I have clocks with both tubes (5092 and 6091). The 6091 should be operated at higher current (3mA vs 2.2mA), and has a larger diameter than the 5092, but is otherwise electrically equivalent. I do my own designs, so I dont know if kits exist.
While the 6091's are bigger, I dont think they are as robust as the 5092's. My own experience with 5092's is that with 3 clocks * 6 tubes running 24/7 for the past 7 years, none have failed or even degraded. The 5092's are excellent tubes. My big clock has 15 of the 6091 tubes, and so far 3 have failed after about 6 years running 24/7. Though I must admit the 6091's are being treated more harshly because they display a single digit whereas the 5092's are cycled. I'm not convinced running a static number on a tube cuts it's lifetime to 1/10 of what it would otherwise be, because cathode sputtering is not the only wearout mechanism. Another clock, which is in the garage, serves as a test-fixture and a final resting place for near-dead tubes (5031's, and one 6091). I put the worst of my still-somewhat-usable-tubes in that clock to save the others as spares. I hope to find out how nixies actually die, but it sure is taking a long time......... -- 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/5bdced99-69e5-442e-8600-2e62818ab880%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
