2010-02-23 Finding Nimo
Posted by AnubisTTP

Humans have come up with a variety of ways to display numbers electronically, but Nimo tubes easily rank as one of the most bizarre. These devices, which consist of an array of electron guns covered by digit shaping masks, allow a numeric character to be drawn on the surface of a phosphor screen without the need for deflection or the other control signals present in conventional cathode ray displays. We have added two examples of this technology, an IEE BA-0000-P31 and a Telefunken XM1000, to the Imaging Tubes section. We have also added the odd-looking Telefunken RV12P2000 pentode to the Diodes, Triodes, Tetrodes & Pentodes section and an obscure Western Electric LED to the Solid State Indicators section.

2010-01-30 Be Counted
Posted by AnubisTTP

We are happy to fill a gaping hole in our counting tube collection: the GC10/2P dekatron is now finally represented on the Glow Transfer Counting Tubes page. This tube, the only miniature dekatron commercially manufactured by Ericsson Telephone Ltd., is quite uncommon and we are glad to at last have it represented on our site. Speaking of counters, we have also added a Beckman neon column counter to the Display & Counting Circuits section. These devices were in common use for counting and display before the advent of Nixie tubes, and it does not take much imagination to see why this is a display method in need of improvement. We have also added two other displays: the Soviet IV-15, a clone of the popular 6977 tuning indicator, has been added to the Variable Indicator Tubes section, and an extremely rare engineering sample variant of the GE Y1938 VFD has been added to the Vacuum Fluorescent Displays section.

2009-11-27 Orange Friday
Posted by AnubisTTP

While the rest of the world partakes in the Black Friday consumer spending orgy, we figured the time was ripe for another site update. * Solid State Displays: Two devices, a HP 5082-7412 three-digit display and a Siemens DLR2416 intelligent LED display. * Incandescent Displays: A Dialco 710-0300-009 incandescent seven-segment display with discrete removable lamps. * Gas Discharge Displays: The iconic Burroughs B7971, a large segmented alphanumeric Nixie tube that has been the tube of choice in Nixie projects that require alphanumeric display.

2009-10-26 The Value of Pie
Posted by AnubisTTP

We have jumped on the Halloween bandwagon and posted a pumpkin-carving project, dubbed the 'Pie of Sauron'. Is sticking a 400 volt dekatron counting tube into the front of a jack-o-lantern a concept fraught with peril? We'll leave that up to the arson investigator to decide. We have also made a few additions to the Electronics Museum, including the IV-22 in the Vacuum Florescent Displays section and the Dumont 3ABP2 multi-gun CRT, added to the Imaging Tubes section.

2009-10-04 Enter the Polyatron
Posted by AnubisTTP

With the recent announcement of the restoration of the Harwell WITCH, the world's most famous dekatron-using device, we felt that an upgrade to the Glow Transfer Counting Tubes page was well in order. A significant update has been made to the page, including historical data and information on the evolution of glow transfer tubes. We have also added two new devices to the section: the A-201 and A-107 counting tubes. The A-201 is a noteworthy device, as it is the world's only known production Polyatron tube. Also called an 'inverse dekatron', the Polyatron was intended to be the technological successor to the dekatron tube, and its relevance was prevented only by the sudden appearance of cheap, reliable transistor-based counters. The A-107 is a tiny Soviet counter tube, and one of only a few such devices which does not directly display its count position.

2009-09-06 Tubes & LEDs
Posted by AnubisTTP

Check out the latest additions to the site, we have added a number of new devices that could best be described as objects of rarity: * Glow Transfer Counting Tubes: A seldom seen first-source Raytheon part, the CK8262. * Solid State Displays: A bizzare three-digit glass-and-metal smart LED of unknown origin. * Solid State Indicators: A gold-plated straight pin LED of unknown manufacture.

2009-08-09 Meat & Potatoes
Posted by AnubisTTP

Once again, we have added a number of new devices to various sections of the site: * Display & Counting Circuits: A very early single digit LED driver manufactured by Dialco. * Glow Transfer Counting Tubes: An extremely rare GCA10G direct drive dekatron. * Solid State Displays: The 5082-7107, a large glass and ceramic package display made by Hewlett-Packard. * Vacuum Fluorescent Displays: A blue-dipped variant of the General Electric Y1938 display and a Soviet IV-21 readout.

2009-07-13 More Rarities
Posted by AnubisTTP

An assortment of new devices have been added to the site in the past few weeks: * Glow Transfer Counters: Two new dekatron tubes, the Z504 compact envelope and the extremely rare Japanese DK24 selector. * Imaging Tubes: Two tiny electrostatic CRT tubes, the National Union 122P11 and the RCA 913. * Solid State Displays: A truly minuscule Fairchild FND-10 single digit LED display. * Incandescent Displays: An Alco Mosaic readout, a telling example of how a Cold War engineer goes about making a seven-segment display.

2009-06-06 The Spinning
Posted by AnubisTTP

We have added an assortment of new items over the past week, as the post-Hamvention shakedown continues. Most notably, a couple uncommon dekatrons have been added to the Glow Transfer Counting Tubes section: the Ericsson GS10E and Mullard Z302C. Several new items have been added to the Filament Displays section as well, including the DR2000 and DA2020 Numitron display tubes, and the rather uncommon DTF104B end-view Numitron. There has also been an update to the Dekatrons of the World reference; datasheets for many of the more common dekatron tubes are now available. Need to know the pinouts for a GSA10G? We've got you covered.

2009-04-01 Day of the Dekatron
Posted by AnubisTTP

We have added several new devices to the site in the past week, including a rare GSA10G 'direct drive' dekatron. As far as we know, this is the first time operational photos of this strange device have ever appeared on the internet. We have also added a number of devices to the Solid State Displays section, including the HP 5082-7415, the Litronix DL330, a Siemens DL340 display, and a previously unknown Litronix two-digit display. We have also added a new article, Dekatrons of the World, a comprehensive list of every known dekatron part number with diagrams and basic specificatons.

2009-03-07 The Eyes Have It
Posted by AnubisTTP

We are happy to announce our latest product, the YS-150 Tuning Eye Demonstrator. The YS-150 is a compact 'magic eye' tuning indicator tube driver circuit, which generates a bouncing visual effect on an EM84-type side view eye tube. The YS-150 has two speed settings, slow-change RGB under-tube lighting, and perhaps the most unique of all, the YS-150 can be powered with a single 5VDC supply. The YS-150 is currently available in pre-assembled form on eBay, and we will also be offering it as a user-assembled kit in the future.

2009-02-27 Num3rals
Posted by AnubisTTP

An assortment of new number-generating devices have been added to the site in the past few weeks: * Solid State Displays: Two new Texas Instruments displays, the TIL311, and the TIA8447, as well as another HP intelligent display, the QDSP-2021. * Gas Discharge Displays: A tiny Beckman SP332 panaplex display. * Filament Displays:An alphanumeric minitron, the KW-105AL, and a bizarre light pipe display made by MSC.

2009-01-28 Let There Be Spin
Posted by AnubisTTP

We have made several significant additions to the Glow Transfer Counting Tubes section over the past few weeks, including the addition of an extremely rare Elesta EZ10 nomotron tube. The EZ10 is the smallest, fastest nomotron in the world, and the only one known to be filled with something other than neon. Be sure to also take a look at the 7978 dekatron, one of the few counting tubes to be first-sourced by Raytheon. Other new additions include a GC10/4B counting tube, new better pictures of Western Electric's bizarre 6167 in operation, and two examples of the unusual GS12D base-12 selector tube.

2009-01-10 Stuff Happens
Posted by AnubisTTP

Another batch of new items have been added to the website: * Solid State Displays: Three new HP smart displays, the HDSP-2010, QDSP-2273 and the HDSP 5082-7359. * Analog & Mixed Signal Integrated Circuits: Analog Devices DAC80Z D/A converter. * Gas Discharge Tubes:Two new helium neon laser tubes, one manufactured by Melles Griot, and one made by Uniphase.

2008-09-01 Again with the Tubes
Posted by AnubisTTP

We have added three new dekatron tubes to the Glow Transfer Counting Tubes section: * Westinghouse 6879 miniature counting tube. * Sovtek OG-9 octal computing counter tube. * RFT Z562 compact selector tube. The photos page for the CT4251/8353 counting tubes was also recently updated with additonal photos and a video of the 8353 in operation.

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