# Why Did The Russians make All Those Nixie Tubes?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 14, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204 "2015-09-14T14:19:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/1 "2015-09-14T14:19:56Z")
If you go on Ebay, you will see tons of Nixie Tube clocks for sale-from Russia, Poland, former east Bloc countries. I like nixie displays-they have a nice '70s look about them. My question; there must be warehouses full of them-were they like all Soviet products-produced in huge numbers because “the 5 year plan” said so? I’d like to have a var dashboard display based on Nixies-wonder what it would cost?
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/2 "2015-09-14T14:26:00Z")
Those are cool! Had no idea they were still around.
I don’t think they would work well in an automotive application. For one thing, I gather Nixie tubes don’t handle shaking very well. For another, they operate at relatively high voltage (100+) compared to your car (12V DC throughout).
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### Author:  [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/3 "2015-09-14T14:55:19Z")
> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> If you go on Ebay, you will see tons of Nixie Tube clocks for sale-from Russia, Poland, former east Bloc countries. I like nixie displays-they have a nice '70s look about them. My question; there must be warehouses full of them-were they like all Soviet products-produced in huge numbers because “the 5 year plan” said so? I’d like to have a var dashboard display based on Nixies-wonder what it would cost?
Warehouses full? I doubt that, but the Soviets used tubes well into the 80’s when western countries had gone to solid state. Why? Because like most Soviet engineering, Nixies were BIG, STRONG, and RELIABLE…and somewhat clunky.
I restore antique tube radios as a hobby and a dashboard could be done in Nixies but unless you understand the electronics it would cost $1000’s - $10,000’s to hire someone to design and build it. There are lots of Nixie clock schematics on the web and I think an Arduino controller could translate dashboard inputs to the tube driver circuits. There is no shortage of _most_ vacuum tubes if you wanted to experiment.
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### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/4 "2015-09-14T16:12:20Z")
> [@Nefario](#):
>
> Warehouses full? I doubt that, but the Soviets used tubes well into the 80’s when western countries had gone to solid state. Why? Because like most Soviet engineering, Nixies were BIG, STRONG, and RELIABLE…and somewhat clunky.
>
> I restore antique tube radios as a hobby and a dashboard could be done in Nixies but unless you understand the electronics it would cost $1000’s - $10,000’s to hire someone to design and build it. There are lots of Nixie clock schematics on the web and I think an Arduino controller could translate dashboard inputs to the tube driver circuits. There is no shortage of _most_ vacuum tubes if you wanted to experiment.
Even better would be the old Ferranti-Packard magnetic displays-I always liked them. surprisingly, these are available from eastern Europe as well.
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### Author:  [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/5 "2015-09-14T16:24:17Z")
Here’s a guy that built a very nice [Nixie tachometer!](http://www.vinciworx.de/en/projekte/nixie-drehzahlmesser)
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/6 "2015-09-14T17:27:25Z")
> [@Nefario](#):
>
> the Soviets used tubes well into the 80’s when western countries had gone to solid state. Why? Because like most Soviet engineering, Nixies were BIG, STRONG, and RELIABLE…and somewhat clunky.
I believe that tubes are not destroyed by the electro magnetic pulse of nuclear weapons.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/7 "2015-09-14T17:35:20Z")
They’re not. But the underlying circuit boards still are.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/8 "2015-09-14T17:48:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> They’re not. But the underlying circuit boards still are.
How so?
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/9 "2015-09-14T19:09:47Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> They’re not. But the underlying circuit boards still are.
Less of a problem if you do point-to-point wiring between tube sockets. Using heavy-gauge wiring (like 14ga copper).
Sometimes, manufacturing techniques from a century ago are the very best.
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### Author:  [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/10 "2015-09-14T19:38:40Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> I believe that tubes are not destroyed by the electro magnetic pulse of nuclear weapons.
I never understood that solid state circuits were destroyed by EMP due to burned circuit traces(?). The actual silicon chips are connected to the devices external leads by wires less than the width of hair, much smaller than PCB traces. Tube electronics may be built using circuit boards.
My experience is that tubes act almost like fluid devices, herding electrons across various control grids in a vacuum. There is no molecular level interface to be damaged by EMP as in solid state devices. However, tubes _do_ have rated voltage potentials and can be damaged by an internal arc so who knows.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/11 "2015-09-14T20:15:56Z")
> [@Nefario](#):
>
> I never understood that solid state circuits were destroyed by EMP due to burned circuit traces(?). The actual silicon chips are connected to the devices external leads by wires less than the width of hair, much smaller than PCB traces. Tube electronics may be built using circuit boards.
>
> My experience is that tubes act almost like fluid devices, herding electrons across various control grids in a vacuum. There is no molecular level interface to be damaged by EMP as in solid state devices. However, tubes _do_ have rated voltage potentials and can be damaged by an internal arc so who knows.
I thought the material of which a transistor was constructed could be damaged by an EMP. I used “military grade” semiconductors in engineering school, many more having been manufactured that were sold to the military. I do not know what protected them from EMP.
I don’t believe it is circuit traces, because automobile electronic ignitions are also damaged.
The British call tubes “Valves” which made a grad school teacher understand how transistors work. 🙂
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/12 "2015-09-14T20:41:11Z")
Unless I’m terribly mistaken, the whole problem with EMP and solid-state circuitry is that the wavelength of the EM pulse is of a size with the solid-state circuitry “wiring” paths and circuit traces and act like teeny tiny antennas. There’s so much energy in the EM pulse that it literally melts the wiring and traces as a result.
Older and larger circuitry don’t quite suffer the same way, as they’re too large and/or can handle the amount of current induced.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/13 "2015-09-17T02:48:23Z")
I saw this thread Monday and ordered a kit that day.
Now I’m worried someone will think I’m building a bomb. :eek:
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/14 "2015-09-17T04:24:13Z")
OK, I got intrigued and ordered a kit. they are cool looking.
For those that have one. Is it a good idea to leave them on 24/7? or should it be turned on just for a few hours at a time? maybe like when I come in work? then turn it off when I leave?
Now how the hell can I explain this to the wife? 😃 I better keep it in my hobby area or at my work office. I don’t think she’ll be as into the industrial look as I am.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/15 "2015-09-23T01:50:39Z")
The kit arrived yesterday, but I was in Seattle and had to go to the Post Office to pick it up today. Only a week for it to get here from Poland! I’m impressed by that guy.
Now I just need to figure out how to put it together. (The only electronics stuff I’ve done was when I was about ten with my Radio Shack 100-in-1 kit.)
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/16 "2015-09-23T01:59:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> The kit arrived yesterday, but I was in Seattle and had to go to the Post Office to pick it up today. Only a week for it to get here from Poland! I’m impressed by that guy.
>
> Now I just need to figure out how to put it together. (The only electronics stuff I’ve done was when I was about ten with my Radio Shack 100-in-1 kit.)
Find a data sheet for the parts on the web, and you are good to go. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/17 "2015-09-23T02:10:12Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> Find a data sheet for the parts on the web, and you are good to go. 🙂
It came with a schematic diagram, but I haven’t looked at it yet. I found colour diagrams for the resistors online after I ordered the kit. **Rico** sent me a link to a soldering tutorial. I know where my soldering iron is. (I’ve only used it for ‘electrical’; not ‘electronics’.) Seems pretty straight-forward.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/18 "2015-09-23T12:48:44Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> II found colour diagrams for the resistors online after I ordered the kit.
The color bands? Forgive the sexist tone, please.
Black 1
Brown 2
Red 3
Orange 3
Yellow 5
Green 6
Blue 7
Violet 8
White 9
Gold 5%
Silver 10%
None no tolerance
Billy boy rapes our young girls but Violet gives willingly. Get some now.
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### Author:  [@Large\_McBighuge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_McBighuge)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/19 "2015-09-23T13:16:05Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> The color bands? Forgive the sexist tone, please.
>
> Black 1
> Brown 2
> Red 3
> Orange 3
> Yellow 5
> Green 6
> Blue 7
> Violet 8
> White 9
>
> Gold 5%
> Silver 10%
> None no tolerance
>
> Billy boy rapes our young girls but Violet gives willingly. Get some now.
Almost…
0 Black
1 Brown
2 Red
3 Orange
4 Yellow
5 Green
6 Blue
7 Violet
8 Grey
9 White
5% Gold
10% Silver
None - Ahh… Close enough.
Any consumer electronics store will sell 5% tolerance resistors. The tolerance band is always last, so you know you are reading it from the correct end.
Brown Black Red Gold: 1 0 00 (2 for Red zeros) 5% \<= 950 \<\> 1050 Ohm resistor (1k)
Red Black Brown: 2 0 0 \<= a 200 ohm resistor, or not since there is no tolerance band.
And, to make it even more sexist, I’d always heard it as ‘Bad Boys…’ so not just Billy. I’ve always wanted to try “But Basically, Roy G. Biv Gets Wet” using the rainbow mnemonic…
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-russians-make-all-those-nixie-tubes/731204/20 "2015-09-23T13:27:11Z")
My lad partner and I bought 1% resistors, and were scolded by our Professor. We bought large amounts of the required 10%, and measured them, selecting those closest to the desired value.
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