Nixie Tube Test Bench HV Electrophoresis Power Supply Idea

[Richard Arndt]

I have designed a few Nixie tube clocks I call OneNixie.  I have attempted to design a compact 1W 180V power supply that runs off USB (5V) to light up a single Nixie.  I have not come up with a satisfactory design yet... so I have been using a nice 5W unit out of China.  One thing that has been missing on my work bench is a general purpose high voltage power supply for testing Nixie tubes against specifications.  Recently I purchased a Fisher Biotech FB-300 Electrophoresis Power Supply for $40 (including shipping) off EBay.  It is a digitally controlled 10-300V 4-400mA HV supply.  The voltage can be set in 10v increments, and the current in 1mA increments (however current minimum is 4mA).  This unit has both voltage and current limit features.  Some units even a wattage limit can be set.  On this unit I can set the voltage to 180V and the current at 4mA, then turn it on.  When the Nixie strikes, the voltage drops to limit the current to 4mA.  Then I can step the current up 1mA at a time, and display the voltage as I go.  This can also be used to attempt rejuvenating a Nixie, which is my next task on a few IN-18 I have.  I thought I'd throw this Electrophoresis Power Supply out to you folks in case it has been overlooked.  There are a bunch of them on EBay, and if you are patient... they can be found for a very reasonable price.  There are also linear versions, where voltage and current are set with potentiometer, and can be set down to 0.  And of course, if you want to check out your DNA... you just need an Electrophoresis gel box :-)

Enjoy your weekend!

Rich

[gregebert]

A few years ago I designed my own nixie bench supply, and I gave away the extra PCB's to interested neonixie members for the cost of shipping; no more boards exist.

The most useful feature is the adjustable current-limit, in my case I use a 10-turn pot to adjust the current, from 0 to 20mA, which is safe. It has a digital voltmeter (0-20V) across a 1K current-sense resistor to measure the load current directly (1V = 1mA). A 400mA supply can easily deliver a fatal shock (100-200mA), so be very careful.

Let me know if you want more details on the current-limiter design, because you could easily add it to your supply. It's a simple high-voltage NMOS transistor on a heatsink. The voltage to the gate (roughly 0-24V)  is set by the pot, and in-turn that sets the output current. There are a few other components for ESD protection.

[GeckospotNixie]

Hello Rich

I have one of gregebert’s HV boards and the Powerstat Variable Transformer TYPE 10B that you would need for it.

See this https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/hvps1-user-forum/GP5ImVmHf44

 

If you are interested and live in the US PM me and maybe we can work out a trade or something I'm open.

 

GeckospotNixie

[Jon D.]

GeckospotNixie,

If Rich doesn't respond,  I'd be interested in buying the board and variable transformer for $50 (but only the two together). I'm in the USA in New Mexico.

Jon J.

[Richard Arndt]

Thank you Greg for the HV PWB offer, however I am happy stay with using my Electrophoresis Power Supply.  Feel free to pass your offer on to someone else.

And thank you for your added note of caution, as the supply is lethal if not handled with care.  What I do like about these units is that the voltage and current are programmed to flash memory and remain set after power down/up.    I am now looking to pick up an FB-650 (6000V) to light up my Crookes Paddle Wheel... a bit of over-kill... I know !

Rich

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[GeckospotNixie]

Jon

Sure give me a day or two to get it out of storage and i will post back.

GeckospotNixie

[gregebert]

Jon - Be sure to send a join-request to this group: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/hvps1-user-forum

I set this up for people who have the boards to ask questions, get the documentation, etc.

Generally, all of the parts can be purchased from DigiKey, and you will need to bend some pins on the DCDC converters before you solder them down to the board.