MAKE: Blog: Nixie Tube collectors and designers

Nixie Tube collectors and designers

Maker02
Looking to get started in Nixie Tubes, there's a great Yahoo group that has about 500 messages a month worth of advices, tips and resources -

"This forum is for exchange of information about gas-discharge readout tubes, such as Nixie tubes and similar devices (e.g., Pixie tubes and Dekatrons), which were used in numeric and alphanumeric displays in electronic equipment in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Today these tubes, available used or even new (old stock) from surplus dealers and collectors, are being illuminated again to make clocks and other unique displays, where their quaint orange-red glow provides a nostalgic Cold War era character."

Pictured here, David Forbes, Tucson, Arizona. Nixie-display clocks and wristwatch. Forbes has an old HP frequency counter and other vintage instruments in his workspace, and of course, everything has old-style Nixie displays. He just likes they way they look. When the vacuum tubes are charged with 170 volts, they shine numbers and letter with a solid, mellow orange hue. "They're exotic and big and hopelessly impractical by modern standards." Makers: page 102.

Thanks John! - [via] Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Feb 28, 2006 08:22 AM
Arts, DIY Projects, Electronics | Permalink | Comments (2)

Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

My grandfather owns a surplus electronics store. I'm getting in touch with him today to see if he has any of these tubes. If so, I'm definitely trying my hand at one of those Nixie tube clocks!

Posted by: adam.s on February 28, 2006 at 7:53 AM

adam - please do (and please take photos of the shop and post them in the make flickr photo pool!).

Posted by: philliptorrone on February 28, 2006 at 9:09 AM

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