Anyone have experience with Nixie tubes?

Electronics
#1

Just out of curiosity, has anyone here ever worked with nixie tubes/vacuum tubes. Where would to be the best way to source them for the cost and verify they work. I am aware most are probably old and have to be bought from places in eastern Europe, just thought I’d try buying like 4 or 6 for use in a counter or clock device with a radio I was thinking of practicing with for a circuitry project.

Edit: Thanks all for advice and tips. Will definitely take it into consideration and do my homework on it before I commit.

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#2

Driving the Nixie Tubes is going to be a bit of a challenge if you’re interfacing with anything modern due to the voltages involved. EEVblog has a pretty good video series on designing a Nixie Tube system.

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#3

eBay is a great source for odd tubes and display stuff. Nixies typically need 70-90 volts DC. If you want to work with something easier to interface look up Numitrons. The segments are incandescent filaments run at 6-12 v.

Edit: http://www.decodesystems.com/numitron.html

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#4

The “testing” is a bit easier than actually driving them. I’d recommend getting a CC/CV power supply, setting the current limited to a low value (5mA-10mA) or whatever the max rated for the tube is, and then setting the voltage (50V-60V should be a good starting point).

After that determine how the tube is structured, hook the correct polarity up to the common, and then touch other side of the supply to each segment (or number).

#5

Someone at the Robot Builders Night Out last week had a working six Nixie project they had built. Drop in tonight. If he’s not there I’m sure you could get his name.

#6

Some useful links:
https://ad7zj.net/kd7lmo/ground_nixie_clock_hardware.html


http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/nixie.html
http://www.cathodecorner.com/index.html

New Tubes https://www.daliborfarny.com/

ENJOY!

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#7

Cool, but retro sure ain’t cheap!

#8

Nope. Think of it as a small batch of Kraft beer, or some other small batch run.

Best way to approach a nixie project is

  1. determine style/type of nixie you want to use
  2. determine cost/availability
  3. research the part number. design manuals, app notes, and full project build notes are out there.
  4. what hv and max current are needed.
  5. kits are out there, too.

Supertex (now part of Microchip) has some interesting parts that take care of interfacing your basic wimpy lv embedded thingy to the world of hv.
This part, HV5522, is mentioned in one of the links. Serial data in and 32 chnls capable of up to 230 vdc each. All in a smd pkg. Just special…


Get the 44-Lead PLCC Package and drop it in a socket.

For the folks out there that like the display style but don’t want deal w/ the hv, there’s this:

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#9

Try Fair Radio Sales in Lima, Ohio. Fair Radio Nixie Tubes They have the best prices for unused Nixie Tubes, as low as $8 apiece for the National Electric NL-809. They also have several other nixie tubes as well. Send them an email of what you want before you order. Suggest you ask them if they have a complete Nixie tube assembly that came out of a piece of test equipment. That way you may get a complete housing, circuit board, with 6 to 8 nixie tubes and sockets all in one.

It’s a shame as I was in their store just a few weeks ago getting some spare parts for my old military TV-7 tube tester. I spent half a day there and got some great bargains. Fair Radio has been around since 1947 and is one of the largest military electronic surplus stores still in existence. They have a lot more than what is on their website. They have 4 huge warehouses, packed to the ceiling, and the public is allowed to search and dig to their hearts content. This is why I suggested that you first email them with your request first. Give them a day or two to respond. Great folks to deal with.

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#10

I have 4 of these if anyone is interested:

image
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Came from building this kit:

Broke the original tube and ordered 5 of them from Russia to fix it. Cost a whopping $15 for all 5, I think I have 4 left. Free to takers or I’ll see if the electronics committee would like them.

#11

those shapes look like LED number displays or is it a filament. I’d be willing to meet to pick it up. Got the specs for it?

#12

they are VFDs

#13

Yes, they are VFD, which I think are same/similar to the Nixie tubes. This is a seven segment. I can drop at DMS later this evening.

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#14

Can nixie tubes be battery powered? I have a steampunk armor piece that I’d love to add a nixie tube to showing a number, but it would need to be battery powered. Is that a thing? or no?

#15

you can power them but it takes a fair amount of juice. They run at 70-90v DC so you will need a tiny buck/boost power supply.

#16

Can a general hobbyist with rudimentary understanding of circuits go out it and build it all together from resources online or will I need a bit more understanding and reading with the voltages involved. Sorry mostly done light circuits on breadboards and a bit of robotics work.

#17

The tubes I have are not simple… I would not have figured it out without a pre-assembled kit and good instructions. They posted the plans here:

#18

I just built 3 different clock kits, 2 were Nixie tubes and 1 was VFD. The kits are great because you get all the parts and instructions and you just solder it all together. They’re based on open-source plans that are floating around somewhere if you want to do it all yourself.

I’d recommend buying and building a kit first, then try to roll your own next. The nixie tubes need 170volts so as long as your power supply can boost up to that, you’re good! Don’t let those wires touch you though.

Here are the 2 Nixie kits I built - let me know if you want to see them sometime.
https://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39&products_id=233
https://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=140

nixieclock
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#19

If you could drop one or all in “Malcolm Galland”'s box in the break room, I would be greatful.

#20

One of the appeals of nixies is that they aren’t 7 segment. Each numeral is its own wire frame, so it is retro tech with well shaped numbers.