Transistor Nixie Clock
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:12 am
I purchased one of these ( http://tube-clock.com/ ) about a year ago and recently got around to putting it together. The kit comes very well packaged and it has every component needed to complete the assembly.
I printed a second copy of the manual so that I could check off each and every section of the assembly in precise sequence.
I got as far as the seconds decoder then the frustration started.
Initially it only counted from 8 to 9 and back again. After probing and prodding I managed to get it to count from 0 to 7 but then 8 and 9 stopped working. Sometimes it just stops counting at all.
Clearly this thing isn't very stable and FWIW I've been designing and assembling electronic projects and kits for 30+ years. I use a Pace rework station to do the soldering and consider my skills to be better than average. I've looked at bridged connections, incorrect parts, burned up transistors and diodes. I just can't get this thing to work, reliably or otherwise.
Instead of tossing it into the e-waste pile I'll offer it to the first person that offers me $25.00 for the remainder of the kit, the most valuable of which parts are the nixie tubes and the sockets used to mount them. You pay shipping using the method of your choice. I take PayPal only and will only ship to counus addresses associated with the PayPal address (in other words no forwarding as a gift to an address not connected to the PayPal account).
Regards and 73,
Chris Spacone, KD6OUB
I printed a second copy of the manual so that I could check off each and every section of the assembly in precise sequence.
I got as far as the seconds decoder then the frustration started.
Initially it only counted from 8 to 9 and back again. After probing and prodding I managed to get it to count from 0 to 7 but then 8 and 9 stopped working. Sometimes it just stops counting at all.
Clearly this thing isn't very stable and FWIW I've been designing and assembling electronic projects and kits for 30+ years. I use a Pace rework station to do the soldering and consider my skills to be better than average. I've looked at bridged connections, incorrect parts, burned up transistors and diodes. I just can't get this thing to work, reliably or otherwise.
Instead of tossing it into the e-waste pile I'll offer it to the first person that offers me $25.00 for the remainder of the kit, the most valuable of which parts are the nixie tubes and the sockets used to mount them. You pay shipping using the method of your choice. I take PayPal only and will only ship to counus addresses associated with the PayPal address (in other words no forwarding as a gift to an address not connected to the PayPal account).
Regards and 73,
Chris Spacone, KD6OUB