Source for Panaplex displays

248 views
Skip to first unread message

Bill Duane

unread,
Sep 5, 2020, 6:33:45 PM9/5/20
to neonixie-l
A saw a  discussion earlier that some people were using the Sperry (Burroughs?) Panaplex 7-segement gas displays.  I stumbled across them for a good price at:


They have 3 units of the 2-digit displays in stock, and several of the 1 and 1/2- digit display modules.

Also, they have some possibly interesting UHP495 high voltage driver chips.  I'm going to look up the specs on these chips, as they seem to have quite a few, and they may be useful to drive standard nixies (as opposed to their intended driving of Panaplex displays):


In addition, they have quite a  variety of neon bulbs, some high voltage-low RDS-on MOSFETs, and some other multi-digit Sperry gas displays; all of which may be of interest to this group.

I am buying a few different Molex and other types of pins to see if any would work nicely as nixie tube socket pins - I will let the group know if anything ends up being useful.

I have not bought from them before, but hope they are reputable as I came across a pointer to them on the AdaFruit site. It was sad to see that a number of the links to other electronics surplus site went to out-of-business pages, or dead links. 

- Bill






Bill Duane

unread,
Sep 5, 2020, 6:55:41 PM9/5/20
to neonixie-l
As a quick follow-up; it looks like the UHP495 might be useful to drive the digits and/or separators of a nixie clock.  The following doc discusses the 400 series part specs as 40v minimum drive and 500mA sink.  So I think the UHP495 might be useful to switch digits or separators on and off, although not to the full tube voltage.

- Bill

Richard Scales

unread,
Sep 5, 2020, 11:32:03 PM9/5/20
to neonixie-l
Hello and thank you for the heads-up - I am looking for single digit SP-101's to complete a project and sadly they do not have any, however, when it comes to socket pins for these things, I have stumbled across what I believe to be the ideal solution:

I too was looking at various socket pins from Harwin etc and worked out that whatever I needed was not going to be a cheap solution.

By chance I had a stash of 'turned pin' IC sockets and found that the pins in these were a perfect fit for the thin wires on the back of these panaplex displays.

The solution was to clip these out of the plastic holders that made up the IC sockets.

I designed a PCB to hold the pins but made the size of the holes so that the socket end of the pin was nearly flush with the PCB. The data sheets are available which detail the precise location of the pins which i backed up by taking my own measurements.

The result - a perfect receipticle for these fragile devices.

I have used this technique for the panaplex which is a complete 'clock' face ie 3 full digits and a 4th which can only display a 1 though there is also an AM/PM indicator.

I love these panaplex displays and am always on the lookout for them. Particularly the single digit SP-101 - just in case anyone has any!

I'm also on the lookout for ZM1350's from Telefunken but accept that these are not so readily available these days (putting it mildly!).

The turned pin sockets are also available as 40 way SIL socket pins which I have also released from their plastic surround to make panaplex sockets.

- Richard

alb.001 alb.001

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 2:20:13 PM9/6/20
to neonixie-l

I have a fair number of brand new in factory trays of Beckman SP-353  3 digit 1/2 inch displays at $10 each  if anyone is interested.  I individually test them with my derma-wand to make sure they are neon filled and have never found a bad one.

Thanks and my apologies for anyone who is offended by this.

Pharma Phil     alb.001 @ sympatico.ca

--
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/41df7766-59de-43d2-bd20-1c6074820c64n%40googlegroups.com.


 

gregebert

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 5:24:10 PM9/6/20
to neonixie-l
Does anyone know where I can obtain a 9-segment Panaplex display, such as the BR13404 (13-digit) ? I have one that is working, but I would like to have a spare. I believe these were used in HP test equipment.

Michail Wilson

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 5:40:11 PM9/6/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com

What is the 3.5 digit?   I can only find 3 digit version.

Have a picture?

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

Bill Duane

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 6:19:59 PM9/6/20
to neonixie-l
Richard,
On that same site, you may want to check out these:


I threw a few into my cart to have a look at them.  I think they are the same machined pins you are using, but instead of them being buried in the plastic, they are on a removable carrier.  Could save you some work chipping them out of a plastic machine tool socket.  Also, you may want to look around on eBay; I have seen strips of the same kinds of machined pins on a peel-off plastic strip.

- Bill

Mac Doktor

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 7:45:40 PM9/6/20
to neonixie-l

On Sep 6, 2020, at 6:19 PM, Bill Duane <bdu...@gmail.com> wrote:

Could save you some work chipping them out of a plastic machine tool socket.  Also, you may want to look around on eBay; I have seen strips of the same kinds of machined pins on a peel-off plastic strip.

VERY weak attempt at humor: "real men would find a way to dissolve the plastic".

Also, the term on the tip of everyone's tongue is "machined collet".


Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"


“The book said something astonishing, a very big thought.
It said that the stars were suns, only very far away.
The Sun was a star, but close up.”—Carl Sagan, Cosmos, 1980


alb.001 alb.001

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 10:44:21 PM9/6/20
to neonixie-l

clarification ....   3 digits   1/2 inches tall

Hope that is better

Phil

Richard Scales

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 10:50:18 PM9/6/20
to neonixie-l
I believe that the 3 1/2 digit displays are the SP-151 as per the attached:

- Richard


SP-151-PIC.JPG

Richard Scales

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 10:53:29 PM9/6/20
to neonixie-l
For the pins, yes, I purchase them in strips of 40 and snap off/out as required. I just had a stash of DIL sockets of various sizes that I had held on to for years!
I also use their male counterparts to effectively make an inter PCB connection system that allows PCB's to be really close if desired.
- Richard

Michail Wilson

unread,
Sep 6, 2020, 11:42:14 PM9/6/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com

Thanks.    Actually, you wrote correctly.  I simply misread it.

 

I’d like to get 24 of them.

Richard Scales

unread,
Sep 7, 2020, 1:42:45 AM9/7/20
to neonixie-l
Ah, 3 digit, half inch high - not to be confused with 3 and a half digit as per SP-151, I should read these things more carefully.
- Richard

alb.001 alb.001

unread,
Sep 7, 2020, 1:11:50 PM9/7/20
to neonixie-l

Thanks for your interest.

I will need your address  -- Zip Code or whatever to calculate postage. and get back to you tomorrow.

Thanks  Pharma Phil

Bill Duane

unread,
Sep 7, 2020, 7:25:11 PM9/7/20
to neonixie-l
24 digit panaplex clock!  I think that handles the date all the way down to a 10-billionth of a second. 
I am pretty sure you are going to need a faster processor than an Ardiuno!   :) 
- Bill

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.

--
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 neoni...@googlegroups.com.

--
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 neoni...@googlegroups.com.

--
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 neoni...@googlegroups.com.

Bill Stanley

unread,
Sep 7, 2020, 9:37:56 PM9/7/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
If still available, I would be interested in 12.
 
  Thanks;
 
  -Bill-
 
 
Sent: Sunday, September 06, 2020 11:20 AM
Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] Re: Source for Panaplex displays
 

I have a fair number of brand new in factory trays of Beckman SP-353  3 digit 1/2 inch displays at $10 each  if anyone is interested.  I individually test them with my derma-wand to make sure they are neon filled and have never found a bad one.

celzey11

unread,
Sep 8, 2020, 7:54:24 AM9/8/20
to neonixie-l
Anyone know of a PCB library file for the  SP-151? If one doesn't exist I could make one... 

alb.001 alb.001

unread,
Sep 8, 2020, 9:49:59 AM9/8/20
to neonixie-l

yes I still have 12 available    send me your zip code or address  and I will check for cost + postage and get back to you

Thanks Phil

Bill Stanley

unread,
Sep 8, 2020, 10:06:03 AM9/8/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
Good Morning Phil;
 
The zip code will be 95132

Richard Scales

unread,
Sep 9, 2020, 8:55:42 AM9/9/20
to neonixie-l
I created one for easyEda - would that help you?
- Richard

Christian Elzey

unread,
Sep 9, 2020, 9:15:24 AM9/9/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
Actually, yeah it would! I've been meaning to learn easyeda. 

You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/neonixie-l/6rpazsHLWso/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/842c52e2-5fdb-4bcf-9766-9cbf1dba8cd5n%40googlegroups.com.

Richard Scales

unread,
Sep 10, 2020, 12:09:41 AM9/10/20
to neonixie-l
Actually, if you load up the easyeda design tool and try to place a component you are presented with a dialogue to search for the desired component - put in SP-151 and see what comes up!
- Richard

Christian Elzey

unread,
Sep 10, 2020, 6:53:20 AM9/10/20
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
I will give that a try today!

-Chris

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/aa7c5519-62cf-4d7b-9b61-f72ad5217daan%40googlegroups.com.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages