LED or NEON

[innkeeper]

i'm about to replace an almost dead 120v ac neon panel light (power indicator). I'm sure you  have all seen it ... neon bulbs start flickering and eventually dyeing.

On paper neon panel lights have a similar lifespan as LED panel lights, though i am not sure that holds in practical applications.

if it were you, and you were going to replace a neon panel light, would you replace it with a neon or led and why.

[JackJones]

There is a certain charm in neon that can't be replaced with leds. They are pretty robust as well, and you can extend the lifespan quite a bit by underdriving them.

Edit: The life expectancy is apparently to the power of 3-4, so a drop of 10% in current gives about 50% more lifetime. Given it's just an indicator it doesn't need to be super bright so lowering the current is always a good option. They are also low power consumption and cheap as well.

[james_s]

I'd just replace it with neon, they're cheap, readily available, will last a long time, and it's a drop-in replacement.

[IanB]

i'm about to replace an almost dead 120v ac neon panel light (power indicator). I'm sure you  have all seen it ... neon bulbs start flickering and eventually dyeing.

On paper neon panel lights have a similar lifespan as LED panel lights, though i am not sure that holds in practical applications.

if it were you, and you were going to replace a neon panel light, would you replace it with a neon or led and why.

I've experimented with both. On balance, it seems neon lamps look better as they emit light in all directions and therefore appear larger and brighter. LEDs generate a tiny spot of light which is then directed by some kind of lens or diffuser. Once you put them behind a cover they can look a bit feeble.

So my choice would be to replace like with like. As someone else said you can lower the current a little by increasing the value of the dropper resistor and this should increase the lifespan.

[vk6zgo]

This is way off topic, but back in the day, at my old work, we made up some Mains distribution panels
(Small ones that go at the base of a standard full size 19" rack).

Someone stuffed up the ordering, & we got 125v neon indicators (encased in a plastic rectangle), instead of 250v ones.
We then had the boring job of fitting the correct value component & disposing of the incorrect ones.
There was a waste basket near where we were working, so being lads, we, instead of walking over to the basket, tried to get them in from where we sat.

One hit the concrete hard  & weirdly, gave a brief flash of light.

We then spent some time trying to make them flash from impact, which worked every time with those that hadn't already hit the floor, but those that had already flashed wouldn't repeat it.

I always meant to research why this happened, but never got around to it
Anybody else seen this phenomenon?