From the files of the ARRL Automated Mail Server, (info@arrl.org): Prepared as a membership service by the American Radio Relay League, Inc., Technical Information Service. file: \public\info\tis\rflamp.txt updated: May 28, 1993 Thank you for requesting the following information from the ARRL Technical Information Service or the ARRL Automated Mail Server (info@arrl.org). ARRL HQ is glad to provide this information free of charge as a service to League members and affiliated clubs. For your convenience, you may reproduce this information, electronically or on paper, and distribute it to anyone who needs it, provided that you reproduce it in its entirety and do so free of charge. Please note that you must reproduce the information as it appears in the original, including the League's copyright notice. If you have any questions concerning the reproduction or distribution of this material, please contact Michael Tracy, American Radio Relay League, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 (email: mtracy@arrl.org). --------------------------- cut here ---------------------------- Information about RF driven lamps. The ARRL Lab wants to test these devices for emissions and susceptibility just as soon as we can get our hands on one of them. They are (to be) made by: Intersource Technologies Tom Moore 130 Kifer Court Sunnyvale CA 94086 (408) 732-6760 in partnership with: Diablo Research Corp, same address, tel: (408) 730-9555 I was told that engineering samples are not available, and will not be available for six months. (Long overdue - If any west coast folks have an "in", I would love to speed that timetable up a bit. :-) ). As of 10/19/92 they were still not available. Mr. Moore suggested we contact them in a few months. Mr. Moore sent me a few pages of technical information, although it appears to be more of a marketing blurb than anything else. The reports that the device operates on 13.58 MHz, crystal controlled, are accurate. The sheet specifies that the device meets FCC Part 15 and Part 18 requirements. On 10/19/92 Mr. Moore informed me that they had indeed passed the Part 15 and Part 18 tests performed by two independent testing labs, but that neither the Part 15 nor Part 18 applications were complete or FCC approved yet. The two testing Labs are: EMI Measurements, Inc., 300 Maranatha Dr, Hollister, CA 95023, (408) 636-2860 and Spectrum Measurement Corp, 2820 Grant St., Concord, CA 94520, (510) 687-7620. To quote from the EMI Measurements report: "The Intersource SE lamp was tested to determine if it complies with the Class B radiated and conducted emission requirements of FCC Part 15, Subpart B, and Part 18 (per sections 18.303, 18.305c and 18.307c) of the Rules and Regulations and was found to be compliant." From the "Technology and Specifications" package supplied by Intersource Technologies: "... (the device) is best described as an RF excited electrodeless fluorescent light source. ... "The electronics package ... consists of a high efficiency power supply, 13.56 MHz crystal controlled oscillator, and RF power amplifier, and the coupling antenna. ... The basic light source requires only one IC and six transistors. ... "The basic method used for generating light is the coupling of high frequency electrical energy into a mercury vapor plasma. The plasma becomes a conductive ring, located inside of the glass assembly, which acts like the secondary of an air coupled transformer. ... Since the plasma contains mercury, invisible light is created inside the glass assembly. This is then converted to visible light by the phosphor coating." This is all the info we have. If anyone learns anything else, please send it along to me here at ARRL HQ. I have a file specifically set up for this product (so far rather thin. :-) ). We will keep our membership posted through all the means available to us. If anyone would like a copy of our paper file, send an 8X12 SASE with 98 cents postage to the Technical Department Secretary. Ask specifically for the EMI/RFI RF Bulb Package. The members and HQ staff would like to thank the following people for their contributions to this information file: KA1CV, Ed Hare, ehare@arrl.org Tom Moore - Intersource technologies Send any additional information or changes to mtracy@arrl.org. 73 from ARRL HQ.