Simple Neon Flasher Circuits

The post details about a few simple neon flasher circuits, which will create beautiful flashing light effect using ordinary neon bulbs.

The ionization potential of a neon used in the circuit is around 70V. To the extreme left of circuit 1, a neon is connected.

How the Circuit functions

A 0.47 microFarrad capacitor connected across the neon gets charged through a 1 MOhms resistor.

The moment the voltage across the capacitor reaches 70V, the neon get ignited as the capacitor starts discharging through it.

The capacitor is discharged through the lamp, creating a flash till the voltage falls below 45V, a sustainable voltage for the neon to glow.

It is a part of the circuit. Smaller values of R and C will result in an increase in the frequency and vice versa.

The other two circuits are for the second and third neons respectively. All the circuits operate on the same principle.

All capacitors must have a sustainable voltage more than 100V. A capacitor is to be of polyester or polypropelene type for best results.

All neons do not have matching characteristics. Hence, while using multiple neons it is advisable to select matched ones.

DC Neon Flasher

Probably the most intriguing factors in electronics that a individual could research is the neon bulb. These tiny neons bulba are very cheap and can be an interesting item to work with.

All that is required is a couple of capacitors and resistors, and you may have these bulbs flashing and blinking very quickly.

What nobody understand about neon flashers is the fact that, even though they typically necessitate 90 VDC or more to "Trigger on ," these pull very small current so that there's so need of employing a huge 90 V B cells.

A look at Fig. above quickly indicates this. In this case, four hearing-aid batteries are connected in series. This neon flasher circuit, requires just 3 resistors, 3 capacitors, 3 neon bulbs, and the 4 hearing-aid cells as described above.

The entire group of neon bulbs will flash sequentially or sometimes randomly and in uncommon patterns for a time period of as high as 1 year without the need of new battery replacement!