Historic electronics

[Tim Rogers]

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

 

[default]

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:20:32 +0000 (UTC), Tim Rogers
<t.j.rogers@01Kv.net> 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/people/mcsele/Nixie.htm

They didn't have LED's until the late 60's or so. The atomic test was
in the 40's
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[Tim Rogers]

Thanks very much - this was the perfect answer!

Tim




in article v8o4l1dtjuqrocj0bivjo4c9ggemlr39pf@4ax.com, default at
default@defaulter.net wrote on 16/10/05 15:36:

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:20:32 +0000 (UTC), Tim Rogers
t.j.rogers@01Kv.net> 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/people/mcsele/Nixie.htm

They didn't have LED's until the late 60's or so. The atomic test was
in the 40's

 

[Rich Grise]

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=incandescent+7-segment+display

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2005-10-16, Tim Rogers <t.j.rogers@01Kv.net> 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

 

[Brian Gregory [UK]]

"Tim Rogers" <t.j.rogers@01Kv.net> wrote in message
news:BF7842F2.992B%t.j.rogers@01Kv.net...

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)
ng@bgdsv.co.uk
To email me remove the letter vee.

 

Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2005-10-16, Tim Rogers <t.j.rogers@01Kv.net> 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

 

[west]

I think you're talking about nixie tubes that actually requires a B+ voltage
of 170v or so.

Cordially,
west

<meow2222@care2.com> wrote in message
news:1131752776.940996.246780@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

Jasen Betts wrote:
On 2005-10-16, Tim Rogers <t.j.rogers@01Kv.net> 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