Time to tidy up for a new project!

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(09-03-2024 11:48 PM)Geoff Quickfall Wrote:  The infamous smoke test! Plug it in, if it smokes, unplug it, if it doesn't; use it!

Recently I acquired the innards of a home-made Nixie clock. With 8 tubes because it also displays tens and hundreds of seconds, whatever that may be good for. Attached a cable, plugged it in, all tubes light up - so far so good. But no way to set the time, it obvioulsy only works with a time-radio receiver (DCF 77) attached. Found one in one of my many boxes, connected it, there were only three contacts "+5V", "Gnd" and "signal". Plugged it in, as before, all tubes light up but no time display even after waiting for an hour for the receiver to get it's signal. So disconnected the receiver again and plugged it in once again to see those beautiful tubes glow in the dark: Bang! go the diodes and capacitor of the power supply. No idea why, all I did was disconnect the radio receiver.... Luckily the tubes survived and I have a chinese kit for a Nixie clock somewhere for which I can use them.

Regarding those beautiful Sony Air 7/8 radios: Use them as long as there is still something to listen to! Here in Europe, AM radio has been discontinued many years ago in many countries, Germany will start taking analog FM radios off the air one after the other beginning next year and Air Band has been switched from 25kHz to 8.33kHz channel spacing. I recently retired my 30 year old Icom tranceiver that I used to carry with me as an emergency radio when instructing because it has become totally unusable.

Regard
Max