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Posted: 4/19/2015 9:42:17 AM EDT
Just bought this off of ebay. Thinking about making a clock or calender out of it. Nice piece of history from the last days of the USSR and the cold war. Looks like maybe a few are left if any other old retro tech nerds are interested. It's a very good price for what you get.
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:24:51 AM EDT
[#1]
For those who don't know, cold cathode displays, more commonly known as "nixie tubes" were the precursors to the LED. they were popular up until the mid to late seventies when they were being phased out. I personally find the warm glow to be more pleasing to the eyes than LEDs.
Here is a clock I built a couple years ago. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:27:04 AM EDT
[#2]
Nixie tube displays are cool.......another place to find them is in older ham radio frequency counters.......can sometimes be had for cheap.........
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:27:34 AM EDT
[#3]
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:27:44 AM EDT
[#4]
Already have my clocks lol.
Nixies make great clock displays. 
These are IN-18 tubes set up with a GPS reciever to sync with the satellite constellation to always keep perfect time. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:30:31 AM EDT
[#5]
Way cool.
Way. Cool. This place amazes me with it's creative members. 
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:31:49 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Already have my clocks lol. Nixies make great clock displays.
http://<a href=http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Invader_Zim_/Nixichroncloseup.jpg These are IN-18 tubes set up with a GPS reciever to sync with the satellite constellation to always keep perfect time. Nice! |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:34:11 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Already have my clocks lol. Nixies make great clock displays.
http://<a href=http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Invader_Zim_/Nixichroncloseup.jpg These are IN-18 tubes set up with a GPS reciever to sync with the satellite constellation to always keep perfect time. NICE! Where'd you get them? |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:35:36 AM EDT
[#8]
Beware. The Soviets may put bugs in them and are streaming your conversations back to the Kremlin.
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:36:10 AM EDT
[#9]
Purchased the IN-18's about 10 years ago from a German collector of the tubes.
The clock kit came from a gentleman from Nevada about 10 years ago who is unfortunately deceased. 
Many hours of soldering and testing, but the clock has been running flawlessly for about 9 years now. 24/7 Paul listed a site of a very well known collector and manufacturer of good nixie kits, there's lots of others out there and various styles nixie sizes and price ranges if you're willing to look around. They are cool to have as desk clocks. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:37:03 AM EDT
[#10]
Interesting. I have no experience with vacuum tubes outside of guitar amplifiers.
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:37:17 AM EDT
[#11]
Very cool
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:40:03 AM EDT
[#12]
This thread is sofa king cool!!
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:45:47 AM EDT
[#13]
For those interested in other kits or just a cool ready made nixie clock for the desk you can check out these sites to get you started.
http://www.store.tubeclock.com/index.php/nixie-tube-clocks/nixie-clock-kits http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php http://www.tubeclockdb.com/nixie-kits/37-great-nixie-kit.html http://www.nixieclocks.de/english/nixieclockkit/in18bluedream/index.html Geek warning, I found this stuff to be as addicting as my hobby with night vision systems.
SuperJanitor, you might want to read up on "cathode poisoning" The more the digits change the better, if they have to stay at one number for a long period of time the other numbers can become useless unless you use a program that will cycle through all the digits periodically. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:48:26 AM EDT
[#14]
Fucking ARFCom; this is why I never have enough money
The fathometer on Ticonderoga Class cruisers is a NIXIE display. That thing used to hypnotize me 
This'll make a neat clock. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:59:34 AM EDT
[#15]
Well at least if have the (Android) app for my phone: Nixie Clock.
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Posted: 4/19/2015 11:01:05 AM EDT
[#16]
Do the clock kits come with instructions on where to place diodes etc.......
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Posted: 4/19/2015 11:01:23 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Fucking ARFCom; this is why I never have enough money
The fathometer on Ticonderoga Class cruisers is a NIXIE display. That thing used to hypnotize me
This'll make a neat clock. I would like to see picture of that. Does one exist? |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 11:02:19 AM EDT
[#18]
Yea, but those apps just don't replicate the three dimensional qualities and light of a real nixie neon display, or the electric sex appeal.
Do the clock kits come with instructions on where to place diodes etc....... I'm pretty sure they all do. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 11:54:31 AM EDT
[#19]
There is at least on USN system still in use that uses Nixie tubes.
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Posted: 4/19/2015 11:58:08 AM EDT
[#20]
Is that the control unit for UVB-76?
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Posted: 4/19/2015 12:05:33 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
There is at least on USN system still in use that uses Nixie tubes. There is the AN/SLQ-25 Nixie. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/SLQ-25_Nixie.
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Posted: 4/19/2015 12:11:41 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Nixie tube displays are cool.......another place to find them is in older ham radio frequency counters.......can sometimes be had for cheap......... In the late 80's AF radio shop we had freq counters with Nixie tubes. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 12:38:11 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
For those interested in other kits or just a cool ready made nixie clock for the desk you can check out these sites to get you started. http://www.store.tubeclock.com/index.php/nixie-tube-clocks/nixie-clock-kits http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php http://www.tubeclockdb.com/nixie-kits/37-great-nixie-kit.html http://www.nixieclocks.de/english/nixieclockkit/in18bluedream/index.html Geek warning, I found this stuff to be as addicting as my hobby with night vision systems.
SuperJanitor, you might want to read up on "cathode poisoning" The more the digits change the better, if they have to stay at one number for a long period of time the other numbers can become useless unless you use a program that will cycle through all the digits periodically. Yep. The clock I built does a periodic "slot machine" routine to help prevent that. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 6:18:30 PM EDT
[#24]
Fuck the Apple Watch. I want one of these -
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Posted: 4/19/2015 8:56:56 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Fuck the Apple Watch. I want one of these - <a href="http://protomech.org/" target="_blank">http://i59.tinypic.com/260zzfa.jpg</a> Steampunk!!!
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Posted: 4/19/2015 9:06:34 PM EDT
[#26]
Very neat stuff.
I learned something useful or at least not stupid on arfcom today. |
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Posted: 4/20/2015 12:24:27 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I personally find the warm glow to be more pleasing to the eyes than LEDs. Digital is so cold. Tubes have that warm sound look. |
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Posted: 4/20/2015 6:10:36 AM EDT
[#28]
I used a piece of laboratory equipment in the mid 70's that had a nixie tube display. I've always wanted a nixie tube clock.
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Posted: 4/20/2015 6:14:28 AM EDT
[#29]
Electronic hipsters
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Posted: 4/20/2015 8:15:14 AM EDT
[#30]
This thing is bad ass! I love the dekatron counters! |
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Posted: 4/20/2015 8:24:04 AM EDT
[#31]
Bad ass
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Posted: 4/20/2015 9:13:18 AM EDT
[#32]
I've wanted one for a while but damn they're expensive.
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Posted: 4/20/2015 9:39:54 AM EDT
[#33]
A little caveat for those who may be interested in these gadgets.....
Nixie tubes need to be driven by about 170 volts. Dekatrons require well over 400 volts. For most, that would be a painful, but most likely harmless shock. For anyone with a heart condition, it could be potentially lethal. Just something to consider. With a proper understand of basic electricity and some basic safety practices, it should not be any real problem. Secondly, because these are not manufactured anymore, there is a finite supply of nixies. There is a market for used and new-old-stock (NOS). The prices for these components will only go up as supplies dwindle. |
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Posted: 4/20/2015 9:50:54 AM EDT
[#34]
Those are pretty neat! I wouldn't take arfcom for art members, but damn if some of you aren't crafty.
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Posted: 4/20/2015 12:05:26 PM EDT
[#35]
You can do a lot of very cool "Retro" stuff with nixie tubes and a modern Microcontroller (PIC, Arduino, Raspberry pi, etc). The only tricky bit is interfacing logic level signals from the µC to the higher voltage inputs of the tubes. This is easily done and there are a ton of schematics showing how to do it if you want to get started.
If you don't know much about electronics OR microcontrollers,, then I'd suggest sticking with a complete kit. |
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Posted: 4/20/2015 12:49:41 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Steampunk!!! Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Fuck the Apple Watch. I want one of these - <a href="http://protomech.org/" target="_blank">http://i59.tinypic.com/260zzfa.jpg</a> Steampunk!!!  |
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Posted: 4/21/2015 8:57:56 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You can do a lot of very cool "Retro" stuff with nixie tubes and a modern Microcontroller (PIC, Arduino, Raspberry pi, etc). The only tricky bit is interfacing logic level signals from the µC to the higher voltage inputs of the tubes. This is easily done and there are a ton of schematics showing how to do it if you want to get started. If you don't know much about electronics OR microcontrollers,, then I'd suggest sticking with a complete kit. Yeah, they've come a long way from discrete components. IC's and microcontrollers definelty simplify things (if you know how to program) |
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Posted: 5/22/2015 9:57:10 PM EDT
[#38]
Put another clock kit together. This one multiplexes 6 nixies and drives one dekatron that will act as an electronic pendulum. Need to get the tubes ready now.
Also been dabbling with dekatrons a little bit. Put this spinner kit together and it makes the tube spin around and do a few other goofy things. They are kind of cool. They were originally used for counting and dividing applications. The cool thing is that they also double as an indicator. 
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Posted: 5/22/2015 11:50:12 PM EDT
[#39]
I think these are cool as shit. Wish I had electronic skills.
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Posted: 5/23/2015 12:39:17 AM EDT
[#40]
The GPS Modules have gotten very cheap (<$20), unless you want a good antenna. The stock cheap one will get at least one satellite indoors for setting time.
Neatest blend of old and new was a Nixie Tube clock with GPS receiver for automatically setting the time, saw that one a few years ago. I had an idea that would be very neat, but expensive, to make a Nixie tube GPS that showed your latitude and longitude, each with it's own line of tubes. 7 to 9 tubes per line, though. 
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Posted: 5/23/2015 12:44:56 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Already have my clocks lol. Nixies make great clock displays. http://<a href=http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Invader_Zim_/Nixichroncloseup.jpg These are IN-18 tubes set up with a GPS reciever to sync with the satellite constellation to always keep perfect time. That is cool as hell , do want ! |
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Posted: 5/23/2015 12:50:55 AM EDT
[#42]
Today I learned what a NIXIE TUBE was, thanks Arfcom.
OP the clock that you built is pretty awesome. |
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Posted: 5/23/2015 12:55:33 AM EDT
[#43]
Did anyone else immediately think of COD?
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Posted: 5/23/2015 1:06:19 AM EDT
[#44]
I click on every Nixie tube thread, and each time I wish I didn't. I don't need one of these, but I really want one anyway.
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Posted: 5/23/2015 1:07:09 AM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I click on every Nixie tube thread, and each time I wish I didn't. I don't need one of these, but I really want one anyway. ^ this. |
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Posted: 5/23/2015 1:12:31 AM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: ^ this. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I click on every Nixie tube thread, and each time I wish I didn't. I don't need one of these, but I really want one anyway. ^ this. Dbl'd. Although the dudes saying they wish they had electronic knowledge should get the arduino and the Make series |
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Posted: 5/23/2015 1:18:03 AM EDT
[#47]
The IN-18 Blue Dream is a work of art.
Almost bought a complete kit years ago, but ended up deciding against it. Now they have gotten so expensive, I doubt I will ever own one. 
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Posted: 5/23/2015 1:24:26 AM EDT
[#48]
Meh - Nixies were what the rich kids had.
The rest of us working-class stiffs had to make do with neon bulbs.
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Posted: 5/23/2015 1:25:09 AM EDT
[#49]
Cool.
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Posted: 5/23/2015 1:45:33 AM EDT
[#50]
Dammit. Now I have to make one.
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