Luminglas ''Borg Lite''

[The_LED_Museum]

Has anybody else got one of these?
If so, what do you think of it?

[gwbaltzell]

Of course I have one Craig. I bought it almost two years ago on sale at one of those mall "gift" stores and I think I paid somewhere around what you did. Similar to plasma balls, it behaves in similar ways. Touching it will draw the "arc" to where its being touched. Warning: if you have any implanted electronics, pacemaker, insulin pump, TENS unit, etc. DON'T go near the lamp.
Claimed to have been designed for Star Trek: First Contact (1996) they have been a part of the Borg recharging station ever since.

BTW thier site, cyi.net , is 100% maromedia flash shockwave, don't bother if you don't have flash.

[The_LED_Museum]

Thank you for the warnings...I'll add them to the lamp's page at once. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
No need for anybody to get hurt because they saw the lamp on my website and bought one without realising they cannot be used near such medical electronics.

[idleprocess]

I've seen those at all the local Fry's stores ever since Fry's came to the area several years ago.

Jusdging by the looks of the display models, they've never swapped them - so they must be somewhat durable if they can survive Fry's customers!

[Chris M.]

I`ve had one of those for a few years now. Got lucky and scored a small one on Ebay for GB£25 from some guy selling plasma globes, etc. Only 12 inches in diameter but I`m sure I`ve seen huge ones that could have been over 2 feet accross somewhere. It does make fluorescent tubes and neon glow lamps glow when held next to the glass, though not as brightly as with a plasma globe. It`s a very eye catching thing but I would find the flickering rather distracting if it was near to me hence why it lives up in the corner next to a bulb shaped jar full of old LEDs...



I had a problem with it just over a year after I got it. It began to grow dimmer until the "lightning" didn`t reach the edge any more. Adjusting the controls at the back got it a bit brighter but then one afternoon it quit altogether with just a faint flicker in the middle. The thing runs daily for hours and I did wonder how long it would last - the modern plasma globes and tubes that use small high frequency flyback transformers don`t last very long at all (not like the old dangerous ones!) and end up dim and fuzzy after only a couple of months. Anyways after spending some time conducting a post-mortem it turned out that a power transistor inside had burned out (typical modern electronics with barely-adequate cooling), and replacing that was all it needed. It`s been fine ever since, sits up there running on "auto" and brightening up a dark corner of this dark room. If it gives out again I`ll have an idea where to look for the problem.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[The_LED_Museum]

You got a GREEN one...YOU LUCKY DOG YOU!!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
Makes that corner look like a Borg regeneration alcove, just like on Star Trek. That ribbed conduit looks right in place there, but the speaker cone and all those bulbs don't.
Just my 2¢ here, your results can and probably will vary.

[flash....]

Hey! I have a green one too!
Love it, I have had it about 2 years as well. Can't remember how much I paid for it at Spencers.
It does put off quite a bit of EMF as it turns on and off my little red LED clip bike light almost magically and randomly. (So I leave it next to it for questions sake [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )
I leave it on 24-7 activated by sound. Some times it acts up and goes full blast with no sound, but usually returns back to normal in a day or so.
It has been a good light.

[The_LED_Museum]

Mine's a light blue color, kinda like this:

Less purple and more blue than this picture makes it appear.


Here's a picture taken with photoflash; this renders the "sparks" in it somewhat more accurately.

[flash....]

Anyone ever seen the Magenta model?
Anyone got one? I wonder how close to red it really is.
I would love one of these in Cherry Red.

[_mike_]

They have one of those lights for sale at our local thrift shop.

Mike

[nitebrite]

i have a blue one. it has lasted a very long time. for a first light of this type i might recomend a regular plasma sphere because it seems neater especially when the lights are on in the room. i don't really care for the stuff inside of the lamp(sand?) but i think this is what makes it last much longer than a typical plasma sphere. this company makes lot's of cool stuff check out their whole site.


nitebrite.

[freeze12]

For anyone still interested: Today at walMart I purchased one of these lights for $26.43 and the size is 11.8"& is called (Electrostorm Disc)

[Pellidon]

Spencer's has one now that has the beads loose in an hourglass. When tipped over they glow and spark as they pass from top to bottom.

Last week they had the borg lights on sale for $14. At least at some stores, YMMV.

[Draco_Americanus]

I find that it's hard to find a realy good plasma sphere. The small ones usaly have a weak powersupply, have a poor gas mix or both. I had a chance to get a big luminglas but did not have 120 bucks at that time. I belive they can also make flat panels with that stuff as on tech tv they used it on a computer cabinet. It was very cool!
It would be neat to have luminglas with out the beads but they surve as a structal support between the two plates of glass.

[Avix]

are the spheres liable to screw up insulin pumps and pacemakers too?

[Draco_Americanus]

yes, they all run from high freqancy high voltage so they can potentonaly cause harmfull interferance with "any" electronic device.

[Avix]

well FRIBBLE! there goes that idea for some "mood lighting!"

you guys may have saved a life with that info.

[ScienceTeacher]

I have been looking all over the net to find these. The best ones I have found are on a site www.coolstuffexpress.com. They are a great teaching classroom tool and entertaining too!