Nixie Tubes
Nixie tubes, cold cathode lamps for displaying numbers, have regained popularity in retro digital clocks. They offer improved lifespans and are favored by hobbyists for unique clock designs.
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Nixie tubes are cold cathode lamps filled with gas, primarily neon, used for displaying numbers and symbols. They consist of a common anode and multiple cathodes shaped to form individual characters. When voltage is applied, the respective cathode lights up, displaying the character. Originally popular before the rise of LCD and LED displays, Nixie tubes are no longer manufactured for factory equipment but have seen a resurgence in retro design digital clocks. These clocks often combine traditional components with modern technology, such as microprocessors and LED backlighting. Nixie tubes were primarily used in measuring and computing devices, with limited use in digital clocks. While older models had a lifespan of around 1,000 hours, newer versions can last between 2,000 to 12,500 hours, with proper usage potentially extending their life significantly. Despite being out of production, a large stock of Nixie tubes remains available, particularly in post-Soviet countries. They are now favored by hobbyists for constructing unique clocks, blending vintage aesthetics with contemporary features.
- Nixie tubes are cold cathode lamps used for displaying numbers and symbols.
- They have seen a resurgence in retro digital clock designs.
- Originally used in measuring and computing devices, their lifespan has improved with newer models.
- A large stock of Nixie tubes is still available, especially in post-Soviet regions.
- Hobbyists often combine traditional and modern technology in Nixie clock constructions.
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16 comments1) Build yourself, using second-hand tubes (typically 'new old stock' which means Soviet-era but unused) and your own PCB or a kit. Lots of these kits online, but be warned it involves high voltages, so not a good beginner project. IN-12 tubes are small and easy to find, larger tubes are more expensive.
2) Pay someone else to make a hand-made one - very expensive
3) Buy a Chinese one. Some of these use real nixie tubes (add 'IN-12' to your search) and cost $50-ish. There are many products titled nixie tube that actually use LCD screens and look terrible.
I settled on the PV electronics QTC kit and some tubes from eBay that were pre-soldered to QTC mounts. They can literally just be plugged into the kit and replaced easily if they fail.
My friends and I put it together in a box as a street address sign. It contains the minimum viable circuitry; there's no logic or surge protection of any kind. It lives plugged into an AC outlet and glows 342 from my bookshelf.
It looks awesome. IN-18 tubes are one of the biggest available. If you're going to use Nixie Tubes, my $0.02 is that you should always go for the most impressive ones available because you only live once.
The location is long gone, but every passing year I am more impressed with the longevity of these tubes. If there's a takeaway from this story, it's that in my lived experience, cycling the digits to increase longevity is almost certainly more mythology than necessity.
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The video explores CRT display technology, dominant for 70 years before LCDs rose. CRTs use electrons on phosphorus screens, guided by electromagnets. Evolution from B&W to color displays is discussed.
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Various projects have emerged post Eelco Dolstra's exit from NixOS Foundation, offering alternatives to Nix. Auxolotl focuses on compatibility and community, Lix on backward compatibility and Rust, Tvix on Rust rewrite, Tangram and Brioche on hybrid builds, and Guix on stability.
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