A NEW ELECTRIC LIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1926, Page 4

A NEW ELECTRIC LIGHT

A new form of electric light that uses so little current that if burned steadily for a week the electricity costs less than two cents, was an important development of the past year, according- to a report to the American Institute of the Electrical j Engineers, made at the annual convention at Sulphur - Springs, West Virginia. The new lamp,‘which is intended more lor indicator or marker purposes than for general illumination, is known as the “Mcorc gaseous conductor lamp,” after its inventor, and contains a mixture of the rare atmospheric gases helium, neon, and argon.' Inside the bulb are two electrodes. will) no metallic connection between them, but ttlien the current is turned cn the gas glows, around one of them, or both, if the current is alternating. While the actual candlepower of tl}o lamp is very low, about one two-hundredth of a candle, its low current consumption permits it to bo used as an indicator on an electric iron to tell when the current is on. Or it can he placed in an electric switch to facilitate finding it in the dark. Another advantage of the lamp is that, unlike the ordinary incandescent lam]), which continues to glow for a moment lifter the electricity has been turned off, the new lamp, goes on and off instantly. This quality is a necessary requisite of lamps for certain scientific uses, and this type of lamp is used in apparatus for telephoning photographs. The lamp \at the receiving end throwing light oil the photographic film must vary precisely as the current supply is increased or diminished by the light sensitive photo-elec-tric cell at tile transmitting end. Among the other recent developments in electric lighting cited were the use of half-billion cancllepower searchlights, visible for 100 miles, as beacons for the air mail at night; the scientific study of lighting changes and industrial production, sponsored by the National Research Council; and t'lie greater attention being given to specialised training for illumination experts.