I have clocks with 6091 and 5092 tubes, and my limited data shows the 5092 are probably longer-life than the 6091. Other end-view tubes, such as the 5031 which pre-dates the 5092, have a shorter lifetime.
5092: I have 4 clocks, each with 6 tubes, and have had zero failures since these went into usage 2-3 years ago 6091: My big-clock uses 15 of these, and one of them developed an internal short after 1 year (multiple cathodes on at same time). Beware, though, this particular clock displays the same digit continuously, which will reduce the lifetime of the tube. I'm experimenting with rotating the tubes periodically to see if it extends the lifetime. They are larger, harder to find, and obviously more expensive than 5092's. But if you can get enough for a clock, plus a few spares, go for it. I've bought several 5092 & 5031 tubes, and so far I've never encountered a bad 5092. I have several 5031 that will partially illuminate some cathodes, and I have not been able to zap them into usefulness with extra current. Lastly, stay away from IN-1 tubes. They are junk. Period. I got several failures per-week when I tried using them o=in my big clock. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/ff47b4d7-e148-4088-a009-c3f0d8cbf001%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
