This forum is for exchange of information about gas-discharge readout tubes, such as Nixie tubes and similar devices (Panaplex readouts, Pixie tubes, Dekatrons, etc.), which were used in numeric and alphanumeric displays in electronic equipment in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Today these tubes, available used or even new (old stock) from surplus dealers and collectors, are being illuminated again to make clocks and other unique displays, where their quaint orange-red glow provides a nostalgic Cold War era character. Secondary topics within our charter include other vintage digital display technologies, and circuit design (especially clocks).

Past and current topics include driving circuits, multiplexing vs. direct drive, making sockets or locating them, tube sources, lifetime, power supply design, learning to use microcontrollers, nixies in motion in "propeller" clocks, the challenges of designing a nixie wristwatch and even the potential challenges and problems encountered making modern-day nixie tubes in a home or small-industry workshop setting. The combined membership base represents a significant pool of knowledge, since some have been building things with nixies for 30 years or more.

Members are encouraged to visit all sections of the site available via the links in the menu at left, especially the Database, which contains our FAQs and a perpetual Virtual Swap Meet.

Owner/Moderator: Raymond Weisling
Co-Moderator: Alan "A.J." Franzman

Our Neonixie Counter

Homepage photo requests: Members please see [Files > (Moderator Use) > playlist.txt] for instructions to submit photo requests for display above.