Restore or scrap for parts?
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David Eustace
Apr 1, 2020, 3:13:37 PM4/1/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
I’ve picked up a few of these over the last while - they’re quite ubiquitous so I tend to leave the pristine ones alone and have made one clock already from a damaged one in poor condition - some pics attached. Given the case here I’d say scrap it, but that just my opinion!
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martin martin
Apr 1, 2020, 3:31:02 PM4/1/20
to neonixie-l
those are very nice! I may just scrap it after all.
I think there are sweet boards on Nixieclock.biz but I am open to anything!
thanks!
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Ian Vine
Apr 1, 2020, 3:41:08 PM4/1/20
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A big project. But it would be nice to see these items in an exploded format. Giving the manufacturing of the time some kudos.
How many modern items have that many 'real' wires
IanV
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gregebert
Apr 1, 2020, 4:48:21 PM4/1/20
to neonixie-l
How functional is it ? If it's totally dead it might be worth checking the power supply.
I would suspect some keys no longer work due to contamination after almost 50 years.
Russian VFD's are still cheap and plentiful so the scrap-value of this calculator seems low to me.
Charles MacDonald
Apr 1, 2020, 7:17:42 PM4/1/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com, martin martin
On 2020-04-01 2:27 p.m., martin martin wrote:
> Hello all.
> I was cleaning the office with all my "spare time" and found this!
>
> Date code 1974!
reminds me of the commodore calculators I used to sell on my first job
> Hello all.
> I was cleaning the office with all my "spare time" and found this!
>
> Date code 1974!
back in that time period.
what is wrong with the unit? as someone else said that style keyboard
is subject to contamination and it is easy to clean if you remove about
30 screws and wipe the rubber parts with a swab and rubbing alcohol.
--
Charles MacDonald VA3CPY Stittsville Ontario
cm...@zeusprune.ca Just Beyond the Fringe
No Microsoft Products were used in sending this e-mail.
J Forbes
Apr 2, 2020, 11:22:20 AM4/2/20
to neonixie-l
Your thoughts?
I have a similar era calculator, just a bit earlier I think, with a panaplex type display. It does not do floating point arithmetic, so I am kind of lost with it (I forgot how to manage the decimal point, over the decades). It's sitting on the floor of my shop, by the door, waiting for me to figure out what to do with it. It's not really worth the effort of listing on ebay and shipping, and I'm too lazy to try to make something else out of it, and it's not really useful. Which means it's like all those other boat anchors we have, and just can't get rid of.
So...the answer is...I don't know.
Paolo Cravero
Apr 2, 2020, 11:45:12 AM4/2/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
Hi Martin,
for fun & learning I have converted a calculator with VFD display into a clock by simulating keypresses with a microcontroller. I had to figure out the keypad wiring and use two analog multiplexers back-to-back to "press" keys. So the uC "dials in" the time. In some visualizations it kicks the + button every second too. The original keyboard is still attached and the clock circuit can be disabled with a switch.
A story about it. That converted Olivetti clock/calculator rests on my desk at work. During COVID lockdown I got a call from a colleague standing by my desk asking if I used the calculator because someone had been looking for one. Really?! I had to insist that it is private property and a simple ornament, that it is unplugged from AC too, because it was built before CE rules and cannot be plugged in office environments. When the lockdown will be over I will find out if it is still there, and replace it with another of my clocks.
I tried the same conversion on a TI-3500 with panaplex, but it uses weird voltages and keyboard mapping, so I gave up for now.
Depending on the working status and whether the case can return clean, this kind of conversion could be a viable upcycle.
Paolo
--
martin martin
Apr 2, 2020, 4:04:58 PM4/2/20
to neonixie-l
Update...
Decided to tear down. Now to find a cool circuit build a clock on the cheap and lazy way....and very small...
GastonP
Apr 2, 2020, 4:59:59 PM4/2/20
to neonixie-l
I love those weird 8-segment digits!
On Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 4:13:37 PM UTC-3, DaveE wrote:
I’ve picked up a few of these over the last while - they’re quite ubiquitous so I tend to leave the pristine ones alone and have made one clock already from a damaged one in poor condition - some pics attached. Given the case here I’d say scrap it, but that just my opinion!
On Wed, 1 Apr 2020 at 19:27, martin martin <mcve...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello all.I was cleaning the office with all my "spare time" and found this!Date code 1974!Should I restore or scrap for a tiny VFD clock?The VFD tubes are 1" tall by 0.25" wide.Your thoughts?---martin
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John Rehwinkel
Apr 5, 2020, 4:51:48 PM4/5/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
> I was cleaning the office with all my "spare time" and found this!
>
> Date code 1974!
>
> Should I restore or scrap for a tiny VFD clock?
If you end up scrapping it, I'd be interested in the IC or the board if you don't want to remove the IC.
>
> Date code 1974!
>
> Should I restore or scrap for a tiny VFD clock?
- John
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