Most nixie clock use a microprocessor and a crystal to keep the time. Some use the mains 50/60Hz as a reference. Even fewer use ring counters (like the Nixie Neon clock) or dekatron counters for calculating the time. This clock - is purely electromechanical; I have never seen a nixie clock design like this before. That's right, this device uses mechanical stepper relays and a motor to calculate the time passed. The author cites mechanical wear as a problem, but I have to imagine that noise would be one other draw back. Don't misunderstand me - this thing is cool

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+1 #1 Guest 2010-09-19 21:30

Clocks like this one was published in "The Radio Constructor" and "Electronic Engineering" during the 1960s and seems to be the simplest way to implement a clock at that time. There were special motorized "counting" units used for each digit.

+1 #2 Guest 2010-09-23 19:53

Practical Electronics March 1965 page 324 - 327 also has the same kind of clock.

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