Portable fluorescent lantern

Claim 1

A fluorescent lantern capable of being operated with an AC or DC power input, said lantern comprising: a base, a fluorescent tube removably connected to said base; a first and second circuit means arranged in cooperative relation to one another to energize said fluorescent tube from a direct or alternating current input respectively, said first circuit means comprising a transistorized power inverter circuit for operating said tube with AC from a DC power input; said first circuit means including a transistor, a transformer having a primary and a secondary winding, switch means for energizing a portion of said transistorized circuit with direct current, biasing means to bias the transistor such that the transistor conducts current when said portion of said circuit is energized with direct current, bias changing means including a feedback winding, a first capacitor coupled to said feedback winding; said transistor including a base electrode, a collector electrode and an emitter electrode, said base coupled to said first capacitor, a resistance coupled to said first capacitor, said collector coupled to said resistance, said emitter coupled to said primary winding: and said feedback winding being energized by said primary winding when current is conducted in the transistor, whereby said feedback winding generates a current through the capacitor and resistance which when reaching said base and said collector is 180* out of phase with the current in said primary winding.