nixie tube

[darryl]

I thought this was a pretty interesting video- the art of making a nixie tube. It's almost 40 minutes long, but I watched it all the way through. Facinating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxL4ElboiuA

[Richard P Wilson]

Without having to watch a 40 minute video, educate me - what in the world is a nixie tube?

[Noitoen]

Without having to watch a 40 minute video, educate me - what in the world is a nixie tube?

Google Clock with Nixie tubes

[Benta]

I think this link is a bit more useful:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixie_tube

[paul463]

I watched that one a few weeks back. Pretty cool.

I now have a bug to build a Nixie clock. eBay is loaded with Russian made surplus Nixie tubes..... I've ordered a few IN12 and IN14 size to save for a rainy day project.


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[JoeLee]

Without having to watch a 40 minute video, educate me - what in the world is a nixie tube?

Prehistoric LED basically.
Vacuum tube digit or letter. Before LED or liquid quartz displays. They were common in electronic equipment up to about the mid 70's.

JL...............

[BCRider]

The funkyness of them comes from the fact that the numbers are all stacked front to back so when the numbers change the depth of the light changes too. Only slightly noticeable if you're dead on axis with the centerline. But shift your head just a few degrees and if the numbers are changing a lot it's like they are doing a nervous shuffle.

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

How does he maintain the vacuum+ neon gas when cutting/sealing the stem tubes? I would expect the vacuum to be immediately lost as soon as the glass stem tube is soft enough for atmospheric pressure to blow into the tube.

[paul463]

How does he maintain the vacuum+ neon gas when cutting/sealing the stem tubes? I would expect the vacuum to be immediately lost as soon as the glass stem tube is soft enough for atmospheric pressure to blow into the tube.

I think the neon is actually slightly positive pressure.

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[JoeLee]

How does he maintain the vacuum+ neon gas when cutting/sealing the stem tubes? I would expect the vacuum to be immediately lost as soon as the glass stem tube is soft enough for atmospheric pressure to blow into the tube.

Probably the same way that they did it when they made vacuum tubes or light bulbs.

They were probably filled in a box type environment filled with the neon gas at the right pressure and the end sealed in that atmosphere before being removed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U70-VcmiUM0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxL4ElboiuA

JL...............

[sarge41]

Very interesting, Darryl. Thanks for sharing. I was always amazed when watching the display on the big Onsrud bridge mill in the shop that I served out in. When readouts on the two axis display (of the G.E. controls) were moving rapidly, the nixie's were just a blur. I was there almost 30 years and it was still doing its job with rarely a problem with the display.

Sarge41

[MaxHeadRoom]

Another couple neon related of the same vintage, was the neon tube voltage regulator and the Dekatron counter tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3HLZOJKEQU

Max.

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

I think the neon is actually slightly positive pressure.

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I just figured it out. They heat the glass stem just enough and evenly for the vacuum to suck in the glass and cause the seal.

[Richard P Wilson]

I think this link is a bit more useful:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixie_tube

Thank you. Now I know, but I don't think the knowledge is going to change my life, somehow.

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

I've always wanted to make an "arc" display and create a 7 segment type display but use high freq and high voltage injection to create plasma bars.