Path: csiph.com!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: rbowman Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: Mercury Date: 31 Mar 2026 08:03:24 GMT Lines: 31 Message-ID: References: <1rsoqz0.19zzbh71ebfb7bN%snipeco.2@gmail.com> <18a11176d0ed8bfb$1717$2710841$802601b3@news.usenetexpress.com> <1rsp93i.i0zwza16xvqdfN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl> <18a11b491becb6ce$558$2491104$802601b3@news.usenetexpress.com> <1rsq78a.9hgxro1eczx2yN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl> <10qb9df$1inu5$14@dont-email.me> <1rsr591.1ssq8oh1dihjwuN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl> <10qc4dc$1silm$10@dont-email.me> <0cqjskp5oprp9v1utu6t3q8u0urkpnjbvs@4ax.com> <97uq9mxp8h.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net aWdlAOSpfOwsn4+d+tHecwbecM2Ngz3Gd7ZFIKwFlv8hhMeHB4 Cancel-Lock: sha1:LMnnzfkVHU6iLc/zhoLI+cHSUgM= sha256:aw+8xlEKw45Sa7CDvMN5kN7VEIUhrhnrI6qQjaXGem4= User-Agent: Pan/0.162 (Pokrosvk) Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:84809 On Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:42:22 -0400, c186282 wrote: > I think Tesla invented the fluorescent lamp way back at the dawn of > the 20th century. The old ones had a hideous color profile and > too-short- > persistence phosphors though, It was common for offices to have those > AND some aux incandescent bulbs so the staff wouldn't go nuts. A lot of people took a shot at it including Edison and Tesla. Neither of them were commercially successful. An early novelty: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geissler_tube The first company I worked for made RF preheaters for the plastics industry. They typically operated at around 100 MHz. While the frequency changed a bit as the material, usually phenolic or melamine, was heated it was too slow to interfere with FM radios. So you could see what was happening six inch fluorescent tubes were placed in fuse clips screwed to the aluminum cavity wall. That would confuse some plant electricians when the lights with no circuitry would come on. We also used a tube taped to a broomstick to check for leaking cavities. High tech. Workers in the factories found they were good for heating their lunches, and we always kept one of the smaller ones in engineering to heat up day old baked goods from the bakery across the river. The company did make several large microwaves that were placed in restaurants to be used like everyone uses them today but never followed through with consumer models.