[neonixie-l] Re: recommendation for anode resistor for 2x2 multiplexed IN-14s @166-170v?
I ran into the same problem with the 10's digit in the hour position. When it's dark, it takes extra time to turn back on. I put a 22 Meg resistor from the decimal point to ground. This primes the Nixie without turning on the DP (it glows very faintly), and it turns on without the delay. - Michael http://www.coldwarcreations.com ng characteristics depending on ambient light (ie how much they are pre- ionized). If I try to light up two lamps that share an anode, unless I have my desk lamp on, one of the lamps will fail to light for a second or so. I can actually control the activity of the lamps with a low- medium power (~15mW) blu-ray laser (high-energy 405nm photons). This -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
[neonixie-l] IR remote control or Motion Sensor to switch the HV to the display of Jeff Thomas WWVB Clock
*Its been a long time since I built the wonderful Jeff Thomas WWVB Radio Controlled Nixie Clock. I was never able to get the modified Quartex module to get a reliable receiver lock to keep the time accurately and I reluctantly retired the clock over 5 years ago. Recently however, I was able to source another receiver and for the hell of it removed the larger ferrite antenna and tank cap and replaced the one in the modified Quartex module. The clock synchs perfectly now and it is keeping time to the second even through a snow storm for more than a week. I am amazed that it was just the antennae. I have two more unpopulated PCBs and parts and plan to build 2 more beauties.* *The only problem now with the clock is that the tubes are very expensive and I want to preserve their longevity.* *I wonder if anyone can help me interface either an IR remote control to switch the HV to the display on and off to permit continued time keeping with the display off. This would increase tube life since I am never home from 7AM to 7 PM and can turn off the display during the day. Alternatively, an IR/Heat sensing PIR motion detector could, via a small relay, turn the display off and on with movement in the room. Perhaps this would be a more sophisticated solution. Looking at the attached schematic it appears that the switch could be placed between the step up transformer HV rail either before or after the Neon indicators. If placed after the indicators the neons would stay lit indicating the clock was still running albeit in display off mode. Thanks for any help or providing another resource to help me solve this issue.* *The schematic can be seen here **http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/wwvb.html*http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/wwvb.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
Re: [neonixie-l] IR remote control or Motion Sensor to switch the HV to the display of Jeff Thomas WWVB Clock
Hi, I did just that, not for tube life but because I live off the grid and need every watt I can make. I used an IR sensor from Parallax and interfaced it to an MCU. Nice thing for me is the clock is MCU driven, so all I had to do is add a little code. It's nice to do it with a MCU because you can decide how much movement for how long makes the tubes turn on (so the cat doesn;t turn it on) and how long it stays on until it goes back to sleep. Do you play with PICS/AVR etc? Jonathan The only problem now with the clock is that the tubes are very expensive and I want to preserve their longevity. I wonder if anyone can help me interface either an IR remote control to switch the HV to the display on and off to permit continued time keeping with the display off. This would increase tube life since I am never home from 7AM to 7 PM and can turn off the display during the day. Alternatively, an IR/Heat sensing PIR motion detector could, via a small relay, turn the display off and on with movement in the room. Perhaps this would be a more sophisticated solution. Looking at the attached schematic it appears that the switch could be placed between the step up transformer HV rail either before or after the Neon indicators. If placed after the indicators the neons would stay lit indicating the clock was still running albeit in display off mode. Thanks for any help or providing another resource to help me solve this issue. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
Re: [neonixie-l] IR remote control or Motion Sensor to switch the HV to the display of Jeff Thomas WWVB Clock
How do you make your watts, Jonathan? Just curious. Bill On Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 12:17 PM, Jonathan Peakall jpeak...@madlabs.info wrote: Hi, I did just that, not for tube life but because I live off the grid and need every watt I can make. I used an IR sensor from Parallax and interfaced it to an MCU. Nice thing for me is the clock is MCU driven, so all I had to do is add a little code. It's nice to do it with a MCU because you can decide how much movement for how long makes the tubes turn on (so the cat doesn;t turn it on) and how long it stays on until it goes back to sleep. Do you play with PICS/AVR etc? Jonathan The only problem now with the clock is that the tubes are very expensive and I want to preserve their longevity. I wonder if anyone can help me interface either an IR remote control to switch the HV to the display on and off to permit continued time keeping with the display off. This would increase tube life since I am never home from 7AM to 7 PM and can turn off the display during the day. Alternatively, an IR/Heat sensing PIR motion detector could, via a small relay, turn the display off and on with movement in the room. Perhaps this would be a more sophisticated solution. Looking at the attached schematic it appears that the switch could be placed between the step up transformer HV rail either before or after the Neon indicators. If placed after the indicators the neons would stay lit indicating the clock was still running albeit in display off mode. Thanks for any help or providing another resource to help me solve this issue. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
[neonixie-l] Re: IR remote control or Motion Sensor to switch the HV to the display of Jeff Thomas WWVB Clock
Hey there, I have a similar plan for my work-in-progress clock. What I'm currently planning on doing is using a PIR sensor I ripped out of a really old motion detector in my house to allow me to use short-range motion detection. For some reason, the sensor seems to have a very erratic output (maybe it's just ambient noise), but what I've found is that if I take a software average of around 500 samples and compare the last five sample averages to the most recent one, I am able to 100% reliably detect a hand swing within around a foot of the sensor. I plan to use this as one way to turn it on. I also plan to enable software-based turn-on, eg turn on once every five minutes from 5pm-10pm or something. The way I plan to actually turn it off is to first pull the enable pin on my power supply low-all this does is pull the MOSFET gate low so that the 9v in (well, really 12v due to an annoying hardware glitch in the ATTiny45) is shorted through all the nixie tubes. This really isn't a problem as they won't even conduct at this voltage. Then I can turn all of the nixies off. If you want me to post the processing+wiring code for my motion sensor I can do that. On Jan 23, 10:23 am, tunes d.kuril...@gmail.com wrote: *Its been a long time since I built the wonderful Jeff Thomas WWVB Radio Controlled Nixie Clock. I was never able to get the modified Quartex module to get a reliable receiver lock to keep the time accurately and I reluctantly retired the clock over 5 years ago. Recently however, I was able to source another receiver and for the hell of it removed the larger ferrite antenna and tank cap and replaced the one in the modified Quartex module. The clock synchs perfectly now and it is keeping time to the second even through a snow storm for more than a week. I am amazed that it was just the antennae. I have two more unpopulated PCBs and parts and plan to build 2 more beauties.* *The only problem now with the clock is that the tubes are very expensive and I want to preserve their longevity.* *I wonder if anyone can help me interface either an IR remote control to switch the HV to the display on and off to permit continued time keeping with the display off. This would increase tube life since I am never home from 7AM to 7 PM and can turn off the display during the day. Alternatively, an IR/Heat sensing PIR motion detector could, via a small relay, turn the display off and on with movement in the room. Perhaps this would be a more sophisticated solution. Looking at the attached schematic it appears that the switch could be placed between the step up transformer HV rail either before or after the Neon indicators. If placed after the indicators the neons would stay lit indicating the clock was still running albeit in display off mode. Thanks for any help or providing another resource to help me solve this issue.* *The schematic can be seen here **http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/wwvb.html*http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/wwvb.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
[neonixie-l] Re: recommendation for anode resistor for 2x2 multiplexed IN-14s @166-170v?
Clever. One thing I was thinking of doing was putting a small ~400nm LED under the tubes and turning it on for a few microseconds while the tube started up, but your way is more sensible. On Jan 23, 9:53 am, M.J.Sangster mjs...@coldwarcreations.com wrote: I ran into the same problem with the 10's digit in the hour position. When it's dark, it takes extra time to turn back on. I put a 22 Meg resistor from the decimal point to ground. This primes the Nixie without turning on the DP (it glows very faintly), and it turns on without the delay. - Michael http://www.coldwarcreations.com ng characteristics depending on ambient light (ie how much they are pre- ionized). If I try to light up two lamps that share an anode, unless I have my desk lamp on, one of the lamps will fail to light for a second or so. I can actually control the activity of the lamps with a low- medium power (~15mW) blu-ray laser (high-energy 405nm photons). This -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
[neonixie-l] Re: recommendation for anode resistor for 2x2 multiplexed IN-14s @166-170v?
Wait... if I have a 10k resistor on the high side and a 10k resistor on the low side, won't the voltage at the base of the MPSA92 just hover around 85v? Is this low enough to turn it on? Also, 20k shorting between ground and +V and ground will draw 8.5mA, won't it? On Jan 23, 2:45 pm, threeneurons threeneur...@yahoo.com wrote: Also, I have a 1 megohm resistor between my base and emitter. Look at the bottom of page seven at: http://nixietube.info/NixieTransistors.pdf A 10k resistor goes between the MPSA42 emitter and ground. I've been looking around craigslist for an old scope to buy, but nothing's really appealed to me. That new DSO quad digital mini-scope is actually really pretty nice (36ms/s) but I wish it was $100 like its relatively mediocre counterparts. On Jan 22, 4:25 pm, threeneurons threeneur...@yahoo.com wrote: I'm well aware of that document. It was written by Jason Harper, a long time member of this group. I like his work, That 1M should be reduced to 10K. The voltage drop is limited by the maximum forward drop across the MPSA92s B-E junction, so it will only draw away 70uA at 10K, 0.7uA at 1M. The 10K on the emitter leg of the MPSA42 limits the current from emitter to collector to Vcc-0.7V/ 10K, or ~430uA assuming a +5V supply. Most of that (360uA) will go thru the BE path of the MPSA92. Multiplied by the minimum hfe of 25, that means a max possible current to the nixie of 9mA. With a anode resistor limiting the actual current to under 3mA, this means the MPSA92 will be well into saturation, and voltage across its emitter to collector should be in the 0.5V territory, when ON. Also, the hfe will most likely be ~50, so it will even be more into saturation. The drop across the CE path of the MPSA42 will always be close to the full supply voltage, but the current will vary as a function of its BE excitation (the uC IO port signal). Max power dissipation will be ~80mW with a 180V supply. A TO92 case can handle around 350mW. My first scope was a Dumont 304R. I still have it. Dumont was the big name in o-scopes, before Tektronix arrived. Mr Dumont didn't think people needed the extra features a Tek scope had, so he didn't change his offerings. The 304 only has a 30KHz bandwidth, but it served me well. I upgraded to a 400 series Tek scope in the late 80s, which is my workhorse scope (40MHz). I also have a small Vellum handheld scope, which is always at ready, and handy for quick checks of signal integrity. The Dumont has been retired, but its too big to stick on eBay. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
[neonixie-l] Re: IR remote control or Motion Sensor to switch the HV to the display of Jeff Thomas WWVB Clock
I don't have any capability of programming AVRs etc. I can just solder. I need to be able to switch off the 9v wall adapter supply to the step up transformer. See schematic here: www.filefactory.com/file/b520111/n/ThomasWWVBNixie.pdf, Dan On Jan 23, 1:45 pm, will ossumguyw...@gmail.com wrote: Hey there, I have a similar plan for my work-in-progress clock. What I'm currently planning on doing is using a PIR sensor I ripped out of a really old motion detector in my house to allow me to use short-range motion detection. For some reason, the sensor seems to have a very erratic output (maybe it's just ambient noise), but what I've found is that if I take a software average of around 500 samples and compare the last five sample averages to the most recent one, I am able to 100% reliably detect a hand swing within around a foot of the sensor. I plan to use this as one way to turn it on. I also plan to enable software-based turn-on, eg turn on once every five minutes from 5pm-10pm or something. The way I plan to actually turn it off is to first pull the enable pin on my power supply low-all this does is pull the MOSFET gate low so that the 9v in (well, really 12v due to an annoying hardware glitch in the ATTiny45) is shorted through all the nixie tubes. This really isn't a problem as they won't even conduct at this voltage. Then I can turn all of the nixies off. If you want me to post the processing+wiring code for my motion sensor I can do that. On Jan 23, 10:23 am, tunes d.kuril...@gmail.com wrote: *Its been a long time since I built the wonderful Jeff Thomas WWVB Radio Controlled Nixie Clock. I was never able to get the modified Quartex module to get a reliable receiver lock to keep the time accurately and I reluctantly retired the clock over 5 years ago. Recently however, I was able to source another receiver and for the hell of it removed the larger ferrite antenna and tank cap and replaced the one in the modified Quartex module. The clock synchs perfectly now and it is keeping time to the second even through a snow storm for more than a week. I am amazed that it was just the antennae. I have two more unpopulated PCBs and parts and plan to build 2 more beauties.* *The only problem now with the clock is that the tubes are very expensive and I want to preserve their longevity.* *I wonder if anyone can help me interface either an IR remote control to switch the HV to the display on and off to permit continued time keeping with the display off. This would increase tube life since I am never home from 7AM to 7 PM and can turn off the display during the day. Alternatively, an IR/Heat sensing PIR motion detector could, via a small relay, turn the display off and on with movement in the room. Perhaps this would be a more sophisticated solution. Looking at the attached schematic it appears that the switch could be placed between the step up transformer HV rail either before or after the Neon indicators. If placed after the indicators the neons would stay lit indicating the clock was still running albeit in display off mode. Thanks for any help or providing another resource to help me solve this issue.* *The schematic can be seen here **http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/wwvb.html*http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/wwvb.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
Re: [neonixie-l] Re: IR remote control or Motion Sensor to switch the HV to the display of Jeff Thomas WWVB Clock
Well, what about just switching it on/off? Or use an off-the-shelf mains timer (- electronic or mechanical) ? Or, there is home-automation equipment [X10 etc] that will allow you to operate a mains-switch from various remotes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_(industry_standard) And, various electronics magazines publish articles re control and there are some kits available. If you are into recycling, there are many CRT TV sets scrapped and they are a source of IR Tx/Rx ... just add your own [mains safe] relay. Other ideas.Garage door-opener controllers as kits etc., John K. [PS... use of RCDs etc assumed, especially if you mains tinker.] - Original Message - From: tunes d.kuril...@gmail.com .clip I need to be able to switch off the 9v wall adapter supply to the step up transformer. See schematic here: ...clip... -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
