Jeff's Nixie watch parts layout or schematic?

[Rob Bailey]

Ages ago, I purchased Jeff's Krusty Klown nixie watch kit [two, in fact]:

http://www.nixie.dk/~jthomas/watch.html

Of all parts of a kit to lose, I lost the paperwork [i.e., schematic and, critically, the parts placement guide]. I was able to contact the project owner, but he said he no longer had any of the documentation [!]. I'd like to build the kits, bit I'm at the mercy of guesswork, which I'd obviously like to avoid.

Does anyone know where I can track that parts placement sheet down, or better yet have one that I can grab a scan of?

Thanks!

[David Forbes]

I think I have that information on my home computer. I'll be home Friday. 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/56b72986-ba38-4895-9f19-d8eaacd0499an%40googlegroups.com.

[Rob Bailey]

That would be fantastic. You don't know how much misery that would eliminate, every time I walk by those bags of parts. I was about to zoom all the way in on the picture of the PCB on his site and try to read SMD capacitor values! ;)

Thanks!!

...R

[Nicholas Stock]

Greg, I built one of these almost 20 years ago now....(wow). This is all the documentation I have on it. Hope it helps.

Nick

On Tue, Aug 30, 2022 at 7:40 AM 'Greg P' via neonixie-l <neoni...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Speaking of Jeff's stuff, does anyone have a manual or any documentation for that matter on this clock?

http://www.nixie.dk/~jthomas/nixieclock.html

This was the first clock he made for sale.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/e94c9f40-500f-42bc-93a8-3708026dee59n%40googlegroups.com.

[Terry S]

His son Christian reads this group, he may have the documentation.

On Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 10:18:54 AM UTC-5 Greg P wrote:

Hi Nick,

I appreciate you sharing this BOM, but it's for the Commemorative clock which is the one that replaced the one I have.  Mine is his first piece that used a modified Mike Harrison PCB and work on mains power not a 12V power supply.

[Max Di Noi]

I'd be curious to see how the timing circuit works and how accurate it is, I believe Jeff didn't use a uC for that. 

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/34024632-750a-4594-964d-6ad2a22216b6n%40googlegroups.com.

[liam bartosiewicz]

It looks like it’s a 32.768 kHz crystal and a series of frequency dividers. (maybe +/- a couple minutes per year?) I imagine (at a basic level) it’s a classic TTL clock in SMD form. 

On Aug 31, 2022, at 4:58 PM, Max Di Noi <flata...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'd be curious to see how the timing circuit works and how accurate it is, I believe Jeff didn't use a uC for that. 

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/630ff5bf.050a0220.e2ea2.9527%40mx.google.com.

[J Forbes]

looks like 4017 cmos decade counters

[Rob Bailey]

Thanks, Terry. I have Christian's email, but Jeff told me before his untimely death that he sadly no longer had the paperwork.  So I'm quite desperate and hoping nixiebunny has it.

...R

On Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 4:43:54 PM UTC-5 Terry S wrote:

His son Christian reads this group, he may have the documentation.

On Monday, August 29, 2022 at 11:28:49 PM UTC-5 nixiebunny wrote:

[Rob Bailey]

Did anything turn up on the Nixie Watch? I'm about to throw in the towel...

Thanks!

...R

On Monday, August 29, 2022 at 11:28:49 PM UTC-5 nixiebunny wrote:

[Michail Wilson]

I don’t, but hopefully someone has one that they can take closeup pictures of and send to you.

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com <neoni...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Rob Bailey
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2022 12:01 AM
To: neonixie-l <neoni...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] Jeff's Nixie watch parts layout or schematic?

 

Did anything turn up on the Nixie Watch? I'm about to throw in the towel...

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/b3b6cf28-0004-4d51-bb63-6f33db2fdae8n%40googlegroups.com.

[David Forbes]

Rob

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. Our telescope startup has been a real bear this year.

I looked for data files for the Jeff Thomas watch, but didn't find any, either in my disk archives or my manila folders.

I could probably make that watch run, given the board, the parts and some time. The web photo of the component side has a lot of useful information, and the rest can be reverse engineered from the parts available and staring at the board. Also I'm pretty familiar with the design.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/b3b6cf28-0004-4d51-bb63-6f33db2fdae8n%40googlegroups.com.

[David Forbes]

Rob,

I looked around some more, and I found the Mike Harrison schematic from the year 2000 upon which Jeff based his design. It has a different timebase and power supply, but the clock and time setting logic with the 4017 chips should be the same. If you send clear photos or scans of the blank PC board (both sides) and a list of the parts that you have to david at cathodecorner dot com, I can try to piece together the puzzle of which parts go where.

http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/nixcct.pdf

--

[Michail Wilson]

Rob,

 

Sounds like you got the best person willing to help.  Great offer David.

 

Michail

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com <neoni...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of David Forbes
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2022 8:42 AM
To: neoni...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] Jeff's Nixie watch parts layout or schematic?

 

Rob,

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/CAPbqtvc2cUOSPTKx%2BRgW-saUohBQOEOyCyzjbi7vqHzoXR-K1w%40mail.gmail.com.

[Dan Schnur]

Jeff’s son Christian is an engineer now and if anyone would have what you need, it’s probably him.  The contact info on his web site is: chris...@thomasnixie.com

Hope this helps.

 -Dan

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/CAPbqtvc2cUOSPTKx%2BRgW-saUohBQOEOyCyzjbi7vqHzoXR-K1w%40mail.gmail.com.

[Dan Schnur]

I think the schematic you have is for the original Nixieclock that Jeff made too.   In 2000, he made 6 of them to give to friends and clients.   I have 5 of 5 (of 6.). Note the replacement resistors he added later.   Can anyone identify them.  The big yellow things as pictured.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/MW2PR0102MB34359D9843C3016313694E1382E29%40MW2PR0102MB3435.prod.exchangelabs.com.

[Mac Doktor]

On Dec 12, 2022, at 2:37 PM, Dan Schnur <d...@schnur.org> wrote:

I think the schematic you have is for the original Nixieclock that Jeff made too.   In 2000, he made 6 of them to give to friends and clients.   I have 5 of 5 (of 6.). Note the replacement resistors he added later.   Can anyone identify them.  The big yellow things as pictured.

They look rather like mylar caps and have a rating of 250V. Perhaps 2k2 = 2200pF?

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

https://www.astarcloseup.com

“...the book said something astonishing, a very big thought. The stars, it said, were suns but very far away. The Sun was a star but close up.”—Carl Sagan, "The Backbone Of Night", Cosmos, 1980

[Dan Schnur]

Found it.  Thank you!  Metalized Polyester Film Capacitors.  

There was an issue with the original parts on the schematics.  This was what Jeff did to fix the problem when I brought it to him.

 -Dan

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/3639D7DE-170E-4A5B-9776-6B0800ECB646%40gmail.com.

[Thugwold]

Long time lurker here.

The google drive link below has pictures that may be of use.

I can remove the plastic cover to shoot better pictures of the watch guts if that would help.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yGiYKxxQ15NFdqX2N2uRiX4LG9AUKCxS?usp=sharing

[David Forbes]

Thanks for posting this! It's not everything needed to figure out the parts placement, but the schematic diagram is a big step forward.

Good photos or scans of both sides of the bare PC board are needed to figure out which parts go where.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/71624f14-6052-4039-9ec2-1fd0cee1a36cn%40googlegroups.com.

[Rob Bailey]

Wow!  I'm really impressed with everyone's generosity.  I used to pretend like I was an electrical engineer about a hundred years ago, so I think between the stuff on Thugwold's GD and Nixiebunny's link, I should be able to get very close to a finished watch.  Thanks again, everybody;  I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of the assistance!!

...R

[Dan Schnur]

I was looking at a backup of Jeff’s web site and found this, it’s labelled as schematic for the Nixie Watch.  No parts placement, but it’s a start.

Also, there was another image..  It’s the one he used on some of the batteries.

 -Dan

[Ryan B]

Not sure if this helps, but I have this on my Drive. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yGiYKxxQ15NFdqX2N2uRiX4LG9AUKCxS

[Rob Bailey]

Thanks to both of you!  I love that he printed labels for the battery.

I've scooped everything up and plan on hauling the soldering iron out in the new year!

...R

[d...@schnur.org]

I’d love to see what you come up with.   If you need any help, I also have some time every now and then.   I also have a friend who has one of the watches who would allow me to take a picture and possibly probe out a trace or two.   

On Dec 22, 2022, at 2:02 AM, Rob Bailey <bailey...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks to both of you!  I love that he printed labels for the battery.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/89108ddb-9814-4840-9a51-bcbe569652c5n%40googlegroups.com.

[Rob Bailey]

I'm so far behind at work that I can see my own backside up ahead, but when I make some progress, I certainly will post any results.  And I hope I can figure the parts placement out, but if I get stuck, I might take you up on that ;)

...R