Very strange dekatron

[Greg S]

Hi! 
Do anyone know this type of dekatron? It has a very odd inside structure. With help of a CCFL driver I managed to know the pinout, and figured it out: It is a 40 electrode dekatron filled with possibly neon. Pins are G1, G2, G3, Anode, K0, and common cathodes (K1-K9). Finding place is Hungary, I only know an other collector to have this, also here. However we don't have any information about dekatrons were produced here ever. Also seems to be a prototype but not sure. There are no markings at all. Any help would be nice :)

[Dekatron42]

Nice to see a new design!

Many many years ago i scoured patents and books for Dekatrons and other counting tubes and I have a very faint memory of a similar design in a Russian patent application. Maybe our Dekatron Guru Jon does have information on this one?

Any chance you can set it up to run and record a video to show us all?

/Martin

[Jon]

Wow! That's one I haven't seen before (and I've seen quite a few...). Looking at the construction, I think it probably is a prototype - it doesn't look like the kind of structure that is robust and well-controlled enough with respect to tolerances etc to be a commercial tube.

If you're interested to sell one, please PM me!

Jon.

[Dekatron42]

If Jon hasn't seen it it is indeed a rare one!

This would be something for Dalibor to start to develop, it seems like a very simple design just using Mica sheets compared to the moulded ceramics used in most production dekatrons.

/Martin