[neonixie-l] Re: Another simple Passive IR clock control alternative...

[Robert L]

Dual footprint for SOT-23 and SOT-223... Heat mass moved more to center of 
the small pcb.



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Re: [neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Tomasz Kowalczyk]

There was once a thread on this group, where this topic was discussed - 1. 
will undercurrenting tubes actually decrease their life and 2. does 
multiplexing affect tube life and how. As far as I remember, the poisoning 
problem of undercurrented tubes was mentioned there.

W dniu wtorek, 3 października 2017 21:08:15 UTC+2 użytkownik bani napisał:
>
> On Tue, 3 Oct 2017, Paul Andrews wrote: 
> > Make sure your wall wart is pumping out a steady voltage close to that 
> required - you would need an oscilloscope. I have heard that this can be a 
> problem for these clocks. 
> > 
> > I’m also not a big fan of running tubes near the bottom range of their 
> current specs. It seems to lead to more cathode poisoning. There are 
> various threads where this has been discussed in great detail - with 
> evidence. 
> > 
> > Apologies if this all sounds like hearsay, but it is based on the 
> conclusions of similar threads. 
>
> Is the way the tubes are being driven possibly a factor? 
>
> I have a tubehobby kit and my IN-18 have been constantly running for 
> almost a decade and the digits still look basically brand new. 
>
> It multiplexes them at a relatively low frequency so there's an audible 
> whine from the tubes, the only downside to the kit. 
>
> -Dan


I'd like to get the code, too. Not only I'd like to have a nixie healer, I 
also just want to start using a Wemos board I purchased some time ago, but 
never had the guts to start actually playing with it.
BTW. The clock will draw this current on average, but it will do so in a 
sawtooth form due to boost converter. You'd need a very large capacitance 
on the board to smoothen it.
However, you have measured the voltage and current of the nixies, right? If 
these two parameters are correct, then it means the boost converter is 
working properly.

W dniu środa, 4 października 2017 00:21:37 UTC+2 użytkownik Richard M. 
napisał:
>
> You could buy this one:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/262488260835
> so you would already have a housing, a 125-180V high voltage supply and an 
> IN-18 socket.
> Just add an Wemos D1 mini pro (
> https://wiki.wemos.cc/products:d1:d1_mini_pro)
> And voila, you've got your own, "app controlled" Nixie de-poisoner. :)
> I can give you my source code, if you like.
>
> I just checked my power supply. It's working fine and is rated up to 1.25 
> Amps. (and delivers!)
> The whole Nixie clocks draws 725mA max, including an ESP8266 acting as an 
> GPS emulator. (gets the time and date from NTP and outputs an GPS NMEA 
> sentence the Spectrum clock syncs to)
>
> I changed the anode resistors from 10k to 8k2.
> As expected, the digits are brighter now.
>
> Hope, this helps.
> I don't wont to give it up. It's just too beautiful and nostalgic, this 
> pretty glowing clock. :)
>
>
>

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Re: [neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Richard M.]

You could buy this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262488260835
so you would already have a housing, a 125-180V high voltage supply and an 
IN-18 socket.
Just add an Wemos D1 mini pro (https://wiki.wemos.cc/products:d1:d1_mini_pro
)
And voila, you've got your own, "app controlled" Nixie de-poisoner. :)
I can give you my source code, if you like.

I just checked my power supply. It's working fine and is rated up to 1.25 
Amps. (and delivers!)
The whole Nixie clocks draws 725mA max, including an ESP8266 acting as an 
GPS emulator. (gets the time and date from NTP and outputs an GPS NMEA 
sentence the Spectrum clock syncs to)

I changed the anode resistors from 10k to 8k2.
As expected, the digits are brighter now.

Hope, this helps.
I don't wont to give it up. It's just too beautiful and nostalgic, this 
pretty glowing clock. :)

Am Dienstag, 3. Oktober 2017 23:18:02 UTC+2 schrieb Pramanicin:
>
> Richard, it sounds like your 'de-poisoner' is a lot more capable than the 
> one you listed (I have one already, but as has been discussed before, it 
> has it's limitations...).
>
> I'd up the voltage on the clock (I think the max is somewhere around 184V 
> for the Spectrum 18) and see if that helps...hope you get it sorted, that's 
> a real pain in the proverbial
>
> On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 8:47 AM, Richard M.  > wrote:
>
>> >Cool. I've bought tubes from the first seller also (not IN18's) and they 
>> were goodthat's a pretty fancy de-poisoner! You should consider putting 
>> that out there...I'd be interested...;-)
>> Yes, I put a lot of work in it.
>> You can switch it between manual and automatic mode.
>> In manual mode, you can set voltage, current and digit directly on the 
>> device.
>> In automatic mode, the digits are controlled by an Arduino compatible 
>> ESP8266 WiFi "Wemos D1 mini pro".
>> I can set, e.g. run digits 2,3,5 and 8 for 90 sec. each, loop 10 times 
>> and then send me a push notification to my mobile phone.
>> After the routine, I can set it to turn off or cycle through all digits 
>> 0-9 infinitely with a 10s interval.
>>
>> But the time to build this thing is nothing someone would pay me. :)
>> And for mass production there are too less people interested in such a 
>> thing.
>> There are already similar devices on the market at a reasonable price:
>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/262483292894
>>
>> >have you contacted Pete at all?
>> Yes, I already contacted Pete, that's what he replied:
>> *This is classic cathode poisoning. IN-18 tubes suffer more than most 
>> tubes in this respect. The problem is that some batches are perfect and run 
>> for years without issue, and others degrade very quickly.*
>> I just wonder why this happens to nearly all of my tubes.
>>
>> >it's almost as if the tubes are being under-driven
>> As mentioned, they only draw about 4.5mA, which might be too less, as the 
>> minimal current, according the the datasheet is 4mA, nominal is 6mA and 
>> maximum 8mA.
>>
>> What I notices is, that soon after I purchased my kit, the anode resistor 
>> was changed to a lower value, from 10kOhm to 8.2kOhm.
>>
>> >a gas pressure leak
>> That's what I also thought. But, again: all of them?
>>
>> >you might want to tweak it up to 180v
>> Are you sure? As what I read, you should never drive the IN-18 Nixies 
>> above the specified 170V.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Am Dienstag, 3. Oktober 2017 17:06:46 UTC+2 schrieb Terry S:
>>>
>>> Hard to tell from your pictures, but it looks like cathode 
>>> poisoning. I would try to manually de-poison a few digits individually, 
>>> see what results, you have nothing to lose. Then I would run the clock at 
>>> max brightness if it is adjustable, and see if the poisoning returns in 
>>> short order. If the high voltage is adjustable you might want to tweak it 
>>> up to 180v. 
>>>
>>> I did have one tube where the digits faded over a period of weeks, it 
>>> was not poisoning but rather a gas pressure leak I presume. I replaced that 
>>> tube and it has not reoccurred.  
>>>
>>> I don't believe the slot machine de-poisoning effects are useful, unless 
>>> the current is somehow increased dramatically during the effect. The "on" 
>>> time of the unused digits is just too short.
>>>
>>> Terry
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 9:31:28 AM UTC-5, Richard M. wrote:

 I bought the pv electronics SPECTRUM 18 Nixie Clock Kit, which, I 
 think, is of high quality and does not do multiplexing.

 The electronic is working fine.
 But I have an other big problem: all my IN-18 Nixie tubes are dying, 
 one after the other.

 I already bought 10 tubes from two different sellers on eBay (which 
 look reliable)
 All tubes were working fine, but after only several weeks, dark spots 
 begin to appear, until the Nixie becomes totally dark.

 I checked the supplied power and everything looks fine: (is it?)
 170V without a tube connected
 with tube: 130V drawing 4.7mA
 power is 

Re: [neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Nicholas Stock]

Richard, it sounds like your 'de-poisoner' is a lot more capable than the
one you listed (I have one already, but as has been discussed before, it
has it's limitations...).

I'd up the voltage on the clock (I think the max is somewhere around 184V
for the Spectrum 18) and see if that helps...hope you get it sorted, that's
a real pain in the proverbial

On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 8:47 AM, Richard M.  wrote:

> >Cool. I've bought tubes from the first seller also (not IN18's) and they
> were goodthat's a pretty fancy de-poisoner! You should consider putting
> that out there...I'd be interested...;-)
> Yes, I put a lot of work in it.
> You can switch it between manual and automatic mode.
> In manual mode, you can set voltage, current and digit directly on the
> device.
> In automatic mode, the digits are controlled by an Arduino compatible
> ESP8266 WiFi "Wemos D1 mini pro".
> I can set, e.g. run digits 2,3,5 and 8 for 90 sec. each, loop 10 times and
> then send me a push notification to my mobile phone.
> After the routine, I can set it to turn off or cycle through all digits
> 0-9 infinitely with a 10s interval.
>
> But the time to build this thing is nothing someone would pay me. :)
> And for mass production there are too less people interested in such a
> thing.
> There are already similar devices on the market at a reasonable price:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/262483292894
>
> >have you contacted Pete at all?
> Yes, I already contacted Pete, that's what he replied:
> *This is classic cathode poisoning. IN-18 tubes suffer more than most
> tubes in this respect. The problem is that some batches are perfect and run
> for years without issue, and others degrade very quickly.*
> I just wonder why this happens to nearly all of my tubes.
>
> >it's almost as if the tubes are being under-driven
> As mentioned, they only draw about 4.5mA, which might be too less, as the
> minimal current, according the the datasheet is 4mA, nominal is 6mA and
> maximum 8mA.
>
> What I notices is, that soon after I purchased my kit, the anode resistor
> was changed to a lower value, from 10kOhm to 8.2kOhm.
>
> >a gas pressure leak
> That's what I also thought. But, again: all of them?
>
> >you might want to tweak it up to 180v
> Are you sure? As what I read, you should never drive the IN-18 Nixies
> above the specified 170V.
>
>
>
>
> Am Dienstag, 3. Oktober 2017 17:06:46 UTC+2 schrieb Terry S:
>>
>> Hard to tell from your pictures, but it looks like cathode poisoning.
>> I would try to manually de-poison a few digits individually, see what
>> results, you have nothing to lose. Then I would run the clock at max
>> brightness if it is adjustable, and see if the poisoning returns in short
>> order. If the high voltage is adjustable you might want to tweak it up to
>> 180v.
>>
>> I did have one tube where the digits faded over a period of weeks, it was
>> not poisoning but rather a gas pressure leak I presume. I replaced that
>> tube and it has not reoccurred.
>>
>> I don't believe the slot machine de-poisoning effects are useful, unless
>> the current is somehow increased dramatically during the effect. The "on"
>> time of the unused digits is just too short.
>>
>> Terry
>>
>>
>> On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 9:31:28 AM UTC-5, Richard M. wrote:
>>>
>>> I bought the pv electronics SPECTRUM 18 Nixie Clock Kit, which, I think,
>>> is of high quality and does not do multiplexing.
>>>
>>> The electronic is working fine.
>>> But I have an other big problem: all my IN-18 Nixie tubes are dying, one
>>> after the other.
>>>
>>> I already bought 10 tubes from two different sellers on eBay (which look
>>> reliable)
>>> All tubes were working fine, but after only several weeks, dark spots
>>> begin to appear, until the Nixie becomes totally dark.
>>>
>>> I checked the supplied power and everything looks fine: (is it?)
>>> 170V without a tube connected
>>> with tube: 130V drawing 4.7mA
>>> power is clean and without any noise as to my oscilloscope
>>> Slot machine effect is running every 10 Minutes. Clock is off for 6
>>> hours every day.
>>>
>>>
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[neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[gregebert]

Next-step is to bench-test one of your tubes that has failed to see if it 
can be depoisoned, or determine if it's truly dead. Do you have a supply 
that goes up to around 200V ?

What is the multiplexing frequency ? 



Years ago, my neighbor who was an EE told me about an ultrasonic cleaner he 
was developing back in the 1960's. It worked great, but after a few months 
it would fail. They found out that the bondwires on the transistor reached 
mechanical resonance at the same frequency as the ultrasonic cleaner and 
failed from mechanical fatigue. They literally had to have the transistor 
manufacturer create a new transistor with different mechanical properties. 
End of problem. Could the multiplexing frequency be causing 
micro-vibrations inside the tube, leading to glass-seal leaks ? Who knows. 
One thing I've learned is never to rule out ridiculous-sounding causes of 
failure, because they do happen.



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Re: [neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Dan Hollis]

On Tue, 3 Oct 2017, gregebert wrote:

If all of the numerals in a specific tube are failing, I can think of 2
causes. #1 would be a leak. Check for cracks around the pin base. Are the
tubes snug/difficult to insert/remove from the socket ? If so, there could
be pin-stress that's breaking the glass-seal.


The only tube failure i've had was from broken seal when I used to rotate 
tubes, due to stress on pins. I don't rotate them any more.


I was thinking of making an IN-18 adapter board so I can rotate the tubes 
without stressing the tube pins.


-Dan

Re: [neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Jeff Walton]

There was another thread about the IN-18 in a Spectrum clock where the wall 
wart was not outputting sufficient power and replacing it with a 2A supply took 
care of a persistent poisoning problem.  Running a nixie with insufficient 
drive will definitely poison all of the cathodes because when they run at spec, 
the cathodes are able to drive off deposits as part of normal operation.   
Driving the IN-18 at 6 mA is not unreasonable. 
Try changing your wall wart supply first and do the anode resistors second.  If 
changing the supply shows ANY difference in brightness, then you may have 
solved the problem.
I have a couple Spectrum clocks with IN-18 and have 3 years on the oldest clock 
with no tube issues. 
Jeff 
 Original message From: Paul Andrews  Date: 
10/3/17  1:28 PM  (GMT-06:00) To: neonixie-l  
Subject: [neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :( 
Make sure your wall wart is pumping out a steady voltage close to that required 
- you would need an oscilloscope. I have heard that this can be a problem for 
these clocks.

I’m also not a big fan of running tubes near the bottom range of their current 
specs. It seems to lead to more cathode poisoning. There are various threads 
where this has been discussed in great detail - with evidence.

Apologies if this all sounds like hearsay, but it is based on the conclusions 
of similar threads.

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[neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Richard M.]

The tubes are from 1983 and 1986. From both batches, ones working fine and 
others gone totally dead.

I already checked the voltage with the oscilloscope and it's stable and 
totally clean, without any noise.

Am Dienstag, 3. Oktober 2017 20:28:41 UTC+2 schrieb Paul Andrews:
>
> Make sure your wall wart is pumping out a steady voltage close to that 
> required - you would need an oscilloscope. I have heard that this can be a 
> problem for these clocks. 
>
> I’m also not a big fan of running tubes near the bottom range of their 
> current specs. It seems to lead to more cathode poisoning. There are 
> various threads where this has been discussed in great detail - with 
> evidence. 
>
> Apologies if this all sounds like hearsay, but it is based on the 
> conclusions of similar threads.

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Re: [neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Dan Hollis]

On Tue, 3 Oct 2017, Paul Andrews wrote:

Make sure your wall wart is pumping out a steady voltage close to that required 
- you would need an oscilloscope. I have heard that this can be a problem for 
these clocks.

I???m also not a big fan of running tubes near the bottom range of their 
current specs. It seems to lead to more cathode poisoning. There are various 
threads where this has been discussed in great detail - with evidence.

Apologies if this all sounds like hearsay, but it is based on the conclusions 
of similar threads.


Is the way the tubes are being driven possibly a factor?

I have a tubehobby kit and my IN-18 have been constantly running for 
almost a decade and the digits still look basically brand new.


It multiplexes them at a relatively low frequency so there's an audible 
whine from the tubes, the only downside to the kit.


-Dan

[neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Paul Andrews]

Make sure your wall wart is pumping out a steady voltage close to that required 
- you would need an oscilloscope. I have heard that this can be a problem for 
these clocks.

I’m also not a big fan of running tubes near the bottom range of their current 
specs. It seems to lead to more cathode poisoning. There are various threads 
where this has been discussed in great detail - with evidence.

Apologies if this all sounds like hearsay, but it is based on the conclusions 
of similar threads.

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[neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[gregebert]

*Richard* - What are the date-codes on your tubes ? I recall hearing 
problems with IN-18 tubes manufactured in 1982 (82xx date-code).

I have one from 1977, another from 1986, and the rest are from 1989/1991

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[neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[gregebert]

Are all numerals inside the tube dying, or just pieces of some numerals. 
Cathode poisoning should only affect seldom-used numerals.

If all of the numerals in a specific tube are failing, I can think of 2 
causes. #1 would be a leak. Check for cracks around the pin base. Are the 
tubes snug/difficult to insert/remove from the socket ? If so, there could 
be pin-stress that's breaking the glass-seal. #2 would be a power-supply 
issue. Can you bench-test your tubes at a higher voltage ? I recall my 
IN-18's were glowing nicely around 140V; the ionization voltage is a bit 
difficult to measure, and I was measuring around 165-175 volts. It's a 
long-shot, but you may have some tubes that need a few more volts to ionize 
as they age.

My IN-18 clock has 14 tubes to display date and time (MM.DD.   HH:MM:SS 
format) . The tubes on the left are basically static, which is a bad thing 
to do. Every night, I run a depoisoning routine for 1 hour to display all 
numerals on the static tubes and I see no signs of poisoning on any tube 
after almost 2 years of usage. The display is on for about 16 hours per day.

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[neonixie-l] Re: Another simple Passive IR clock control alternative...

[Robert L]

Hi Gaston,

Good points... Going deeper on where I am with the design at the moment...

I considered the BSS84 early on as I have some in the spare parts bin... 
but...
  > BSS84 is a nice part and I use it a lot, but only rated for 130 mA and 
I'll be running around 200 mA continuous in this application. Also has 
significant Rds(on) at -5 V of 10 ohms max... can be too high for my 
application.
  > Si1013R is rated 350 mA continuous at 25C and Rds(on) at 4.5 V of 1.2 
ohms max. Simulation already done to confirm Vgs comfortably within limits 
as circuit operates and transitions on->off and off-> on.
So getting closer with the Si1013R (which also happened to be in the 
built-in LTSpice library). But, as you point out, the Si1013R will be in 
trouble with a 12V rail... so I'm still looking.

I'd really like to build one little board for a wide range of 
applications... at least 12V operating, at least 1 A operating.

Currently leaning toward the NTF5P03T3G... will probably stop looking as 
this is a more than adequate selection for current and anticipated needs. 
SOT-223 tabbed package that is still easy for hand solder if necessary, way 
lower Rds(on), ample voltage and current limits. Alternative parts 
available in the same package and pin-out...

Thought about a dual footprint board so that I can load a SOT-23 if I want 
for a given application... will probably just use the larger 223 and be 
done with it. Typically have the modest additional space needed say 1" 
x 0.4 " or a bit smaller total board size with the 223.




I'll update the post when I have parts selected and a layout I like.

B

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[neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Richard M.]

>Cool. I've bought tubes from the first seller also (not IN18's) and they 
were goodthat's a pretty fancy de-poisoner! You should consider putting 
that out there...I'd be interested...;-)
Yes, I put a lot of work in it.
You can switch it between manual and automatic mode.
In manual mode, you can set voltage, current and digit directly on the 
device.
In automatic mode, the digits are controlled by an Arduino compatible 
ESP8266 WiFi "Wemos D1 mini pro".
I can set, e.g. run digits 2,3,5 and 8 for 90 sec. each, loop 10 times and 
then send me a push notification to my mobile phone.
After the routine, I can set it to turn off or cycle through all digits 0-9 
infinitely with a 10s interval.

But the time to build this thing is nothing someone would pay me. :)
And for mass production there are too less people interested in such a 
thing.
There are already similar devices on the market at a reasonable price:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262483292894

>have you contacted Pete at all?
Yes, I already contacted Pete, that's what he replied:
*This is classic cathode poisoning. IN-18 tubes suffer more than most tubes 
in this respect. The problem is that some batches are perfect and run for 
years without issue, and others degrade very quickly.*
I just wonder why this happens to nearly all of my tubes.

>it's almost as if the tubes are being under-driven
As mentioned, they only draw about 4.5mA, which might be too less, as the 
minimal current, according the the datasheet is 4mA, nominal is 6mA and 
maximum 8mA.

What I notices is, that soon after I purchased my kit, the anode resistor 
was changed to a lower value, from 10kOhm to 8.2kOhm.

>a gas pressure leak
That's what I also thought. But, again: all of them?

>you might want to tweak it up to 180v
Are you sure? As what I read, you should never drive the IN-18 Nixies above 
the specified 170V.




Am Dienstag, 3. Oktober 2017 17:06:46 UTC+2 schrieb Terry S:
>
> Hard to tell from your pictures, but it looks like cathode poisoning. 
> I would try to manually de-poison a few digits individually, see what 
> results, you have nothing to lose. Then I would run the clock at max 
> brightness if it is adjustable, and see if the poisoning returns in short 
> order. If the high voltage is adjustable you might want to tweak it up to 
> 180v. 
>
> I did have one tube where the digits faded over a period of weeks, it was 
> not poisoning but rather a gas pressure leak I presume. I replaced that 
> tube and it has not reoccurred.  
>
> I don't believe the slot machine de-poisoning effects are useful, unless 
> the current is somehow increased dramatically during the effect. The "on" 
> time of the unused digits is just too short.
>
> Terry
>
>
> On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 9:31:28 AM UTC-5, Richard M. wrote:
>>
>> I bought the pv electronics SPECTRUM 18 Nixie Clock Kit, which, I think, 
>> is of high quality and does not do multiplexing.
>>
>> The electronic is working fine.
>> But I have an other big problem: all my IN-18 Nixie tubes are dying, one 
>> after the other.
>>
>> I already bought 10 tubes from two different sellers on eBay (which look 
>> reliable)
>> All tubes were working fine, but after only several weeks, dark spots 
>> begin to appear, until the Nixie becomes totally dark.
>>
>> I checked the supplied power and everything looks fine: (is it?)
>> 170V without a tube connected
>> with tube: 130V drawing 4.7mA
>> power is clean and without any noise as to my oscilloscope
>> Slot machine effect is running every 10 Minutes. Clock is off for 6 hours 
>> every day.
>>
>>
>>

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[neonixie-l] Re: all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Terry S]

Hard to tell from your pictures, but it looks like cathode poisoning. I 
would try to manually de-poison a few digits individually, see what 
results, you have nothing to lose. Then I would run the clock at max 
brightness if it is adjustable, and see if the poisoning returns in short 
order. If the high voltage is adjustable you might want to tweak it up to 
180v. 

I did have one tube where the digits faded over a period of weeks, it was 
not poisoning but rather a gas pressure leak I presume. I replaced that 
tube and it has not reoccurred.  

I don't believe the slot machine de-poisoning effects are useful, unless 
the current is somehow increased dramatically during the effect. The "on" 
time of the unused digits is just too short.

Terry


On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 9:31:28 AM UTC-5, Richard M. wrote:
>
> I bought the pv electronics SPECTRUM 18 Nixie Clock Kit, which, I think, 
> is of high quality and does not do multiplexing.
>
> The electronic is working fine.
> But I have an other big problem: all my IN-18 Nixie tubes are dying, one 
> after the other.
>
> I already bought 10 tubes from two different sellers on eBay (which look 
> reliable)
> All tubes were working fine, but after only several weeks, dark spots 
> begin to appear, until the Nixie becomes totally dark.
>
> I checked the supplied power and everything looks fine: (is it?)
> 170V without a tube connected
> with tube: 130V drawing 4.7mA
> power is clean and without any noise as to my oscilloscope
> Slot machine effect is running every 10 Minutes. Clock is off for 6 hours 
> every day.
>
>
>

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Re: [neonixie-l] all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Nicholas Stock]

Cool. I've bought tubes from the first seller also (not IN18's) and they
were goodthat's a pretty fancy de-poisoner! You should consider putting
that out there...I'd be interested...;-)

As for the continual failures, not sure at the moment what to suggest,
certainly appears to be more than bad-luckI've got a few of the recent
Spectrums and haven't seen that behaviour...have you contacted Pete at all?
He's usually more than happy to help troubleshoot...it's almost as if the
tubes are being under-driven...

On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 7:50 AM, Richard M.  wrote:

> I bought the kit in April 2016, so it's definitely direct driven.
> See a photo of the pcb attached.
>
> That's one of the sellers:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/222522723935
>
> that's the other (the auction is no longer accessible on eBay)
> https://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2=makdal2013
>
> I developed a "Nixie Tube de-poisoning revive machine" :)
> (the one on the picture in my first post)
> I can adjust voltage and current and set up the routine from the browser,
> which digits to revive (how long, how many loops, etc.)
> This helped, but didn't last long.
>
> Am Dienstag, 3. Oktober 2017 16:38:13 UTC+2 schrieb Pramanicin:
>>
>> Richard, that's odd. The clock pictures look like an old version of the
>> Spectrum LTC and not the newer version (the older one is multiplexed, the
>> latest version is direct drive..)saying that though, I have one LTC
>> that has been on for over 3 years and only one tube has died (rather odd
>> failure as well...different story)are you sure the tubes you purchased
>> were NOS and not used (but de-poisoned by an unscrupulous seller...)?
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 7:31 AM, Richard M.  wrote:
>>
>>> I bought the pv electronics SPECTRUM 18 Nixie Clock Kit, which, I think,
>>> is of high quality and does not do multiplexing.
>>>
>>> The electronic is working fine.
>>> But I have an other big problem: all my IN-18 Nixie tubes are dying, one
>>> after the other.
>>>
>>> I already bought 10 tubes from two different sellers on eBay (which look
>>> reliable)
>>> All tubes were working fine, but after only several weeks, dark spots
>>> begin to appear, until the Nixie becomes totally dark.
>>>
>>> I checked the supplied power and everything looks fine: (is it?)
>>> 170V without a tube connected
>>> with tube: 130V drawing 4.7mA
>>> power is clean and without any noise as to my oscilloscope
>>> Slot machine effect is running every 10 Minutes. Clock is off for 6
>>> hours every day.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
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>>
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Re: [neonixie-l] all my Nixie tubes are dying :(

[Nicholas Stock]

Richard, that's odd. The clock pictures look like an old version of the
Spectrum LTC and not the newer version (the older one is multiplexed, the
latest version is direct drive..)saying that though, I have one LTC
that has been on for over 3 years and only one tube has died (rather odd
failure as well...different story)are you sure the tubes you purchased
were NOS and not used (but de-poisoned by an unscrupulous seller...)?

On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 7:31 AM, Richard M.  wrote:

> I bought the pv electronics SPECTRUM 18 Nixie Clock Kit, which, I think,
> is of high quality and does not do multiplexing.
>
> The electronic is working fine.
> But I have an other big problem: all my IN-18 Nixie tubes are dying, one
> after the other.
>
> I already bought 10 tubes from two different sellers on eBay (which look
> reliable)
> All tubes were working fine, but after only several weeks, dark spots
> begin to appear, until the Nixie becomes totally dark.
>
> I checked the supplied power and everything looks fine: (is it?)
> 170V without a tube connected
> with tube: 130V drawing 4.7mA
> power is clean and without any noise as to my oscilloscope
> Slot machine effect is running every 10 Minutes. Clock is off for 6 hours
> every day.
>
>
> --
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[neonixie-l] Re: Another simple Passive IR clock control alternative...

[GastonP]

Pleasae be careful with the operating limits of the MOSFET... the part you 
are using has a Gate-Source maximum voltage (Vgss) of 8 volts and in spite 
of being zener protected, you should not routinely use that protection as a 
design feature.
I'd say that this part is safe for this circuit when the input voltages are 
lower than 7 volts. Other MOSFETS have higher Vgss that can be used to your 
advantage. I.e. the BSS84 is also a PMOS but with a Vgss of 20 Volts.

Gastón 

On Monday, October 2, 2017 at 11:02:40 PM UTC-3, Robert L wrote:
>
>
> A few nice things about this circuit... 
>
> 1) It will work to slow start most any 5 - 12 V load (though possibly with 
> component value changes).
>
 




Onward...
Bob

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[neonixie-l] Re: Rolling Rock tap handle with "33" nixie tube

[Terry S]

That was fast ! Who bought it?

On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 6:44:30 AM UTC-5, Terry S wrote:
>
> Several people here have expressed admiration for the Rolling Rock tap 
> handle in my collection. I just spotted one on ebay for a very good price, 
> much less than what I paid.
>
> Hopefully someone here will snag it -- I can help you get the lighting to 
> work.
>
> Terry
>
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/362120114156?ul_noapp=tru
>

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[neonixie-l] Rolling Rock tap handle with "33" nixie tube

[Terry S]

Several people here have expressed admiration for the Rolling Rock tap 
handle in my collection. I just spotted one on ebay for a very good price, 
much less than what I paid.

Hopefully someone here will snag it -- I can help you get the lighting to 
work.

Terry

http://www.ebay.com/itm/362120114156?ul_noapp=tru

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