My Project: Nixie Tube Kitchen Timer

[q61org]

Hi, I’d like to share my project with you, a nixie tube kitchen timer.

I am really late coming into the nixie world -- I got my first nixie tubes last year, just by a coincidence. I thought I wanted something that I can type numbers into nixies, and decided to make a replacement for my failing old kitchen timer.

For uses in kitchen, I made it somewhat waterproof so that I can touch it with my hands wet. I made an enclosure that covers tubes and the PCB, a hang hole on the back, and used a membrane keypad.

This design works well, and the timer has been in my everyday use in my kitchen since I made it in last December, without any failure.

Nixie tubes are very good in a timer, it’s a lot easier to read than 7-segment displays.

It was my first time making something with nixie tubes and high voltages, and information in neonixie-l group helped me very much. I exhibited my timer at a convention in Tokyo and it got more positive responses than I had expected, so I thought I should feed it back here. Thanks everyone!

I made a web page about my kitchen timer here: http://q61.org/en/nixietmr/

It has a longer version of the story, pictures and a video, as well as tech docs such as schematics.

Thanks again,

ko

[Jonathan F.]

Hi

That looks wobderfull! Very nice project!

I wonder how it would look with an old-school keypad instead of the one you used.

[Instrument Resources of America]

That's really cool and it looks very nice.  Congrats,  Ira.

--
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 post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/80d08e47-bcf0-4572-8dc8-cd3750695917%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Paolo Cravero]

Nice one mr Ko! A timer is more dynamic than a clock with only 4 digits.

I am on the "ugly keypad" side :)

Have you considered a matrix of capacitive or magnetic switches? They would sit inside the case, so it would be even more waterproof and easier to clean. Unfortunately I have no idea how they could be built/deployed.

Or ... a matrix of photoresistors since you have a transparent case. Just thinking out loud.

Paolo

[Mitch]

Looks great! Will you release the KiCad or Gerber files?

[Dave]

This is very creative and nicely executed.

I too would like to see the KiCAD files if possible.

[threeneurons]

Yes, very creative.

In the past I've looked at KiCad:

http://kicad-pcb.org/

Its powerful design tool. I've watched a few videos on it. Its open source, and free. No restrictions like the free version of Eagle (don't even kno if its still free). One of these days, probably after my OrCAD system can no longer be patched up, I'll take the plunge.