![]() However, in the end, it turned out that the neon bulbs were highly corroded, and replacing all the neon bulbs made things work better. One thing that was interesting is that since each of the four columns are identical, it was possible to compare readings from one decade to another. This video shows the final steps to success. In previous videos, he had most of the device working, but there were still some odd behavior. has been r estoring one of these for some time, but there was a gap between the second and third videos as his workshop became a kitten nursery. The HP 521A frequency counter, though, uses four columns of ten discrete neon bulbs to make a decidedly low-tech but effective digital display. But some old gear had things like nixies or numitrons to get cool-looking retro digital displays. We think of digital displays as something you see on relatively modern gear. His efforts to build a “hollow state” computer would be greatly aided by neon lamp circuits such as these - not to mention how cool they’d make everything look.Ĭontinue reading “Neon Lamps - Not Just For Pilot Lights” → Posted in classic hacks, Parts Tagged breakdown, discharge, flip-flop, lamp, multivibrator, neon, pilot light, plasma, thyratron The upshot of all these experiments is pretty clear to anyone who’s been following ’s channel, which is chock full of non-conventional uses for vacuum tubes. The addition of a simple control grid makes for some interesting circuits, like single-tube multi-vibrators. The real fun begins when he breaks out the MTX90 tube, which is essentially a cold cathode thyratron. He also shows off some cool neon lamp tricks, like using them for all sorts of multi-vibrator circuits without anything but a few resistors and capacitors added in. He starts with an exploration of the venerable NE-2 bulb, which has been around forever, detailing some of its interesting electrical properties, like the difference between the voltage needed to start the neon discharge and the voltage needed to maintain it. ![]() Where LEDs are cold and flat, the gentle orange glow of a neon lamp brings a lot to the aesthetics party, especially in retro builds.īut looks aren’t the only thing these tiny glow lamps have going for them, and shows off some of the surprising alternate uses for neon lamps in his new video. But for all the practical utility of LEDs, they’re found largely lacking in at least one regard over their older indicator cousins: charm. It’s easy to see why LEDs largely won out over neon bulbs for pilot light applications. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |