This would be an upright mechanical clock--pendulum movement, chimes, and all. In place of an analog clock face, it would have a seven-segment digital display utilizing mechanical shutters. Perfect home decor for any Internet millionaire.
-- l2g, Mar 07 2000

Nixie tube clocks http://www.wps.com/...Model-11/index.html
Oldtimers will recall Nixie tubes to be numerical displays that use neon discharge from number-shaped electrodes. Way cool glowing orange numerals -- worth a look if you haven't seen them. A better picture is at http://www.cosmodog.com/nixie.html (though WPS was first, and coolest). [rmutt, Mar 07 2000, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Nixie Tube Clocks with GPS accuracy http://www.nixisat.com
These Nixie clocks self-set to GPS satellites for millisecond accuracy. [oldvan, Oct 04 2004]

How about other retro-clocks with modern displays driven by old technology. Imagine a comb made up of metal pins, attached to a small electronic clock. Stick the comb in the side of a candle and light the candle. The 'clock' would measure the resistance between adjacent pins in the comb and thus know when the candle had burnt below the level of any pin, and thus (based on the known rate of burning of the candle) how much time had elapsed since the candle was lit, which it could then display.
-- hippo, Mar 07 2000


Surely you'd need to know the exact rate at which each candle you used melted? The sheer logistics make such a device not only impractical but impossible. I think.
-- MrTheRich, Jun 30 2000


After having seen this suggestion, I looked up Nixies on Ebay and got myself a Nixie-based DVM for $20. Way cool. I'm surprised I've never seen any true period Nixie-based clocks, though--the only such clocks I've seen are of modern design. Wierd.
-- supercat, Dec 28 2000


You suck! <grin> I've been looking for one of those for a long time...I bought a bunch of nixies and have been intending to build a clock, but haven't been able to find a circuit to do what I want.
-- StarChaser, Dec 29 2000


StarChaser: Check out http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1203993797 if you like nixies. It's a **SCIENTIFIC** calculator using nixies. Current bid is $50.50. It may well go over $100, but if it doesn't it may be worth grabbing.
-- supercat, Dec 30 2000


Nixies are different from LED digital displays, or arrays of lightbulbs...They are actually numbers shaped like 1 2 3, etc, that light up neon orange when powered. LED's are just wads of bars that light up in the vague shape.

The calculator is more than I want to spend on something to fool around with, but I still wish I could find someone to do me a circuit...
-- StarChaser, Dec 30 2000


StarChaser: How many nixies do you have? If you have 8 or 12 I might be willing to trade 4 or 6 for a tested clock design.
-- supercat, Dec 30 2000


Supercat, if you're still around, email me? My address is in my profile.
-- StarChaser, Oct 17 2002



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