Though they may appear to be vacuum tubes on first glance, Nixie tubes work much differently, displaying a glowing character inside. Once used to display information on electronic devices, these components have largely been replaced by newer technologies. Like many devices from the past, however, they certainly have their charm, and most any electronics hacker would love an excuse to use something like this.
The most obvious use is for a clock, however, these tubes aren’t that easy to work with, as they require over 100 volts of DC power to make them glow. You could go through the work of designing your own circuit and PCB, but perhaps instead you’d like to start with a kit. If so, the Past Indicator store has your solution, shipping to you straight out of Moscow!
They have several variations of their tube clocks available, like the beautiful ash and brass model pictured in the opening photo, though for something truly your own, the model seen directly above features tube holders connected by flat wires to the base unit. This would allow for a wide variety of customization. For some ideas of what can be done, check out the video below!
