this i think is the oldest tube i have, the building it came from was built in 1954, the tube could be older though, its marked as OSRAM PATENT GEC DAYLIGHT and has Property of H.M. Govenment inked on the brass cap with the queens crown in the middle.

Thats a nice example!

It used to work fine, but its sadly packed up, it flickers all the time now on the starter, it could be mercury starved i guess, is there anyway of getting it going without distroying it completely?

Leave it flashing on the correct ballast on a fast glow starter and see what happens if it starts flashing brighter just every so often try a EFS 120 or EFS600 pulsestarter on it they can sometimes help to revive them. Ive revived all of my tubes on either the correct gear or HF ballasts that dont have eol cut out. Do you have any of the purple labeled Thorn 40w HF ballasts ? If so do it on there. Tube will either get belting hot or stay the same until it sorts its self out. WARNING it may pack up the balla

no, not got one of those thorn ballasts, i've never saved an electronic unit in my life !

Lol those ballasts can be good for reviving merc starved / contaminated tubes! Just try it with a fast flashing starter and leave it for a while then keep checking it with pulse starter IF you have any!

i'd have to make something up then, as the fittings got a 4 pin large aluminium starter, tried loads of the big starters, some were fast flashing, some not, non would strike it

Just stick a temp 2 pin holder on whilst your doing it. Fast flashing starters and pulse starters are something that i believe in that will get it , it might take hours after hours of continuous flashing, no matter what tube it is i hate to use any other gear than its correct gear or lower wattage gear to revive it, what ever u do make up make sure the whole length of the tube is earthed & fitting that will also help it alot!

Yeh contaminated probably revivable with determination or on an 8' 125 gear may help its not got any kind of black sock?

i'l try that sometime then, and leave it lit for hours if it strikes, as i was told once the gas has gone low, leaving it lit for say 24 hours will make it work every time again. It worked on a dead 140 jacket sodium lamp that wouldent start, i got it lit using a set of 250 son gear with a pulse ignitor, took a while, but once it striked it got to full brightness and some very quick ! its now works every time on the correct gear

Look at the cathodes is the emitter all on it? Yes give it a good try when you have atleast a day spare. Yeh maybe 6ft 85w or 8ft gear. But nothing more poweful! Dont use gear like SRS or quickstart as they have no kick so wont have the stregnth to force it to light. But youll need to be paitient with it which isnt always as easy lol. If it flashes the whole legnth of the tube then i guarantee you youll get it going. You may also get away with SOX lamp ignitors up to 90w sox but not their ballasts

yes, the emitters are both good, everything looks good, it flashes all the way down nearly lights at times, and then goes out again.Is it low mercury vapour?

Na sounds like contamination and doesnt sound like its too bad tbh

Any luck getting this going?