Nixie Tube Clock

I love tubes, weather they are for audio or for displaying something. Not only do they look unreal if your using them for Audio gear they sound great to, if you happen to like the sound signature of tubes.

A while a go, before I started this blog I wanted to build a clock..
Not some regular lame clock a clock using nixie tubes.

They look so dam good or maybe that's just me. I know you can buy tubes from E-bay, but then you need to work out a circuit and buy the bits to drive the tubes. That's when I stumbled across this web site Tube Hobby. They sell tubes and other displays, they also sell clock kits.

The kit is designed to work with IN-14 Russian made tubes. They look nice, but I don't like the "5" it looks like an upside down 3... Yes I am picky...

Instead I brought the IN-8-2 tubes and the Clock Kit. The In-8-2 are the same size physical and the numbers are the same size. The IN-8-2  five looks like a real five.

The kit comes with everything you need, apart from a power supply. It has standard 3.5ml round plug for DC input.

I had to change the layout of my tubes as the IN-8-2 have a different layout from the IN-14. Tube hobby supplys the pin out sheets for them. They are in Russian but you can still make out what pin should go where. The kit instructions are in English. Did not take me long to put together the kit. Do remember that tubes require high voltage to operate so be careful.

The ower of tube hobby is most helpfull. I would not have any hesitations to buy from him again. You can see the full images at my flicker

Hear is a taste of what it looks like on during the day.