Light Without Electricity

[wobg]

Does anyone remember the articles on light bulbs that do not require electricity?
I saw a TV show on it in the late 50’s (anybody out there that old?) and again in the 90’s, but have been unable to pin anything down.

If I remember correctly, it was some type of gas that was “excited” by radio or microwaves and put out a pretty good light.

I’m not paranoid or anything, but I can’t imagine why there seems to be nothing on the net and I can’t doubt the electric companies would be too eager to promote it.

Any thoughts will be appreciated

Lyle

[Fear_Itself]

I’m thinking it takes electricity to create radio waves or microwaves to do the exciting. The energy has to come from somewhere.

[wobg]

Of course you’re right. But right now the waves aren’t doing anything except what they were expected to do–cook your food, bring you radio or TV. This simply used the waves for a purpose in addition to what they were intended for.

Thanks for the comment.

Lyle

@Fear Itself

I’m thinking it takes electricity to create radio waves or microwaves to do the exciting. The energy has to come from somewhere.

[Xema]

@wobg

the waves aren’t doing anything except what they were expected to do–cook your food, bring you radio or TV. This simply used the waves for a purpose in addition to what they were intended for.

There are some pretty good reasons why a device can’t put out more energy than it receives. When you work out how much energy is available in your house from radio and TV transmissions, even a 100% efficient conversion of this to light is going to be very dim.

OTOH, if you hold a fluorescent bulb reasonably near a high-tension electrical line, you can get it to put out some usable light. But when you do, the load on the electric company’s generators increases - TANSTAFL.

[boofy_bloke]

I thought radio waves WERE electricity (EM spectrum and all).

You could have chemical reactions (like glow sticks) but they don’t produce much light.

You could also grow phosphorescent plants and animals but with the way my flatmate kills pot plants that would be an expensive proposition.

Then there’s the concept of squashing a whole lot of hydrogen into a magnetic bottle until it combusts, producing heaps of photons.

Alternatively, you could use your superpowers and join the light side instead of dark.

[Achernar]

@boofy_bloke

I thought radio waves WERE electricity (EM spectrum and all).

No, electricity requires charged particles. For electric current you need flow in some charge-carrying medium. E-M radiation (photons) is chargeless. You can achieve a lot of the same effects with it, though.

[spingears]

@wobg

Any thoughts will be appreciated
Lyle

Fluoresent tubes will light up when in an strong electrical or rf field. The may be the effect your are alluding to. The field excites the ions of gas which produce short wave light which excites the phosphors on the inside of the glass tube.

[Trigonal_Planar]

You don’t even need to make the trek out to the local hydro field to see “self-illuminating” fluo bulbs. Just hold one in your hands while you rub your feet on the carpet as per the usual static charging technique. Even just a little rubbing will be sufficient to make it flash.

[dtilque]

It’s the Sulfur Lamp in which a sulfur gas is excited by microwaves and thus produces light. It’s claimed to be the most efficient way of producing light. You wouldn’t want one in your house, though, as it’s too bright for domestic uses.

[Q.E.D]

@dtilque

It’s the Sulfur Lamp in which a sulfur gas is excited by microwaves and thus produces light. It’s claimed to be the most efficient way of producing light. You wouldn’t want one in your house, though, as it’s too bright for domestic uses.

But this still requires electricity. Or at least energy in some useable form:

Each bulb, about the size of a golf ball, requires about 1,425 watts of power to produce 135,000 lumens of white light.

The microwaves are produced by a magnetron, which uses electricity.

[dtilque]

Re: Sulfur Lamp

@Q.E.D.

But this still requires electricity. Or at least energy in some useable form:

Well, yes, but the OP did say “it was some type of gas that was ‘excited’ by radio or microwaves and put out a pretty good light.” The sulfur lamp fits that to a T.

I suspect what was meant was that there was no electricity going into the bulb that contains the gas. Otherwise, the OP doesn’t make sense. Generally, you can’t make radio or microwaves without electricity.

[wobg]

Thanks to all who responded–you’ve almost got me believing I hallucinated the whole thing. As I remember it, the scientist (or whoever) held the bulb in his hand–completely unconnected to any power source–and light was created by the affect of micro or radio waves hitting whatever was inside the bulb.

Like I say, perhaps I dreamed the whole thing–if the collection of highly intelligent individuals who responded don’t know, then I think I’ll have to give up and make my million some other way.

Again, thanks to all…

[Mangetout]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned radioactive isotope/phosphor devices. OK, there are potential health risks, but no pesky wires.

[Saltire]

@wobg

Thanks to all who responded–you’ve almost got me believing I hallucinated the whole thing. As I remember it, the scientist (or whoever) held the bulb in his hand–completely unconnected to any power source–and light was created by the affect of micro or radio waves hitting whatever was inside the bulb.

Like I say, perhaps I dreamed the whole thing–if the collection of highly intelligent individuals who responded don’t know, then I think I’ll have to give up and make my million some other way.

Again, thanks to all…

You didn’t dream it, you just misremembered slightly. What you saw was probably someone standing near a Tesla coil or some other device that pours power into the ether. It will light flourescent bulbs, but wastes a lot of power compared to using wires connected to your fixtures.

What you’re remembering was not, however, the bulbs running on ambient energy without a nearby coil.