Build A Nixie Tube Clock

J Aldridge writes: "People are still using Nixie tubes. Their warm glow seems to be the digital equivalent of the warm sound of vacuum amplifiers. One person has constructed a tube wristwatch."

Comments

Beware of following the instructions on this page

[Harumuka]

I, too, was tempted to buy a few Nixies to revive my cold and dank cellar, but stopped dead in my tracks soon as I saw a notice at the respectable RepairFAQ:

This circuit was not isolated from the power line and has been removed due to the danger involved in such a setup.

Although web archive's archives of the Repair FAQ only go back to 15 Feb 2K1, if I remember correctly the removed link went to the page Slashdot is linking too. Word from the wise: I'm not saying Nixies are inheirently dangerous, but many schmatics involving Nixie tubes do not isolate from the power line. And don't forget the big red warning on the page:

Warning! As this design uses a transformerless power supply, the whole circuit is at mains potential. Disconnect before making any adjustments etc. If you need to use an oscilloscope for debugging, the circuit MUST be operated through an isolating transformer.

190 volts at...

[Futurepower(tm)]

I seem to remember: 190 volts minimum at 3 to 5 milliamps. Discouraging if you want to use batteries.

Liquid Crystal Displays: A few volts at almost zero milliamps. If you had designed with Nixies, the discovery of LCDs was like God was giving us a gift.

Re:190 volts at...

[seanadams.com]

I seem to remember: 190 volts minimum at 3 to 5 milliamps. Discouraging if you want to use batteries.

Big whoop. It's not hard to make a switching power supply that will give you whatever voltage you want from a battery supply. Lots of sample circuits are out there.

You can also buy inexpensive inverter modules that make 100VAC from a battery supply - typically used for powering LCD electroluminescent backlights. Seach on digikey for "backlight inverter".

Forgot one thing...

[Pathwalker]

I hit submit rather than preview and neglected to add this:
There is a good background writeup on nixie tubes here on part of the WPS site.

Please don't bother moderating this up - it's at a high enough level that people will see it, and I've been at the cap for quite a while.
(now, if someone were to flip my rtbl flag I'd be thankful...

Anyone actually selling nixie clocks?

[NineNine]

I would love to buy a nixie clock (I don't have the technical aptitude to build one), but I can't seem to find anyone who sells decent assembled, completed nixie clocks. Anyone know where I could get one? I have money to spend!

Try Jaycar Electronics if you're in Australia ...

[myelin42]

Jaycar Electronics in Australia stocks some vacuum fluorescent displays, kind of like mini-Nixies.

If you're lucky, this link will take you to the description (and might even give you my session cookie :), otherwise go to the Online Catalogue page and select '-LEDs/Displays' from the dropdown menu then 'Search'.

The one you're after is '11 Digit Fluoro Bargain'. Here are the details:

Vacuum fluorescent displays - still look the best. Once again Jaycar has purchased a substantial quantity of a quality Futaba brand vacuum fluorescent displays. Each digit measures 6.0mm(H) x 3.5mm(W), 11 digits in all. The display also features an apostrophe in the top right hand corner of the digits, and a semicolon (;) in the bottom in all 11 digits. Electrical and mechanical data is incl in the price.

Only A$1.70 each - about US$1.20 or so. I got two of them a couple of years back. Needless to say, they're still sitting in the cupboard, waiting for me to get around to making something with them ...

Re:Beware of following the instructions on this pa

[driftingwalrus]

And wear rubber-soled shoes.

(NOTE: Holding one hand behind one's back and wearing rubber-soled shoes is to prevent the current from getting a path across one's heart)

It can SOURCE that, but for how LONG?

[Svartalf]

Microamps versus milliamps (Which, by the way, that switching supply will consume a couple of milliamps as well- not to mention you just bulked up your device considerably...). If it takes 5 micrnoamps to operate something and another unit takes 5 milliamps the microampere consuming device will last much longer.

I don't believe that he was saying that it was impossible or that someone didn't do it- it was just a godsend for the people having to develop devices with numeric displays to not have to mess with Nixies.