Interesting indicator on Ebay

[Jens Boos]

Hello Nixie friends,

I invite you to bask in the glory of a yet-unknown Russian indicator tube: https://www.ebay.com/itm/292673805926 ;-)

I think $500 is probably a bit pricy, though.

Cheers
Jens

[Terry Kennedy]

On Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 4:21:44 AM UTC-4, Jens Boos wrote:

I invite you to bask in the glory of a yet-unknown Russian indicator tube: https://www.ebay.com/itm/292673805926 ;-)

I think $500 is probably a bit pricy, though.

Yes, particularly since the IN-20 datasheet says "Долговечность не менее 1000 ч" (Durability not less than 1000 hours).

The date code on the one pictured in the listing is May 1974. It is hard to make out the manufacturer logo (the seller couldn't have taken worse pictures of the identification if they tried), but it looks like Алиот (Aliot) which doesn't exactly ring any bells as a hotbed of Nixie manufacturing. And there's no OTK stamp.

The seller emphasizes "with long pins" in the headline of the listing, yet the pins are cut to varying lengths and show some twisting.

I would avoid.

[Dekatron42]

They are probably used, the pins are shorter than on unused tubes, they are of equal length on new tubes. It also looks like the single mounting pin in the opposite end is missing, this sometimes leads to gas leaks as the glass breaks easily when that pin has been cut off.

They are similar to Polyatrons, but they have a purple shine, and driven like the A-201, but need phase driving pulses like a Burroughs self scan display, which can be seen in the datasheet pictures in the auction.

They are pricy, usually goes for a tenth of that price from Russian sellers, but they are very rare!

/Martin

[Dekatron42]

I forgot to write that the manufacturer is ”Plasma Labs”, the same as for the A-201.

The note on ”long pins” in the auction is probably due to the fact that you often see comments on ”short pins” and ”broken pins” for the IN-20 on Russian forums!

/Martin

[SWISSNIXIE - Jonathan F.]

Looks like the russian made quite a few special makes, this one is similar to one i spotted in a older post:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/neonixie-l/russian$20pandicon%7Csort:date/neonixie-l/G7FJnENcJwA/C72vQLE7QQAJ

[gregebert]

So is this like a "linear dekatron", or more like a bargraph, ala IN-9/IN-13 ?

[John Rehwinkel]

So is this like a "linear dekatron", or more like a bargraph, ala IN-9/IN-13 ?

I was thinking more like a linear pixie tube, like a B9012.

- John

[Dekatron42]

It's more like a linear Polyatron (although not far from a linear dekatron), if you compare the circuit that I have posted here on the forum for the A-201 Polyatron you can see the similarities between the diagrams in the auction and the A-201 circuit. The A-201 can interface to a Nixie if you wish, but in the IN-21 you have the linear bargraph view built in to the design, just like if you would use the internal wires of a dekatron or polyatron and straighten them out like a Burroughs Bargraph display like the BG12205.

If you look carefully at the photos and the circuit you can see that there is a separate 1st electrode named A0, then 33 groups of 3 electrodes named A1, A2 & A3 making up 99 electrodes, then a last electrode named An. All of these make up a total of 101 electrodes, the first A0 or the last An is used to start at either end of the bargraph and the others in between to make the dot walk up or down the scale. A0 or An can also be used as "glow starter" to have the tube primed. In the auction you can see that you can also use A0 (or An) as a reset/starting electrode and the other as an output electrode, but both A0 and An can of course be used as reset/output electrodes if you design the circuit such.

/Martin

[threeneurons]

On Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 10:28:54 AM UTC-7, Dekatron42 wrote:

It's more like a linear Polyatron (although not far from a linear dekatron),... straighten them out like a Burroughs Bargraph display like the BG12205.

....

/Martin

 Damn weirdest things coming out of Russia !  Wonder what other surprises are still hidden behind the former iron curtain.

[Jens Boos]

Here is another one: http://www.jb-electronics.de/html/elektronik/nixies/n_in30.htm?lang=en

Supposedly it is an IN-30, but I have never seen a stamped version of this tube. Anyone?

Cheers
Jens

threeneurons <yumik...@gmail.com> hat am 10. August 2018 um 07:58 geschrieben:

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