THE GREAT MULLARD MAGIC BLOG — neon stabiliser

We have had a run on stabiliser devices recently, so I thought it was perhaps time to write a blog article about how these work.   Interestingly, they are not a valve in the true sense as they do not amplify but rather find use in maintaining steady DC voltages in power supplies where mains supply variations occur or within circuits where a reliable reference voltage is required for operation. The simplest form of voltage stabiliser consists of a rod anode surrounded by a cylindrical cathode which are mounted within a glass bulb which has an atmosphere containing a single...