ITS1A on Ebay

[GastonP]

I wish I had the money...
There seems to be an outburst of sales of this beautiful thyratron. May be someone discovered a hidden stash...

Gastón

[SWISSNIXIE - Jonathan F.]

Usually being patient saves a lot of money. I got 6 of them for 80$ in a sale.

Also checking "sellers other items" is always a good options, some sellers sell stuff that they don't know. I picked up some magic eye tubes a while ago as "unknown vacuum tube" :)

[Ben W]

I was shopping for them recently too and was gobsmacked at the price. Novelty for sure, but hard to justify the expense don't you think? They are just 7-segment displays. I guess they don't seem that special to me having grown up with the alarm clocks of the 80s and 90s. Doubt you could tell the difference from the normal LED type from more than a couple feet away.

Now, actual high-voltage thyratrons are way cool...here is an RCA 3C23 I am building into a night light...the picture doesn't do it justice.

[gregebert]

It's [no pun intended...] all in the eye of the beholder.

I was solidly convinced I would never stoop to using segmented displays, even if they were neon, etc, until I literally held my first b7971 less than a year ago. It's gigantic, and now, 6 tubes later, I'm addicted. Just need to finish the doggone PCB.

[GastonP]

Heh, if it were for logical justification, I doubt this group would exist at all. Who needs yet another clock at the expensive prices all of the devices we use command?
I think they are things of beauty and technical challenges at the same time. And as it happens with rare pearls, the scarcity factor adds to the desirability.
I will be patient and hide in the bushes until I can snipe six of them at a good price :)
 

BTW nice tube. Just be careful with the UV, RFI and other nastiness they emit along with the pretty light.