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Historic electronics
Hi I'm wondering if any of the members here can help.
I'm trying to find out if there is a technical or trade name for the digital countdown instrument seen in the old test videos counting the final seconds to a detonation. I don't mean the whole piece of apparatus but rather the small round indicator that counted down the seconds . The numbers seemed to be made of little dots and were a red/orange colour. Was it an early LED of some kind? Thanks for your help, Tim |
#2
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Historic electronics
On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:20:32 +0000 (UTC), Tim Rogers
wrote: Hi I'm wondering if any of the members here can help. I'm trying to find out if there is a technical or trade name for the digital countdown instrument seen in the old test videos counting the final seconds to a detonation. I don't mean the whole piece of apparatus but rather the small round indicator that counted down the seconds . The numbers seemed to be made of little dots and were a red/orange colour. Was it an early LED of some kind? Thanks for your help, Tim They used a variety of counters in the old days. The classic was a round neon device with a center electrode and ten digit dots around the periphery in a end looking vacuum (neon) tube. The tubes functioned as both a counter and display. They were called Dekatrons. They are collector's items but still being sold. The also used neon bulbs in a "ring counter" that would sequentially light a ring of individual neon's. Check these out: or search for Dekatron, Numitron, Nixie http://www.wps.com/projects/decimal-tubes/index.html http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/nixies2.html http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca...sele/Nixie.htm They didn't have LED's until the late 60's or so. The atomic test was in the 40's -- ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#4
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Historic electronics
On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:20:32 +0000, Tim Rogers wrote:
Hi I'm wondering if any of the members here can help. I'm trying to find out if there is a technical or trade name for the digital countdown instrument seen in the old test videos counting the final seconds to a detonation. I don't mean the whole piece of apparatus but rather the small round indicator that counted down the seconds . The numbers seemed to be made of little dots and were a red/orange colour. Was it an early LED of some kind? If it was a 5 X 7 (or so) matrix of lit dots, (which it sounds like you're describing), I don't know what the trade name or the technical term is, but back in those days they were quite thick, and considted of a sort of block with translucent plastic on the front, and holes; and behind each of these holes was an incandescent lamp. So try googling on .. ah, what the hell - - http://www.google.com/search?q=incan...egment+display Good Luck! Rich |
#5
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Historic electronics
On 2005-10-16, Tim Rogers wrote:
Hi I'm wondering if any of the members here can help. I'm trying to find out if there is a technical or trade name for the digital countdown instrument seen in the old test videos counting the final seconds to a detonation. I don't mean the whole piece of apparatus but rather the small round indicator that counted down the seconds . The numbers seemed to be made of little dots and were a red/orange colour. Was it an early LED of some kind? nixie tube? - bu they weren't dots, more a tube with wire shapes for each digit Bye. Jasen |
#6
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Historic electronics
"Tim Rogers" wrote in message
... Thanks very much - this was the perfect answer! Tim But there are no numbers with dekatrons just an orange dot that goes round in a circle as the dekatron counts from 0 to 9. -- Brian Gregory. (In the UK) To email me remove the letter vee. |
#7
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Historic electronics
Jasen Betts wrote:
On 2005-10-16, Tim Rogers wrote: Hi I'm wondering if any of the members here can help. I'm trying to find out if there is a technical or trade name for the digital countdown instrument seen in the old test videos counting the final seconds to a detonation. I don't mean the whole piece of apparatus but rather the small round indicator that counted down the seconds . The numbers seemed to be made of little dots and were a red/orange colour. Was it an early LED of some kind? nixie tube? - bu they weren't dots, more a tube with wire shapes for each digit Bye. Jasen sometimes mechanical displays were used too, with numbers driven by a solenoid. Less likely if it was a neon colour though. NT |
#8
Posted to alt.electronics
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Historic electronics
I think you're talking about nixie tubes that actually requires a B+ voltage
of 170v or so. Cordially, west wrote in message oups.com... Jasen Betts wrote: On 2005-10-16, Tim Rogers wrote: Hi I'm wondering if any of the members here can help. I'm trying to find out if there is a technical or trade name for the digital countdown instrument seen in the old test videos counting the final seconds to a detonation. I don't mean the whole piece of apparatus but rather the small round indicator that counted down the seconds . The numbers seemed to be made of little dots and were a red/orange colour. Was it an early LED of some kind? nixie tube? - bu they weren't dots, more a tube with wire shapes for each digit Bye. Jasen sometimes mechanical displays were used too, with numbers driven by a solenoid. Less likely if it was a neon colour though. NT |
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