Claus-Dieter sent me information on a new product that he built along with Dieter Wächter of Nocrotec.com fame. This new gadget is is a two digit thermometer based on IN-16 Russian Nixie tubes. The tubes are lit from underneath with a blue LED and there is a neon lamp that acts as a negative sign indicator. The temperature sensor is a Dallas DS18S20 on 1, 2, 5, and 10 meter lengths. This device supports up to two sensors so you can have the device can report both indoor and outside temperature.
The clock has a nice small design with all of the components hidden on the underside of the board. The clock enclosure is up to the user to design.
The software has a few neat features too. It has a smart menu system that makes operation easy. The user can adjust the update frequency and error detection settings. Additionally, the device has a built in cathode poisoning prevention mechanism; the device cycles through digits in a simulated slot machine effect to prolong the life of the IN-16s.
I've had a chance to review one of these units. Read about it here.
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Torsten Bock just sent me some cool photos of a design that he has been working on. The electronics are based on the kit from Claus Urbachand the enclosure is based on a modified Mac Mini hard drive enclosure. Clearly Torsten is a fan of Apple products and the clock is named after Steve Jobs. The front and back were fabricated by Torsten our of acrylic and metal. He sent in a lot of photos so be sure to check out the read more link below.
BadNixie.com has a new article up on "Modular" Nixie clock. All I have to say is that this thing is amazing. It is a direct drive, six digit B7971 nixie clock with little neon light colon indicators. Other features worth noting: user input is via a rotary encoder, the brightness of the display is adjusted automatically based on ambient light, and there are several fonts to choose from. Carl Ott of New York designed the electronics and wrote the software. Michael had the PCB’s fabricated and assembeled the clock.
Be sure to check out Michael's site - he has several build photos worth looking at.
Okay, folks, this is the moment you were waiting for. I just got word from Jürgen that the remaining pieces of the enclosure are now in stock and ready for sale. (Actually, he told me a few hours ago but I was at work....)
The base price, without tubes and an enclosure is 110 EUR
The desktop enclosure is 25 EUR
The tubes cost:
Shipping to the US is 20 EUR
Assembly is free for the first few customers :)
the color cycling RBG combination is standard but you may also order red, orange, green, cyan, blue, pink, warm white (gold), cool white.
RULES: If you buy one, you have to post photos in the forum :)