Extraordinary nixie/dekatron clock design

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Nick

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Jul 22, 2014, 11:17:30 AM7/22/14
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I was sent this today by Hank - I strongly suggest you pay the site a visit (http://wv7u.com/cwc/hourglass.html):

One of my friends who is familiar with this list thought a clock I made and recently put on my website would be of interest to the group. It is an all-tube design from 1959. After looking at some of the content on the list I think my friend might be correct, but I leave that to your judgement.

My clock page is: http://wv7u.com/cwc/hourglass.html

Hank, WV7U

 What a wonderful piece of work - just beautiful! Interestingly it uses XC-18s as its trigger thyratrons, and I have a lot of those...

Nick

 

threeneurons

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Jul 22, 2014, 12:30:09 PM7/22/14
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Wow, I like his "packaging" ! Looks like and old piece of gear.

Also, take a look at the schematics. Old school "blue lines". Hand drawn, then scanned as JPGs, and a PDF ! who needs CAD/EDA !?

Dekatron42

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Jul 22, 2014, 1:05:23 PM7/22/14
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Just awesome! Wish I was that good with mechanical design!

/Martin

David Forbes

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Jul 22, 2014, 1:32:25 PM7/22/14
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That's a nice clock. I like how trigger tubes are used to control the
Nixies, which use unfiltered DC to ensure that the triggers reset.

I also like the schematic pages saying "16 JULY 1959".

On 7/22/14 8:17 AM, Nick wrote:
> I was sent this today by Hank - I strongly suggest you pay the site a visit
> (http://wv7u.com/cwc/hourglass.html):
>
> One of my friends who is familiar with this list thought a clock I made and recently put on my website would be of interest to the group. It is an all-tube design from 1959. After looking at some of the content on the list I think my friend might be correct, but I leave that to your judgement.
>>
>> My clock page is: http://wv7u.com/cwc/hourglass.html
>>
>> Hank, WV7U
>>
>>
> What a wonderful piece of work - just beautiful!
>
> Nick
>
>
>


--
David Forbes, Tucson AZ

Dave

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Jul 23, 2014, 9:51:48 AM7/23/14
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Wow !

From the use of nixies and dekatrons to the uber cool industrial design, I applaud your efforts.
I hope to see more of your postings.

 

kay486

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Jul 23, 2014, 11:50:27 AM7/23/14
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You have to be kidding me, you got this AMAZING clock, and use the shittiest/chepast/ugliest nixie tubes possible? I mean cmon, it has the inverted 2 isntead of proper 5. This makes me just sad.


On Tuesday, 22 July 2014 16:17:30 UTC+1, Nick wrote:
I was sent this today by Hank - I strongly suggest you pay the site a visit (http://wv7u.com/cwc/hourglass.html):

One of my friends who is familiar with this list thought a clock I made and recently put on my website would be of interest to the group. It is an all-tube design from 1959. After looking at some of the content on the list I think my friend might be correct, but I leave that to your judgement.

My clock page is: http://wv7u.com/cwc/hourglass.html

Hank, WV7U

Mike Mitchell

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Jul 24, 2014, 8:37:38 AM7/24/14
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I thought my Dekatron-based clock was nice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK276xZWyo4)
I bow to the master.

Nicholas Stock

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Jul 24, 2014, 11:04:58 AM7/24/14
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Nice clock Mike! Any more details on it?


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Mike Mitchell

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Jul 24, 2014, 2:13:02 PM7/24/14
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I borrowed heavily from http://959radio.co.uk/dekatron.html but mine runs on 120v 60Hz instead of 220v 50Hz and I use MOSFETs for interstage coupling instead of 12AT7 tubes.  All counting is via the Dekatrons, using 60 Hz as a timebase.  I used eight A-101 Dekatrons and six SZ-8 Nixie tubes, both cost me $4-$5 each.  The colons are INS-1 neon bulbs, connected to a common-collector OR gate tied to the 4, 5, 8, and 9 positions of the second Dekatron in the timing chain (1/10 second increment).  The circuitry is point-to-point on a perf board, no printed circuits.  I have one clock completed and am in the process of building a second.

Mike Mitchell
 


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front_panel.jpg
board_top.jpg

Nicholas Stock

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Jul 24, 2014, 3:24:58 PM7/24/14
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petehand

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Jul 25, 2014, 5:36:55 AM7/25/14
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What kay486 said - spoiling the ship for a ha'porth of tar. But if the front panel was in cyrillic and it was knocked about a bit, all rusty and dented and with intermittent faults, then those nixies might be appropriate.
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