The early Burroughs tubes, notably the 5031, are not very reliable. The few that I have that do work, have a purely orange glow whereas the later production tubes (like the stellar 5092) have a slight pinkish/purple tint in some regions due to a better gas mixture (probably a Penning mix, or similar), and more-importantly, the addition of mercury to prolong the electrode life. I have several dead or dying 5031's that cant be resurrected with high voltage or current. The only reason I kept them is that someday I will be stubborn (or stupid) enough to attempt regassing them as an experiment.
I suspect the BD-252 is an earlier production version; note the rounded top and the circular anode in the photos are similar to the 5031's construction. Without seeing it illuminated, I wouldn't risk 200 USD unless I was an insatiable collector with money to burn. On Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 10:10:10 AM UTC-7 Jon D. wrote: > Here's a link to a BD-252 listing with somewhat of a description: > > BURROUGHS BD-252 .75 INCH NEON NIXIE TUBE, 0 1 2 A B > > https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/burroughs-bd-252-75-inch-neon-nixie-tube-0-1-2-a > > On Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 10:42:17 AM UTC-6 Mac Doktor wrote: > >> I checked all of the usual places but I can't find any data on this tube: >> >> https://www.ebay.com/itm/296641174665 >> >> >> The seller added three more photos after I contacted him. It looks >> symbolic but I can't quite make the cathodes out. >> >> >> Terry Bowman, KA4HJH >> "The Mac Doctor" >> >> https://www.astarcloseup.com >> >> "If only you could see what I've seen with your eyes."—Roy Batty, *Blade >> Runner* >> >> -- 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/a7c087e8-1291-4b71-9347-ab39449057dfn%40googlegroups.com.
