Abstract: An optical pump source is constructed on the basis of a sectioned low voltage surface discharge in the form of strictly linear plasma channels with a total working length of 42 cm . A distributed-transmission-line model on the distribution of the electric field along the surface of the radiation source is developed. The effect from the trigger pulse and the specific capacitance of the dielectric substrate is analyzed and a small time scatter of operation from the individual sections (<100ns) is obtained in experiment.