Making a tuve starve will take its time.

Tiny cracks microscopic cracks should appear if produce a thermic shock in the tube, but sufficent to make air get in or mercury can get out.

Ok I’ll try that eventually. Could you give me the link of a Phillips alto bulb if you have one.

Ok I’m trying to apply 12v dc to the bulb like some people recommend that’s the best thing you can do to eol the bulb, so how do I wire it up? Do I apply the striped wires to the ballast? Or do I apply the striped wires to the pins and plug it  in?

Apply the  12v directly to the pins of the lamp, no ballast needed

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Also here's one example of a standard Alto.
http://lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-43859
I've had one of those ^ go mercury-starved (outside on a electronic RS ballast .. in winter, it was too cold to make it light)

Also had another type go mercury-starved .. the one mentioned with a bad ballast (which surprisingly I never uploaded a pic (I'll have to rectify that situation!))

Ok to wire it does it matter what cord I use when I strip it? I’m new with dc I’m not sure if it’s hot or neutral. Or it just doesn't matter.

Apply the  12v directly to the pins of the lamp, no ballast needed

------------
Also here's one example of a standard Alto.
http://lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-43859
I've had one of those ^ go mercury-starved (outside on a electronic RS ballast .. in winter, it was too cold to make it light)

Also had another type go mercury-starved .. the one mentioned with a bad ballast (which surprisingly I never uploaded a pic (I'll have to rectify that situation!))

In this case it doesn't matter since its just a filament (you could even technically use 12v AC)
If you were lighting LEDs, or running electronics, that's where it'd be important to get the + & - connected correctly.

Ok got it and one more thing when I apply the wires to the pins of the lamp do I split the wire to touch both pins on each side of the tube? Or just put one wire on each pin on each side of the tube?

In this case it doesn't matter since its just a filament (you could even technically use 12v AC)
If you were lighting LEDs, or running electronics, that's where it'd be important to get the + & - connected correctly.

You'll want to do both pins.

Try first doing it so they're in series - one output wire from the 12v to a pin on each end, then connect the other 2 pins with a wire along the lamp (this'll give 6v per filament which might not be enough, but its a good starting point)...

If you don't see any glow in the ends, then change it so both wires go to both pins on each end so they get the full 12v.


Also if you have a way to flash it - turn on/off a couple times per minute, that should work quite well/speed things up..

So I split the wire onto both pins on each side of the tube? I’m just making sure lol sorry.

You'll want to do both pins.

Try first doing it so they're in series - one output wire from the 12v to a pin on each end, then connect the other 2 pins with a wire along the lamp (this'll give 6v per filament which might not be enough, but its a good starting point)...

If you don't see any glow in the ends, then change it so both wires go to both pins on each end so they get the full 12v.


Also if you have a way to flash it - turn on/off a couple times per minute, that should work quite well/speed things up..

And how do I know which wire I apply to the pin? Does it matter?

Yep, that's it.
Doesn't matter which wire goes to which pin.

Would anyone explain how blowing a cathode would make the lamp mercury starved ?

How would I wire that up? Just to the pins right? If so I just don’t know what wires to use

Put them on the incorrect gear such as a 400w HPS ballast. As for making them pink, I don't know.

@Ash:
The idea is actually not   to blow the cathode, just heat it up. (ideally heat..cool..heat..cool... particularly if you can intermittently light the tube. I don't know why that makes them go mercury starved, but it does.)

So I added the dc voltage to it and it was pretty cool, didn’t want to burn it out completely but now that it has a burn mark on the end like a used tube light, will it die shorter? Or last the same amount of time?