On 6/8/11 10:28 AM, Robert Sexton wrote:
Hi Everybody,
I'm just about ready to proto up my nixie hardware, and I'm planning
ahead for the PCBs.
I'm wondering what the best option is for getting from the PCB to the
tube. Using vintage sockets doesn't look so hot (the mechanicals suck),
and I don't want to endanger my tubes by soldering to the pins. Other
discussions I've seen here implied that you have to avoid mechanical
stresses as well.
What's worked for other people?
- Robert
Robert,
You didn't mention what type of tube you're using.
The best socket for any tube with stiff pins is the original socket made
in days of yore. The contacts in these sockets are floating to
accommodate the pins' position variability without applying stress to
the glass-to-metal seals.
I once made a clock that used the original point-to-point-wiring sockets
in a PC board, by cutting off all the wiring rings at a 45 degree angle
so that only one side of the ring went through the board. This allowed
me to use smaller holes in the board, making layout and assembly easier.
The smaller individual socket pins may be installed in the board, but
choose one that's big enough to avoid putting stress on the pins. That
is, choose a socket pin sized so that the tube pin is near the small end
of the socket's rated diameter range.
You'd be sad if your tubes broke due to insertion stress.
--
David Forbes, Tucson AZ
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