[neonixie-l] Re: Trouble Issue Changing MOD-SIX Lumina WiFi

2024-02-17 Thread gregebert
I had a similar problem with a different WiFi device, in this case it was a 
wireless camera. When I got my new WiFi router from my new ISP, I set the 
SSID and password to be the same as the previous router, so that it would 
be a "seamless" transition. Well, for most WiFi devices (laptops, phones, 
tablets), that was true. But for some odd reason, the camera did not 
connect to my new router, even after multiple reboots/power cycling of the 
new router and the camera.

After the camera was shut-down for a few weeks, then powered-up, for some 
unexplained reason it linked-up with the new WiFi router. I have no 
explanation why, and it's frustrating because I was ready to do some 
low-level debugging.

On Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 4:55:06 PM UTC-8 Jon D. wrote:

> I am changing ISPs.  In trying to changeover my MOD-SIX Lumina WiFi from 
> an existing WiFi from the old router to a new and different WiFi router, my 
> procedure is NOT working.  Both the prior (soon to be off) WiFi and new 
> WiFi are on and up.  
>
> I can see the MOD-SIX Lumina web server on the WiFi IP it says it is on 
> (the old router).  When I try to change the WiFi to the new SSID and PW via 
> the Lumina online web server, it shows the new WiFi SSID as an option, it 
> takes the SSID and PW input for the new WiFi router, and nothing happens.  
>
> I also tried doing this next to the MOD-SIX Lumina using my phone, but my 
> phone shows the MOD-SIX "network" as "disconnected".  Something is amiss.
>
> Is there a trick to doing this ??
>
> Jon J.
>
>

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Re: [neonixie-l] Alarm Clocks and ChatGPT

2024-02-17 Thread Dylan Distasio
A quick follow up, it would appear Claude2 is also making mistakes.   I
checked the Sony and it was actually a pocket radio.   Here's what happened
when I challenged Claude2 on it:
You're absolutely right, my previous example of the Sony TR-610 was
incorrect. The TR-610 was a transistor radio model, not an alarm clock.
Thank you for catching my mistake!

After further searching, I could not actually find documentation that Sony
made any all-transistor alarm clocks without integrated circuits in the
early 1960s era.

I made an invalid assumption based on their early transistor radio
products. I sincerely apologize for providing an incorrect model number and
claim about an early Sony clock using solely transistors. As an AI
assistant aiming to be honest and factual, I should not have fabricated an
example. Please let me know if there are any other responses of mine you
would like me to correct or clarify.

On Sat, Feb 17, 2024 at 10:45 PM Dylan Distasio  wrote:

> Just my two cents working with LLMs a fair amount...They are all prone to
> hallucinations when they don't know the answer.   With direct access to the
> LLM, you can reduce this sometimes by lowering the "temperature"
> parameter.   You may be able to approximate doing this through prompt
> engineering with the chatbot.   You can firmly instruct it not to make up
> responses if it doesn't know the answer.   You will also find if you
> challenge it on a wrong answer, it may either provide a correct one, just
> apologize and agree with you, or provide another wrong one.   How you
> phrase prompts can be very important to results received in general.
>
> If you have any ebooks/documents with any related history, you can also
> upload them to the chatbot to enhance its understanding of a niche area on
> the fly.  This is what is known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG),
> and can greatly reduce hallucinations and deliver accurate info based on
> the uploaded materials.
>
> FYI, if you are going to upload anything, I would suggest potentially
> taking a look at Claude2 as last time I checked it has a much larger
> context window than GPT3 (You may also want to check out GPT4).   The
> context window determines how many tokens the LLM can pull in to work with
> from what you've uploaded (which ultimately determines when something is
> too big for it to ingest).
>
> Alphabet's Gemini 1.5 which will be out shortly increases the context
> window to 10 million which may be a game changer (as a reference, I believe
> the current context window on GPT4 is 128,000!
>
> Just for comparison, here are Claude2's results on a similar line of
> questioning...I'd be interested to hear if anyone can verify the veracity:
> ME: You are an expert on the history of electronics going back to the
> start of the industry. Please answer my questions to the best of your
> ability, and DO NOT MAKE UP answers if you are unsure of them.
>
> I do not actually have expertise on the history of electronics. As an AI
> assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, I will
> not make up or guess answers if I am unsure. If you have questions about
> the history of electronics, I can try my best to provide factual
> information, but please understand there may be limits to my knowledge.
>
> ME: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated
> circuits)? If not why not?
>
> Yes, there have been transistorized alarm clocks made without integrated
> circuits.
>
> Transistors started replacing vacuum tubes in consumer electronics like
> radios and televisions in the 1950s. By the late 1950s and early 1960s,
> advances in transistor technology made them small, cheap and reliable
> enough to be used in consumer clock radios and basic alarm clocks.
>
> Some examples of early transitional transistorized alarm clocks from the
> late 1950s to mid 1960s include:
>
> - General Electric had some of the earliest transistorized clock radios in
> 1957-1958 using four transistors. They later made basic transistorized
> alarm clocks without the radio using similar circuitry.
>
> - Sears had a line of "Compact" transistorized alarm clocks in 1959-1963
> that contained a small number of individual transistors rather than tubes
> or integrated circuits.
>
> - Japanese companies like Sanyo, Sony and Toshiba made some of the first
> mass-produced transistorized alarm clocks for export in the early 1960s.
>
> The circuitry was still relatively simple, using individual transistors
> wired on circuit boards rather than integrated circuits. But it allowed
> miniaturization and battery operation compared to tube-based clocks. They
> were affordable products marking an intermediate step before ICs fully took
> over in consumer electronics.
>
> ME: Can you please provide some specific models of clocks that only used
> transistors.
>
> Here are a few specific models of early all-transistor alarm clocks
> without using integrated circuits:
>
> - General Electric 940 Trans - 

Re: [neonixie-l] Alarm Clocks and ChatGPT

2024-02-17 Thread Dylan Distasio
Just my two cents working with LLMs a fair amount...They are all prone to
hallucinations when they don't know the answer.   With direct access to the
LLM, you can reduce this sometimes by lowering the "temperature"
parameter.   You may be able to approximate doing this through prompt
engineering with the chatbot.   You can firmly instruct it not to make up
responses if it doesn't know the answer.   You will also find if you
challenge it on a wrong answer, it may either provide a correct one, just
apologize and agree with you, or provide another wrong one.   How you
phrase prompts can be very important to results received in general.

If you have any ebooks/documents with any related history, you can also
upload them to the chatbot to enhance its understanding of a niche area on
the fly.  This is what is known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG),
and can greatly reduce hallucinations and deliver accurate info based on
the uploaded materials.

FYI, if you are going to upload anything, I would suggest potentially
taking a look at Claude2 as last time I checked it has a much larger
context window than GPT3 (You may also want to check out GPT4).   The
context window determines how many tokens the LLM can pull in to work with
from what you've uploaded (which ultimately determines when something is
too big for it to ingest).

Alphabet's Gemini 1.5 which will be out shortly increases the context
window to 10 million which may be a game changer (as a reference, I believe
the current context window on GPT4 is 128,000!

Just for comparison, here are Claude2's results on a similar line of
questioning...I'd be interested to hear if anyone can verify the veracity:
ME: You are an expert on the history of electronics going back to the start
of the industry. Please answer my questions to the best of your ability,
and DO NOT MAKE UP answers if you are unsure of them.

I do not actually have expertise on the history of electronics. As an AI
assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, I will
not make up or guess answers if I am unsure. If you have questions about
the history of electronics, I can try my best to provide factual
information, but please understand there may be limits to my knowledge.

ME: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated
circuits)? If not why not?

Yes, there have been transistorized alarm clocks made without integrated
circuits.

Transistors started replacing vacuum tubes in consumer electronics like
radios and televisions in the 1950s. By the late 1950s and early 1960s,
advances in transistor technology made them small, cheap and reliable
enough to be used in consumer clock radios and basic alarm clocks.

Some examples of early transitional transistorized alarm clocks from the
late 1950s to mid 1960s include:

- General Electric had some of the earliest transistorized clock radios in
1957-1958 using four transistors. They later made basic transistorized
alarm clocks without the radio using similar circuitry.

- Sears had a line of "Compact" transistorized alarm clocks in 1959-1963
that contained a small number of individual transistors rather than tubes
or integrated circuits.

- Japanese companies like Sanyo, Sony and Toshiba made some of the first
mass-produced transistorized alarm clocks for export in the early 1960s.

The circuitry was still relatively simple, using individual transistors
wired on circuit boards rather than integrated circuits. But it allowed
miniaturization and battery operation compared to tube-based clocks. They
were affordable products marking an intermediate step before ICs fully took
over in consumer electronics.

ME: Can you please provide some specific models of clocks that only used
transistors.

Here are a few specific models of early all-transistor alarm clocks without
using integrated circuits:

- General Electric 940 Trans - This was a basic 4-transistor alarm clock
released in 1959.

- Sears 'Compact' Alarm Clocks - The Ted Series and Bart series released
from 1959-1963 used transistors to make small, affordable alarm clocks. For
example the Ted 2R65 model used 5 transistors.

- Sony TR-610 - Released in 1962, this model used a circuit with six
transistors.

- Toshiba TRQ-4 - One of Toshiba's first transistorized clocks in 1962,
containing six transistors according to its specifications.

- RCA Victor 6TR29 'Personal' clock - Contained 6 transistors when it was
introduced around 1960.

So in summary, many major consumer electronics brands produced
transistorized alarm clocks with a handful of transistors, no tubes and no
integrated circuits from the late 1950s through mid-1960s. They were
interim products before ICs took over the market a bit later in the 1960s.
Hopefully this gives some relevant examples! Let me know if you need any
other details.

ME: Were there any clocks that used only vacuum tubes

Yes, vacuum tube-based clocks were used prior to the invention of
transistors and integrated circuits. Here are a 

Re: [neonixie-l] Alarm Clocks and ChatGPT

2024-02-17 Thread Tom Nolan
David Pye and Audry,
I guess I'd never asked difficult questions before but I did get helpful
answers, nothing as stunningly wrong.
Tom

On Sat, Feb 17, 2024 at 7:48 PM Audrey  wrote:

> > Previous to this ChatGPT exchange I had useful experiences with ChatGPT
> but this has undermined all confidence it.
>
> I am glad you had this experience, you should not inherently trust the
> output of any LLM, they are just as fallible as a human, and they word
> their output confidently. I have asked it many highly niche questions like
> that, and it is very rarely able to produce anything short of nonsense, it
> doesn't seem to be able to say "I don't know".
>
> On Sat, Feb 17, 2024, 7:39 PM OrangeGlow 
> wrote:
>
>> This isn’t completely nixie related but of all people the folks on this
>> list will most likely understand and appreciate what I have to say.  It is
>> about a recent exchange I had with ChatGPT3. [TL;DR: about history of
>> technology]
>>
>> I’ve spent the last couple of years working on a couple of alarm clocks.
>> One was going to use IV-9's but then Moses came up with his very nice IV-9
>> kit. I built it even though it had no alarm.
>>
>> The other alarm clock I wanted to design was based on the thought that
>> the way technology developed there is no such thing as a consumer
>> transistorized alarm clock.  (So, that’s the first point: if I’m wrong
>> about this please stop me now!)  It takes too many parts to make one.  The
>> synchronous motor was well established and made into many inexpensive
>> clocks.  The only change to clocks in the time period I have focused on was
>> a modernization of synchronous motor clocks to use flip numbers instead of
>> a dial. The economics of making a transistorized alarm clock as a consumer
>> product were so bad it was barely given a thought.
>>
>> And yet the following is an exchange I had with ChatGPT3 while
>> researching alarm clocks:
>>
>> Me: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated
>> circuits)? If not why not?
>>
>> ChatGPT: Yes, transistorized alarm clocks without integrated circuits
>> have existed. Transistor technology predates integrated circuits, and many
>> electronic devices, including alarm clocks, transitioned from vacuum tubes
>> to transistors before the widespread adoption of integrated circuits.
>>
>> Transistors were developed in the late 1940s, and by the 1950s, they
>> began replacing vacuum tubes in various electronic applications due to
>> their smaller size, lower power consumption, and increased reliability.
>> Transistors were used in alarm clocks to replace the bulky and power-hungry
>> vacuum tubes, making the clocks more compact and energy-efficient.
>>
>> The transition from transistors to integrated circuits happened later, in
>> the 1960s and 1970s. Integrated circuits provided a further reduction in
>> size and power consumption and allowed for more complex functionality
>> within a single chip. However, during the era of transistorized alarm
>> clocks, integrated circuits were not yet as prevalent or cost-effective as
>> they later became.
>>
>> In summary, transistorized alarm clocks were common before the widespread
>> adoption of integrated circuits, as transistors offered advantages over
>> vacuum tubes. The progression from transistors to integrated circuits
>> occurred as technology advanced, enabling more features and miniaturization
>> in electronic devices.
>>
>> Me: Name one commercial transistorized alarm clock?
>>
>> ChatGPT: One example of a commercial transistorized alarm clock is the
>> "Bulova Transistor Radio Alarm Clock" from the 1960s. Bulova, a well-known
>> watch and clock manufacturer, produced this clock as part of their line of
>> transistorized clocks during the transition from vacuum tubes to
>> transistors. The use of transistors in such clocks during that era was a
>> notable advancement in terms of size, power efficiency, and reliability
>> compared to earlier technologies.
>>
>> Me: Was there a consumer vacuum tube clock ?
>>
>> ChatGPT: Yes, consumer vacuum tube clocks were indeed produced,
>> especially in the mid-20th century. Before the widespread adoption of
>> transistors and later integrated circuits, vacuum tubes were a common
>> component in electronic devices, including clocks. These clocks often had
>> the warm glow associated with vacuum tubes and were a part of the
>> technology prevalent during that era.
>>
>> One example is the Telechron Model 8B03, which was a vacuum tube clock
>> manufactured in the 1950s. Telechron, a well-known clock company, produced
>> various models that incorporated vacuum tubes for timekeeping. These clocks
>> were a representation of the technology available at the time, and they are
>> now considered collector's items due to their vintage nature.
>>
>> While vacuum tubes were widely used in electronic devices, including
>> radios and televisions, their use in clocks diminished with the advent of
>> transistor technology, which 

Re: [neonixie-l] Re: Alarm Clocks and ChatGPT

2024-02-17 Thread Tom Nolan
Hi Moses,
Thanks for the update. Good video! Jolly lot of nixie clocks. I think I
knew about it just hadn't filtered down to a to-do list.
Tom

On Sat, Feb 17, 2024 at 8:22 PM 'Moses' via neonixie-l <
neonixie-l@googlegroups.com> wrote:

> Tom,
>
> I'm happy you like the kit! I have since modified the firmware and added
> an alarm..
> https://youtu.be/FIKUV4JOYl0
>
> Add a piezo or a speaker and it beeps and boops like an old video game,
> brings back old memories for me. You can input customs tunes via RTTTL, the
> old text based music/note/ringtone format developed by Nokia.
>
> Firmware 0.92v B2 is the version you need.. check
> https://www.neonixie.com/IV-9-6D-RR/
>
> ChatGPT.. I don't know, I have enough troubles in life without talking to
> machines. Life is soup, I am fork.
>
> Regards,
> -Moses
>
> On Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 4:39:53 PM UTC-8 OrangeGlow wrote:
>
>> This isn’t completely nixie related but of all people the folks on this
>> list will most likely understand and appreciate what I have to say.  It is
>> about a recent exchange I had with ChatGPT3. [TL;DR: about history of
>> technology]
>>
>> I’ve spent the last couple of years working on a couple of alarm clocks.
>> One was going to use IV-9's but then Moses came up with his very nice IV-9
>> kit. I built it even though it had no alarm.
>>
>> The other alarm clock I wanted to design was based on the thought that
>> the way technology developed there is no such thing as a consumer
>> transistorized alarm clock.  (So, that’s the first point: if I’m wrong
>> about this please stop me now!)  It takes too many parts to make one.  The
>> synchronous motor was well established and made into many inexpensive
>> clocks.  The only change to clocks in the time period I have focused on was
>> a modernization of synchronous motor clocks to use flip numbers instead of
>> a dial. The economics of making a transistorized alarm clock as a consumer
>> product were so bad it was barely given a thought.
>>
>> And yet the following is an exchange I had with ChatGPT3 while
>> researching alarm clocks:
>>
>> Me: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated
>> circuits)? If not why not?
>>
>> ChatGPT: Yes, transistorized alarm clocks without integrated circuits
>> have existed. Transistor technology predates integrated circuits, and many
>> electronic devices, including alarm clocks, transitioned from vacuum tubes
>> to transistors before the widespread adoption of integrated circuits.
>>
>> Transistors were developed in the late 1940s, and by the 1950s, they
>> began replacing vacuum tubes in various electronic applications due to
>> their smaller size, lower power consumption, and increased reliability.
>> Transistors were used in alarm clocks to replace the bulky and power-hungry
>> vacuum tubes, making the clocks more compact and energy-efficient.
>>
>> The transition from transistors to integrated circuits happened later, in
>> the 1960s and 1970s. Integrated circuits provided a further reduction in
>> size and power consumption and allowed for more complex functionality
>> within a single chip. However, during the era of transistorized alarm
>> clocks, integrated circuits were not yet as prevalent or cost-effective as
>> they later became.
>>
>> In summary, transistorized alarm clocks were common before the widespread
>> adoption of integrated circuits, as transistors offered advantages over
>> vacuum tubes. The progression from transistors to integrated circuits
>> occurred as technology advanced, enabling more features and miniaturization
>> in electronic devices.
>>
>> Me: Name one commercial transistorized alarm clock?
>>
>> ChatGPT: One example of a commercial transistorized alarm clock is the
>> "Bulova Transistor Radio Alarm Clock" from the 1960s. Bulova, a well-known
>> watch and clock manufacturer, produced this clock as part of their line of
>> transistorized clocks during the transition from vacuum tubes to
>> transistors. The use of transistors in such clocks during that era was a
>> notable advancement in terms of size, power efficiency, and reliability
>> compared to earlier technologies.
>>
>> Me: Was there a consumer vacuum tube clock ?
>>
>> ChatGPT: Yes, consumer vacuum tube clocks were indeed produced,
>> especially in the mid-20th century. Before the widespread adoption of
>> transistors and later integrated circuits, vacuum tubes were a common
>> component in electronic devices, including clocks. These clocks often had
>> the warm glow associated with vacuum tubes and were a part of the
>> technology prevalent during that era.
>>
>> One example is the Telechron Model 8B03, which was a vacuum tube clock
>> manufactured in the 1950s. Telechron, a well-known clock company, produced
>> various models that incorporated vacuum tubes for timekeeping. These clocks
>> were a representation of the technology available at the time, and they are
>> now considered collector's items due to their vintage nature.
>>
>> 

[neonixie-l] Re: Alarm Clocks and ChatGPT

2024-02-17 Thread 'Moses' via neonixie-l
Tom,

I'm happy you like the kit! I have since modified the firmware and added an 
alarm..
https://youtu.be/FIKUV4JOYl0

Add a piezo or a speaker and it beeps and boops like an old video game, 
brings back old memories for me. You can input customs tunes via RTTTL, the 
old text based music/note/ringtone format developed by Nokia.  

Firmware 0.92v B2 is the version you need.. check 
https://www.neonixie.com/IV-9-6D-RR/

ChatGPT.. I don't know, I have enough troubles in life without talking to 
machines. Life is soup, I am fork.

Regards,
-Moses

On Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 4:39:53 PM UTC-8 OrangeGlow wrote:

> This isn’t completely nixie related but of all people the folks on this 
> list will most likely understand and appreciate what I have to say.  It is 
> about a recent exchange I had with ChatGPT3. [TL;DR: about history of 
> technology]  
>
> I’ve spent the last couple of years working on a couple of alarm clocks. 
>  One was going to use IV-9's but then Moses came up with his very nice IV-9 
> kit. I built it even though it had no alarm.
>
> The other alarm clock I wanted to design was based on the thought that the 
> way technology developed there is no such thing as a consumer 
> transistorized alarm clock.  (So, that’s the first point: if I’m wrong 
> about this please stop me now!)  It takes too many parts to make one.  The 
> synchronous motor was well established and made into many inexpensive 
> clocks.  The only change to clocks in the time period I have focused on was 
> a modernization of synchronous motor clocks to use flip numbers instead of 
> a dial. The economics of making a transistorized alarm clock as a consumer 
> product were so bad it was barely given a thought.
>
> And yet the following is an exchange I had with ChatGPT3 while researching 
> alarm clocks:
>
> Me: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated 
> circuits)? If not why not?
>
> ChatGPT: Yes, transistorized alarm clocks without integrated circuits have 
> existed. Transistor technology predates integrated circuits, and many 
> electronic devices, including alarm clocks, transitioned from vacuum tubes 
> to transistors before the widespread adoption of integrated circuits.
>
> Transistors were developed in the late 1940s, and by the 1950s, they began 
> replacing vacuum tubes in various electronic applications due to their 
> smaller size, lower power consumption, and increased reliability. 
> Transistors were used in alarm clocks to replace the bulky and power-hungry 
> vacuum tubes, making the clocks more compact and energy-efficient.
>
> The transition from transistors to integrated circuits happened later, in 
> the 1960s and 1970s. Integrated circuits provided a further reduction in 
> size and power consumption and allowed for more complex functionality 
> within a single chip. However, during the era of transistorized alarm 
> clocks, integrated circuits were not yet as prevalent or cost-effective as 
> they later became.
>
> In summary, transistorized alarm clocks were common before the widespread 
> adoption of integrated circuits, as transistors offered advantages over 
> vacuum tubes. The progression from transistors to integrated circuits 
> occurred as technology advanced, enabling more features and miniaturization 
> in electronic devices.
>
> Me: Name one commercial transistorized alarm clock?
>
> ChatGPT: One example of a commercial transistorized alarm clock is the 
> "Bulova Transistor Radio Alarm Clock" from the 1960s. Bulova, a well-known 
> watch and clock manufacturer, produced this clock as part of their line of 
> transistorized clocks during the transition from vacuum tubes to 
> transistors. The use of transistors in such clocks during that era was a 
> notable advancement in terms of size, power efficiency, and reliability 
> compared to earlier technologies.
>
> Me: Was there a consumer vacuum tube clock ?
>
> ChatGPT: Yes, consumer vacuum tube clocks were indeed produced, especially 
> in the mid-20th century. Before the widespread adoption of transistors and 
> later integrated circuits, vacuum tubes were a common component in 
> electronic devices, including clocks. These clocks often had the warm glow 
> associated with vacuum tubes and were a part of the technology prevalent 
> during that era.
>
> One example is the Telechron Model 8B03, which was a vacuum tube clock 
> manufactured in the 1950s. Telechron, a well-known clock company, produced 
> various models that incorporated vacuum tubes for timekeeping. These clocks 
> were a representation of the technology available at the time, and they are 
> now considered collector's items due to their vintage nature.
>
> While vacuum tubes were widely used in electronic devices, including 
> radios and televisions, their use in clocks diminished with the advent of 
> transistor technology, which offered advantages such as smaller size, lower 
> power consumption, and improved reliability.
>
>
> 

[neonixie-l] Trouble Issue Changing MOD-SIX Lumina WiFi

2024-02-17 Thread Jon D.
I am changing ISPs.  In trying to changeover my MOD-SIX Lumina WiFi from an 
existing WiFi from the old router to a new and different WiFi router, my 
procedure is NOT working.  Both the prior (soon to be off) WiFi and new 
WiFi are on and up.  

I can see the MOD-SIX Lumina web server on the WiFi IP it says it is on 
(the old router).  When I try to change the WiFi to the new SSID and PW via 
the Lumina online web server, it shows the new WiFi SSID as an option, it 
takes the SSID and PW input for the new WiFi router, and nothing happens.  

I also tried doing this next to the MOD-SIX Lumina using my phone, but my 
phone shows the MOD-SIX "network" as "disconnected".  Something is amiss.

Is there a trick to doing this ??

Jon J.

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Re: [neonixie-l] Alarm Clocks and ChatGPT

2024-02-17 Thread Audrey
> Previous to this ChatGPT exchange I had useful experiences with ChatGPT
but this has undermined all confidence it.

I am glad you had this experience, you should not inherently trust the
output of any LLM, they are just as fallible as a human, and they word
their output confidently. I have asked it many highly niche questions like
that, and it is very rarely able to produce anything short of nonsense, it
doesn't seem to be able to say "I don't know".

On Sat, Feb 17, 2024, 7:39 PM OrangeGlow 
wrote:

> This isn’t completely nixie related but of all people the folks on this
> list will most likely understand and appreciate what I have to say.  It is
> about a recent exchange I had with ChatGPT3. [TL;DR: about history of
> technology]
>
> I’ve spent the last couple of years working on a couple of alarm clocks.
> One was going to use IV-9's but then Moses came up with his very nice IV-9
> kit. I built it even though it had no alarm.
>
> The other alarm clock I wanted to design was based on the thought that the
> way technology developed there is no such thing as a consumer
> transistorized alarm clock.  (So, that’s the first point: if I’m wrong
> about this please stop me now!)  It takes too many parts to make one.  The
> synchronous motor was well established and made into many inexpensive
> clocks.  The only change to clocks in the time period I have focused on was
> a modernization of synchronous motor clocks to use flip numbers instead of
> a dial. The economics of making a transistorized alarm clock as a consumer
> product were so bad it was barely given a thought.
>
> And yet the following is an exchange I had with ChatGPT3 while researching
> alarm clocks:
>
> Me: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated
> circuits)? If not why not?
>
> ChatGPT: Yes, transistorized alarm clocks without integrated circuits have
> existed. Transistor technology predates integrated circuits, and many
> electronic devices, including alarm clocks, transitioned from vacuum tubes
> to transistors before the widespread adoption of integrated circuits.
>
> Transistors were developed in the late 1940s, and by the 1950s, they began
> replacing vacuum tubes in various electronic applications due to their
> smaller size, lower power consumption, and increased reliability.
> Transistors were used in alarm clocks to replace the bulky and power-hungry
> vacuum tubes, making the clocks more compact and energy-efficient.
>
> The transition from transistors to integrated circuits happened later, in
> the 1960s and 1970s. Integrated circuits provided a further reduction in
> size and power consumption and allowed for more complex functionality
> within a single chip. However, during the era of transistorized alarm
> clocks, integrated circuits were not yet as prevalent or cost-effective as
> they later became.
>
> In summary, transistorized alarm clocks were common before the widespread
> adoption of integrated circuits, as transistors offered advantages over
> vacuum tubes. The progression from transistors to integrated circuits
> occurred as technology advanced, enabling more features and miniaturization
> in electronic devices.
>
> Me: Name one commercial transistorized alarm clock?
>
> ChatGPT: One example of a commercial transistorized alarm clock is the
> "Bulova Transistor Radio Alarm Clock" from the 1960s. Bulova, a well-known
> watch and clock manufacturer, produced this clock as part of their line of
> transistorized clocks during the transition from vacuum tubes to
> transistors. The use of transistors in such clocks during that era was a
> notable advancement in terms of size, power efficiency, and reliability
> compared to earlier technologies.
>
> Me: Was there a consumer vacuum tube clock ?
>
> ChatGPT: Yes, consumer vacuum tube clocks were indeed produced, especially
> in the mid-20th century. Before the widespread adoption of transistors and
> later integrated circuits, vacuum tubes were a common component in
> electronic devices, including clocks. These clocks often had the warm glow
> associated with vacuum tubes and were a part of the technology prevalent
> during that era.
>
> One example is the Telechron Model 8B03, which was a vacuum tube clock
> manufactured in the 1950s. Telechron, a well-known clock company, produced
> various models that incorporated vacuum tubes for timekeeping. These clocks
> were a representation of the technology available at the time, and they are
> now considered collector's items due to their vintage nature.
>
> While vacuum tubes were widely used in electronic devices, including
> radios and televisions, their use in clocks diminished with the advent of
> transistor technology, which offered advantages such as smaller size, lower
> power consumption, and improved reliability.
>
>
> 
>
> Perhaps this is a problem with definitions, “Bulovas...line of
> transistorized clocks ” notwithstanding. But this looks very much like a
> series of logically 

Re: [neonixie-l] Alarm Clocks and ChatGPT

2024-02-17 Thread David Pye
ChatGPT is an LLM.

If you ask it to write a legal argument, it will produce something that
looks like a legal argument.

It even has references.

However, it was demonstrated that it had invented those references.

It produces something that "looks like" a coherent argument but it just
confabulates.

Similar experiences with asking it to write functions to generate CRCs,
where it swears blind that its code works when it does not.

Davkd


On Sun, 18 Feb 2024, 00:39 OrangeGlow, 
wrote:

> This isn’t completely nixie related but of all people the folks on this
> list will most likely understand and appreciate what I have to say.  It is
> about a recent exchange I had with ChatGPT3. [TL;DR: about history of
> technology]
>
> I’ve spent the last couple of years working on a couple of alarm clocks.
> One was going to use IV-9's but then Moses came up with his very nice IV-9
> kit. I built it even though it had no alarm.
>
> The other alarm clock I wanted to design was based on the thought that the
> way technology developed there is no such thing as a consumer
> transistorized alarm clock.  (So, that’s the first point: if I’m wrong
> about this please stop me now!)  It takes too many parts to make one.  The
> synchronous motor was well established and made into many inexpensive
> clocks.  The only change to clocks in the time period I have focused on was
> a modernization of synchronous motor clocks to use flip numbers instead of
> a dial. The economics of making a transistorized alarm clock as a consumer
> product were so bad it was barely given a thought.
>
> And yet the following is an exchange I had with ChatGPT3 while researching
> alarm clocks:
>
> Me: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated
> circuits)? If not why not?
>
> ChatGPT: Yes, transistorized alarm clocks without integrated circuits have
> existed. Transistor technology predates integrated circuits, and many
> electronic devices, including alarm clocks, transitioned from vacuum tubes
> to transistors before the widespread adoption of integrated circuits.
>
> Transistors were developed in the late 1940s, and by the 1950s, they began
> replacing vacuum tubes in various electronic applications due to their
> smaller size, lower power consumption, and increased reliability.
> Transistors were used in alarm clocks to replace the bulky and power-hungry
> vacuum tubes, making the clocks more compact and energy-efficient.
>
> The transition from transistors to integrated circuits happened later, in
> the 1960s and 1970s. Integrated circuits provided a further reduction in
> size and power consumption and allowed for more complex functionality
> within a single chip. However, during the era of transistorized alarm
> clocks, integrated circuits were not yet as prevalent or cost-effective as
> they later became.
>
> In summary, transistorized alarm clocks were common before the widespread
> adoption of integrated circuits, as transistors offered advantages over
> vacuum tubes. The progression from transistors to integrated circuits
> occurred as technology advanced, enabling more features and miniaturization
> in electronic devices.
>
> Me: Name one commercial transistorized alarm clock?
>
> ChatGPT: One example of a commercial transistorized alarm clock is the
> "Bulova Transistor Radio Alarm Clock" from the 1960s. Bulova, a well-known
> watch and clock manufacturer, produced this clock as part of their line of
> transistorized clocks during the transition from vacuum tubes to
> transistors. The use of transistors in such clocks during that era was a
> notable advancement in terms of size, power efficiency, and reliability
> compared to earlier technologies.
>
> Me: Was there a consumer vacuum tube clock ?
>
> ChatGPT: Yes, consumer vacuum tube clocks were indeed produced, especially
> in the mid-20th century. Before the widespread adoption of transistors and
> later integrated circuits, vacuum tubes were a common component in
> electronic devices, including clocks. These clocks often had the warm glow
> associated with vacuum tubes and were a part of the technology prevalent
> during that era.
>
> One example is the Telechron Model 8B03, which was a vacuum tube clock
> manufactured in the 1950s. Telechron, a well-known clock company, produced
> various models that incorporated vacuum tubes for timekeeping. These clocks
> were a representation of the technology available at the time, and they are
> now considered collector's items due to their vintage nature.
>
> While vacuum tubes were widely used in electronic devices, including
> radios and televisions, their use in clocks diminished with the advent of
> transistor technology, which offered advantages such as smaller size, lower
> power consumption, and improved reliability.
>
>
> 
>
> Perhaps this is a problem with definitions, “Bulovas...line of
> transistorized clocks ” notwithstanding. But this looks very much like a
> series of logically erroneous 

[neonixie-l] Alarm Clocks and ChatGPT

2024-02-17 Thread OrangeGlow
This isn’t completely nixie related but of all people the folks on this 
list will most likely understand and appreciate what I have to say.  It is 
about a recent exchange I had with ChatGPT3. [TL;DR: about history of 
technology]  

I’ve spent the last couple of years working on a couple of alarm clocks. 
 One was going to use IV-9's but then Moses came up with his very nice IV-9 
kit. I built it even though it had no alarm.

The other alarm clock I wanted to design was based on the thought that the 
way technology developed there is no such thing as a consumer 
transistorized alarm clock.  (So, that’s the first point: if I’m wrong 
about this please stop me now!)  It takes too many parts to make one.  The 
synchronous motor was well established and made into many inexpensive 
clocks.  The only change to clocks in the time period I have focused on was 
a modernization of synchronous motor clocks to use flip numbers instead of 
a dial. The economics of making a transistorized alarm clock as a consumer 
product were so bad it was barely given a thought.

And yet the following is an exchange I had with ChatGPT3 while researching 
alarm clocks:

Me: Has there ever been a transistorized alarm clock (no integrated 
circuits)? If not why not?

ChatGPT: Yes, transistorized alarm clocks without integrated circuits have 
existed. Transistor technology predates integrated circuits, and many 
electronic devices, including alarm clocks, transitioned from vacuum tubes 
to transistors before the widespread adoption of integrated circuits.

Transistors were developed in the late 1940s, and by the 1950s, they began 
replacing vacuum tubes in various electronic applications due to their 
smaller size, lower power consumption, and increased reliability. 
Transistors were used in alarm clocks to replace the bulky and power-hungry 
vacuum tubes, making the clocks more compact and energy-efficient.

The transition from transistors to integrated circuits happened later, in 
the 1960s and 1970s. Integrated circuits provided a further reduction in 
size and power consumption and allowed for more complex functionality 
within a single chip. However, during the era of transistorized alarm 
clocks, integrated circuits were not yet as prevalent or cost-effective as 
they later became.

In summary, transistorized alarm clocks were common before the widespread 
adoption of integrated circuits, as transistors offered advantages over 
vacuum tubes. The progression from transistors to integrated circuits 
occurred as technology advanced, enabling more features and miniaturization 
in electronic devices.

Me: Name one commercial transistorized alarm clock?

ChatGPT: One example of a commercial transistorized alarm clock is the 
"Bulova Transistor Radio Alarm Clock" from the 1960s. Bulova, a well-known 
watch and clock manufacturer, produced this clock as part of their line of 
transistorized clocks during the transition from vacuum tubes to 
transistors. The use of transistors in such clocks during that era was a 
notable advancement in terms of size, power efficiency, and reliability 
compared to earlier technologies.

Me: Was there a consumer vacuum tube clock ?

ChatGPT: Yes, consumer vacuum tube clocks were indeed produced, especially 
in the mid-20th century. Before the widespread adoption of transistors and 
later integrated circuits, vacuum tubes were a common component in 
electronic devices, including clocks. These clocks often had the warm glow 
associated with vacuum tubes and were a part of the technology prevalent 
during that era.

One example is the Telechron Model 8B03, which was a vacuum tube clock 
manufactured in the 1950s. Telechron, a well-known clock company, produced 
various models that incorporated vacuum tubes for timekeeping. These clocks 
were a representation of the technology available at the time, and they are 
now considered collector's items due to their vintage nature.

While vacuum tubes were widely used in electronic devices, including radios 
and televisions, their use in clocks diminished with the advent of 
transistor technology, which offered advantages such as smaller size, lower 
power consumption, and improved reliability.




Perhaps this is a problem with definitions, “Bulovas...line of 
transistorized clocks ” notwithstanding. But this looks very much like a 
series of logically erroneous inferences  when it says “the Telechron 8B03 
employed vacuum tubes.”  It did not.  But the cabinet looks like a ‘30's 
tube radio. Therefore it must have used tubes!  Every electronic product 
progressed sequentially through vacuum tubes to transistors to integrated 
circuits.

The only vacuum tube clock I’ve ever seen was made by David Forbes from HP 
counter modules.  Yes, there are wonderful trigger clocks too; please see 
Graham Marsh.

There have been a couple of kits for transistorized clocks, therefore they 
are commercial, but I’m still not aware of any alarm clocks.

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