B-87971 tubes

[Richard Scales]

Hello,
I am in discussion with a tube manufacturer regarding the implementation of a B-8971 replacement tube.
It seems that the idea is fully achievable though I would need to order 100 units of the first batch in order to make it happen.
Naturally I am asking to see if anyone would be interested in committing to the purchase of a number of tubes to see if I can get an order for 100 units together.
Please let me know if you might be interested, the target price for the first should be close to $75+whatever duties and taxes are applied. Thereafter the price could get much closer to $50+taxes etc.
Just let me know.
- Richard

[newxito]

I would be interested... can you tell us a bit more about the manufacturer?

[Robert]

I would be interested 

Rob

On 29 Dec 2024, at 09:27, newxito <axt...@gmail.com> wrote:

I would be interested... can you tell us a bit more about the manufacturer?

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[Peter Hall]

Sounds good Richard..Put me down for Six👍

From🚨Peter Hall😁 insidiousnixies🦘Utube

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[Benoit Tourret]

I would be interested for 10 B-8971  !!!

Benoit.

[Oskar]

I would be interested in four. Is the manufacturer of the DGM01 tube the one you are in contact with?

Richard Scales schrieb am Sonntag, 29. Dezember 2024 um 07:34:51 UTC+1:

[Oskar]

Actually, make it six.

[Mac Doktor]

On Dec 29, 2024, at 1:34 AM, Richard Scales <ric...@scalesweb.co.uk> wrote:

Please let me know if you might be interested, the target price for the first should be close to $75+whatever duties and taxes are applied. Thereafter the price could get much closer to $50+taxes etc.

At this price I'll need two. One for display, one as a backup in case I drop it. 8D

BTW, this topic has the wrong number. It could make it harder to search for.

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor”

https://www.astarcloseup.com

"Never install version point-zero of anything"

[Adam Piórko]

Please add me to the list for 6 tubs.

[Benoit Tourret]

Ohhh, I wish I had both a B-8971 and a B-7971 for the same price !!! maybe with a B-5971 as goodie ??? 

[Leroy Jones]

Richard:    Please tell us a bit more.   Will the design of said B-8971 tube have the same design as the original?

What I mean by this is I am asking if the pin circle will be identical to original and if the pins are going to be

sealed directly to the glass as in the original design?     Or is this going to end up being yet another of these

modern ones where the lead wires come out the bottom of the envelope in a plain pinch and then those

wires get soldered onto a separate base that ends up being glued to the envelope bottom?

(Such as Dalibor's tubes, Millclock, and likely others)....    Frankly a LOT needs to be answered and discussed in great detail

before I could commit to these.    Without a whole bunch more exact design information, we cannot be expected to

commit funds.   Data, please?

[Keith Moore]

Add me to the list. Yes, I would likely buy several at that price. 

[Jon D.]

Add me to the list for 10 tubes.

[Wo Tu]

Would be interested too !

[Zachary]

Hi, I would be interested in committing to the purchase of 1 tube. Maybe more when more info is available.

On Sunday, December 29, 2024 at 1:34:51 AM UTC-5 Richard Scales wrote:

[Bill Stanley]

Hi Richard,

 

Add me for 6 of the tubes.

 

  -Bill-

[Richard Scales]

A slight update:

Whilst the manufacturer has made the DGM01 tube with glass sealed pins at the base - the preferred approach seems to be, like other manufacturers, to use the small PCB at the base.

This is to mitigate against leakage around the pins in the glass base which whilst was once a common place manufacturing step (back when tube production was massive) but now appears to be a technique that has been lost in the sands of time.

So, that is the current thought.

The base absolutely positively has to match the existing B8971 for compatibility purposes.

A lot more research has yet to be done and I will report all progress here.

In the meantime - thank you all for your support. It is clear that there is demand for such a thing - even if only in the 100's. I look forward to updating you all when I know more.

- Richard

[newxito]

I’m still interested, I have no problem with the small PCB approach.
They could add a 50 cents MCU to the PCB for storing the serial number and counting the operating hours, of course all data accessible from my clock... just kidding...

[Adam Piórko]

The option of an MCU on the PCB is not a bad idea. I dream of a PCB with control via I2C bus or shift registers. The only problem is that the B8971 is about the size of an IN-18, and I doubt there would be space for anything other than traces to the pins :)

Most likely, the board will have a hole through which the leads from the tube will pass and need to be soldered to the PCB – and that takes up space...

[Leroy Jones]

One thing that bothers/worries me about all of these modern-day nixie tubes is the fact that the base is GLUED on to the envelope.

Over the years I have seen plenty of older tubes (not nixies) that had glued bases and the base always eventually comes loose.

I have had several old Western Electric ballast lamps that had the base come loose.    Luckily the lead wires stayed intact and I was able

to re-glue the base to the envelope using cyanoacrylate (aka "super") glue.     So I honestly think that this is what we are in for with these

modern-day so-called "nixie" tubes.    In other words, wait 20 or 30 years and then the base comes loose.    In my humble opinion, the nixie tube makers

really need to re-learn the skill of sealing good pins to the glass like they used to do.    It cannot be that tough of a skill to master.

After all millions upon millions of all different types of vacuum tubes were made this way.    I think they are using a plain pinch with wires

coming out then soldered to a fake little PC board is kind of an easy cop-out they are using to get tubes out the door fast instead of making them

properly.  Yes, I have a problem with these new tubes.    They are not genuine.   

[Jeff Walton]

I see the situation differently.  It's way more complicated than you describe.  It's the glass, the wire coatings and a lot of process control.  It's been a long time since mass production of reliable tubes and frankly, a lot of trial and error for current makers to get back to where they are. They are not fake. The glow is quite genuine.  Nobody is rushing anything out the door when everything is made by hand. 

I agree that we'd probably all prefer the beautiful glass tubes of 50 years ago but it is great that someone is attempting to make an unobtanium tube of any style.  We have folks on this board that are pleased to see steps towards restoring a lost art and chance to participate.  If the tubes are still working 20-30 years from now, that is a success and the bases can be re-glued.   I won't be around to be worried about it. 

Jeff

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/2f64a8cc-e390-4550-b373-a0b7f8a7f1b0n%40googlegroups.com.

[Oskar]

There were also "real" Nixie tubes that used pinch seals. Please keep in mind that Nixie tube manufacturers today work at a much smaller scale and with much smaller budgets than the tube industry did in its hayday. It's a lot more difficult to establish a reliable method for sealing pins directly against the glass if you don't have hundreds of engineers with years of experience in glasswork and material science working on the process. Especially if you are offering ten years of warranty on every single tube sold like Dalibor Farny does. I don't think it's wrong to prefer proper pin-to-glass seals, but I feel like the way you worded your reply is quite dismissive of the considerable efforts manufacturers have put into developing new tubes.

That being said, since there are still tubes being produced with this kind of seal, I don't think the method has been lost to time entirely. It's probably more that the manufacturers that still know the process wouldn't be willing to share the details with a small Nixie tube manufacturer.

[Leroy Jones]

The Chinese fellow who is making the DGM01 tube at inixie.com is making them with glass seals directly on the pins.    So it is not lost to the sands of time.

Those that are making pinch seals with lead wires soldered to a glued-on base, that is fine but it comes with a caveat.  Glue always has a way of letting go of the glass eventually.

Not always but often enough to make me question it.    For the B8971 tubes, why not go with the glass seals directly on the pins?  Especially since there is already this gentleman

in China who is already producing nixie tubes made this way?    I guess I just have my preferences.   Please do not shoot the messenger...

[Leroy Jones]

inixielab.com     sorry for the bogus url in the last post

[Dekatron42]

I've been told that it is possible to buy pre-manufactured bases with the evacuation tube at the bottom between the pins just like on the B7971 tubes so that would definitely be something to check out.

/Martin

[Leroy Jones]

Ahh ok, that is most likely why DGM01 guy has the exhaust nipple on the bottom in the center of his non-standard pin circle.

He is probably using the pre-made bases and pins.   Another puzzle piece identified.

[Dekatron42]

PMT tubes are still manufactured today and even new designs sometimes pop up and they use 14 or 15 pin bases and some even more pins, similar bases have sometimes turned up on eBay (rarely) but more often on Chinese and Russian auction sites.

/Martin

[Instrument Resources of America]

There were at least TWO special alloy wires used to come through the glass, both of which had the same rate of expansion and contraction, for what should be obvious reasons. One alloy was a pinkish color. I forget the names of both, and I apologize for that.

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/2f64a8cc-e390-4550-b373-a0b7f8a7f1b0n%40googlegroups.com.

[Dave ZL3FJ]

Dumet wire- that’s one of ‘em.

DaveB, NZ

 

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Instrument Resources of America
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2025 09:41
To: neoni...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] B-87971 tubes

 

There were at least TWO special alloy wires used to come through the glass, both of which had the same rate of expansion and contraction, for what should be obvious reasons. One alloy was a pinkish color. I forget the names of both, and I apologize for that.

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/e9bfe482-7822-4e3b-aa26-951153577f69%40HUGHES.NET.

[Instrument Resources of America]

Follow up. The pinkish colored alloy wire that I was thinking of was "Dumet". If I can find/think of the other major alloy that Sylvania used on the Loktal tubes I'll publish it here, but don't hold your breath!!   Ira.

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/e9bfe482-7822-4e3b-aa26-951153577f69%40HUGHES.NET.

[Mac Doktor]

On Jan 1, 2025, at 3:21 PM, Dekatron42 <martin....@gmail.com> wrote:

PMT tubes are still manufactured today and even new designs sometimes pop up and they use 14 or 15 pin bases and some even more pins, similar bases have sometimes turned up on eBay (rarely) but more often on Chinese and Russian auction sites.

I assembled a scintillation probe and soldering directly to the pins caused anxiety:

https://www.astarcloseup.com/2018/07/scintillaton-probe-kit.html

Is anyone making electrostatic CRTs at this point? 

I have the only five beam CRT ever made. Should I build a clock out of it? I guess one beam would have to be used for both of the seconds. Chop or alternate?

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

"Tape machines ought to be big and cumbersome and difficult to use, if only to keep the riff-raff out."—Steve Albini, 1993

[Nick Andrews]

I'm interested in probably six or so. 

[Peter Doroba]

Put me down for 6 as well Richard.

Pete

[Paul Andrew Lafranchise]

Put me down for 6. Thanks Richard!

On Thu, Jan 2, 2025 at 3:45 AM Peter Doroba <peter....@gmail.com> wrote:

Put me down for 6 as well Richard.

Pete

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[Leroy Jones]

Why do we have 4 deleted messages in this thread.   Who deleted them and why?

[Grahame Marsh]

Hi

Having checked neither myself, Nick or Nick have deleted any messages from this or any other thread recently.

It is possible (I think) that the original poster can delete their own message.

Grahame

Moderator

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[Peter Doroba]

I believe the deleted messages may be mine. I tried replying to Richard's original post using firefox and each time I hit the Post Message button the page timed out and when I refreshed it it showed the "Message has been deleted" message. When I switched to chrome I was able to successfully post a reply.

[Peter Doroba]

Hello Richard. You can put me down for a set of 6 tubes. Thanks!

On Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 9:25:45 AM UTC-5 Adam Piórko wrote:

[Sadudu]

In fact, there are many types of metals that can be sealed with glass, including oxygen-free copper, stainless steel, Kovar, tungsten wire, molybdenum wire, and others. Each serves different functions in various applications. Currently, the most commonly used are Kovar and tungsten wire due to their excellent performance. DGM01 has used both tungsten wire and Kovar as sealing metals. After comprehensive comparison, we ultimately chose Kovar.

Moving forward, we will also produce bases identical to those of the B8971 and IN18, without the metal ring used as an adapter, allowing compatibility with older B8971 clocks and IN18 clocks. Additionally, we are currently developing a 10mm-diameter small Nixie tube, a 59mm medium-sized tube, and an 83mm ultra-large tube. All of these will feature flat cathode columns identical to those of the B8971.

I am a master's graduate in electronics with a deep passion for Nixie tubes. I have spent three years studying vacuum tube technology. In addition, I have invested in various testing equipment, such as spectrometers and helium mass spectrometry leak detectors to make best nixie tube. I have also developed many semi-automated production tools, enabling us to produce tubes with relatively high efficiency.

 I will provide timely updates on the latest developments regarding the B8971 here. Currently, I am looking for some B7971 or B8971 tubes to finalize the technical solution.  

[Peter Doroba]

Put me down for 6 Richard.

Pete

[Alan Tan]

I am down for 8 tubes.

On Tue, 31 Dec 2024, 22:25 Adam Piórko, <adam.p...@gmail.com> wrote:

The option of an MCU on the PCB is not a bad idea. I dream of a PCB with control via I2C bus or shift registers. The only problem is that the B8971 is about the size of an IN-18, and I doubt there would be space for anything other than traces to the pins :)

Most likely, the board will have a hole through which the leads from the tube will pass and need to be soldered to the PCB – and that takes up space...

wtorek, 31 grudnia 2024 o 11:29:16 UTC+1 newxito napisał(a):

I’m still interested, I have no problem with the small PCB approach.
They could add a 50 cents MCU to the PCB for storing the serial number and counting the operating hours, of course all data accessible from my clock... just kidding...

Richard Scales schrieb am Dienstag, 31. Dezember 2024 um 05:18:14 UTC+1:

A slight update:

Whilst the manufacturer has made the DGM01 tube with glass sealed pins at the base - the preferred approach seems to be, like other manufacturers, to use the small PCB at the base.

This is to mitigate against leakage around the pins in the glass base which whilst was once a common place manufacturing step (back when tube production was massive) but now appears to be a technique that has been lost in the sands of time.

So, that is the current thought.

The base absolutely positively has to match the existing B8971 for compatibility purposes.

A lot more research has yet to be done and I will report all progress here.

In the meantime - thank you all for your support. It is clear that there is demand for such a thing - even if only in the 100's. I look forward to updating you all when I know more.

- Richard

On Monday, 30 December 2024 at 23:30:16 UTC Bill Stanley wrote:

Hi Richard,

 

Add me for 6 of the tubes.

 

  -Bill-

 

 

From: Richard Scales

Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2024 10:34 PM

To: neonixie-l

Subject: [neonixie-l] B-87971 tubes

 

Hello,
I am in discussion with a tube manufacturer regarding the implementation of a B-8971 replacement tube.
It seems that the idea is fully achievable though I would need to order 100 units of the first batch in order to make it happen.
Naturally I am asking to see if anyone would be interested in committing to the purchase of a number of tubes to see if I can get an order for 100 units together.
Please let me know if you might be interested, the target price for the first should be close to $75+whatever duties and taxes are applied. Thereafter the price could get much closer to $50+taxes etc.
Just let me know.
- Richard

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[Peter Doroba]

Put me down for 6 as well Richard.

Pete

On Wednesday, January 1, 2025 at 6:54:48 PM UTC-5 Nick Andrews wrote:

[Nicholas Stock]

Folks, for some reason Google groups (in its infinite wisdom) is holding a lot of messages in the moderation queue for approval. I have no idea why, all we (mods) can do is approve them when we are notified. Apologies, but not much we can do about this (probably some 'efficient' AI process... /s) until we're notified and check them. Until there's a better solution to this, please be patient with waiting for any response you make to a forum post to appear. If that doesn't happen with 24 hrs, then feel free to bug me.

Best,

Pharma Nick (mod)

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[Greg P]

Seems these folks know how to make the bases everyone would like to see.

https://moores-glass.co.uk/products/multi-pin-bases/

On Monday, December 30, 2024 at 11:18:14 PM UTC-5 Richard Scales wrote:

A slight update:

Whilst the manufacturer has made the DGM01 tube with glass sealed pins at the base - the preferred approach seems to be, like other manufacturers, to use the small PCB at the base.

This is to mitigate against leakage around the pins in the glass base which whilst was once a common place manufacturing step (back when tube production was massive) but now appears to be a technique that has been lost in the sands of time.

So, that is the current thought.

The base absolutely positively has to match the existing B8971 for compatibility purposes.

A lot more research has yet to be done and I will report all progress here.

In the meantime - thank you all for your support. It is clear that there is demand for such a thing - even if only in the 100's. I look forward to updating you all when I know more.

- Richard

On Monday, 30 December 2024 at 23:30:16 UTC Bill Stanley wrote:

Hi Richard,

 

Add me for 6 of the tubes.

 

  -Bill-

 

 

From: Richard Scales

Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2024 10:34 PM

To: neonixie-l

Subject: [neonixie-l] B-87971 tubes

 

[Dekatron42]

Maybe someone could try to introduce them into manufacturing Nixies?

/Martin

[Alan Tan]

What clock kits are available currently for this tube?

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[Jeff Walton]

Richard Scales is doing a smart socket implementation for the 8971.  The MOD-SIX folks had a version with 8971.

Jeff 

-------- Original message --------

From: Alan Tan <ala...@gmail.com>

Date: 1/3/25 7:10 PM (GMT-06:00)

To: neoni...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] B-87971 tubes

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/CAHYdSUFqLpd%2BJpq2idBZSO6o7SBtFySX2BdsZ2O2wvDpVDH_eQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Terry Kennedy]

In the 1970's I used to work in a factory that made glass for a number of things, mainly bases for crystals (with the wires also installed by the factory). Masden Industries in North Bergen and Union City, NJ. Subsequently moved to the 'burbs, closed and became a Superfund site.

Anyway, the production lines sealed glass to wires to (normally) metal bases. The preassembled pieces were put into some form of machined trays (ceramic, carbon, not sure) and run through a furnace fueled by hydrogen.

That wasn't my part of the operation - I started in IT there but was sent to take over an abandoned production line that started with raw glass powder mixed with a binder, were stamped by pill presses into slightly-oversized preforms. These were run through a sintering furnace that boiled off the binder powder and caused the resulting preforms (now called beads) to shrink to the desired size.

The company's bread and butter was the base for a 3.58MHz crystal that was used in Motorola (and maybe other) Color TVs. But all sorts of exotic parts were also made, including things like a dozen wire leads in a glass base.

This technology still exists, as crystals are still being manufactured with wires through glass in a metal base.

On Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 10:44:42 PM UTC-5 Jeff Walton wrote:

I see the situation differently.  It's way more complicated than you describe.  It's the glass, the wire coatings and a lot of process control.  It's been a long time since mass production of reliable tubes and frankly, a lot of trial and error for current makers to get back to where they are. They are not fake. The glow is quite genuine.  Nobody is rushing anything out the door when everything is made by hand. 

I agree that we'd probably all prefer the beautiful glass tubes of 50 years ago but it is great that someone is attempting to make an unobtanium tube of any style.  We have folks on this board that are pleased to see steps towards restoring a lost art and chance to participate.  If the tubes are still working 20-30 years from now, that is a success and the bases can be re-glued.   I won't be around to be worried about it. 

Jeff

-------- Original message --------

From: Leroy Jones <leroypu...@gmail.com>

Date: 12/31/24 9:15 PM (GMT-06:00)

To: neonixie-l <neoni...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] B-87971 tubes

One thing that bothers/worries me about all of these modern-day nixie tubes is the fact that the base is GLUED on to the envelope.

Over the years I have seen plenty of older tubes (not nixies) that had glued bases and the base always eventually comes loose.

I have had several old Western Electric ballast lamps that had the base come loose.    Luckily the lead wires stayed intact and I was able

to re-glue the base to the envelope using cyanoacrylate (aka "super") glue.     So I honestly think that this is what we are in for with these

modern-day so-called "nixie" tubes.    In other words, wait 20 or 30 years and then the base comes loose.    In my humble opinion, the nixie tube makers

really need to re-learn the skill of sealing good pins to the glass like they used to do.    It cannot be that tough of a skill to master.

After all millions upon millions of all different types of vacuum tubes were made this way.    I think they are using a plain pinch with wires

coming out then soldered to a fake little PC board is kind of an easy cop-out they are using to get tubes out the door fast instead of making them

properly.  Yes, I have a problem with these new tubes.    They are not genuine.   

On Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 9:25:45 AM UTC-5 Adam Piórko wrote:

The option of an MCU on the PCB is not a bad idea. I dream of a PCB with control via I2C bus or shift registers. The only problem is that the B8971 is about the size of an IN-18, and I doubt there would be space for anything other than traces to the pins :)

Most likely, the board will have a hole through which the leads from the tube will pass and need to be soldered to the PCB – and that takes up space...

wtorek, 31 grudnia 2024 o 11:29:16 UTC+1 newxito napisał(a):

I’m still interested, I have no problem with the small PCB approach.
They could add a 50 cents MCU to the PCB for storing the serial number and counting the operating hours, of course all data accessible from my clock... just kidding...

Richard Scales schrieb am Dienstag, 31. Dezember 2024 um 05:18:14 UTC+1:

A slight update:

Whilst the manufacturer has made the DGM01 tube with glass sealed pins at the base - the preferred approach seems to be, like other manufacturers, to use the small PCB at the base.

This is to mitigate against leakage around the pins in the glass base which whilst was once a common place manufacturing step (back when tube production was massive) but now appears to be a technique that has been lost in the sands of time.

So, that is the current thought.

The base absolutely positively has to match the existing B8971 for compatibility purposes.

A lot more research has yet to be done and I will report all progress here.

In the meantime - thank you all for your support. It is clear that there is demand for such a thing - even if only in the 100's. I look forward to updating you all when I know more.

- Richard

On Monday, 30 December 2024 at 23:30:16 UTC Bill Stanley wrote:

Hi Richard,

 

Add me for 6 of the tubes.

 

  -Bill-

 

 

From: Richard Scales

Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2024 10:34 PM

To: neonixie-l

Subject: [neonixie-l] B-87971 tubes

 

Hello,
I am in discussion with a tube manufacturer regarding the implementation of a B-8971 replacement tube.
It seems that the idea is fully achievable though I would need to order 100 units of the first batch in order to make it happen.
Naturally I am asking to see if anyone would be interested in committing to the purchase of a number of tubes to see if I can get an order for 100 units together.
Please let me know if you might be interested, the target price for the first should be close to $75+whatever duties and taxes are applied. Thereafter the price could get much closer to $50+taxes etc.
Just let me know.
- Richard

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[Terry Kennedy]

I'd be concerned about the tube lifetime. B-7971's are among the most robust Nixie tubes I've ever seen, with some hitting 60,000+ hours, just in the clocks I built. And they were used pulls from stock ticker systems (there are no real "New Old Stock" 7971's, no matter what anybody says.

Even Dalibor had a run of bad tubes (all replaced under warranty at no cost) after he had perfected his process.

[Jeff Walton]

I think that even Dalibor would tell you that he has not perfected the process.  He’s gotten better but keeps discovering little things that make a big difference in the seals, coatings, glass physics and composition, contamination issues and gas mixtures.  I personally think that there are things that were learned, “forgotten” and are being rediscovered about the process of making ultra-reliable tubes.  Without mass production and large demand for the product, the steps for improvement are small and the reliability is directly proven over time.

The 7971 tubes are among the most reliable that I have observed in my own collection of stuff.  Remember that those robust tubes are already 50-60 years old, so the seals have proven that there are reliable combinations of metal and glass just waiting to be rediscovered and mastered.   There are certainly multiple variations of the 7971 and it seems that all of the different constructions share a degree of reliability that none of the smaller Russian tubes ever duplicated.  Time will tell how well the tubes from Dalibor and DuDu Sa will stack up in terms of long reliability.

 

Jeff

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[Dekatron42]

There are a few tube stem manufacturers still producing parts, like: https://richlandglass.com/custom-glass-tube-stems/ and there are also some interesting YouTube videos like: https://www.youtube.com/@SignalDitch which are full of links in the comments section and have nice information on where to get parts for vacuum tube manufacturing (hobbyist style) Richland Glass in mention in the Video and at around 11 minutes he discusses tube stems.

/Martin

[Christian Riise Wagner]

Just to be sure I understood this correctly, it's around $75 for the first tube each member orders, and $50 for subsequent ones, so if I order 6 pcs, it will be 75+5*50 = $325 + shipping, taxes etc.? Also, do the tubes come with any warranty?

[Richard Scales]

Hello, To confirm. The order for the first total order for 100 tubes will be at $75 per tube (target price), subsequent orders for a total of 100 tubes will be at $50 per tube (target price). At this time I have no information about individual pricing thereafter.
Warranty is proposed at 5 years.

... but it all hinges on whether or not a B8971 pin and segment compatible working tube can be produced - time will tell.

 - Richard

[jf03...@gmail.com]

My 18 tubes have now logged about 400k hours without any tube failures.  I did see a slight color shift.   The only failures in the clocks were in the other electronics (power transformer, IC clock chip,  discrete driver transistor).  Details posted in April 2020 in "Discovered an old advertisment ".