is my cold cathode broken?

[potatorage]

I recently stripped a cold cathode out of a scanner, and  I powered the inverter up w/ 12vdc (8 alkaline batteries in series) and it seems to get really hot when I turn it on, and also the ends get black, so is it broken?

 

[diachi]

]I recently stripped a cold cathode out of a scanner, and  I powered the inverter up w/ 12vdc (6 alkaline batteries in series) and it seems to get really hot when I turn it on, and also the ends get black, so is it broken?

Could you show us some pictures?

I had one of these once ( two infact ) and they both got very hot. Maybe the inverter needs more juice?

 

[potatorage]

it is black on the end

 

[potatorage]

the inverter works, gives a pretty nasty shock

 

[potatorage]

the thing will power up, but will get very hot(enough to feel uncomfortable on skin)

 

[diachi]

yeah that's fine then, that's how it should work

 

[potatorage]

The thing is that the dark spots on the ends seem to get bigger with use :O

 

[ndrew2505]

[highlight]cold[/highlight] cathode.... :

 

[potatorage]

kinda ironic because I don't think my hot cathode cfl's get that hot

 

[Things]

CCF tubes DO get warm, but they shouldn't get hot enough to burn you.

Chances are you are probably overdriving the inverter. Try something like 6V and see what happens.

EDIT: I wouldn't recommend touching the inverters HV output, they give you RF burns, which go very deep and hurt ALOT!

 

[nikokapo]

Check the 8 batteries, they shouldn't be over 12v.