IN18 Blue Dream out-of-production until 2019

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Piano Forte

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Mar 22, 2017, 7:14:57 PM3/22/17
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RE:IN18 Blue Dream out-of-production until 2019

I reached out to Dieter and Claus, and Claus advised that the IN18 Blue Dream (PCB & Kit) is out of production until 2019 (!) - any background on this development?, its a pity since I was about to order a second BD - I should have ordered a second one last year.when I first had the inclination.............

gregebert

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Mar 22, 2017, 8:21:08 PM3/22/17
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Just guessing here, but the supply of IN-18's continues to dwindle. Meanwhile, Dalibor continues to crank-out more tubes, so my crystal ball says you will see a kit with some flavor of new-production nixies.

Dan Hollis

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Mar 22, 2017, 8:31:00 PM3/22/17
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sounds like an opportunity for a competitor to step in and dominate the
market.

-Dan
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Greg P

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Mar 22, 2017, 10:06:38 PM3/22/17
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Buy the PV Electronics Spectrum 18.

http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=157

Great kit, great support, in stock, direct drive, many case options and way more features at a much more attractive price point. 

Gene Segal

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Mar 22, 2017, 10:22:21 PM3/22/17
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I wonder if the production stopping is in some way related to questionable customer service for the Blue Dream?

Good to know there are other options out there.

March 22, 2017 at 7:06 PM
Buy the PV Electronics Spectrum 18.

http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=157

Great kit, great support, in stock, direct drive, many case options and way more features at a much more attractive price point. 



On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 7:14:57 PM UTC-4, Piano Forte wrote:
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March 22, 2017 at 4:14 PM
RE:IN18 Blue Dream out-of-production until 2019

I reached out to Dieter and Claus, and Claus advised that the IN18 Blue Dream (PCB & Kit) is out of production until 2019 (!) - any background on this development?, its a pity since I was about to order a second BD - I should have ordered a second one last year.when I first had the inclination.............
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Nicholas Stock

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Mar 22, 2017, 10:30:52 PM3/22/17
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I'll echo the perceived lack of service too....I've repaired two blue dream clocks for people as no support was offered..

Pete's Spectrum 18 is a great clock for a very good price.

Nick

On Wed, Mar 22, 2017 at 7:22 PM, Gene Segal <wave...@earthlink.net> wrote:
I wonder if the production stopping is in some way related to questionable customer service for the Blue Dream?

Good to know there are other options out there.

March 22, 2017 at 7:06 PM
Buy the PV Electronics Spectrum 18.

http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=157

Great kit, great support, in stock, direct drive, many case options and way more features at a much more attractive price point. 



On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 7:14:57 PM UTC-4, Piano Forte wrote:
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March 22, 2017 at 4:14 PM
RE:IN18 Blue Dream out-of-production until 2019

I reached out to Dieter and Claus, and Claus advised that the IN18 Blue Dream (PCB & Kit) is out of production until 2019 (!) - any background on this development?, its a pity since I was about to order a second BD - I should have ordered a second one last year.when I first had the inclination.............
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Piano Forte

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Mar 23, 2017, 12:43:53 AM3/23/17
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Thanks for the recommendations everyone - I actually reached out to Pete shortly after the BD discontinuation news, and ordered his Spectrum 18 kit, PIR and Case last week. He has been an absolute pleasure to work with - responsive, accommodated special requests and provided a first-rate experience overall during my first order with him.

I ended up losing a tube to gas leakage on my BlueDream, and I attribute it to the rigid cup-style pin holders that stress the gas seal (1992/02 date code tube failed after 10 months of service, even leaving it in the same location). I am afraid to move the tubes around the BD, and Pete's design solves the pin stress issues (also like the PIR shutoff feature).



On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 7:30:52 PM UTC-7, Pramanicin wrote:
I'll echo the perceived lack of service too....I've repaired two blue dream clocks for people as no support was offered..

Pete's Spectrum 18 is a great clock for a very good price.

Nick
On Wed, Mar 22, 2017 at 7:22 PM, Gene Segal <wave...@earthlink.net> wrote:
I wonder if the production stopping is in some way related to questionable customer service for the Blue Dream?

Good to know there are other options out there.

March 22, 2017 at 7:06 PM
Buy the PV Electronics Spectrum 18.

http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=157

Great kit, great support, in stock, direct drive, many case options and way more features at a much more attractive price point. 



On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 7:14:57 PM UTC-4, Piano Forte wrote:
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March 22, 2017 at 4:14 PM
RE:IN18 Blue Dream out-of-production until 2019

I reached out to Dieter and Claus, and Claus advised that the IN18 Blue Dream (PCB & Kit) is out of production until 2019 (!) - any background on this development?, its a pity since I was about to order a second BD - I should have ordered a second one last year.when I first had the inclination.............
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Alic

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Mar 23, 2017, 1:26:31 AM3/23/17
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It's a pity. It's still my favorite IN-18 clock because it is compact and I like the proportions (the tubes are on the axis of the board).
I was also secretly hoping that the black'n'wood would become available again.

Maybe things have changed since.
Also, I don't know what others expect from someone who sells nixie DIY clock kits as a hobby, but on the rare occasions when I had a question or a problem with Claus' and Dieter's clocks, I always received good advice on how to repair it myself.

The board of the Blue dream isn't expensive enough to be sent back (especially from the USA) and spend hours on a repair.

I never had problems with gas leaks with the nixies I bought from Dieter with the clocks.
One set is from '92 as well.

I did have problems with tubes off eBay where the pins were not straight.

Jeff Walton

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Mar 23, 2017, 2:21:36 AM3/23/17
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Agree, Pete is great to work with.    Very good customer service!

------------------------

Did you have a schematic to do the repairs on the Blue Dream?

 

Jeff

Jeff Walton

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Mar 23, 2017, 2:26:51 AM3/23/17
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I also have a Blue Dream with IN-18. As you say, it is very nicely proportioned. Also, the colon fade and digit fade are among the nicest out there. It is a beautiful clock with lots of features.

It's a bit of a pain to program and I have to pull out the manual and relearn it every time I want to do something and have to make notes to remember the settings. Eventually it becomes clear. The documentation with example settings helps a lot. While I have not had any issues with the clock itself, I have lost a couple tubes (originally supplied with Blue Dream) where the tube seals failed and tube went dark. I do blame the pin socket arrangement for applying too much stress but it is certainly an elegant design and layout.

In ~2.5 years, I have "refreshed" a couple tubes on the Blue Dream that began to cathode poison, beginning with the "8". My night mode was originally set to dim to 20% and I think that might be too low and hasten poisoning the cathodes if the clock sees any amount of hours, so I increased the dim setting to 40% and have not seen any poisoning for awhile.

I do have a motion sensor outlet that powers the clock fully off after 10 minutes of no motion activity, so I think it will help the overall tube life. The internal battery that holds the time and settings is supposed to be good for ~10 years and this is OK to do per Dieter and the latest manual. It does change the start time that date and cathode poisoning prevention occur. The counters for the display functions start when the power is reapplied. So by cycling the full power, on one cycle, the date may show at the top of the hour and on the next motion cycle, it will be different. On mine, the date will show 55 seconds after power turn on time if you set a 55 sec time, 5 sec date display ratio. If you power on and off as I do, you also need to set the cathode poisoning cycle to occur at a frequency that is shorter than the external motion timer or it will not count up long enough to ever digit cycle if the clock doesn't stay on long enough.

One thing that would be helpful for repair is if anyone has a Blue Dream schematic that we could keep for troubleshooting. The brains of the clock are in the firmware (protects the design) so it would be nice to at least have an electrical schematic in case parts ever fail and need troubleshooting/replacing. The assembly documentation is very nice but contains no schematic except for a breakout of the DIN connector for using an AUX output. I asked Nocrotec for one some time ago but never got a response. I'd love to add a PIR to the clock instead of the motion sensor outlet to keep the display timers alive.

Anyone ever see a schematic of the IN-18 Blue Dream to share? Hopefully, they bring the Blue Dream back because it is really a great looking clock!


Jeff

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From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Alic
Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2017 12:27 AM
To: neonixie-l
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Alic

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Mar 23, 2017, 3:02:55 AM3/23/17
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I know I received a link to schematic for the black'n'wood which I downloaded, but I have to check when I'm home for the one of the blue dream.

Peter H

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Mar 23, 2017, 4:03:31 AM3/23/17
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I have 2 of these clocks, I had some problems with one of it (it was my mistake) and I received a very good support and it's a great nixie clock.

Greg P

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Mar 23, 2017, 10:21:52 AM3/23/17
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I agree with you Nick!  There was quite the heated exchange a couple of months ago between me and Dieter, but the moderators flagged and deleted the thread.  I'd be happy to discuss privately if anyone is interested?




On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 10:30:52 PM UTC-4, Pramanicin wrote:
I'll echo the perceived lack of service too....I've repaired two blue dream clocks for people as no support was offered..

Pete's Spectrum 18 is a great clock for a very good price.

Nick
On Wed, Mar 22, 2017 at 7:22 PM, Gene Segal <wave...@earthlink.net> wrote:
I wonder if the production stopping is in some way related to questionable customer service for the Blue Dream?

Good to know there are other options out there.

March 22, 2017 at 7:06 PM
Buy the PV Electronics Spectrum 18.

http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=157

Great kit, great support, in stock, direct drive, many case options and way more features at a much more attractive price point. 



On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 7:14:57 PM UTC-4, Piano Forte wrote:
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March 22, 2017 at 4:14 PM
RE:IN18 Blue Dream out-of-production until 2019

I reached out to Dieter and Claus, and Claus advised that the IN18 Blue Dream (PCB & Kit) is out of production until 2019 (!) - any background on this development?, its a pity since I was about to order a second BD - I should have ordered a second one last year.when I first had the inclination.............
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Piano Forte

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Mar 25, 2017, 11:25:31 AM3/25/17
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Alic, did you have any luck finding the Blue Dream schematic?

Thanks

Alic

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Mar 25, 2017, 2:11:18 PM3/25/17
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Sorry, I only have the one for the Black'n'Wood, which is similar.
I would have to ask for Dieter's permission to share it anyway, so why not ask him directly if he is willing to share the schematics here?

Also, since the design is direct drive with all discreet components, it isn't that hard to understand just from looking at the board.
Except maybe the power supply.

Dan Hollis

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Aug 8, 2018, 2:34:10 PM8/8/18
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nixie-Tube-Pin-Straightener-for-IN-18-Z5660M-IN-8-GN-4-NL-840-ZM1042-tubes/332737119847

Seems like a really, really risky device to use. In my experience any
flexing of the pins is extreme risk of breaking the seal and destroying
your nixie permanently.

If you need to straighten pins, better to use a pair of needle nose
pliers.

-Dab

Jens Boos

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Aug 9, 2018, 4:20:33 AM8/9/18
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This traightener has been built and designed by Dieter Wächter, and he certainly more than knows what he is doing. Of course it should be used with care.

Best wishes
Jens

> Dan Hollis <parkxz...@anime.net> hat am 8. August 2018 um 20:34 geschrieben: > > > https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nixie-Tube-Pin-Straightener-for-IN-18-Z5660M-IN-8-GN-4-NL-840-ZM1042-tubes/332737119847 > > Seems like a really, really risky device to use. In my experience any > flexing of the pins is extreme risk of breaking the seal and destroying > your nixie permanently. > > If you need to straighten pins, better to use a pair of needle nose > pliers. > > -Dab

MichaelB

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Aug 31, 2018, 6:15:05 PM8/31/18
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BD and NixiChron.jpg

Your response reminded of an interesting photo I took a while back of the running Blue Dream board with tubes and the top section of a Nixichron case placed over the tubes. Spacing of the Blue Dream was identical to the NixChron. Showed this to Jeff. He got quite a chuckle out of it.

Paul Atkin

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Dec 12, 2018, 4:56:14 AM12/12/18
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Pramacin, I just joined the group today because I saw that you had repaired a couple of Blue Dreams.  I have a 2012 IN-18 Blue Dream that has been running perfectly for 6 years but the 170V DC power has failed on the board.  LED's are still working and there is no visual problem.  I am not an electronics whizz and anyway have no schematic.

Would you be interested to attempt a repair on my board?

Paul

On Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 11:30:52 AM UTC+9, Pramanicin wrote:
I'll echo the perceived lack of service too....I've repaired two blue dream clocks for people as no support was offered..

Pete's Spectrum 18 is a great clock for a very good price.

Nick
On Wed, Mar 22, 2017 at 7:22 PM, Gene Segal <wave...@earthlink.net> wrote:
I wonder if the production stopping is in some way related to questionable customer service for the Blue Dream?

Good to know there are other options out there.

March 22, 2017 at 7:06 PM
Buy the PV Electronics Spectrum 18.

http://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=157

Great kit, great support, in stock, direct drive, many case options and way more features at a much more attractive price point. 



On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 7:14:57 PM UTC-4, Piano Forte wrote:
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March 22, 2017 at 4:14 PM
RE:IN18 Blue Dream out-of-production until 2019

I reached out to Dieter and Claus, and Claus advised that the IN18 Blue Dream (PCB & Kit) is out of production until 2019 (!) - any background on this development?, its a pity since I was about to order a second BD - I should have ordered a second one last year.when I first had the inclination.............
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