One thing to note about Nixie tubes: a failure cannot manifest as an otherwise-valid output, e.g. the failure of the top segment of a 7-segment display turning 7 into 1. Very important for things where it's imperative that no mistakes happen.
That was very informational and useful. Low voltage vacuum tubes? Wow. Nixis are not vacuum? Wow. Apollo program is uber cool part of engineering history, which still marvels me in many ways. Subscribed. :) Also hoping Dave will do something interesting with LVDC module.
Thank you for the explanation of these. I just picked up a dozen ив-6 (AKA IV-6). Some of them will be used in a frequency counter for my vacuum tube ham radio receiver.
NIXIE is a neon gas discharge display. Some of the old US Navy test gear I have use Neon lamps as voltage limiters/regulators. I have some old Bruel & Kjaer test gear from Mc Intosh that use neon lamps as Zener diodes, or voltage/current limiters, and these little lamps are even shown as a zener diode on the schematics. Merle Travis, & Chet Atkins used Standard Electronic's amplifiers which some, not all used a string of neon lamps to regulate the voltage to the preamp. They get muddy when you play a chord, which kind of sucks, but these were very early guitar amps, and totally unlike Fender, Gibson, Magnatone, Valco/National/Dobro amps of the 1940s, or 50s for that matter.
Vfd technology was used in cars and radio for a while. At night in the dark, I could see the 3 filaments glow a bit orange for a second as they dimmed back down. There was even a Pac Man game with the tube and several colors! It was battery powered too.
I have the same radio shack digital volt meter. Nice feature of this is that it connects to your computers serial port creating a bigger display unit on your monitor, problem is the display on the meter damage so easily when dropped. I got mines from all the way back in 1997 during my electrical class days.
You are making awesome videos! I really like the explanation you gave so if you had as much fun doing it as i had watching it, please do them more often. I found you through daves channel and im really happy about it!
6:30 The Nixie tube uses a prebias of -50 volts dc. To switch on a numerical figure, the grid is grounded. The cathode to anode difference is +170 VDC, depending on the tube specs?
One thing I read some time back (years?) is the big advantage that you have when you're dealing with an instrument that has some "bobble" in the last digit, like a digital voltmeter or similar: In the case of an LED 7-segment display, for example, if it's mostly a 4 but bobbling between 3 and 5 what you'll end up seeing is an 8! In the case of the Nixie, that won't happen, and it's quite obvious what the measurement is doing. I've never actually seen this addressed in terms of the prevalence of 7-segment displays. I've also not personally encountered that style of VFD. The ones that I have encountered are the ones that you typically saw in VCRs over the years. Unfortunately, those were usually pretty tightly coupled, design-wise, to the microcontroller chip that usually sat right under the display. I've been told that they were usually custom-made, for that particular model or series of models of equipment, and have not been able to find any data whatsoever on those silly things. Which is a shame, because it might be fun to re-purpose one for something. If you know of any info out there on these things, I'd sure like to hear about it! Somewhere around here I have a bag of what I've been told are "Nixie sockets". If I come across them maybe they'll be of some use? Any thoughts about the relative lifetime of these parts? I remember a store on Canal Street in NYC that had a bunch of Nixies on display, constantly powered up, and they weren't doing too well...
Hah, how funny that I came across this video after Dave Jones from EEV made a video about Nixie tubes, probably the very tubes you sent him!!!!!!!!! I've been thinking about building a retro clock for my niece with some of these babies, so awesome...
I love the Nixie tubes... I wish I could find find a working display to photograph. Thanks for the video, and thanks for all your extremely interesting Apollo V stuff.
Interesting, I had not thought about how NIXIE tubes actually worked. I just assumed they were exactly like NEON lights. It never occurred to me that there was bias voltage on the non desired segments. I had however always wondered how as each segment was further away from the grid screen that they remained as bright at the closest. It also explains a problem I came across many years ago as kid fascinated with them that I would occasionally run across a NIXIE where some segments were glowing slightly. Thanks Fran!
Thank you, explanation about such displays. When I searched about accoustic musical instrument and electronics, I found your channel. I am baroque style flute and oboe maker and play them. I want to find something new with them and modern technology.
You've got the "prebias" issue wrong. Prebias is used to reduce the necessary voltage swing on the drivers so lower-voltage-tolerant drivers can be used. Some nixies have some radioactive material in them to pre-ionize the gas and reduce the voltage needed for illumination. The pre-bias has nothing to do with this.
Robert Haas You're absolutely correct, Robert. No pre-bias with Nixie tubes,. The digits are either on or off once ground potential is supplied to any of the cathodes. And so goes the never ending saga of mis-information rampant on the internet.
First time watching your work pretty good. On a side note not as a positive or negative just observation at end you seemed a little sad but a lot of us nerds really enjoy these presentations and the work and knowledge which is shared. Thank You and keep on trucking knowledge is power and must be used for good of mankind.
8:48 - When you realise that the little tube between the 4 big tubes looks like a person in a hat that needs to pee badly. Then at 8:53, it's just a witch standing in line.
I have a box of OTKS Russia Cold War Nixie’s. I built a cool clock from them. Mine are 11pin oval shaped. Btw my clock runs off 12vdc and it is entirely logic driven. No aurquino.
Fran, could they have developed Efd into a light source for general purpose lighting just like they did with LEDs? I guess they could. Of course LEDs are more efficient but EFD are easier to make in a low-tech environment.
Recently did an animation of Vacuum Florescent Displays as an example for a web page dedicated to musicians. RIfftime. They used other more conservative ideas instead. But I thought as a gif Facebook banner these tubes in deep blue with hot red letters slowly heating up saying Rifftime in eight tubes was a cool idea. I still have my father's very early Radio Engineering manual. He taught at M.I.T. around 1937-1040. Funny that it never occurred to him to share any of that with his only son.
Do you know of a nixie watch kit that comes already assembled I want to case 1 in a pocket watch. I know of David Forbes kit but I was hoping to find a 4 Tube kit
If you have cases of American made Nixie tubes I think you are sitting on a gold mine and ought to sell some on eBay or something... Many people have to buy Russian tubes for projects like Nixie clocks and so-on.
The problem you will run into is availability of them as well as price. Cold War nixie tubes are much cheaper and easier to come by and easily will last 5+ years in most cases.
Ooooo, see, I always thought nixies where complex and convoluted vacum tubes, now I know they where just as complex and convoluted but neons in essence. Every day does one learn something. I am glad I caught your channel before the pink pill, your a fantastic and fascinating uploader. Dave's got a lot of retro on his plate, he has the LVDC , the nixie and the delorean time circuits to make sence off. I'm sure it will be a bobby dazler ;P
Nixie tubes & vacuum displays are much more interesting than LED displays, but LED's are interesting, too. Is it true that LED's, neon lamps & florescent lamps have in common the need for a current-limiting resistor of some sort, or a "starter"?
Do you have any idea what the reaction time is for a nixie display? I mean, how fast can they light and extinguish a digit? If you wanted to use one to count 10ths or 100ths of a second could they do so effectively?
Jeff Flowers Yep. Check out Techmoan, he has a stop clock that uses nixie tubes, if I remember right it's a German stop clock and was used in science labs
Glad you made this video to clarify the issue for people... sad that such a video is even necessary though. I mean, of course Nixie != VFD. But the confusion is perpetuated, even encouraged, by all the eBay sellers of VFDs who snare in people searching for Nixies by putting rubbish like "Nixie Era..." in the titles of their VFD listings.
ive got somw nixies as well. Inverted numbers too. Amprex zm1000 and zm1000r tubes, b5991 8422. I can get the other numbers lol. wish to make a clock. Building em is not easy
man I would love to get hold of some Nixie tubes at a decent price. I want to build a Nixie display for a weather station. would you consider selling a few.
Behnam saeidi - The best place to find them is eBay. They are usually only available in small quantities and most are Russian. The supply is running out quickly and prices are rising just as fast.
scusa se sono un po' fuori tema, sono in possesso di 8 valvole IV-17 a 18 segmenti, è possibile pilotarle con arduino per fare apparire scritte a piacere? mi puoi aiutare ?Grazie
Hey Fran ~ Do you happen to still have those crates of surplus JAN Nixie Tubes hanging around??? I desperately need to talk to you about them. Get back to me PLEASE. Thanks!!!
come on Fran, how can you show us these awesome displays... even have them wired in the background... and then not even turn them on!! Some people like me have never seen nor heard about Nixie tubes and I'm finding it difficult to locate video of the legit old versions lit up. There are plenty of people making new versions of the old design but very few of the actual old ones. What a missed opportunity!
Hi Fran, I like your vids but it would be nice if you included a bit more practical in them. I would love to have seen physical comparisons on the tudes and showing number switch rates.
Oh FFS Fran, how did I miss this vid? So, I was at a ham swap meet and ended up with some IV-22 tubes. VFD, not nixie. They will still make a cool clock. plus it was 4 for $1. :)
Your a very smart woman! Would be interested to know what is the logic behind the order of numbers. I think I seen them in non numerical order. Could be certain number would be harder to read behind others? Anyway thank you for taking the time to show us how this fascinating technology works.
isn't there also two voltages needed for vfds, (depending on the display) a higher voltage for the anode and also a lower voltage for the pins you want to have lit. nixie is just the high voltage anode and grounded cathodes. i've seen some people trying to use these as an amplifier which seems funny yet it works.
Barron Johan Von Shitzengiggles no worries, you can get them from scraping old test equipment as well, but I think that's a waste and would rather leave the test equipment working or fix it. :D
One thing to note about Nixie tubes: a failure cannot manifest as an otherwise-valid output, e.g. the failure of the top segment of a 7-segment display turning 7 into 1. Very important for things where it's imperative that no mistakes happen.
There were 7-segment Nixie tubes, although rare.
Thumbs up for the messy desk.
indeed! it means work is getting done ;)
Your a bright technical woman. A rare gem based on this video. Thanks!
Love nixie and vfd. Have built several clocks using them.
Hey, I have that radio shack meter! found it at an antique store for $5 and its been my favorite meter ever since!
You managed to purchase a WHOLE BUNCH of nixie's at one time?
*YOU RULE!!!*
Could you do more of these short videos ? I love watching your output, but I frequently don't have the time to commit to a longer feature
Why couldn't you have been a mentor/ teacher in my life.
I have a Nixie tube clock I watch all night long, now I’m watching it so differently, pretty fascinating
Nice old Tektronix room heater you've got there! I used to have a 585a with an 82 plug-in. Happy days...
I've got my dad's old 564 scope, still works!
That was very informational and useful. Low voltage vacuum tubes? Wow. Nixis are not vacuum? Wow. Apollo program is uber cool part of engineering history, which still marvels me in many ways.
Subscribed. :)
Also hoping Dave will do something interesting with LVDC module.
Crates of them...wow! Thanks for sharing this Fran.
If they ever make a Fallout 3 movie, they should cast this lady as Moira Brown from Megaton!
Thank you for the explanation of these. I just picked up a dozen ив-6 (AKA IV-6). Some of them will be used in a frequency counter for my vacuum tube ham radio receiver.
NIXIE is a neon gas discharge display. Some of the old US Navy test gear I have use Neon lamps as voltage limiters/regulators. I have some old Bruel & Kjaer test gear from Mc Intosh that use neon lamps as Zener diodes, or voltage/current limiters, and these little lamps are even shown as a zener diode on the schematics. Merle Travis, & Chet Atkins used Standard Electronic's amplifiers which some, not all used a string of neon lamps to regulate the voltage to the preamp. They get muddy when you play a chord, which kind of sucks, but these were very early guitar amps, and totally unlike Fender, Gibson, Magnatone, Valco/National/Dobro amps of the 1940s, or 50s for that matter.
Hi Fran really cool clip! Fantastic work! wished I could see them glow.
Vfd technology was used in cars and radio for a while. At night in the dark, I could see the 3 filaments glow a bit orange for a second as they dimmed back down. There was even a Pac Man game with the tube and several colors! It was battery powered too.
I have the same radio shack digital volt meter. Nice feature of this is that it connects to your computers serial port creating a bigger display unit on your monitor, problem is the display on the meter damage so easily when dropped. I got mines from all the way back in 1997 during my electrical class days.
You are making awesome videos! I really like the explanation you gave so if you had as much fun doing it as i had watching it, please do them more often. I found you through daves channel and im really happy about it!
6:30 The Nixie tube uses a prebias of -50 volts dc. To switch on a numerical figure, the grid is grounded.
The cathode to anode difference is +170 VDC, depending on the tube specs?
One thing I read some time back (years?) is the big advantage that you have when you're dealing with an instrument that has some "bobble" in the last digit, like a digital voltmeter or similar: In the case of an LED 7-segment display, for example, if it's mostly a 4 but bobbling between 3 and 5 what you'll end up seeing is an 8! In the case of the Nixie, that won't happen, and it's quite obvious what the measurement is doing. I've never actually seen this addressed in terms of the prevalence of 7-segment displays.
I've also not personally encountered that style of VFD. The ones that I have encountered are the ones that you typically saw in VCRs over the years. Unfortunately, those were usually pretty tightly coupled, design-wise, to the microcontroller chip that usually sat right under the display. I've been told that they were usually custom-made, for that particular model or series of models of equipment, and have not been able to find any data whatsoever on those silly things. Which is a shame, because it might be fun to re-purpose one for something. If you know of any info out there on these things, I'd sure like to hear about it!
Somewhere around here I have a bag of what I've been told are "Nixie sockets". If I come across them maybe they'll be of some use?
Any thoughts about the relative lifetime of these parts? I remember a store on Canal Street in NYC that had a bunch of Nixies on display, constantly powered up, and they weren't doing too well...
Heeyy. It's Fran.
Really cool videos. Keep 'em coming please!
I use an old Racal Universal Counter at work that used Nixie tubes, very cool!
Hah, how funny that I came across this video after Dave Jones from EEV made a video about Nixie tubes, probably the very tubes you sent him!!!!!!!!! I've been thinking about building a retro clock for my niece with some of these babies, so awesome...
I love the Nixie tubes... I wish I could find find a working display to photograph. Thanks for the video, and thanks for all your extremely interesting Apollo V stuff.
Interesting, I had not thought about how NIXIE tubes actually worked. I just assumed they were exactly like NEON lights. It never occurred to me that there was bias voltage on the non desired segments. I had however always wondered how as each segment was further away from the grid screen that they remained as bright at the closest. It also explains a problem I came across many years ago as kid fascinated with them that I would occasionally run across a NIXIE where some segments were glowing slightly. Thanks Fran!
Is that a Harbor Freight meter? My favorite store.. next to Weird Stuff in Calif.
Wow, just...wow. Didn't know any of that. My first time watching your channel. Now, to check out the LVDC....
Thank you, explanation about such displays. When I searched about accoustic musical instrument and electronics, I found your channel. I am baroque style flute and oboe maker and play them. I want to find something new with them and modern technology.
Awesome explanation and thank you for posting!
Nice! Only thing missing, was to fire them suckers up! I haven't seen a Nixie tube actually on, for decades!
ffggddss your on TH-cam..... maybe search nixie clocks and you can see them all day.
You've got the "prebias" issue wrong. Prebias is used to reduce the necessary voltage swing on the drivers so lower-voltage-tolerant drivers can be used. Some nixies have some radioactive material in them to pre-ionize the gas and reduce the voltage needed for illumination. The pre-bias has nothing to do with this.
Robert Haas You're absolutely correct, Robert. No pre-bias with Nixie tubes,. The digits are either on or off once ground potential is supplied to any of the cathodes. And so goes the never ending saga of mis-information rampant on the internet.
First time watching your work pretty good. On a side note not as a positive or negative just observation at end you seemed a little sad but a lot of us nerds really enjoy these presentations and the work and knowledge which is shared. Thank You and keep on trucking knowledge is power and must be used for good of mankind.
Would you be interested in selling some of your Nixie tubes? They are really hard to find in Australia.
nagchampa try using Ebay dude lol.
I am not sure I would confuse a NIXIE tube for anything else. So distinctive
8:48 - When you realise that the little tube between the 4 big tubes looks like a person in a hat that needs to pee badly.
Then at 8:53, it's just a witch standing in line.
I have a box of OTKS Russia Cold War Nixie’s. I built a cool clock from them. Mine are 11pin oval shaped. Btw my clock runs off 12vdc and it is entirely logic driven. No aurquino.
Fran, could they have developed Efd into a light source for general purpose lighting just like they did with LEDs? I guess they could. Of course LEDs are more efficient but EFD are easier to make in a low-tech environment.
Recently did an animation of Vacuum Florescent Displays as an example for a web page dedicated to musicians. RIfftime. They used other more conservative ideas instead. But I thought as a gif Facebook banner these tubes in deep blue with hot red letters slowly heating up saying Rifftime in eight tubes was a cool idea. I still have my father's very early Radio Engineering manual. He taught at M.I.T. around 1937-1040. Funny that it never occurred to him to share any of that with his only son.
Do you know of a nixie watch kit that comes already assembled I want to case 1 in a pocket watch. I know of David Forbes kit but I was hoping to find a 4 Tube kit
If you have cases of American made Nixie tubes I think you are sitting on a gold mine and ought to sell some on eBay or something... Many people have to buy Russian tubes for projects like Nixie clocks and so-on.
Burroughs made quite a few, I believe.
The problem you will run into is availability of them as well as price. Cold War nixie tubes are much cheaper and easier to come by and easily will last 5+ years in most cases.
that's so neat! i thought nixie tubes were tungsten because of the orange.
Ooooo, see, I always thought nixies where complex and convoluted vacum tubes, now I know they where just as complex and convoluted but neons in essence. Every day does one learn something. I am glad I caught your channel before the pink pill, your a fantastic and fascinating uploader.
Dave's got a lot of retro on his plate, he has the LVDC , the nixie and the delorean time circuits to make sence off. I'm sure it will be a bobby dazler ;P
I just remembered Fran doesn't use G- and I don't/won't use tweet, could somebody cut and past it to her on my behalf. Many thanks if so :D
Sirus ..
Jeffrey Bright
Jeff...
Nixie tubes & vacuum displays are much more interesting than LED displays, but LED's are interesting, too. Is it true that LED's, neon lamps & florescent lamps have in common the need for a current-limiting resistor of some sort, or a "starter"?
Nixie works identical as neon glow lamp but has Has required number of cathodes shaped into digits or other characters (+, -, ~).
Found this channel yesterday...so awesome.
Love the look of the old VFD's. Very 70s/80s.
what are the types of nixie tubes, say IN-4 and IN-12, what do the numbers mean?
Dave is putting those Nixie's to good use! :)
Do you have any idea what the reaction time is for a nixie display? I mean, how fast can they light and extinguish a digit? If you wanted to use one to count 10ths or 100ths of a second could they do so effectively?
Jeff Flowers yes
Jeff Flowers Yep. Check out Techmoan, he has a stop clock that uses nixie tubes, if I remember right it's a German stop clock and was used in science labs
I'd love to get some nixies but they're kinda hard to come by in europe
There is not many woman in youtube for electronics. Thanks for being here.
Glad you made this video to clarify the issue for people... sad that such a video is even necessary though. I mean, of course Nixie != VFD. But the confusion is perpetuated, even encouraged, by all the eBay sellers of VFDs who snare in people searching for Nixies by putting rubbish like "Nixie Era..." in the titles of their VFD listings.
ive got somw nixies as well. Inverted numbers too. Amprex zm1000 and zm1000r tubes, b5991 8422. I can get the other numbers lol. wish to make a clock. Building em is not easy
man I would love to get hold of some Nixie tubes at a decent price. I want to build a Nixie display for a weather station. would you consider selling a few.
I am looking for nixie tubes for a personal project, where can I find cheap ones?
Behnam saeidi - The best place to find them is eBay. They are usually only available in small quantities and most are Russian. The supply is running out quickly and prices are rising just as fast.
i found a set from a supplier costing about 8 bucks for 6 of them and 10 bucks for shipping (turns at around $3 for each)
I new the name of someone that made them by hand, dammit!
handmade, www.daliborfarny.com.
Behnam saeidi eBay. Lots of used and NOS (New Old Stock) available for fairly cheap. That's where I buy mine.
BTW I like your pseudo beatnik sounding music at the close.
very nice, please more about these displays
Jesus von Nazaret please discover Google.
I know this video is rather old but I'd love to get my hands on 6 nixie tubes to make a clock. I have an old desk calculator that has nixie tubes.
scusa se sono un po' fuori tema, sono in possesso di 8 valvole IV-17 a 18 segmenti, è possibile pilotarle con arduino per fare apparire scritte a piacere? mi puoi aiutare ?Grazie
Hey Fran ~ Do you happen to still have those crates of surplus JAN Nixie Tubes hanging around??? I desperately need to talk to you about them. Get back to me PLEASE. Thanks!!!
come on Fran, how can you show us these awesome displays... even have them wired in the background... and then not even turn them on!! Some people like me have never seen nor heard about Nixie tubes and I'm finding it difficult to locate video of the legit old versions lit up. There are plenty of people making new versions of the old design but very few of the actual old ones. What a missed opportunity!
I was expecting a nixie tubes show off, but the vid was really informative, thanks.
Hi Fran, I like your vids but it would be nice if you included a bit more practical in them. I would love to have seen physical comparisons on the tudes and showing number switch rates.
Do you have any more? I'm am artist/electromechanical tech and I want to build a nixie/Steampunk clock art piece...I could use some for sure! :-):-)
Jon Ivan just order off Ebay. I'm building one right now that is steampunk.
Hi Fran. Was wondering if you had any nixies for sale. I need six. Please let me know and what you will charge. Thank, Sam
Sam Sheleby literally tons on Ebay.
Fran, you are awesome. Love the information you share and you are very engaging.
Oh FFS Fran, how did I miss this vid? So, I was at a ham swap meet and ended up with some IV-22 tubes. VFD, not nixie. They will still make a cool clock. plus it was 4 for $1. :)
You can use terms like cathode rays and "Edison Effect". We are not that clueless.
this channel is way overdue to blow up.
Just found your channel. Awesome.
So a Nixie tube is a type of vacuum tube?
+Edward Spencer No, it's filled with an inert gas.
So aren't VFD tubes similar to Cathode ray tube TVs? electrons travelling and hitting a phosphorous "screen"
Sorta, Same concept, but VFDs are more triodes than they are CRTs.
Very interesting Fran
Do you know about Asperger syndrome ?
Hi Fran Again!
Love your channel Fran
Would point out where I could get a number of those Nixie tubes by "G" or you would sells me some?..Nic
I love this kind of stuff!!!
i would love some of those nixies
Roush Hawley then buy some on Ebay.
You make nerdery fun☺️
My kinda fun anyway 💞
Your a very smart woman! Would be interested to know what is the logic behind the order of numbers. I think I seen them in non numerical order. Could be certain number would be harder to read behind others? Anyway thank you for taking the time to show us how this fascinating technology works.
Interesting video.
However, I kept hearing a pitch noise in the whole video that kept going stronger. :)
You didn't talk about numitrons.
Please add multi language subtitles
You got a load of NIXIES ! COOL !
isn't there also two voltages needed for vfds, (depending on the display) a higher voltage for the anode and also a lower voltage for the pins you want to have lit.
nixie is just the high voltage anode and grounded cathodes.
i've seen some people trying to use these as an amplifier which seems funny yet it works.
where are you supposed to buy nixies and not have your money taken?
high rating professional looking eBay sellers with reasonably priced and common tubes.
this goes for all vintage electrical components.
tubes-store.com/
They are sold out of everything bro wtf
nice video, very informative!!!
EU QUERIA FASER UM RELÓGIO DE PULSO. COM ESSE TUBO NIXIE , MAS NÃO TEM AQUI NO BRASIL. ABRAÇOS .
where would i look to find some nixie tubes? i want to make a steampunk clock. :D
ebay?
funkyironman69 HMM yeah Thanx! :D
Barron Johan Von Shitzengiggles no worries, you can get them from scraping old test equipment as well, but I think that's a waste and would rather leave the test equipment working or fix it. :D
funkyironman69
LOL :P no doubt brother if it aint broke LEAVE it the holy mother Fluff alone :D thanx for the input :D
Pls send me one Nixie tube
I need one for my clock.
But my budget is oit and i can only find offers for mor then 2 .
Darckmaster save your money instead of mooching off people. Tubes are dirt fucking cheap on Ebay.
thanks fran
i got some nixie tubes!
*****
62 in 4's and 6 in 14's
***** i bought the in4 for $13 from ukraine.
Roush Hawley do you want a hero cookie? Lol
Can I buy some nixie tubes off you?
Unknown Events go to Ebay
fran have you seen glassslingers vidios you will love it fond yours today grate job i will be following your vids from know on thank you
All of this become obsolete after invetion of LIGHT EMITATING DIODE'S
Invention I made a mistake the in coment (ops!)
Dekatron, for the win...
По ходу шибко умная тётка!
i love vfd tubes