• 0.7" bright orange Nixie display
• Soft fade display!
• 12 or 24 hour format!
• Side face Nixie tubes
• Today's technology with yesterday's display!
• The ultimate conversation piece!
• Unique and attractive case design

THE HISTORY
The Nixie tube made its debut in 1954 and quickly found its way as a digital display in high end test equipment, frequency counters, military applications and research projects. Soon they were used as the very first electronic digital display in consumer products like calculators, and the very first digital clocks. For those that were there, who could forget that warm golden glow of digital numbers changing before your eyes

In the early 70's seven segment vacuum fluorescent displays quickly replaced the Nixie because they did not require the complex cathode structure and also provided higher resolution graphics. As technology grew, vacuum fluorescent displays were quickly replaced with LED displays because they were much smaller, less fragile, had lower power consumption, and could rival the brightness and intensity of VCD's. Not requiring high voltage, LED seven segment displays quickly became the standard display for virtually all digital display products. Subminiature versions even found their way into the early Pulsar wristwatches!

RETRO AT IT'S FINEST!
Designed to pay homage to the era which birthed the Nixie, these clocks won't pick up radio stations, won't dock your iPod, and certainly won't play CDs. They won't even wake you up in the morning. But what they will do is display the time, beautifully and simply, like no other clock today can! Once utilized for military and high-end test equipment, Nixies are now prized for their modern aesthetics. The warm neon glow of a Nixie clock adds a cool retro touch to any office, home or work area.

Since their "demise", Nixie tubes haven't been manufactured domestically for decades. However they were still being manufactured in high volume in the mid 80's in the former Soviet Union. These Nixie tubes are the only ones readily available available today, and are the tubes used in the clocks. These space-race era Russian manufactured tubes also feature a great conversation starter... the number "5" is an upside down "2" reflecting an efficient and cost effective design philosophy from the cold war superpower! Both unexpected, effective, and thought provoking!

The Nixie Digital Clock features six Nixie tubes mounted in an attractive aluminum housing with black bevels to match any modern desk decor. Dual rear buttons set the time and select your choice of 12 or 24 hour mode. The clock runs on 120VAC, 60Hz. It uses the 60Hz line frequency as the time base, so it cannot be used outside domestic 120VAC/60Hz power sources. Measures 6.5"W x 3"H x 1.75"D.

The clocks perfectly mesh today's technology with the Nixie era technology of the 1960's. The brain of the clock is a micro-controller which controls all functions of the clock. The Nixie tube display is driven with a surface mount (SMT) Supertex HV5522 high voltage serial to parallel converter. The clock features a very unique soft fade display enabling an incredibly smooth transition as the numbers change. It also supports 12 or 24 hour display format.

WHAT IS A NIXIE TUBE?
The Nixie tube is a cold-cathode tube filled with neon gas and equipped with a wire mesh anode and multiple cathodes in the shape of numerals. Applying power to one of the cathodes creates the characteristic and appealing soft orange glow. Although the technology was pioneered in the early 20th century, nixie display tubes weren't brought to market commercially until 1954 by the Burroughs Corporation. The name "Nixie" was derived by Burroughs from "NIX I", an abbreviation of "Numeric Indicator eXperimental No. 1".

Nixie tubes were always considered to have an extended life by design. It is not uncommon to expect a tube life of 5 years or more. The new Russian Nixie tubes used in these clocks are hand selected and tested for brightness, flaws, and irregularities. They are warranted against failure (not breakage!) for 30 days. If a tube in a new clock fails within 30 days, send us the clock and we will replace it free of charge. Replacement tubes are available (NOTE - they cannot be plugged in like miniature vacuum tubes; desoldering and resoldering is required). Beyond the tubes, our standard product warranty applies.

THE ULTIMATE CONVERSATION PIECE!
Show your nostalgic fondness for yesterday's technology with a Nixie tube clock. It is rather ironic that in their heyday the use of Nixies was considered too expensive for consumer products like clocks and here we are today! The unmistakable soft orange glow and the remarkable fade display feature in an attractive housing! Then the mere discussion of Russian tubes made during the cold war, with an upside down "2" as a "5"... It just doesn't get any better than that! Get on the retro bandwagon with your very own Nixie classic clock