I do. Still 5 or so in stock. Thanks Nick

On Monday, September 23, 2024 at 8:26:10 AM UTC-7 Nicholas Stock wrote:

> There's always the MOD_6 in case you're not familiar with it... I believe 
> Michael may have some left?
>
> http://badnixie.com/Badnixie.com_Welcome.html
>
> @Michael Barile ?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Nick
>
> On Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 8:05 AM Chachi88 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Richard,
>>
>> Thanks I will PM
>>
>> gregebert,
>>
>> Funny you should mention the B7971, in this lot with the NL8091s I also 
>> received an armload of these tubes (they actually have the same socket), 
>> funnily enough...  You wouldn't happen to have a FLW clock design using 
>> your circuitry available? That will be next on my hit-list and I will need 
>> kits to make 3 clocks (one will be a gift to the person who gave me all 
>> these tubes).
>>
>> Thanks so much for your help, folks.
>> On Thursday, September 19, 2024 at 2:32:49 AM UTC-4 Richard Scales wrote:
>>
>>> I think I have some info at nixology.uk under the PRISM-18 project page.
>>>
>>> Full NTP Sync (clock needs wifi), web gui, pir activation, 
>>> etc/etc/
>>>
>>> PM me for any more info.
>>>
>>>
>>>  - Richard
>>>
>>> On Wednesday 18 September 2024 at 21:33:00 UTC+1 Chachi88 wrote:
>>>
>>>> First off, thank you guys very much for your input here, I will address 
>>>> them most recent to oldest.
>>>>
>>>> Peter,
>>>> I apologize I cannot view this link I do not use facebook.  I also 
>>>> cannot find a link to Richard Scales B-8091 clock PCB that you mention.
>>>>
>>>> Nicholas Stock,
>>>> Thanks a lot for showing me this website, I had come across it also, 
>>>> but was discouraged by the "sold out" notification for this board.  Is 
>>>> there any way I can message the seller, you think?  I really like all the 
>>>> features this board has already implemented for me...but maybe greg's 
>>>> first 
>>>> comment is calling my name...
>>>>
>>>> gregebert,
>>>> Thanks for the very informative points, I have addressed my responses 
>>>> and followup questions individually below in *Italics.*
>>>>
>>>> #1. I dont like sockets because they put stress on the tube pins. Some 
>>>> of them grip the pins very hard and it's difficult to insert or remove the 
>>>> tubes, which adds to the risk of bending or breaking the pins or putting 
>>>> stress on the glass. Instead, I use socket pins soldered into the PCB, and 
>>>> the force to insert/remove tubes is very low.
>>>> *Point taken, I will look at my sockets carefully before considering 
>>>> using them.  Otherwise I will probably borrow your idea, cheers.*
>>>>
>>>> #2. Direct drive. There's no need to multiplex individual tubes, and 
>>>> there's no cost benefit when tubes are worth hundreds of dollars apiece 
>>>> and 
>>>> the drive electronics is at most a few dollars. Multiplexing requires 
>>>> higher current, and that degrades the tube's lifetime.
>>>> *This is what I have understood as well, thanks for confirming.*
>>>>
>>>> #3. Use a current regulator, and set the current at the recommended 
>>>> spec value; too high and you wear-out the tube. Too low and you risk 
>>>> cathode poisoning. A single anode resistor per-tube is OK, but as the 
>>>> anode 
>>>> voltage varies, so does the current (no such problem with a current 
>>>> regulator, though). You can mitigate this by using a higher anode supply 
>>>> voltage and larger anode resistor, at the expense of more wasted energy. 
>>>> As 
>>>> tubes age, their striking voltage may increase, so having a higher anode 
>>>> voltage will help mitigate this.
>>>> *Understood, is this implemented a current regulator per tube or is 
>>>> this a single current regulator?  If single current regulator, how do you 
>>>> account for possibly having varying current with different digit 
>>>> activation? or am I missing an operating principle here?*
>>>>
>>>> #4. PIR sensor. Turn off the tubes if nobody is there to watch them.
>>>> *This will definitely be part of the overall clock design (also 
>>>> incorporating a Noritake Itron 20 character 5x7 VFD).  I plan on having a 
>>>> smoked plexiglass case housing the electronics and VFD while mounting the 
>>>> nixie tubes on top. Which leads on to our next point...*
>>>>
>>>> #5. Protect the tubes inside a case, and make sure there is enough 
>>>> ventilation so the heat doesn't build-up inside. On my later designs I 
>>>> have 
>>>> a thermal sensor (sometimes several) so that software can monitor critical 
>>>> temperatures and shutdown if things get too warm.
>>>> *If the tubes are always going to be high up in the air (on a dedicated 
>>>> wall shelf), is casing them necessary? Could not casing them cause 
>>>> convection heat to rise around them and risk stressing the glass?  The 
>>>> thermal sensor is a good idea, for the inside of my case I will certainly 
>>>> implement this, probably in multiple spots as you suggested.  Do people 
>>>> ever put thermocouples on the tubes themselves to monitor heat or could 
>>>> you 
>>>> see value in it?  I might consider that in my design.*
>>>>
>>>> #6. Depoisoning routine to exercise all cathodes.
>>>> *This is not the first time I have read of depoisoning (a common 
>>>> feature on most bonafide driver boards I have seen). I have also seen 
>>>> there 
>>>> are different marketed techniques for depoisoning: slot machine, strobe, 
>>>> etc...*
>>>> *What are the principles behind cathode poisoning and the theory of 
>>>> prevention? If this has already been documented somewhere please give me 
>>>> strength on my journey you send me on.*
>>>>
>>>> #7. Backlighting (or base lighting). I havn't done this on any of my 
>>>> clocks, and I've never had problems with tubes not firing-up. Others have 
>>>> reported problems without backlighting. It can have aesthetic value, 
>>>> though 
>>>> I'm not fond of it.
>>>> *I tend to agree with you, for me, this was considered aesthetically 
>>>> not necessary, but if there is value in ensuring operation, I will plan on 
>>>> incorporating this in the design even if it is left partially implemented 
>>>> in hardware or neglected in software...*
>>>>
>>>> That should cover the necessities for the tubes; there are always lots 
>>>> of other features that can be done, especially if the clock has 
>>>> open-source 
>>>> software (or you develop it on your own).
>>>>
>>>> *Thank you again sincerely for expounding this much on this, I in the 
>>>> end, I am hoping to find a clock/driver board with open source software or 
>>>> just raw signal input pins exposed that way I can incorporate it in with 
>>>> my 
>>>> VFD with minimal additional effort expounded on the nixie driver block 
>>>> (because it has already been done probably way better than I would do it 
>>>> on 
>>>> a first pass).  I can then address it, animate it, etc. with a 
>>>> microcontroller of my own...*
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 11:05:11 AM UTC-4 Nicholas Stock 
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Pete also has a remote driver system that will work with B8091s... 
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.pvelectronics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=43
>>>>>
>>>>> Nick
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sep 18, 2024, at 07:16, Peter Doroba <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> 
>>>>>
>>>>> This is the clock I made using Richard Scales B-8091 clock PCB.
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.facebook.com/groups/142414439207058/search/?q=b-8091
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 12:41:14 AM UTC-4 gregebert wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Those are very valuable tubes, so if you are willing to design your 
>>>>>> own driver and the PC board, I would do that. I've made several clocks 
>>>>>> and 
>>>>>> never had a design problem that affected the tubes. Even if you find a 
>>>>>> board to purchase, see if any of the following apply:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Some of my suggestions:
>>>>>> #1. I dont like sockets because they put stress on the tube pins. 
>>>>>> Some of them grip the pins very hard and it's difficult to insert or 
>>>>>> remove 
>>>>>> the tubes, which adds to the risk of bending or breaking the pins or 
>>>>>> putting stress on the glass. Instead, I use socket pins soldered into 
>>>>>> the 
>>>>>> PCB, and the force to insert/remove tubes is very low.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> #2. Direct drive. There's no need to multiplex individual tubes, and 
>>>>>> there's no cost benefit when tubes are worth hundreds of dollars apiece 
>>>>>> and 
>>>>>> the drive electronics is at most a few dollars. Multiplexing requires 
>>>>>> higher current, and that degrades the tube's lifetime.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> #3. Use a current regulator, and set the current at the recommended 
>>>>>> spec value; too high and you wear-out the tube. Too low and you risk 
>>>>>> cathode poisoning. A single anode resistor per-tube is OK, but as the 
>>>>>> anode 
>>>>>> voltage varies, so does the current (no such problem with a current 
>>>>>> regulator, though). You can mitigate this by using a higher anode supply 
>>>>>> voltage and larger anode resistor, at the expense of more wasted energy. 
>>>>>> As 
>>>>>> tubes age, their striking voltage may increase, so having a higher anode 
>>>>>> voltage will help mitigate this.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> #4. PIR sensor. Turn off the tubes if nobody is there to watch them.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> #5. Protect the tubes inside a case, and make sure there is enough 
>>>>>> ventilation so the heat doesn't build-up inside. On my later designs I 
>>>>>> have 
>>>>>> a thermal sensor (sometimes several) so that software can monitor 
>>>>>> critical 
>>>>>> temperatures and shutdown if things get too warm.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> #6. Depoisoning routine to exercise all cathodes.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> #7. Backlighting (or base lighting). I havn't done this on any of my 
>>>>>> clocks, and I've never had problems with tubes not firing-up. Others 
>>>>>> have 
>>>>>> reported problems without backlighting. It can have aesthetic value, 
>>>>>> though 
>>>>>> I'm not fond of it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That should cover the necessities for the tubes; there are always 
>>>>>> lots of other features that can be done, especially if the clock has 
>>>>>> open-source software (or you develop it on your own).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 8:17:28 PM UTC-7 Chachi88 wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am climbing stairs from the foot of the mountain to sit at the 
>>>>>>> feet of all you nixie gurus.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> What is the current state of the art for remote driver boards?  I am 
>>>>>>> aware some of the older drivers are not as reliable or can cause the 
>>>>>>> tubes 
>>>>>>> to degrade quicker.  Some of the new options I am seeing have "cathode 
>>>>>>> poisoning prevention"  I have recently come upon qty 6 of the NL8091's 
>>>>>>> and 
>>>>>>> their original sockets and socket mounting plate, which I wish to reuse 
>>>>>>> for 
>>>>>>> a clock. Are there any off the shelf boards even capable of driving 
>>>>>>> this 
>>>>>>> tube?  I was looking at a board on ebay that comes with an IR remote 
>>>>>>> but it 
>>>>>>> seems too good to be true, I would be willing to spend 5 times as much 
>>>>>>> for 
>>>>>>> a board that was properly documented and put together and had some sort 
>>>>>>> of 
>>>>>>> pedigree...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks in advance for any advice or direction you can give.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> -- 
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>>>>>  
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