Nixie-clock using neon lamps as logic elements
2 days ago
- #Neon-lamp
- #DIY-electronics
- #Nixie-tube
- Home-built digital clock using Nixie-tubes without transistors or ICs.
- Driving logic built from neon lamps, resistors, capacitors, and silicon diodes.
- Project inspired by a 1967 book on electronic counting circuits.
- Neon lamps used as logic elements in a ring counter, requiring specific voltage characteristics.
- Modern neon bulbs have smaller voltage differences, making circuit operation more critical.
- Clock uses multiple ring counters to divide frequency for seconds and minutes.
- Nixie tubes driven via Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs) with optical filters to reduce ambient light interference.
- Clock sensitive to ambient light; blue LEDs tested for stability in darkness.
- Power supply and enclosure improvements needed for safety and tidiness.
- Circuit diagram available, but resistor values depend on specific neon lamp characteristics.
- Initial stability issues led to modifications, but aging neon bulbs eventually made the clock unusable.
- Inspired others to experiment with neon lamp ring counters; new clock built in 2020.