Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!asuvax!anasaz!john
From: john@anasaz.UUCP (John Moore)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: IR viewing tubes: some sources to try etc.
Message-ID: <2858@anasaz.UUCP>
Date: 9 Aug 90 15:13:15 GMT
References: <763@beguine.UUCP>
Reply-To: john@anasaz.UUCP (John Moore)
Organization: Anasazi, Inc.
Lines: 25

In article <763@beguine.UUCP> Jeff.Miller@samba.acs.unc.edu (BBS Account) writes:
]I bought my first IR conversion tube from Fair Radio Sales in Lima,
] ...
]You do know that these "first-generation" tubes require a 5-20 KV
]anode voltage and a 2-10 KV focus voltage, and have pretty poor image
]quality, don't you? I have yet to see 2nd generation
]microchannel-plate based tubes go for less than a few hundred.
Aren't you confusing starlight scope tubes (image intensifiers) with
infrared tubes? The starlight tubes amplify light over a wide range
of wavelengths. I believe that they prefer UV. Infrared tubes
go for the infrared. The old ones, at least, required that you have
an infrared spotlight to illuminate the target, which is not required
with starlight tubes.

I have a some first generation starlight tubes (purchased from C&H
for $100/3 20 years ago). They require ONLY anode voltage (~15kV)
and no focus voltage. Unfortunately, they have to be stacked 3
deep in order to get enough light gain, and when I tried that, they 
arced between the tubes. I didn't have a 45Kv supply. I never got 
around to insulating them so they wouldn't arc.
-- 
John Moore HAM:NJ7E/CAP:T-Bird 381 {ames!ncar!noao!asuvax,mcdphx}!anasaz!john 
USnail: 7525 Clearwater Pkwy, Scottsdale,AZ 85253 anasaz!john@asuvax.eas.asu.edu
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