For manufacturers, making clocks with parts is a rite of passage and usually represents a wise introduction to the electronic world. As Joshua Coleman discovered when making nixie tube clocks for his friends, it is also difficult to beat the warm glow of nixie tubes in desktop clocks.
It was initially decided to upgrade the chassis from an irreparable Heathkit function generator, but it failed after some misaligned cutting, so the front panel was finally redesigned and 3D printed. This was ultimately accidental, as the redesigned front panel allowed the nixie tube to be inserted into the metal chassis. This effect looks great, and it can better protect the pipe from impact damage.
In the end, the cloning of 74141 digital driver chips was easier than expected, and the rest of the electronic products were soon integrated. The decoder is driven by Arduino, and the 4-inch nixie tube is powered by a custom 170 V DC power supply.
Unfortunately, four of the tubes were damaged during installation, but the replacement parts were readily available online. The gorgeous in-4 nixie tube is famous for its easy rupture, but the price on the auction website is relatively high and relatively easy to obtain.
The post break build video should get any aspiring nixie clock manufacturer started, but the video description is also full of additional information and links for those in need to start using.
We don’t lack clock hackers in hackday, so why don’t we take a look? This retro style LED clock looks like it came out of a parallel universe, or maybe this amazing digital clock driven by relays will open your eyes.