Newbie Buyer: Advise needed on this IN-14 nixie clock design and seller

[Golferron 54]

Newbie Here ... Is this nixie clock design and ebay seller vfdclock good to deal with? 

Or can someone offer their assembly services (will pay) to build a kit?  I am in northern California.

I need a fully assembled clock as I have zero electronic skills.  Photos and link below for a IN-14 t-tube digit nixie tube clock I am considering for feedback if good or bad idea.  

Also, are these worthwhile options to add onto a nixie clock?  

 1. IR Remote Control Function(With 1PCS Remote Control ): +5.99 USD;
 2.For Temperature Sensor Function:+5.99USD;
 3.For 1PCS High Quality Brand 5V/1A USB Power Adapter: +5.99 USD ---> (is this what is needed to plug into AC power?)
 4. MCU programmer (For updating the firmware) +5.99USD;

Ebay link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Design-Pluggable-V1-2-1-USB-Powered-IN-14-6-Tube-NIXIE-Clock-NIXIE-TUBE-ERA-/131583441574

Seller has 611 reviews at 100%, documentation in proper english, and protected by ebaby / paypal - a good thing as this is an international purchase from China.

My dream nixie clock has the following characteristics, the most important being a 1" or so display as I'm 61 so my tired old eye's need a display to see from 12' away as I sit on the sofa.  The IN-14 the ebay seller has display of 18mm (11/16") high so am willing to go bigger, but not smaller in size.  Want a minimalist clean look with the board viable with a clear case for safety, LED accents under tubes, a lighted colon separator between hour, min and seconds.  I also like the tube shape of IN-14 and IN-18.  The ebay model listed has the ability to do firmware updates, which I really like for future flexibility.

The nixie clock will sit on top of my stereo equipment.

If there are any nixie clock builders (especially in the San Francisco Bay Area where I can buy locally) who has a clock to sell as pictured, or willing to build one for me, I will pay for the kit and your services.

PM me with questions.  Look forward to your collective thoughts.  Happy new year!

ron

PS

Is this forum about neon signs as well?  I am working on a custom neon sign design for my pinball game room and love to trade ideas.

[John Rehwinkel]

Newbie Here ... Is this nixie clock design and ebay seller vfdclock good to deal with?

I've bought a couple of things from him, went okay.  He does have 100% positive feedback too.

Or can someone offer their assembly services (will pay) to build a kit?  I am in northern California.

I could (I enjoy building stuff), but I don't have a lot of free time these days.

I need a fully assembled clock as I have zero electronic skills.  Photos and link below for a IN-14 t-tube digit nixie tube clock I am considering for feedback if good or bad idea.  

Also, are these worthwhile options to add onto a nixie clock?  

 1. IR Remote Control Function(With 1PCS Remote Control ): +5.99 USD;

I have no idea, it depends on whether that's a feature you could use.

 2.For Temperature Sensor Function:+5.99USD;

That's probably handy, especially if it's an outdoor-rated sensor.

 3.For 1PCS High Quality Brand 5V/1A USB Power Adapter: +5.99 USD ---> (is this what is needed to plug into AC power?)

The clock runs off USB, so you should be able to plug it into any USB power supply, including that one.  I'd be curious if it needs more than the 500mA that

USB is specified to supply, however – many things draw more current, which can be tough if you're powering it from a marginal hub or computer.

 4. MCU programmer (For updating the firmware) +5.99USD;

Watch out for those, many of them only work with a certain version of MS-DOS on a machine with a parallel port.

My dream nixie clock has the following characteristics, the most important being a 1" or so display as I'm 61 so my tired old eye's need a display to see from 12' away as I sit on the sofa.  The IN-14 the ebay seller has display of 18mm (11/16") high so am willing to go bigger, but not smaller in size.  Want a minimalist clean look with the board viable with a clear case for safety, LED accents under tubes, a lighted colon separator between hour, min and seconds.  I also like the tube shape of IN-14 and IN-18.  The ebay model listed has the ability to do firmware updates, which I really like for future flexibility.

IN-18s are very nice looking, quite large, and expensive these days.  NL-807 have 7/8" high digits and I really like the way they look.  The IN-14 uses an upside-down "2" for its "5" digit, which looks funny to me.

Is this forum about neon signs as well?  I am working on a custom neon sign design for my pinball game room and love to trade ideas.

There's a neon list around:

http://mailman.prismnet.com/mailman/listinfo/neon-l

I'd be most interested in discussing it, as I've done some neon bending of my own and have a pinball room, so am interested in ideas you may have.

- John

[Golferron 54]

Hi John

Appreciate you checking in and giving me the confidence to buy from an oversea's seller as I really like his design.  

I tried to google "NL-807 nixie clock" and find very few places that sell them.  That's OK, the upside down "5" on the IN-14 does not bother me from my sofa 12' away \-)

I'll PM you and send a few designs I discussed with a local neon sign shop.  In short, it has two animations - one for a flipper in two positions.  An three balls so when the flipper hits the first ball, it animates to two more balls.  This will go into my gameroom of 20 pins with games ranging from 1958 to current.  I have probably gone past the fine line of excessive, to obsessive going through 41 pins in the last 10 years.  I also work at the Pacific Pinball Museum, www.pacificpinball.org, so love to catch up on pinball, neon and nixies.

Oh great, my first nixie clock, another thing to start collecting \-)

I'll keep in touch.

ron

[John Rehwinkel]

I tried to google "NL-807 nixie clock" and find very few places that sell them.

The nifty thing about the NL-807 is that it uses the same socket as the common NL-841 and NL-841 tubes, but has larger digits.  Because of this, you can

have the larger digits with any NL-841 type clock that doesn't squeeze the digits too close together.

  That's OK, the upside down "5" on the IN-14 does not bother me from my sofa 12' away \-)

Then that's the way to go, as the IN-14 is a much more easy to find and affordable tube.

I'll PM you and send a few designs I discussed with a local neon sign shop.  In short, it has two animations - one for a flipper in two positions.  An three balls so when the flipper hits the first ball, it animates to two more balls.

Oh, nifty!  Right now the decoration in mine consists of a couple of old playfields that I'm planning on adding lights to and some translights.

  This will go into my gameroom of 20 pins with games ranging from 1958 to current.  I have probably gone past the fine line of excessive, to obsessive going through 41 pins in the last 10 years.  I also work at the Pacific Pinball Museum, www.pacificpinball.org, so love to catch up on pinball, neon and nixies.

Ah, excellent.  I'm thinking of building some drop-in nixie score displays to replace the panaplex ones.  The voltages are already available and the circuitry is pretty simple, and I love the 3D effect of dancing nixie digits.

Oh great, my first nixie clock, another thing to start collecting \-)

I know the feeling!  Welcome!

- John

[Quixotic Nixotic]

On 27 Dec 2015, at 05:04, Golferron 54 wrote:

I have probably gone past the fine line of excessive, to obsessive going through 41 pins in the last 10 years.

Oh please, this is lightweight obsessive. I can find you a number of UK collectors who have in excess of 100 pinball machines at any one time. Me? I only have three right now.

The driver boards for Bally and Williams 6 or 7 digit neon displays are multiplexed. I think with discrete nixies you might have to up the boiler pressure a little to get them adequately lit.

I make and sell some simple clocks from pinball displays:

http://www.clock-it.net/pinball-display-clock-version-1/

http://www.clock-it.net/pinball-display-clock-version-2/

I have an old Bally Vector backbox and I am considering what to with it. What should I display in the score areas and credit/ball in play windows, apart from the time?

Happy holidays everyone,

John S

[Joel W]

I bought a pvelectronics already built clock from eBay user joemorphia. It was my first clock before venturing out into nixieland and building my own. Here is one from him that is currently on eBay, although I found it more helpful to talk with him outside of the bay:

http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/331735428287

and its a PV electronics QTC kit

(http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php)

I have also bought a couple of single tube nixie clocks from eBay user vfdclock that you referred to and have been impressed with his design and workmanship.

In any case, be aware that when buying from outside the US, customs may or may not be a price factor in your decision depending on your budget.

[golferron]

John S.

You got an awesome line up of clocks.  Very creative.  I saw you did a clock design using a BK2000 display ... I love BK2000 and with a subwolfer it sounds as awesome as it looks with the Doug Watson artwork. 

But I digress from my original question ... can you make a clock out of a Williams DMD display?  I swapped out of my Monster Bash the original Vishay DMD and replaced it with a ColorDMD.  You are a bit far from San Francisco, but love your thoughts if making a clock display using a DMD is a doable clock project.  I have a doorway with about 18" of clearance between the top of the door and ceiling that I need a long thin clock, and flashed after seeing your designs that maybe my DMD just sitting in a box is useful afterall!

Happy holidays and thanks for sharing your work!

\r

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[Quixotic Nixotic]

On 27 Dec 2015, at 20:55, golferron wrote:

> John S.
>
> You got an awesome line up of clocks. Very creative. I saw you did a clock design using a BK2000 display ... I love BK2000 and with a subwolfer it sounds as awesome as it looks with the Doug Watson artwork.
>
> But I digress from my original question ... can you make a clock out of a Williams DMD display? I swapped out of my Monster Bash the original Vishay DMD and replaced it with a ColorDMD. You are a bit far from San Francisco, but love your thoughts if making a clock display using a DMD is a doable clock project. I have a doorway with about 18" of clearance between the top of the door and ceiling that I need a long thin clock, and flashed after seeing your designs that maybe my DMD just sitting in a box is useful afterall!
>
> Happy holidays and thanks for sharing your work!

It's a long story, but four years ago I made a rash claim that I could make an existing magic trick in a much better way. I said I would do it in a transparent box and I would also make it work when you took the batteries out. So I did this and Sean Mills of UK's Pinball Palace company has pestered me for the rights to the trick ever since.

Way off-topic by now, but maybe it will get back to neon, who knows?

Anyway, after making the prototype magic trick four years ago, Sean came up this year with the bright idea that if he gave me a dot matrix display pinball machine would I swap my magic trick for it? Well of course I would. So I made up half a dozen magic tricks and Sean gave me a Bally WhoDunnit in return, along with a lifetime guarantee on the parts and labo(u)r. Just as well, because he's been back four times so far to fix it, the last time a week before Xmas. A three hour round trip every time. But we feed him well and he goes home content enough. The WhoDunnit seems to have been a big hit with our guests this Christmas, which included two Russian mathematics professors of various sexes.

My prototype version BK2K, the Black Knight 2000, was taken away by Sean and sold for me. This took the angst out of me having to re-house it somehow. So I got spondoolicks and a new pinball machine.

It so happens that Sean Mills is the sole UK distributor for the Colo(u)r DMD replacements. They are selling very well I hear. For the general neonixie audience here, what has happened is that the neon dot matrix displays, now often failing, can be replaced with colour LED displays that have new ROMs, custom-designed to display the old monochrome images, but remapped in a range of LED colo(u)rs. I have seen these in action and they are very impressive, although not cheap.

So getting back on-topic, it may well be that I can collaborate with Sean, who has all the Bally/Williams test rigs for the neon DMD displays, to make something that will drive them. The problem is that I don't have a spare DMD display and have not yet delved into the nether regions of such devices. Anyone who has a working display tends to pass it on to someone who needs one, here in the UK. I shall ask Sean Mills and see what he says about driving them. If he has a spare then he will let me borrow it, I am sure. I think Nicko, our dear leader, bought one a while back, maybe he has some ideas?

Best wishes for a wonderful 2016 everyone,

John S

PS: I really must get a subwolfer - the alsatian living across the road needs some competition…

[Nick]

Hi John,

If I can find it, you're welcome to it.

Just finished a Metz ITS1-A clock from nixiekits.EU (Jurgen)

[Golferron 54]

Hi Folks

I just wanted to thank you folks for your thoughtful advise, and those that stepped to help me build a clock.  I found a victim (ummm, volunteer) that is local to me that can give me a hand.  He is obviously a glutton for punishment as he also offered to teach me how to solder.  Last time someone tried teaching me I was advised that my skills were at a level of a "monkey with a hot stick". \-)

As for buying my first fully assembled clock, I am going to go for vfdclock's based on your input and ebay 100% ratings.

Although I have not even received my first clock yet, I am now looking looking for my next nixie - this time a kit. 

Since I already have a IN14 on order as a TV room clock, the second one is for my desk.  I still want a clean, minimalist high tech visible board look.  What do you think as a second clock ....

IN-18 four tube clock ... much bigger than the IN-14, but so is cost, so all I want is 4 tubes for hours and minutes.

NL-807 four tube clock as John suggested with the "correct" 5

IN-17 four tube clock ... different shaped tube than the IN-14 but still as the layered filament look

Z series red tubes are da bomb...absolutely beautiful ... this would probably be my first choice

Any suggestions on where to buy an easy to build kit for these?  A member advised to stay away from DIY "SMT" kits as they are more difficult and time consuming to build.  Look for "through the hole" kits instead to keep life simple.

ron




 

[Michael Seaton]

Pete's kits (http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php) are pretty easy to build and he offers top notch technical support if you have problems.  His software is pretty sophisticated and allows you to turn off the tubes when you're not around to extend their life, etc.  I really like being able to customize how they work, but some find it confusing.  Consider investing in a good soldering iron, especially if you think you might build more kits.

in17's are neat little tubes.  It's amazing how small they are.  They'd make a great desk clock.

z566m, z5660m, zm1040 & zm1042 tubes are some of the nicest looking tubes, in my opinion.  They're not as tall as in18's, but their digits are better proportioned.  You can buy them for around $40, fairly easily.  Note that the red coating can vary darker or lighter between different lots of tubes.

in18's are readily available and very popular.  It's easy to get six new for $220-250.

The bigger tubes would be easy to read from across the room.

in12's are also a good, cheap mid sized tube ($1-2 each) that you may want to consider.

nl807's are pretty rare (anyone know where I can get a few spares?), but nl840's are more common and look nice, due to their fine anode grid.

Check out Brian Stuckey's nixie clock videos on YouTube.  They cover several clocks not available any more, but should help you decide which tubes you like.

'just a suggestion - it's nice having seconds displayed, because it's a bit more interesting to watch the numbers count.  You might not want the distraction though!