Nixie Tube Clock

Classic Nixie tube clock featuring authentic Soviet-era gas-discharge tubes in custom tiered wooden base with copper pipe accents. Combines vintage electronics aesthetic with modern microcontroller timekeeping.

Current Challenge: Electronics failure requiring complete circuit rebuild—documenting the debugging and reconstruction process.

Electronics Failure:

Symptoms:

• Intermittent operation

• Complete failure after initial function

• Suspected wiring issues

Probable Causes:

• Poor solder joints - Hand-soldered high-voltage connections may have cold joints or insufficient connections

• Solid-core wire through copper pipe - Wire movement/vibration likely caused internal breaks in solid-core wire (should have used stranded)

• High-voltage isolation - Potential shorts in confined copper pipe routing

The Mistake:

Used solid-core wire for routing through copper pipes. Solid-core breaks with flexing—stranded wire required for any movement or tight routing.

1. Wire Selection Matters

• Solid-core wire: rigid, breaks with flexing, only for fixed installations

• Stranded wire: flexible, tolerates movement, better for confined spaces

• Mistake cost: Complete rebuild

• Lesson value: Never forget wire types again

2. Aesthetic vs Functional Trade-offs

• Original design prioritized appearance (hidden wires in pipes) over serviceability.

• Better approach: Design for maintenance access while maintaining aesthetics. Removable panels, accessible connections, and modular design.

3. Test Everything Independently

• Should have tested the full circuit on the breadboard before final assembly. Debugging after complete assembly is exponentially harder.

4. High-Voltage Requires Respect

• 170V can be dangerous. Proper isolation, fusing, and enclosure aren't optional—they're safety requirements.

5. Projects Can Hibernate and Revive

• Original build: 2016

• Rebuild start: 2024+ (8+ year gap)

• Takeaway: Unfinished projects aren't failures—they're opportunities to apply years of additional experience to early work.

Honesty in Engineering: Not everything works the first time. Showing the rebuild demonstrates:

• Troubleshooting methodology

• Learning from mistakes

• Persistence and iteration

• Proper engineering practice (when to start over vs patch)

Educational Value: This failure teaches more than a successful first build:

• Wire selection fundamentals

• Design for serviceability

• Importance of independent testing

• High-voltage safety

Real Engineering: Professional engineering involves debugging, redesign, and rebuilding—not just initial success stories.