Converting that Berkeley counter into a clock was quite an undertaking. That video was 16 years ago; curious if it still works.
I've torn-down a few of them because they were such a nightmare of tubes and wiring. There were so many tubes that the power transformer had 2 windings for the filaments; I think one was 12 amps, and the other 15 amps. After a few minutes of operation, it felt like a small toaster oven. I wish I kept one of the counter modules, though I did snip-out all of the neon bulbs. I recall 2 versions, one with the 0-9 numerals in a vertical line, and another where they were staggered a bit, so they would zig-zag during counting. There was another version that had an electroluminescent panel with 7-segment displays. Sadly, the E-L displays wear-out and get too dim to read. Now that I have access to a laser cutter, I've thought about making LED versions of the numeric displays for a clock. On Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 10:09:35 PM UTC-8 J Forbes wrote: > Reminds me also of the Berkeley/Beckman counter...and the clock I made > from one... > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM9TW6GcCQE > > > On Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 2:20:54 PM UTC-7 Dekatron42 wrote: > >> Just my two cents. The build quality looks far from that price, solder >> flux not cleaned properly, cut wire just standing there straight up, poor >> wooden cornering, wood splinter on foot, screw holes with no screws >> covering them, different colored Nixie sockets, a few top mounted sockets >> whereas most bottom mounted, one tube with tape label, most Triodes are >> Russian types and not the Audiophile coveted ECC-series, many tubes looks >> like used ones and not unused ones, heavier components hanging from wires >> prone to moving around when transported plus the top panel needs cleaning >> as well as the inside needs vacuuming. Not like other clocks sold by this >> seller! >> >> It just looks sloppy and untidy, more like a prototype and I like the >> Friedhelm Bruegmann a lot more as it looks like it came from the era. >> Component wise I guess it will set you back €3000-4000 and perhaps €1000 >> for mounting materials and of course it will take you some time to build. >> >> There have been a few similar ones like the Friedhelm Bruegmann built >> over the years and some have been built to hang on the wall with either >> front view Nixies or the Nixies has been put in a recess at the top of the >> front panel. There have also been a few types with different displays like >> E1T with only valves. >> >> Putting on my flame retardant suit! :) >> >> /Martin >> >> On Wednesday, 8 January 2025 at 20:51:01 UTC+1 Mac Doktor wrote: >> >>> >>> On Jan 8, 2025, at 12:13 PM, gregebert <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> SO many tubes.....reminds me of the Berkeley/Beckman universal counter >>> >>> http://www.softwareandmind.com/museum/mlist.htm >>> <http://www.softwareandmind.com/museum/mlist.html>l >>> >>> >>> I have an HP 521A. I have a line on someone who can restore it but I >>> can't focus on that project right now. >>> >>> >>> 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, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/8f60b876-43f6-4dfd-8e2e-eae277b18333n%40googlegroups.com.
