Not nixie - Electromechanical clock

[Robert]

Has anyone else made or bought a clock using these old petrol pump displays

This type of display is still available new https://flipdots.com/en/products-services/small-7-segment-displays/

[Mike Mitchell]

I've used those displays for a clock, see here:

https://youtu.be/hpNliVxZr00

I've included a photo of some documentation on the displays.

Mike Mitchell

[gregebert]

I didn't see any prices posted. What are these selling for ?

[Richard Scales]

I have a few of these - has anyone got a useful schematic for driving them? I understand it's all about energizing a particular solenoid one way or the other for the flip and that that displays are usually organized in some kind of matrix so it's just a matter of applying the right volts to one particular row and one particular column in order to flip the desired display. 

From the spec sheet it looks like even the smaller displays are going to need almost 0.5A to flip so my simplistic idea of a bunch of high and low side switches based on MPSA42/92 wont quite cut it!

From what little I have read (and I understand even less) - some form of 'H' bridge drive might do it. A 4 digit device would have at least 28 solenoids (or 32 if the displays had DP's) so arranging these in a some kind of matrix seems to make good sense.

A bit more reading reveals ideas based on multiplexed half-bridge implementations.

Has anyone implemented a this successfully?

- Richard

[Michail Wilson]

I was buying them for about $8.50 each.  Likely much more with tariffs.

 

Same displays I used in a couple of projects….

https://youtu.be/M998Kwmhe74

 

https://youtu.be/pDBbZ0BBrpY

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

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[Richard Scales]

Are you willing to share details of your drive method?

- Richard

[Mike Mitchell]

 
I used https://coytbarringer.com/flip-display-clock/ for ideas when I built mine.

Instead of discrete drivers I'm using L293D H-bridges.  There's still 56 diodes for the multiplexing matrix.

I'm including my hand-drawn schematic section.

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[Michail Wilson]

It was based on a design by Zack Goyetche

He did a great video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKdXMAyXzMI

 

I found it after seeing the coyt barringer clock at:  https://coytbarringer.com/flip-display-clock/

 

Video I did. (many others as well)..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr2cQVf6D08

 

Sorry, this email was in my drafts and never sent out.   Just found it.

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

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[Tom Katt]

On Sunday, November 23, 2025 at 10:40:28 AM UTC-5 Robert wrote:

Has anyone else made or bought a clock using these old petrol pump displays

It always amazes me how many different display technologies have gone into the gas (petrol) pump design...  Many of which I would think might be a fire hazard - I've seen gas pumps with high voltage nixie PanaPlex displays.  And these, despite being electromechanical, use inductive coil pulses that must generate some kind of back emf if a diode fails.  But obviously all these work - I don't recall hearing much about them exploding lol.  I suspect that gas pumps are a very harsh environment, requiring a very reliable display.

Curiously - the one display type I've never seen is the basic led...  You'd think that would be a great inexpensive solution...

As for the clock design with these - very clever multiplexing solution!

[Mac Doktor]

On Jan 19, 2026, at 6:35 AM, Tom Katt <tomk...@gmail.com> wrote:

Curiously - the one display type I've never seen is the basic led...  You'd think that would be a great inexpensive solution…

I suspect that they’re not bright enough in direct sunlight and they have to be rather large as well.

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

https://www.astarcloseup.com

"If only you could see what I've seen with your eyes."—Roy Batty, Blade Runner