Tom, I'm happy you like the kit! I have since modified the firmware and added an alarm.. https://youtu.be/FIKUV4JOYl0
Add a piezo or a speaker and it beeps and boops like an old video game, brings back old memories for me. You can input customs tunes via RTTTL, the old text based music/note/ringtone format developed by Nokia. Firmware 0.92v B2 is the version you need.. check https://www.neonixie.com/IV-9-6D-RR/ ChatGPT.. I don't know, I have enough troubles in life without talking to machines. Life is soup, I am fork. Regards, -Moses On Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 4:39:53 PM UTC-8 OrangeGlow wrote: > This isn’t completely nixie related but of all people the folks on this > list will most likely understand and appreciate what I have to say. It is > about a recent exchange I had with ChatGPT3. [TL;DR: about history of > technology] > > I’ve spent the last couple of years working on a couple of alarm clocks. > One was going to use IV-9's but then Moses came up with his very nice IV-9 > kit. I built it even though it had no alarm. > > The other alarm clock I wanted to design was based on the thought that the > way technology developed there is no such thing as a consumer > transistorized alarm clock. (So, that’s the first point: if I’m wrong > about this please stop me now!) It takes too many parts to make one. The > synchronous motor was well established and made into many inexpensive > clocks. The only change to clocks in the time period I have focused on was > a modernization of synchronous motor clocks to use flip numbers instead of > a dial. The economics of making a transistorized alarm clock as a consumer > product were so bad it was barely given a thought. > > And yet the following is an exchange I had with ChatGPT3 while researching > alarm clocks: > > Me: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated > circuits)? If not why not? > > ChatGPT: Yes, transistorized alarm clocks without integrated circuits have > existed. Transistor technology predates integrated circuits, and many > electronic devices, including alarm clocks, transitioned from vacuum tubes > to transistors before the widespread adoption of integrated circuits. > > Transistors were developed in the late 1940s, and by the 1950s, they began > replacing vacuum tubes in various electronic applications due to their > smaller size, lower power consumption, and increased reliability. > Transistors were used in alarm clocks to replace the bulky and power-hungry > vacuum tubes, making the clocks more compact and energy-efficient. > > The transition from transistors to integrated circuits happened later, in > the 1960s and 1970s. Integrated circuits provided a further reduction in > size and power consumption and allowed for more complex functionality > within a single chip. However, during the era of transistorized alarm > clocks, integrated circuits were not yet as prevalent or cost-effective as > they later became. > > In summary, transistorized alarm clocks were common before the widespread > adoption of integrated circuits, as transistors offered advantages over > vacuum tubes. The progression from transistors to integrated circuits > occurred as technology advanced, enabling more features and miniaturization > in electronic devices. > > Me: Name one commercial transistorized alarm clock? > > ChatGPT: One example of a commercial transistorized alarm clock is the > "Bulova Transistor Radio Alarm Clock" from the 1960s. Bulova, a well-known > watch and clock manufacturer, produced this clock as part of their line of > transistorized clocks during the transition from vacuum tubes to > transistors. The use of transistors in such clocks during that era was a > notable advancement in terms of size, power efficiency, and reliability > compared to earlier technologies. > > Me: Was there a consumer vacuum tube clock ? > > ChatGPT: Yes, consumer vacuum tube clocks were indeed produced, especially > in the mid-20th century. Before the widespread adoption of transistors and > later integrated circuits, vacuum tubes were a common component in > electronic devices, including clocks. These clocks often had the warm glow > associated with vacuum tubes and were a part of the technology prevalent > during that era. > > One example is the Telechron Model 8B03, which was a vacuum tube clock > manufactured in the 1950s. Telechron, a well-known clock company, produced > various models that incorporated vacuum tubes for timekeeping. These clocks > were a representation of the technology available at the time, and they are > now considered collector's items due to their vintage nature. > > While vacuum tubes were widely used in electronic devices, including > radios and televisions, their use in clocks diminished with the advent of > transistor technology, which offered advantages such as smaller size, lower > power consumption, and improved reliability. > > > ++++++++++++++++ > > Perhaps this is a problem with definitions, “Bulovas...line of > transistorized clocks ” notwithstanding. But this looks very much like a > series of logically erroneous inferences when it says “the Telechron 8B03 > employed vacuum tubes.” It did not. But the cabinet looks like a ‘30's > tube radio. Therefore it must have used tubes! Every electronic product > progressed sequentially through vacuum tubes to transistors to integrated > circuits. > > The only vacuum tube clock I’ve ever seen was made by David Forbes from HP > counter modules. Yes, there are wonderful trigger clocks too; please see > Graham Marsh. > > There have been a couple of kits for transistorized clocks, therefore they > are commercial, but I’m still not aware of any alarm clocks. > > Previous to this ChatGPT exchange I had useful experiences with ChatGPT > but this has undermined all confidence it. > > I’d really appreciate any comments you have about ChatGPT’s responses as > well as any additional historical facts you might have, especially if I’ve > got anything wrong. > > Also, I have to say, the Bulova transistor radio alarm clock is pretty > sweet. I’ve wanted one for thirty years. > > My transistor alarm clock uses 6 NL-5441A’s, so this email is about nixies. > > Thanks, > Tom > -- 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 neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/0a463d18-61ca-41b5-b9a9-8122a174cc9bn%40googlegroups.com.
