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Re: Massive Mercury Migration

Posted By: neontek
Date: Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 6:50 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Massive Mercury Migration (SVP Neon Equipment)

> Bill,

> Are you sure it's Hg migration and not
> staining? I'm not saying it is or isn't
> either way. I'm just trying to eliminate
> other possibilities. I had a customer who
> swore he had Hg migration (which he may have
> had too), but when he sent me some pictures
> it was staining that was causing the end of
> the tube to look dark. And it was only from
> one end, which made it *appear* to be
> migration. Can you post some pictures here
> or email them directly to me?

> With Hg migration, if you switch the
> transformer secondary wires around the
> migration should go the other way.

> Did you burn-in the tubes thoroughly on a
> conventional transformer first? What kind of
> equipment and instrumentation do you have,
> and what processing procedure do you follow?
> Are you using the same brand and same model
> electrodes on each end of the tube? There
> are many things that affect the function of
> electronic transformers that should be
> addressed before you jump all over CPI.
> Personally, from what I have been hearing it
> is probably the transformers. But it's best
> to be sure first.

> Q. 1. Where can I buy transformers that
> actually work at a reasonable cost.

> A. Good question. I have heard good and bad
> reports for just about every brand
> regardless of price. But conventional wisdom
> is opposed to the Wal-Mart approach. Spend a
> little extra money and buy a better product
> first.

> Q. 2. Do I have to switch to magnetic
> transformers and if I do will that solve the
> problem?

> That is something you will have to decide.
> But a conventional magnetic transformer WILL
> solve the migration problem, albeit with the
> tradeoffs Winslow mentioned.

> Q. 3. Should I just give up and go to truck
> driving school?

> A. Another question you will have to answer
> for yourself. Just know that you will not
> get the "good" jobs until you have
> a lot of experience. There are a lot of
> drivers out there ahead of you.

> Mark

*********

I think Mark has a very good point.
Before jumping all over a trans. maufacturer, we first need to make sure everything we are doing regarding processing and aging are correct.

I personally have had a higher failure rate with Ventex transformers compared to CPI or Allanson.

I'd be the first to admit that no one Manufacturer has been without problems in the past. When UL demanded GFI conventional transformers, some long established trans. manufacturers had BIG issues with nuisance tripping , etc. I've also seen "bad production batches" with high failure rates in "name-brand" conventional transformers in the past.

Tony D.

Messages In This Thread

• Massive Mercury Migration -- terlsworld -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 5:19 a.m.
  • Re: Massive Mercury Migration -- winslow -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 1:19 p.m.
    • Re: Massive Mercury Migration -- neontek -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 5:41 p.m.
      • Re: Massive Mercury Migration -- Winslow -- Monday, 18 April 2011, at 2:37 a.m.
        • Re: Massive Mercury Migration -- John Anderson -- Monday, 18 April 2011, at 3:58 p.m.
          • Re: Massive Mercury Migration -- Winslow -- Tuesday, 19 April 2011, at 1:26 a.m.
  • Re: Massive Mercury Migration -- SVP Neon Equipment -- Saturday, 16 April 2011, at 6:16 p.m.
    • about my processing -- terlsworld -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 5:06 p.m.
      • Re: about my processing -- neontek -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 6:03 p.m.
        • Re: about my processing -- Winslow -- Monday, 18 April 2011, at 2:45 a.m.
      • Re: about my processing -- SVP Neon Equipment -- Tuesday, 19 April 2011, at 2:04 p.m.
    • Re: Massive Mercury Migration -- neontek -- Sunday, 17 April 2011, at 6:50 p.m.

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