How long do Nixie tubes last?

Average longevity of Nixie tubes varied from about 5,000 hours for the earliest types, to as high as 200,000 hours or more for some of the last types to be introduced.

Why are Nixie tubes so expensive?

The reason is that nobody is making nixie tubes on a commercial basis nowadays. As old tubes get used up, they also become more expensive. The tiny tubes used in watches are especially rare because they were rarely used in the nixie display age. The thing is that tubes were not popular in clocks until recent years.

What are the sizes of Nixie tubes?

They range in size from miniature (approx 8mm) to extra large (100mm) figure sizes. A nixie tube display system was used in the year 2000 movie by Warnerbros titled “The Dish”.

What are the largest Nixie tubes?

Larger types (about 2.5 – 4 cm) are relatively rare and the largest (5cm or more) is rarity. Such large types were not produced in large amount, as their use was not very wide. Now Nixies are popular to construct Nixie Clocks as I already mentioned.

What is cathode poisoning?

When a tube cathode is fully heated but no anode current is allowed to flow for long periods of time (several hours), a high-resistance chemical layer can grow between the cathode tube and the oxide coating. …

What are the smallest Nixie tubes?

IN-17 – Ultra tiny nixie tube. IN-17 is cold cathode neon gas discharge indicator intended to display Arabic digits in a shape of “0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9” . Digit size approx 8 x 5.5 mm (H,W). There are normal “5” (not an upside down “2”).

Where are Nixie tubes made?

Czech Republic
Nixies return after a 30-year wait. The last nixie tube was made in the early 90s, when this beautiful technology was replaced by lower-cost alternatives. But production has now resumed in the Czech Republic.

What is the difference between Nixie tubes?

The differences are the glass envelope shape and the ‘5’ and ‘4’ digits. IN-14’s use a upside down and backwards ‘2’ for the ‘5’ digit. IN-8-2 tubes have a narrower ‘4’ digit than the IN-14, but use a normal ‘5’ digit. Note: When socket pins are used on IN-14’s the plastic base is not used.

Do people still make Nixie tubes?

The last nixie tube was made in the early 90s, when this beautiful technology was replaced by lower-cost alternatives. But production has now resumed in the Czech Republic.

Are Nixie tubes safe?

It’s usually safe, but not for beginners. The main rule is MAKE SURE POWER IS OFF. Quite often, power is on when people think that it’s off.

How much power do Nixie tubes use?

Although the voltage is high, the amount of current flowing is very small, so the clocks do not use much power. They only consume about 3 to 4 Watts of power, and consequently generate almost no heat. The tubes are not hot or even warm to the touch.

What are in-12 Nixie tubes used for?

Electrons and electric signals travel freely through vacuums, which allows their transmission to occur uninhibited. IN-12 Nixie tubes refer to a specific style of the vintage hardware. Nixie tubes are seen in all of the devices mentioned previously but also enjoy frequent pairing with digital clocks as well.

Can you use Nixie vacuum tubes for clocks?

Clock kit-ready: IN-12 Nixie vacuum tubes will work wonderfully with all manner of digital clocks and clock construction kits. Easy installation: These vacuum tubes can be inserted just by pushing them into the proper reception area on a target device. No screws or bolts required.

How much does a nixie display board cost?

Modular nixie display board based on the soviet Russian IN-12A cold-cathode tubes. The IN-12A is a relatively cheap 80s cold cathode tube made is Soviet Russia and is by far the most common nixie found on ebay. Price is around $20US for a lot of six (new old stock).

What are the features of in-12 vacuum tubes?

Flexible connectivity ports: The pin connectors used with IN-12 vacuum tubes are easily paired with all manner of compatible devices. Stellar output: These tubes boast stellar maximum outputs of approximately 25 volts per tube. They can be paired with another tube to increase this figure.