Russian IN-17 Nixies

[Leroy Jones]

These are very tiny top view wire ended nixies.

Lit one up for the first time last night.   Very pleased to see that this

tube has a real 2 and a real 5!

Looks bright and clear.  Runs at around 1.2 mA at 170 volts using 30k anode resistor.

I'd like to hear everyone's opinion and experience with the IN-17 tube.

Any ideas or comments?     Thanks.   -Chuck

[newxito]

Some time ago, I built a series of calculators with different nixie types. The version with the IN-17 tubes is definitively my favorite. I'm not a big fan of LED backlighting, but it looks great with the IN-17s. The calculator has been running 24/7 on my desk since April 2023 (mainly in clock mode with PIR) and none of the 14 tubes have failed so far.

[Richard Scales]

I have a few clocks using them including my own 6 tube variant, they look just fine.
I've just made an IN-2 version of the same clock, they are not quite so clear IMHO.

 - Richard

[Nicholas Stock]

IN2 are the worst. I hope you have spares Richard as the failure rate is pretty high... no Hg.

Nick

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 15, 2024, at 19:53, Richard Scales <ric...@scalesweb.co.uk> wrote:

I have a few clocks using them including my own 6 tube variant, they look just fine.

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[gregebert]

My vote for worst-nixie is the IN-1...but they do redeem themselves for a few seconds when you plop them into a microwave oven:

IN-1 Nixies in Microwave Oven

[Michail Wilson]

Wow.  Never thought they would have lasted as long as they did

It begs the question, do they taste like burnt marshmallows?

Sent from Space

On Dec 16, 2024, at 12:43 AM, gregebert <greg...@hotmail.com> wrote:

My vote for worst-nixie is the IN-1...but they do redeem themselves for a few seconds when you plop them into a microwave oven:

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[Jeff Walton]

Richard Scales has a nice IN-17 kit...   Have this running for more than a year. 

https://nixology.uk/contact/#page-content 

Jeff 

[Richard Scales]

Nick, I have 1000+ so should be good!
I was thinking of giving 12 away with a kit!

 - Richard

[Nicholas Stock]

I have a similar amount, but not quite that many. I find they last about 4 to 5 months then fail (probably through a short between cathodes). I got fed up changing them in one of Mr Nixie's clocks so it just sits there blank...It's a shame because they're quite 'cute' little tubes, but the IN17's last for years... I've only ever had one fail to date.

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[gregebert]

> It begs the question, do they taste like burnt marshmallows?

Well, sizzling IN-1's definitely smell bad. The bakelite base decomposes into a rather nasty mess of cyanide gas and dioxins so this isn't something you do in the kitchen. The next time I need to satisfy my appetite for destruction I'll stay with all-glass tubes.

[padler...@gmail.com]

Yep, I have similar experience with the IN-2s. I got maybe 6 months out of them as seconds digits on a clock before they quit. And agree it is a shame because they are kinda cute. 

Randy

On Dec 16, 2024, at 10:05 AM, Nicholas Stock <nick...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Peter Hall]

I luv me in17s.... especially the socket type.

From🚨Peter Hall😁 insidiousnixies🦘Utube

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[Richard Scales]

For these usage figures - is that 6 months of continuous operation or 6 months of being on for a fixed number of hours a day or 6 months with the clock being activated by a PIR/Motion sensor?

- Richard

[Nicholas Stock]

Mine are timed on and off at set hours, so you can half the actual on time to about 3 months... 

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 16, 2024, at 21:02, Richard Scales <ric...@scalesweb.co.uk> wrote:

For these usage figures - is that 6 months of continuous operation or 6 months of being on for a fixed number of hours a day or 6 months with the clock being activated by a PIR/Motion sensor?

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/5e19ecf2-35d1-43a8-bf84-63b2eddd295en%40googlegroups.com.

[padler...@gmail.com]

Mine were on continuously. First sign of failure was when one or more of the digits stopped lighting up. 

On Dec 17, 2024, at 12:31 AM, Nicholas Stock <nick...@gmail.com> wrote:

Mine are timed on and off at set hours, so you can half the actual on time to about 3 months... 

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/91231B23-BF8D-49AA-BFD4-C17ED34BAF1E%40gmail.com.

[Richard Scales]

This is how the IN-2 device turned out - all the regular bells and whistles on IN-2 tubes. Plug a motion detector (jack at the rear) and tube life could be extended somewhat!

This platform (with a little modification) might better serve IN-8 tubes or indeed IN-8-2 though there are plenty of boards out there already for those.

 - Richard

[Keith Moore]

IN-17's are my favorite Russian nixie.  They have the cleanest, prettiest glow of any of the smaller nixies, in my opinion.   I am partial to small nixies, and these are my fave. 

[Richard Scales]

I would tend to agree - having made this super small clock for IN-17 and now IN-2 - put the two side by side and there is no doubt as to which one is the winner. The only 'issue' with the IN-17 variant is that the tubes have to be soldered in to position.

I've been giving away a set of N.O.S. IN-17 with each IN-17 kit as I have a few on hand!

 - Richard

[Leroy Jones]

Well Richard, I have completely resolved the issue with wire-ended tubes.   My final solution to this issue

is to leave the wires full length.   Do not cut them!    Slip a piece of small teflon tubing over each wire.

Then bend out the bottom end and solder to a dual inline (DIP) header.    That way, the tube with the attached header

can be plugged directly into a suitable DIP socket.    On the prototype IN-17 soldering experiment, these insulators were cut

to exactly 1.03 inches in length.   Then a tiny soldering heatsink is clipped onto the tube lead wire right at the bottom of the plastic

standoff that comes with the tube.    The 1.03 inch length of teflon insulation tubing then leaves just enough lead sticking out the

bottom end to be soldered to the header pin forks.   The uninsulated gap where the heatsink was, is small enough not to be any problem.

For the first one I used a 12-pin header.  Made this by cutting off a 14-pin header.

That then allows the tube's lead wires to be soldered down and kept from crossing.    One header pin gets skipped on the pins 7 through 12 side

so that the same geometry is kept as is on the tube base.     This works out very well.    Did a similar treatment on the Chinese QS18 tubes.

Did same thing long years ago with a large batch of B-5750 and B-5853 tubes.     Those tubes had very short pins from being salvaged from old equipment

so for those I wirewrapped on some longer lead wires then soldered those to the header.    By doing this these wire-ended tubes can be easily

converted into tubes with good solid socket pins.   -Chuck

[Jeff Walton]

A picture is worth 1,000 words…

 

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com <neoni...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Leroy Jones
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2024 2:27 AM
To: neonixie-l <neoni...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [neonixie-l] Re: Russian IN-17 Nixies

 

Well Richard, I have completely resolved the issue with wire-ended tubes.   My final solution to this issue

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[Leroy Jones]

https://youtu.be/1b0WYOfxxpY

a picture is worth 1000 words.

[Leroy Jones]

https://youtu.be/1b0WYOfxxpY

On Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 9:24:32 AM UTC-5 Jeff Walton wrote:

[newxito]

A blurry video with some IN-17s in action… in keeping with the season, I've added a few "very colorful" lighting modes to the firmware :-)

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

[Richard Scales]

Love it.
I cant recall where you are in the development cycle of that wonderful device but .........
... did you ever publish your design or make boards/kits available?

- RIchard