Author Topic: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment  (Read 120334 times)

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Offline snik

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #25 on: October 28, 2015, 02:43:03 am »
Here is my Nixie Tube equipment. An Heathkit IM-1202 Multimeter and two Frequency counter : Monsanto 100B & Philips PM 6607   :)
« Last Edit: October 28, 2015, 02:46:08 am by snik »
 

Offline RJFreeman

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #26 on: October 28, 2015, 05:36:52 am »

Never seen or heard of this beastie, interesting look. I like the number of tubes they managed to stuff in there  :).


it certainly is an interesting beasty - the modules at the top are removable and (apparently) generic counter modules model AC-4 decade counters. the HP521D (the one I have) uses the AC-4K which takes up to 120 Khz.

The valves are twin triodes with each one making up a flip-flop (or 'Binary") so the 4 flip-flops make up the counter - although it doesn't quite put out regular BCD (not sure what this counter is called).
the counter modules have a stair case output to let you make recordings on a chart recorder and decode to one of ten for the Nixie Tubes  is done by an array of Neon lamps and photo resistors.
For those who are interested, the manual for the AC-4 counters can be found here:
http://www.nixiebunny.com/hpac4/index.html

 

Offline edpalmer42

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #27 on: October 29, 2015, 08:22:52 pm »
My only piece of Nixie equipment is a Fluke 8375A DMM.  5.5 digit, one year accuracy of .01%, input impedance up to 10 Gohm, gold-plated traces on critical boards.  I was surprised to see a flexible circuit board in a Nixie-equipped unit.  I didn't realize that flexible circuits were used that far back.  Date codes suggest that some boards have been swapped.  They vary from '72 to '84.

Ed
 

Offline tautech

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #28 on: October 29, 2015, 08:38:14 pm »
I was surprised to see a flexible circuit board in a Nixie-equipped unit.  I didn't realize that flexible circuits were used that far back.
Ed
You shouldn't really be, flexi boards were common in auto dashboards even in the 70's.
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Offline LaurenceW

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #29 on: October 30, 2015, 10:47:06 pm »
Well there was this fella. It's big. And it tells the time. So I called it The BigTime.
Radio synch, IR remote, chimes, ambient temperature and relay output. And it was BIG.
If you don't measure, you don't get.
 

Offline LaurenceW

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #30 on: October 30, 2015, 10:50:07 pm »
Oh, and this one. I was going to call it "one sixth of a BigTime", but it ended up with the slightly snappier "CYCLOX" miker, instead. Serial Man-Machine Interface!
If you don't measure, you don't get.
 

Offline bitseeker

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #31 on: October 31, 2015, 01:45:55 am »
Those are very cool, Lawrence. What do the neon bulbs on the far left and right of BigTime indicate?
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Offline LaurenceW

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #32 on: November 01, 2015, 11:43:13 pm »
Far left Neon is for AM/PM indicator (over here in Europe we prefer 24 hours a day rather than two lots of 12 (!), so it's superfluous)

Far right neon indicates alarm is on/off or in snooze.

Middle two neons just mark the seconds, really, but for added cool are PWM'd to fade dim/bright/dim... ;D
« Last Edit: November 01, 2015, 11:44:53 pm by LaurenceW »
If you don't measure, you don't get.
 

Offline bitseeker

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #33 on: November 02, 2015, 06:04:33 pm »
Breathing neon. Cool!

On my own stuff, I use 24-hour time and yyyy-mm-dd date formats. They make more sense. The rest of the house, though, is US standard. ;)
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline dr.diesel

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #34 on: November 05, 2015, 01:17:48 pm »
Here is one that's been sitting on the shelf for a couple years patiently awaiting a restoration.

Systron Donner Model 6152 counter from 1971.


Offline dr.diesel

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #35 on: November 05, 2015, 06:00:19 pm »
BK Model 281, currently employed as a DC battery bank monitor.  Sorry for the crappy exposure, pretty dark in here, it's reading 13.3v.

Offline AF6LJ

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #36 on: November 05, 2015, 06:07:59 pm »


Sue AF6LJ
 

Online Martin.M

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #37 on: November 18, 2015, 04:44:35 pm »
very nice equipments here.  Where are the custom nixies?  :)

Grundig Counter UZ144 , the custom nixie can display  ms, s, Hz and kHz. This unit is an OEM, made by Rohde&Schwarz




Hartman & Braun DC Voltmeter T2001 with VFD Tubes from Tung Sol they are well shieldet behind a metal mesh :)






greetings
Martin
« Last Edit: November 18, 2015, 05:08:35 pm by Martin.M »
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #38 on: November 18, 2015, 09:26:47 pm »
Very nice, Martin!

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline bitseeker

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #39 on: November 19, 2015, 04:38:37 am »
Martin, I really like the units tube on the Grundig Counter. Very cool.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline med6753

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #40 on: November 19, 2015, 01:37:54 pm »
Bell and Howell (Heathkit) DVM. The '1' digit is actually a neon bulb.

« Last Edit: July 20, 2017, 01:41:17 am by med6753 »
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Offline krivx

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #41 on: November 19, 2015, 02:11:08 pm »
Here is one that's been sitting on the shelf for a couple years patiently awaiting a restoration.

Systron Donner Model 6152 counter from 1971.

Do you have a manual? I've had one for a while that also needs going over...
 

Offline dr.diesel

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #42 on: November 19, 2015, 02:12:21 pm »
Here is one that's been sitting on the shelf for a couple years patiently awaiting a restoration.

Systron Donner Model 6152 counter from 1971.

Do you have a manual? I've had one for a while that also needs going over...

Nope, no manuals, appears they are not readily available either. 

Offline krivx

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #43 on: November 19, 2015, 02:19:47 pm »
Here is one that's been sitting on the shelf for a couple years patiently awaiting a restoration.

Systron Donner Model 6152 counter from 1971.

Do you have a manual? I've had one for a while that also needs going over...

Nope, no manuals, appears they are not readily available either.

Yeah, just unanswered requests online. Shame...
 

Online Martin.M

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #44 on: November 19, 2015, 04:15:52 pm »
we can do the same, I will start restoring this 6053  :)

 

Offline fossi

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #45 on: November 28, 2015, 11:09:08 am »
some of my stuff.
A frequency-counter from HEB
and
a flexibel instrument Symetra D from METRAWATT with plugin E12 for temperature measuring with different types of heat probes. There exists another plugin which works as multimeter.
Interesting is the additional analog instrument underneath the nixies.
 
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Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #46 on: December 29, 2015, 09:24:32 am »
A recent acquisition - a little 3-1/2 digit nixie meter.  It's a United Systems Corp. 262A, made in early 1971 based on the date codes on the parts inside it.  The case is a bit rough (it seems to be covered by something that feels slightly rubberized, and it's not fared well over the 45 years since it was made - it's rather scuffed and battered).  It needs a good cleaning, but seems to work based on a quick checkout.


It's mostly discrete construction, with a few 14 pin DIPS - some Motorola ones that appear to be simple logic chips based on what I've been able to find (don't have Motorola data books of that vintage), and some that might be Fairchild, that based on their number and location seem to have something to do with driving the nixies.


A cool piece of equipment for $10.

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline SeanB

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #47 on: December 29, 2015, 09:46:38 am »
Looks like all the transistors are Motorola there, that shape and the dimple on top are very common on parts from them. The drivers are Fairchild.
 

Offline cncjerry

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #48 on: January 07, 2016, 04:04:40 pm »
Not wild about the picture, but the meter works.  I love old Keithley equipment.

I've not had a lot of luck posting pictures, let's see if it works this time.

 

Offline VK5RC

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Re: Lets see your Nixie Tube equipment
« Reply #49 on: January 09, 2016, 12:35:18 am »
New 'toy' (Chistmas Present) ;D
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 


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