Need help identifying a part

[dmlandrum]

My Jameco grab bag has this weird part in it that I missed before. Anyone know what it is? It looks like there are two flat-faced electrodes with a gap between them.

Sorry the picture is crap, but my camera doesn't have a macro mode, so it's the best I could do.

[mkissin]

It looks like it might be a spark gap, but I've never seen one with a glass (?) enclosure before.

[Psi]

yeah, i'm going to go with sparkgap as well.
Maybe it's a type that requires the user be able to see if it's conducting?

The only other thing i can think of is some sort of neon.

[JohnS_AZ]

I think the proper term is "gas tube surge arrester" but yeah, it's a spark gap.

[Time]

Its common to have spark gaps housed in transparent materials when there are multiple gaps that need to be fired as close to the same time as possible.  By having the gaps all lined up and "viewing" each other the radiation from the initial gap will promote the breakdown in the next switch over causing the jitter between the switches to be reduced. 

I doubt thats what this was use for though.  Just looks like a plain ol' surge arrestor.

[Polossatik]

Does it Blend?

[Sionyn]

spark gap

seen huge ones (well bigger than that)
used in power switching

[lowimpedance]

It is indeed a gas surge arrestor, and if you look on one of the end caps you will see a voltage rating at which the arrestor should start to 'spark over' during a transient.
cheers
John

[dmlandrum]

Great, thank you, everyone! Now I need to figure out some creative way to use it.

Can I use it as a hysteresis device, like a neon tube?

EDIT: Err, neon bulb, rather?

[DJPhil]

That'd be really useful for a ham antenna lightning arrestor.

Does it Blend?

Indeed!