Nixie Tube - Revival

Revival

Citing dissatisfaction with the aesthetics of modern digital displays and a nostalgic fondness for the styling of obsolete technology, significant numbers of electronics enthusiasts in recent years have shown interest in reviving Nixies. Unsold tubes that have been sitting in warehouses for decades are being brought out and used, the most common application being in homemade digital clocks. This is somewhat ironic, since during their heyday, Nixies were generally considered too expensive for use in mass-market consumer goods such as clocks. This recent surge in demand has caused prices to rise significantly, particularly for large tubes. The largest type known to be in the hands of collectors, the Rodan CD47/GR-414 (220 mm tall), have been sold for hundreds of dollars each, but these are extremely rare and only found in a few areas of the world by persistent and fortunate seekers. Prices for other large types displaying digits over 25 mm (1 in) tall have risen by double, triple or more between 1998 and 2005.

In addition to the tube itself, another important consideration is the relatively high-voltage circuitry to drive the tube. The original 7400 series drivers ICs such as the 74141 BCD decoder driver (or its Russian equivalent the K155ID1) have long since been out of production and are rarer than NOS tubes. However modern bipolar transistors with high voltage ratings are now available cheaply, such as MPSA92 or MPSA42 - an unusual example where an original IC design has been replaced by discrete transistors.