happens and also its a cool party trick if i can do it...

Thank you...

Darren

[evan_au]

The old-style linear fluorescent tubes use ionized mercury vapor to emit ultraviolet, which causes the fluorescent powder to emit visible light.
- The mercury must be vaporized and ionized before light emission can occur
- The "starter" circuit draws a high current for a short time when the tube is first powered, to vaporize and ionize the mercury
- In walking around under the power lines, the starter circuit will not be activated, and the mercury will not be ionized, so little or no light would be emitted
- The lamp depends on a high power dissipation (almost 60W) to keep the mercury ionized. Even if you triggered the starter circuit, the low current you get from a power line would not keep the mercury ionized.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp#Principles_of_operation

The modern compact fluorescent tubes are characterized by zig-zag or spiral tubes.
- These use an electronic circuit (ballast) in the base to regulate the current through the tube.
- This electronic circuit will not activate under the extremely low currents near a power line

However, some people do get this experiment to work, but the glow is extremely dim.
- there needs to be no ambient light,
- the electrostatic field needs to have a steep gradient (ie 110V/240v power lines probably won't be enough, if the other end is just floating in air)
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp#Science_demonstrations

Warning: Do not play near high voltage lines (11kV and higher).
- 110V/240V tends to stay in the wires (unless you touch it) 
- High voltages tend to jump out of the wires and kill you

[Dialation (OP)]

so are you saying an old style one would not work no matter what because of how it is designed? - and a newer type one would work better - under the conditions you said about no ambient light etc?

And i did read those sections however I am still confused why I've seen this working on videos etc online but cannot get mine to do it.

Do you think maybe getting a much lower watt tube would do better?

Also I am trying to find some lines that don't only have 240V going through them above my head - wouldn't that work indoors next to the house wires if that was the case? (Those power lines should have KV in them not just V)

i am trying to do this under high voltage power lines - assuming the ones i was under were high voltage- i however now know to count the insulating rings and multiply them by 15 to get the KV on those lines - so i should have a number later for that pylon / lines.

Even a faint glow would do me - I am trying to do exactly the science demonstration - but it just wont work for some reason.

And what do you mean floating in air? the tube i assume and not the wires... and i tried holding it and sticking one end in the ground so it was earthed but still nothing...

Do you think i need a different tube and some higher powered lines to get this to work?

Thank you - and sorry I'm a nightmare - and i do try and keep everything i can as safe as possible - no way will there be any touching of wires - i refused to also touch either of the metal ends of the tube even by accident when doing this - just in case..

But as of now -  no glow even slight in no ambient light conditions - it was a very dark park - i also use it for looking at the stars.

I am not sure why i cant get even a slight glow going on - unless it is the wattage of the tube being too high for this - or the lines themselves not being high voltage enough for that pylon - i cannot replicate the scientific demonstrations I've seen at all - try as i might...


I am sure I have confused myself massively with this - i really want to get this to work though - plus it might get people i know more interested in science which is always a bonus

Any ideas on how i get get even the dim glow to work?

 Thank you again for helping me with this as well

P.S. How would I know which kind of tube i have - older style or newer style? (I have included some images of the tube)

[evan_au]

The photos show the older "straight" tubes. Keep trying with these - the longest ones are better (greater voltage difference between the two ends).

The newer "curly" tubes have the terminals too close together to take advantage of the electric field gradient (and the electronics draws too much current for any to pass through the gas).

[Dialation (OP)]

Hmm i wonder why this one did not do it then...

I think i will try the lowest watt one i can find - and the longest i can find  - and see how that fares - and also the highest powered overhead lines i can find by counting the insulating rings and also i imagine the ones that have audiable buzzing coming from them may be the best bet...

The experiments will contiune and i will update you - especially if i can get it to work and if i do try to work out what changed.