I have used many old 74141, 7441, and 72142 ics from various manufacturers. Every so often (as in once in a great while) I have run into a few that fail on one or more digits.
However, once they are in circuit and being used properly, they are very robust and long-lived. I just built a small clock 2 years ago and used an old set of Fairchild 7441s that have 1967 date codes on them. They work fine. If you really scour around, you can still find stashes of "real" 74141s and 7441s for about a buck each. But you've got to really hunt for them. 74142 is just about unobtainium now. Chuck > > >---- Original Message ---- >From: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] How often does a 74141 go bad, or arrive >dead? >Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:59:53 -0700 > >>I've never used a "Real" 74141, although I notice that mouser still >stocks >>them for about $7 each. I've been using the standard $1/each plastic >die >>K115D1 russian equivalents for my entire nixie clock 'career' and >only had >>one problem. One of them stopped working after about a day of use.. >I seem >>to recall that one of the cathodes stuck "on".. I replaced it and >that was >>that. So, I have no basis for comparison to real 74141's, but I've >had good >>luck with the russian ones. You can even get supposedly milspec >ceramic die >>versions, but they don't fit nicely in sockets, so although I have >some, >>I've never actually used them. >> >>-Adam >> >>On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 6:26 PM, Charles MacDonald ><[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> On 11-07-22 09:08 PM, Mimewar wrote: >>> >>>> I'm up to three tubes, (coding takes longer than wiring) funny >thing >>>> is, the first 74141 (Fairchild I assume by the capitol "F") >wouldn't >>>> display "5" or "6", >>>> >>> >>> How old are the chips? They date code is generaly YYWW like 7813 >>> (thrieteenth week of 1978) >>> >>> You likly are using chips that have been in a drawer for 30 years. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Charles MacDonald Stittsville Ontario >>> [email protected] Just Beyond the Fringe >>> >http://www.TelecomOttawa.net/~**cmacd/<http://www.TelecomOttawa.net/% >7Ecmacd/> >>> No Microsoft Products were used in sending this e-mail. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >Groups >>> "neonixie-l" group. >>> To post to this group, send an email to >[email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >neonixie-l+unsubscribe@** >>> googlegroups.com <neonixie-l%[email protected]>. >>> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/** >>> >group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB<http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?h >l=en-GB> >>> . >>> >>> >> >>-- >>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >Groups "neonixie-l" group. >>To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. >>To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >[email protected]. >>For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group >/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB. >> >> $4.95/mo. National Dialup, Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus, 5mb personal web space. 5x faster dialup for only $9.95/mo. No contracts, No fees, No Kidding! See http://www.All2Easy.net for more details! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
