What the heck are these things?

[menace]

So I finally got the pinout for my 5" toei golden mini monitor as well as borrowed a transformer to power it but I get no glow in the necktube.  So I'm looking at it close and I see these christmas lights on the neck board and am curious as to what they're function is.  Any guesses?  Also any hints on what to check for power loss are appreciated to  

I'm in undiscovered country here and I don't expect to get beamed up anytime so any help is appreciated (nerdy trek humor)

[TaaJ]

They look almost like a  tube amp.

[MonitorGuru]

They appear to be neon light bulbs.  Why they're there I have no idea.  Ohhhh Ken?

[Ken Layton]

They are indeed neon lamps. They are used in this application as gas tube surge/short circuit protectors to the picture tube should a momentary short develop inside the tube (common with small sized picture tubes).

[menace]

thanks ken--somehow I knew you posessed that tidbit of arcane knowledge--(or would that be arcade knowledge?)

now are these supposed to glow or anything when they get power (they don't but i was just curious what normal operational behaviour is)

[Ken Layton]

Most of the time (99.9 % usually) the neon lamps will not be lit. They are simply a protection device. If they glow steadily (and brightly) then the picture tube has a dead short in it. These neon lamps are also used on the X-Y black & white monitors.

[menace]

hmmm--learn something new everyday--thanks ken!