Six Tube Clock with IN14

This nixie clock was designed by Dave Thorpe, and built from a kit available from his UK based Unusual Electronics website. Dave has done a fantastic job with this design and his software has many unique features. The clock is extremely configurable, with over thirty options to customise the look and behaviour - (see the features list below). I especially like the scrolling date, and other digit cycling effects, which look great. This clock is anything but dull, and a real pleasure to watch!


Front view of the finished clock

Six tube in14 clock, front view.


In more detail
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The finished PCB. The high voltage generator is handled by the processor, reducing component count. 74141 type decoder chips are used to drive the Nixies, which are configured in a 3*2 Multiplex matrix.
Precision laser cut, and highly polished, stainless steel plates are used for the case. They sandwich together with the PCB in the middle, and look great. The sides are a piece of thin, perforated stainless steel (3mm perforations).
Here the PCB has been mounted to the top plate, and the DCF77 connector attached. D5 thru D10 are the blue LED's which lookup the Nixie's base.
Great care must be taken when mounting the Nixies to get them straight, its impossible to move them (without breaking the glass) when all the pins are soldered!
The set switches and light sensor can be seen. Normally, the red and green LED's flash at 1 second intervals, in the case of a HV fault, the flash sequence indicates the possible cause.
Power is plugged in (left). The two buttons are for setting the clock and/or options, below them is the light sensor which can automatically dim (or turn off) the Nixies in the dark.
The blue LED's look great, and can also be seen from below the top plate. Numerous software options exist to alter the display characterisitcs.


A top view of the finished clock
There's nothing like polished stainless steel, just be careful with those finger prints! The underside of the blue tube leds reflect inside the case and glow through the perforations in the dark.

Six tube in18 clock, top view.

Nixie Clock Features