@Jeff Walton - did you try using a high value resistor connected to the ground and then to the decimal point, something like a few megaohms up to perhaps 10 or 20 megaohms? I do beleive that it was Burroughs who mentioned that in one of their documents to get proper ignition at low illumination situations without the decimal point actually glowing but giving off enough electrons to get the glow starting on the digit you wanted to light up.
Perhaps someone else has tried this for Nixies? /Martin On Friday, 25 July 2025 at 11:02:49 UTC+2 Jeff Walton wrote: > I am using UV leds under MG-17 (segmented neon display) tubes to get them > to work in the dark. When ambient light is present, the UV leds are not > needed and automatically shut off. The tubes would not work right in the > dark, even with higher HV than standard 170v DC supply. They have been > running for more than a year and still work in the dark as long as the UV > is present. > > There is a small amount of visible light from the leds but most of the > light is not visible. I can hold some uv reactive materials near the base > of the tubes and can definitely see a bit of uv "spill" that causes some > maretials to glow, so you can definitely tell that it is working. You will > need to experiment with different wavelength uv leds as some glass > materials begin to become opaque at the really short wavelengths. > > Jeff > > > -------- Original message -------- > From: Adrian Godwin <[email protected]> > Date: 7/25/25 3:46 AM (GMT-06:00) > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] First schematic for nixie clock > > Another invisible excitation might be a brief pulse of blue or UV > light just after a new digit is illuminated. As I understand it, it's > only needed to light the digit, not sustain it. > > I think the blue backlight often used to overcome this problem is > quite a pleasant complement to the neon colour, but it's also a bit > garish. I can totally understand the desire to have pure neon orange. > > On Fri, Jul 25, 2025 at 9:38 AM Adrian Godwin <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I can't see IR leds working, though I haven't tried them UV leds are > > more likely to work. Might be made invisible if filtered unless Nixies > > have any phosphors in them. > > > > Yes, I know they don't rely on phosphors but you might find some > > cement or getter residue or something that fluoresces. > > > > > > On Fri, Jul 25, 2025 at 2:08 AM Jarod Findley <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > https://www.pa3fwm.nl/projects/neonclock2/ > > > > > > Sorry this is the write up I was referring to the other one is still > very informative > > > > > > On Wed, Jul 23, 2025, 1:39 AM Jarod Findley <[email protected]> > wrote: > > >> > > >> https://www.pa3fwm.nl/projects/neonclock/ > > >> > > >> In this write up you can see he addresses the problem of the neon > bulbs not being able to light in the dark with blue leds. I wonder if you > could use ir leds and keep it invisible > > >> > > >> On Tue, Jul 22, 2025, 5:13 PM 'Grahame Marsh' via neonixie-l < > [email protected]> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> Hi Jarod > > >>> > > >>> I skipped neon bulbs and and used trigger tubes. My first clock used > XC18 tubes which originally had (long-gone) radioactive doping to get > reliable operation in the dark. I then used Z700U tubes which have a primer > electrode and do operate reliably in the dark. > > >>> > > >>> Does anyone have experience with neon bulb ring counters operating > in the dark? > > >>> > > >>> Grahame > > >>> > > >>> On 22/07/2025 21:07, Joe Croft wrote: > > >>> > > >>> Hi Jarod, > > >>> > > >>> I saw that about the ne-2 diodes. My solution was much more painful. > I went through the neon lamps and matched them. I look forward to seeing > the final clock! > > >>> > > >>> -joe > > >>> > > >>> Sent from Mailspring, the best free email app for work > > >>> On Jul 21 2025, at 11:48 pm, Jarod Findley <[email protected]> > wrote: > > >>> > > >>> I hoping the design I used is going to be robust enough for my > circuit. If you haven't read the attached website to the pdf I linked he > has some very good information on ring counters and why the ne2 is so > difficult to use in them. Im hoping the in28 are similar enough to be > adapted. > > >>> > > >>> My next purchase definitely is going to be a quality bread boat and > scope for doing some diagnostic work. Thanks for info and help guys ill > definitely be simulating and real world testing. Ill keep the group posted > > >>> > > >>> On Mon, Jul 21, 2025, 9:16 PM Joe Croft <[email protected]> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> Hi Jarod. > > >>> > > >>> This reminds me of my NixieNeon clock, > https://www.nixieneon.com/main/nixieneon-clock-documentation/. This > clock was a lot of fun but the ring counters could be hell! I had a lot of > matching to do with the neon bulbs. Granted, I was using NE-2 lamps, not > triggered neons for the counters. But the best I can tell, you are not > using the trigger leads. Ig nore the processor, it is mostly for setting > the time as well as giving a little eye candy every 5 minutes. The rings > will free run with out the processor. > > >>> > > >>> I recommend you bread board one or two of the rings.Also, I was not > able to coulpe just using a capacitor and a diode. I ended up needing a > transistor. Of course all of that could have been from my short comings in > hardware design (I am principally a software guy who loves the smell of > rosin) . > > >>> > > >>> I hope your clock works out for you. I still have a love for ring > counters like these. > > >>> > > >>> -joe > > >>> > > >>> Sent from Mailspring, the best free email app for work > > >>> On Jul 18 2025, at 5:14 pm, Jarod Findley <[email protected]> > wrote: > > >>> > > >>> Hi all this is my second post and I'm still learning a lot about > nixies-neon tubes and how they work. This is my first project design i used > this schematic to design a clock around in-28 neon tubes and some large > size nixies like zin-70. I have not calculated values for the resistors and > such nor have I tested anything yet. Id like to know if my design is > correct before I move it into the real world. It will have a ring counter > for the Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Am Pm, and a 60 ring counter to visually > indicate the seconds. This will be a 12 hour clock and have Am Pm tubes. My > plan is to design a nice case and have it displayed in my living room. I > know its ambitious for a first time project and apricate any feed back, > > >>> -- > > >>> 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/390fea2f-0fce-4557-80d1-4e6b8ed0813en%40googlegroups.com > . > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> -- > > >>> 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/90056DDC-CBF5-459C-87A9-C6B76DB1628F%40getmailspring.com > . > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> -- > > >>> 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/CAL_1Jahz7tHfe-ep4kuXwOdLNmdgn7%3DJJkwekbe9sSWVJ5Yupw%40mail.gmail.com > . > > >>> > > >>> -- > > >>> 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/1690C145-FF58-4C72-B0D4-CF28E4CEF42F%40getmailspring.com > . > > >>> > > >>> -- > > >>> 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/2aadf306-d917-476b-893c-04199d53a2a3%40googlemail.com > . > > > > > > -- > > > 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/CAL_1Jah3t90OgjV7ib_sacwEWX8M9X57UQRFS72zdUwqX%2BSNGQ%40mail.gmail.com > . > > -- > 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/CALiMYruMjjqwzt8GDWOe0s_chTjC87V57YyOGOWsvEhGUoLnjg%40mail.gmail.com > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. 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