A simple reliable transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) laser operating with moderate repetition rates at 337 nm using commercial‐grade N2at 1 atm is described. Preliminary results for a range of operating voltages and channel spacings are presented. The laser’s pulse width is about 1 nsec. Best electrical efficiency to date is 0.039% at 8.8 kV. At 21 kV, 355 &mgr;J/pulse is obtained. Above 16.7 kV, the unfocused output will pump a dye solution to superradiance at a distance of 1.5 m. For supply voltages less than 10 kV, a novel configuration for preionization is described.