Re: [neonixie-l] NIMO

[gregebert]

Hard to say. 10,000 hours is 30 years worth of display time at 1 
hour-per-day which is probably reasonable. The problem is what were the 
assumptions, or test conditions, that led to that lifetime ? And was it the 
phosphor that burned-out, or the filaments ? We really dont know. I 
speculated that for equipment that is used for an 8-hour shift, 5 days per 
week, you would have a service life of 5 years (reasonable), and roughly 
1250 power-cycles if the equipment is turned-off at the end of the day. 
However, without knowing the failure mechanism, it's a guess on how one 
should operate the tubes.

I thought about getting an NOS vacuum tube, and power-cycle the filaments 
to the point-of-failure; not the same exact filament, but it's a useful 
datapoint. OK, run 2 tubesone with inrush current limiting, and the 
other without. Sure as  wont be doing that with a NIMO 
tube...even the mere *thought* of that makes me cringe.

On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 1:26:22 PM UTC-7 Nicholas Stock wrote:

> A PIR is a must. Datasheet for the BA-P31 says 10,000 hrs at 100 
> Foot-lambert (FL). Is there any reason to think that these should age 
> differently from a regular CRT?
>
> On Wed, Apr 5, 2023 at 1:19 PM gregebert  wrote:
>
>> now the BIG question..how long will the NIMO tubes last ?? I've done 
>> a limited amount of runtime on mine, less than 50 hours, and I can already 
>> see very faint phosphor burn with a UV lamp. My anode current is around 
>> 30ua (varies by digit, but averaging around 30ua which is the datasheet 
>> spec). I also wonder how long the filaments will last (each tube has two 
>> parallel filaments), either from power-cycling or total runtime. I have 
>> inrush current-limiting on the filaments so they dont get stressed as much, 
>> per recommendations on how radio/TV stations prolong the life of their 
>> expensive transmitter tubes.
>>
>> I have a PIR sensor to shutoff the HV after a programmable time 
>> (currently 100 seconds), and another programmable delay to shutoff the 
>> filaments. The filament timeout is the one I'm not sure how to optimize; I 
>> was thinking of running up to 26 hours so I could do multiple activations 
>> per day without cycling the filaments. I do have a front-panel switch to 
>> override the PIR sensor so that the display will stay off, and consequently 
>> force the filaments to time-out.
>>
>> I dont have enough NIMO tubes to experiment with and determine the best 
>> timeout to maximize lifespan. I'm hoping it will end-up like the Voyager 
>> spacecraft, which were overdesigned and have outlasted the wildest 
>> expectations of how long they will function.
>>
>> On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 12:35:38 PM UTC-7 jörg wrote:
>>
>>> The TH-19A is pretty interesting but unobtainium.
>>> So I have switched to the green neon indicators, which I've ordered some 
>>> time ago at aliexpress.
>>> Same type as gregebert use, I guess. I've mounted them a bit too far 
>>> from the center.
>>> The nimos are dimmed based on a LDR, so I have to pwm the indicator 
>>> bulbs, to sync to the nimo brightness.
>>>
>>>
>>> [image: nimo-colon.jpeg]
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 3:46:38 AM UTC+2 Audrey wrote:
>>>
 I have automated searches setup aswell but sometimes they just miss 
 things

 On Tue, Apr 4, 2023, 9:24 PM Mac Doktor  wrote:

>
> On Apr 4, 2023, at 9:00 PM, Nicholas Stock  wrote:
>
> Looks like they all sold out though. 
>
>
> He must have just gotten them. I've never seen them before and I have 
> a search for "magic eye" that I check every day. I go through his stock 
> periodically as well.
>
>
> Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
> "The Mac Doctor"
>
> https://www.astarcloseup.com
>
> “...the book said something astonishing, a very big thought. The 
> stars, it said, were suns but very far away. The Sun was a star but close 
> up.”—Carl Sagan, "The Backbone Of Night", *Cosmos*, 1980
>
>
> -- 
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 To view this discussion on the web, visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/6C443C41-DABE-4211-959C-EC9B706E12D5%40gmail.com
>  
> 
> .
>
 -- 
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>>  
>> 

Re: [neonixie-l] NIMO

[Nicholas Stock]

Greg, if they turn out to last like IN18's (datasheet says only >5000 hrs),
then you should be good! :)

Cheers,

Nick

On Wed, Apr 5, 2023 at 1:25 PM Nicholas Stock  wrote:

> A PIR is a must. Datasheet for the BA-P31 says 10,000 hrs at 100
> Foot-lambert (FL). Is there any reason to think that these should age
> differently from a regular CRT?
>
> On Wed, Apr 5, 2023 at 1:19 PM gregebert  wrote:
>
>> now the BIG question..how long will the NIMO tubes last ?? I've done
>> a limited amount of runtime on mine, less than 50 hours, and I can already
>> see very faint phosphor burn with a UV lamp. My anode current is around
>> 30ua (varies by digit, but averaging around 30ua which is the datasheet
>> spec). I also wonder how long the filaments will last (each tube has two
>> parallel filaments), either from power-cycling or total runtime. I have
>> inrush current-limiting on the filaments so they dont get stressed as much,
>> per recommendations on how radio/TV stations prolong the life of their
>> expensive transmitter tubes.
>>
>> I have a PIR sensor to shutoff the HV after a programmable time
>> (currently 100 seconds), and another programmable delay to shutoff the
>> filaments. The filament timeout is the one I'm not sure how to optimize; I
>> was thinking of running up to 26 hours so I could do multiple activations
>> per day without cycling the filaments. I do have a front-panel switch to
>> override the PIR sensor so that the display will stay off, and consequently
>> force the filaments to time-out.
>>
>> I dont have enough NIMO tubes to experiment with and determine the best
>> timeout to maximize lifespan. I'm hoping it will end-up like the Voyager
>> spacecraft, which were overdesigned and have outlasted the wildest
>> expectations of how long they will function.
>>
>> On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 12:35:38 PM UTC-7 jörg wrote:
>>
>>> The TH-19A is pretty interesting but unobtainium.
>>> So I have switched to the green neon indicators, which I've ordered some
>>> time ago at aliexpress.
>>> Same type as gregebert use, I guess. I've mounted them a bit too far
>>> from the center.
>>> The nimos are dimmed based on a LDR, so I have to pwm the indicator
>>> bulbs, to sync to the nimo brightness.
>>>
>>>
>>> [image: nimo-colon.jpeg]
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 3:46:38 AM UTC+2 Audrey wrote:
>>>
 I have automated searches setup aswell but sometimes they just miss
 things

 On Tue, Apr 4, 2023, 9:24 PM Mac Doktor  wrote:

>
> On Apr 4, 2023, at 9:00 PM, Nicholas Stock  wrote:
>
> Looks like they all sold out though.
>
>
> He must have just gotten them. I've never seen them before and I have
> a search for "magic eye" that I check every day. I go through his stock
> periodically as well.
>
>
> Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
> "The Mac Doctor"
>
> https://www.astarcloseup.com
>
> “...the book said something astonishing, a very big thought. The
> stars, it said, were suns but very far away. The Sun was a star but close
> up.”—Carl Sagan, "The Backbone Of Night", *Cosmos*, 1980
>
>
> --
> 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 neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
>
 To view this discussion on the web, visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/6C443C41-DABE-4211-959C-EC9B706E12D5%40gmail.com
> 
> .
>
 --
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>> 
>> .
>>
>

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Re: [neonixie-l] NIMO

[Nicholas Stock]

A PIR is a must. Datasheet for the BA-P31 says 10,000 hrs at 100
Foot-lambert (FL). Is there any reason to think that these should age
differently from a regular CRT?

On Wed, Apr 5, 2023 at 1:19 PM gregebert  wrote:

> now the BIG question..how long will the NIMO tubes last ?? I've done a
> limited amount of runtime on mine, less than 50 hours, and I can already
> see very faint phosphor burn with a UV lamp. My anode current is around
> 30ua (varies by digit, but averaging around 30ua which is the datasheet
> spec). I also wonder how long the filaments will last (each tube has two
> parallel filaments), either from power-cycling or total runtime. I have
> inrush current-limiting on the filaments so they dont get stressed as much,
> per recommendations on how radio/TV stations prolong the life of their
> expensive transmitter tubes.
>
> I have a PIR sensor to shutoff the HV after a programmable time (currently
> 100 seconds), and another programmable delay to shutoff the filaments. The
> filament timeout is the one I'm not sure how to optimize; I was thinking of
> running up to 26 hours so I could do multiple activations per day without
> cycling the filaments. I do have a front-panel switch to override the PIR
> sensor so that the display will stay off, and consequently force the
> filaments to time-out.
>
> I dont have enough NIMO tubes to experiment with and determine the best
> timeout to maximize lifespan. I'm hoping it will end-up like the Voyager
> spacecraft, which were overdesigned and have outlasted the wildest
> expectations of how long they will function.
>
> On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 12:35:38 PM UTC-7 jörg wrote:
>
>> The TH-19A is pretty interesting but unobtainium.
>> So I have switched to the green neon indicators, which I've ordered some
>> time ago at aliexpress.
>> Same type as gregebert use, I guess. I've mounted them a bit too far from
>> the center.
>> The nimos are dimmed based on a LDR, so I have to pwm the indicator
>> bulbs, to sync to the nimo brightness.
>>
>>
>> [image: nimo-colon.jpeg]
>>
>> On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 3:46:38 AM UTC+2 Audrey wrote:
>>
>>> I have automated searches setup aswell but sometimes they just miss
>>> things
>>>
>>> On Tue, Apr 4, 2023, 9:24 PM Mac Doktor  wrote:
>>>

 On Apr 4, 2023, at 9:00 PM, Nicholas Stock  wrote:

 Looks like they all sold out though.


 He must have just gotten them. I've never seen them before and I have a
 search for "magic eye" that I check every day. I go through his stock
 periodically as well.


 Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
 "The Mac Doctor"

 https://www.astarcloseup.com

 “...the book said something astonishing, a very big thought. The stars,
 it said, were suns but very far away. The Sun was a star but close
 up.”—Carl Sagan, "The Backbone Of Night", *Cosmos*, 1980


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 Groups "neonixie-l" group.
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 https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/6C443C41-DABE-4211-959C-EC9B706E12D5%40gmail.com
 
 .

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> 
> .
>

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Re: [neonixie-l] NIMO

[gregebert]

now the BIG question..how long will the NIMO tubes last ?? I've done a 
limited amount of runtime on mine, less than 50 hours, and I can already 
see very faint phosphor burn with a UV lamp. My anode current is around 
30ua (varies by digit, but averaging around 30ua which is the datasheet 
spec). I also wonder how long the filaments will last (each tube has two 
parallel filaments), either from power-cycling or total runtime. I have 
inrush current-limiting on the filaments so they dont get stressed as much, 
per recommendations on how radio/TV stations prolong the life of their 
expensive transmitter tubes.

I have a PIR sensor to shutoff the HV after a programmable time (currently 
100 seconds), and another programmable delay to shutoff the filaments. The 
filament timeout is the one I'm not sure how to optimize; I was thinking of 
running up to 26 hours so I could do multiple activations per day without 
cycling the filaments. I do have a front-panel switch to override the PIR 
sensor so that the display will stay off, and consequently force the 
filaments to time-out.

I dont have enough NIMO tubes to experiment with and determine the best 
timeout to maximize lifespan. I'm hoping it will end-up like the Voyager 
spacecraft, which were overdesigned and have outlasted the wildest 
expectations of how long they will function.

On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 12:35:38 PM UTC-7 jörg wrote:

> The TH-19A is pretty interesting but unobtainium.
> So I have switched to the green neon indicators, which I've ordered some 
> time ago at aliexpress.
> Same type as gregebert use, I guess. I've mounted them a bit too far from 
> the center.
> The nimos are dimmed based on a LDR, so I have to pwm the indicator bulbs, 
> to sync to the nimo brightness.
>
>
> [image: nimo-colon.jpeg]
>
> On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 3:46:38 AM UTC+2 Audrey wrote:
>
>> I have automated searches setup aswell but sometimes they just miss things
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 4, 2023, 9:24 PM Mac Doktor  wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On Apr 4, 2023, at 9:00 PM, Nicholas Stock  wrote:
>>>
>>> Looks like they all sold out though. 
>>>
>>>
>>> He must have just gotten them. I've never seen them before and I have a 
>>> search for "magic eye" that I check every day. I go through his stock 
>>> periodically as well.
>>>
>>>
>>> Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
>>> "The Mac Doctor"
>>>
>>> https://www.astarcloseup.com
>>>
>>> “...the book said something astonishing, a very big thought. The stars, 
>>> it said, were suns but very far away. The Sun was a star but close 
>>> up.”—Carl Sagan, "The Backbone Of Night", *Cosmos*, 1980
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> 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 neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
>>>
>> To view this discussion on the web, visit 
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/6C443C41-DABE-4211-959C-EC9B706E12D5%40gmail.com
>>>  
>>> 
>>> .
>>>
>>

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Re: [neonixie-l] NIMO

[jörg]

The TH-19A is pretty interesting but unobtainium.
So I have switched to the green neon indicators, which I've ordered some 
time ago at aliexpress.
Same type as gregebert use, I guess. I've mounted them a bit too far from 
the center.
The nimos are dimmed based on a LDR, so I have to pwm the indicator bulbs, 
to sync to the nimo brightness.


[image: nimo-colon.jpeg]

On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 3:46:38 AM UTC+2 Audrey wrote:

> I have automated searches setup aswell but sometimes they just miss things
>
> On Tue, Apr 4, 2023, 9:24 PM Mac Doktor  wrote:
>
>>
>> On Apr 4, 2023, at 9:00 PM, Nicholas Stock  wrote:
>>
>> Looks like they all sold out though. 
>>
>>
>> He must have just gotten them. I've never seen them before and I have a 
>> search for "magic eye" that I check every day. I go through his stock 
>> periodically as well.
>>
>>
>> Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
>> "The Mac Doctor"
>>
>> https://www.astarcloseup.com
>>
>> “...the book said something astonishing, a very big thought. The stars, 
>> it said, were suns but very far away. The Sun was a star but close 
>> up.”—Carl Sagan, "The Backbone Of Night", *Cosmos*, 1980
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> 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 neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
>>
> To view this discussion on the web, visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/6C443C41-DABE-4211-959C-EC9B706E12D5%40gmail.com
>>  
>> 
>> .
>>
>

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Re: [neonixie-l] 14-digit nixie calculator project with clock function

[newxito]

I added individual RGB lighting for each nixies for all 4 versions. 14 LED 
is a little overkill, but it looks nice. I also added a simple peripherals 
module. As always, I’m behind with the firmware but I will upload the code 
soon.

https://github.com/axtar/14-digits-nixie-calculator

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