Light bulb issue -- current solution

[Mihir Tendulkar]

Hi all,

      There has been a light bulb issue reported over the past few days.

      I managed to reproduce the problem and trace it back to the  
contact between the light bulb and its ceramic housing. It looks like  
there is some corrosion in the contact. Unfortunately, this is the  
same issue that came up a few months ago, and without Jim McVittie's  
help, we can't replace the housing. He's out for a couple of weeks.

      In the meantime, I found the sweet spot in the connection and  
left the bulb there. I turned the light on and off a few times and it  
seemed ok. It may last for some time as long as it is not knocked or  
slammed. I'll check on the bulb on weekdays to make sure it's ok.

      This is the best solution for now, until Jim is back.

      On a related note, does anyone have any electrically conductive  
grease? For example, the compound used in spark plug wires?

-- 
Mihir Tendulkar
Applied Physics PhD Candidate
Nishi Group, Stanford University