I have never had a failure with a working B-7971 tube. They are, if working, rock solid. Unless you start with a messed up tube I would say they are some of the most stable neon tubes ever made. Big, bad@55, rock solid tubes. I'm sure cutting off pins or a rare overlapped cathode might be an issue. I'd say if you had an overlapped cathode issue then definitely try the taped broomstick method and try to knock it loose because these tubes run and run and run as long as they don't have physical defects inside. Ironically they are some is the best tubes ever made as far as I'm concerned. They are bright and just work great. Yeah... they're expensive these days but dang they're awesome!!! I'm sure Michail and Michael will both concur... B-7971 tubes are some of the most awesome Nixie tubes ever made period. They're really priceless now because no one makes them anymore. Even the new age Nixie tube manufacturers aren't even trying alphanumerics. These are it... and they're awesome! Still running strong... Big... Beautiful!
Bill On Sat, Oct 12, 2019, 10:51 AM Michail Wilson <[email protected]> wrote: > Robert, you > > > > I have come across a lot of tubes with this issue (not the cut off leg). > > Although I have broken more than my share of tubes by dropping them, I > have never broke a tube with a short. > > > > I have over the years been able to smack the short out of them. I believe > you will find it is easier than you think it might be. Of course you will > see dollar signs flash in front of you each time you smack it. > > > > Trying to look closely at your short, my suggestion would be to put the > tube in a socket and smack the tube in a downward fashion on a table. The > socket being used to protect the pins and the nipple. Also try smacking > the face of the tube into your hand. > > > > Michail Wilson > > 206-920-6312 > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On > Behalf Of *Robert G. Schaffrath > *Sent:* Saturday, October 12, 2019 10:17 AM > *To:* neonixie-l > *Subject:* Re: [neonixie-l] Re: I'm Back: ZM1022 and B-7971 > > > > It took some digging around to find it, but I did locate the Ultronics > B-7971 with the shorted segments. This is a closeup picture of the short: > > > > [image: B-7971 Shorted.jpg] > > > > Then for some reason around 30 years ago, I decided to cut the #17 pin off > which is connected to the #13 slanted segment that is shorted. Not sure why > I did that or what I was thinking back then. If I can resurrect the tube, > it would not be that big a problem to attach an extension to the remaining > stub and make #13 usable again: > > > > [image: B-7971 Cut Pin.jpg] > > > > Finally, my 40 year old 6 tube clock in operation. I had not powered it up > in a while. Still works! Mind boggling to think the tubes in this clock > could be worth close to USD$900 now (It is covered in plastic due to the > dust issues. I got tired of cleaning off the tubes when I wasn't even using > it): > > > > [image: B7971 Clock.jpg] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Wednesday, October 9, 2019 at 11:29:18 AM UTC-4, Robert G. Schaffrath > wrote: > > That link is not working but a search of the forum turned this thread up: > > > > > https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/neonixie-l/shorted$20segment|sort:date/neonixie-l/w4YmXnY9dgE/8o-AsZZyBQAJ > > > > I assume that is the thread you were referring to. I'll have to give it a > try. If the tube breaks then so be it. About all it is good for is making > either an "A" (8 with bottom off) or "P" for an AM/PM indicator. 20+ years > ago or so I stupidly cut off the pin for the #13 segment because it was > shorted but it could be repaired and used again. Especially considering the > value of the tubes it would be a minor inconvenience. > > > > I'll have to dig the tube out this weekend and give the repair process a > shot. > > On Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 10:47:08 AM UTC-4, Jeff Walton wrote: > > Check out this thread for repairing the shorted segments: > https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!searchin/neonixie-l/Shorted$20segment$20b7971/neonixie-l/w4YmXnY9dgE > > > > > > > > *Jeff * > > > > -------- Original message -------- > > From: "Robert G. Schaffrath" <[email protected]> > > Date: 10/8/19 8:47 AM (GMT-06:00) > > To: neonixie-l <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] Re: I'm Back: ZM1022 and B-7971 > > > > With me it is the only B-7971 tube I have like that. It came from the > first Ultronics board I ever purchased in the late 1970's. It came from > Poly Paks IIRC. It was actually a bad deal for me. Apparently the board had > been serviced which explains the genuine Burroughs tube that was on the > board. The other tube is Ultronics (which I still have) and is defective. > The #4 and #13 segments touch each other causing both to light when either > is energized. The circuit board had jumpers soldered onto it and > handwritten in fine tipped magic marker it said "modified for dummy 0". My > parents joked at my expense that it was modified for the dummy (me). Why > the Ultronic service center did not replace the defective tube rather than > go through the effort of modifying the board escapes me. Especially since > they replaced what I assume had been an Ultronic tube in the other socket. > I could have had two Burroughs tubes with posts. > > > > When I decided I wanted to get three more boards, I bought them from > Meshna due to my bad experience with the other vendor. After I had those > boards, I decided to splurge on the 6 NOS B-7971's. I still have one > Ultronics board left that has the sockets still installed but no tubes. I > used the other three for sockets and HV transistors to build my MM5311 > clock. > > On Monday, October 7, 2019 at 7:48:07 PM UTC-4, Bill Notfaded wrote: > > They made less of the antenna variety from what I've seen. Most of mine > don't have them. > > Bill > > I also have I believe a 1.06 version of that clock that runs off the > mains. Mines running z566m red tubes. > > Bill > > -- > 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 view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/b92d4c7c-8299-4557-a833-f14623d4873e%40googlegroups.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/b92d4c7c-8299-4557-a833-f14623d4873e%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > 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 view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/336ab4e7-7ca5-438b-baa6-f1a9debb286d%40googlegroups.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/336ab4e7-7ca5-438b-baa6-f1a9debb286d%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the > Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. > To unsubscribe from this topic, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/topic/neonixie-l/ex82_nut9bw/unsubscribe. > To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to > [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/004f01d58125%24a5a71020%24f0f53060%24%40com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/004f01d58125%24a5a71020%24f0f53060%24%40com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- 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 view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/CADToqn0gpz5MehPeo5R0m1DBAT5JKaL11hpTOeW1Lwseh5dMAg%40mail.gmail.com.
