The controls are pretty simple – the knob controls the brightness and power.  The switch has three positions.  In the center position, the numitron counts through the digits.  In the upper position it illuminates all of the segments of the display while in the bottom position, it only illuminates the decimal point on the display.

The power supply itself is odd.  I cannot tell what type of cells it uses.  The internal mechanism supports 5 cells that seem to be narrower and longer than a C sized cell.  To make it work, I wired a 9V battery to the internal terminals.  (Oddly, this thing draws so much current that a single 9V battery cannot actually power the device.  As the display begins counting, it seems to reset at the 8 position.  To get around this, I had to wire three batteries in parallel to support the load.)

Click to enlarge

Click here to view the embedded video.

It is a Packard Instrument PCB from 1971.  It has the numbers 7100398 and 5065082 on the board.  There are 7 RCA DR-2110 Numitron tubes soldered to the fron and each one seems to be driven by an EL-RAD X72-333.  There is also one AMD  IC with the markings 930159x 7317 and a TI M 7523 SN7446AN.

I am guessing that this is part of either a counter or a calculator of some sort.  Specifically, I would like to know what this device is from and what the EL-RAD components did.  I can’t seem to find much information on either one.  If you have any guesses, please leve a comment below!

More photos:

By Art Lebedev – $n/a

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/segmentus/

From the guy who brought us the Verbarius clock comes the Segmentus.  (Is anyone else noticing a naming pattern here?) This concept clock was built to address the challenge of creating a digital clock with hands.  While clocks have addressed this challenge before, this one brings the usual Art Lebedev polish to the final product.  The only thing I want to know is how noisy would this be to operate?  With dozens of little motors and mechanical parts,  this might not be a clock that you would keep in your bedroom.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I received my MS-5a Mosaic readout displays from the Vintage Technology Association today.  Not only did they include the two displays, but there were also a few other extras included as well.  Nice work, guys!

The units themselves are rated for 3v, 50 mA but I can’t tell if that is 50 mA per segment or total.  Powering them is simple, all you need is two AA batteries and a few alligator clips.  The top set of fingers provide the common connection and the remaining connectors power the individual elements and the decimal point.

The markings on the unit:

MOSAIC INDICATOR MSM-5A Lamp  3v 50 MA.  ALCO ELECTONIC PRODUCT. INC LAWRENCE MASS

Markings on the box:

ALCO ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS, INC. Lawrence, MASS.  JAPAN.  MOSAIC READOUT INDICATOR MODEL MSM-5A VOLT 5. (note: It looks like the 5 is scratched out…which makes sense.  The units themselves are marked for 4V).

The display is smaller than I anticipated.  I’ve included a video to help you get a better idea of the size of the unit.

I did find one other source of these displays: SurplusShed.com  The version I have they are selling for $5/each.  They also have a MS-250 which appears to be the same thing except with a red front and a different connector on the rear.   Check out the links below for more info.

Video Demo:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo Gallery:

Links

• Original Post: http://www.ineedcaffeine.com/content/2009/08/ebay-find-msm-5a-incandescent-display/
• The Seller’s eBay page hp2114b
• The Auction (expired) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310159188937
• The Seller’s Website (Vintage Technology Association) http://www.decadecounter.com/vta/
• Surplus Shed (MSM-5A): http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/m2225.html
• Surplus Shed (MS-250AR): http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/m2244.html

Last updated 04-30-2009

added IV-17, IV-22, photos

All Photos:

http://www.ineedcaffeine.com/content/display-tubes/

Just the data:

[table id=10 /]

This is another gimmick clock but it is well executed and it looks nice.  Each HH MM SS display is separated in to its own cube with the controls on the HH.  They are teathered with a small wire and the whole device is powered via a mains transformer.

More…

FTA

A customer sent us an email once and she said, ‘ThinkGeek? Why can’t you make us an alarm clock that has a techie feel but is also stylish?’ We pondered the question, drafted some blueprints, built a prototype from pop tarts and LED arrays, and, voila – the Matrix Cube Clock was born. Ask, and you shall receive. Connected by thin ribbon cables, each clock module can be stacked vertically, horizontally or in a pyramid, depending on your mood and the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn’s moons.

Dimensions: Each cube is approximately 3.5″ square. 12 or 24 hour format available! Even includes a snooze button. Woohoo!

Buy it now at ThinkGeek.com

This is a neat watch concept by industrial designer Julien Bergignat.  The display looks sharper than any e-ink based display I’ve come across but the strong formal elements in this rendering make up for any criticisms I can come up with   Given the flexible nature of this medium, I don’t see why something like this would be difficult to produce.  It is functiaonally a braclet with an e-ink display wrapped around it.  If one with sufficient resolution can be produced for the hands, I think this woud be easily produced.  If Esquire can do it – why not a watch manufacturer?

Esquire example after the break:

EDIT:

TrendHunter.com has a better write up than I do.  Check it out:

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transformer-epaper-watches-luxury-tima-displays-both-digital-and-analogue-t

I love this clock.  It is nerdy on so many levels but manages to keep a good formal arrangement.  Who says geeks can’t be designers?

The Epoch in this case refers to the Unix Epoch (AKA POSIX Time) of 00:00:00 UTC Jan 1, 1970.  Basically, computers count time as an integer starting at that time.  That integer is converted to HH MM SS by the computer and then displayed in a human readable format.  This clock displays the raw vale for the time.  Additionally, this clock can display time in hexadecimal, octal, binary or roman numeral formats.  I still can’t read roman numerals so I don’t think I will be using that one too much….

More Info: http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/a7c5/

dish detergent (anti-grease & anti-bacterial)
a large sink or bathtub
paper towel
salad spinner (preferable)
or a colander
a flat screwdriver
THIS PAGE PRINTED OUT

Begin by using your screwdriver to pry the keys off.  Be careful – the board is resilient but you can still scratch it.

You will notice that some keys have metal clips behind them.  These are to guide the key straight down as you push on them.  Just take these keys off slowly and everything will come off easily.  Once the key is off, just pull the clip off and set it aside.

After taking off the keys, put them in a gallon size ziploc bag with some detergent.

Shake the bag once and a while.  Let it sit for several minutes.

While the keys are soaking, start your bath and fill it with warm water and the detergent.  Move the keyboard around in the water to loosen some of the dirt and then let it soak for a while

After 5 minutes of soaking, take out the keyboard and rinse it off in warm water.  You may need to repeat this step several times to get the soap bubbles out of the bottom part of the board

Next, take the keys and put them in the bowl for your salad spinner.  Run this under tap water for a few moments to get all of the soap off

Here comes the fun part.  Put the spinner together and give it a whirl.  Let it stop.  Shake it.  Repeat.  Do this at least 5 times.

Spread out the keys on paper towel to let them dry.  For food safety reasons, now is probably a good time to clean your spinner as well.

Let the keys dry for a little bit.  They should be done in 30 minutes or so

Remember that page you printed out?  Now is a good time to get it.  You will need a reference when putting everything back together.  If you have an extra keyboard, this will work as well.

Find all of the keys that had the metal clips on the back of them.  Put all of the clips on NOW.  If you do this step while putting keys on, you will find that it is difficult to find mismatched clips.  All of the clips should rotate easily.  If anything feels stiff, try it on another key.

Slide the clips under the hooks on the bard first.  Then, rock the key down into position

One down.  Just over 100 more to go…..

A partially completed board.

Watch out for keys like L and 7.  They look alike and can easily be misplaced.  The same warning for I and the division key.

LET IT DRY.  Seriously.  Let it sit for at least a week.  Stack it vertically so water can drain out.  After it has sat for AT LEAST A WEEK, you can try it out.

I love unique clocks.  Not grandfather clocks, not cheap $10 alarm clocks, I am talking about hand-made small quantity digital clocks.  Without any more filler text, here is my list of favorite clocks:

Nocrotec Sylvia Clock

By Dieter Wächter – $399

http://nocrotec.com/start.php?navi=5&pid=21&gtxtid=110&lg=en

This clock is based on Vacuum Fluorescent Display tubes.  They are a seven-segment based display like most led clocks but these are quite a bit different.  For starters, this clock costs nearly 100x as much as your normal department store clock.  The digits have a beautiful cyan color and the design of the tube allows you to see the inner workings.  Image and brief description are from Nocrotec

FEATURES
- Digit height: 0.6″ (15mm)
- 12/24h mode
- Date in configuration DD.MM.YY or MM.DD.YY
- Leading zero suppression: The leading zero can be blanked or shown
- Cross fading: different modes to fade the digits from one number to the next
- Alarm clock
- Power down mode: tubes and supply can be totally switched off for a user programmed period in order to save energy and increase life expectancy of the tubes
- 12VDC input voltage
- Time is battery buffered when no line power is available; battery will last for more than 10 years
- User settings are always stored
- Case made of massive cherry wood and shiny black anodized aluminum as used for high-end audio equipment.

The Scope Clock – Cathode Corner

By David Forbes – $999

http://www.cathodecorner.com/scra/index.html

The second version of the Scope Clock is currently in production and will hopefully be on sale soon.  The display of the clock is a CRT display originally intended for oscilloscopes.  All of the display characters are drawn as vector images, unllike the AVR based Scop Clock kit sold by SparkFun Electronics.

In the updated version of the Scope Clock, the housing has been completely redesign to fit in a much smaller cylindrical housing.  I can’t tell for sure but it appears to still be based on the 3RP1A CRT.  The time is set via GPS.  You need to program the UTC Offset and DST parameters but once it finds a GPS signal, this will be the most accurate clock in your house!

Pixel

By François Azambourg for Ligne Roset – $2,500

http://www.ligne-roset-usa.com/Products/decor/accessories/Pixel_1519.aspx

I really wanted this clock.  Bad.  It is a little large – almost three feet in diameter but it is one of the most unique clocks I’ve seen in a while.  It is made up of a honeycomb of about 300 frosted white LEDs.  The image of the hands is made by turning off lights selectively.

NixiChron

By Jeff Thomas / Resonant Instruments LLC – (discontinued)

http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/nixichron.html

This is my clock.  I am the proud owner of the last one made according to the creator himself.  (It was also the cheapest one on this list…)  The display in this clock is a Russian Nixie tube called an IN-18 / ИН-18.  This is a really odd display.  There are 10 filaments inside of the tube.  Each one is shaped in the form of a number.  The tube is then filled with neon gas and a little bit of mercury to prevent cathode poisoning.    When ~180vdc is applied to one of the numbers, it glows.

Six of the IN-18 / ИН-18 tubes are used to display the time.  Like the Scope Clock, the time is set via GPS but a built in clock keeps the clock going when a signal cannot be located.  The tubes are some of the largest that were produced in quantity which adds a collector value to the clock.  Since they do wear out, I have a second set stored in a hard Pelican case.

大人気LED CLOCK-DROP TYPE

By Karlsson (OEM unknown) – $150~$200 USD

I can’t find much information, at least not in English, about this clock.  Up until about two weeks ago, all of the sites that sold this clock were in Japanese.  Amazon JP sold this clock but most of that was in Japanese as well.  However, in late October, I discovered that Giftmonger.com sells this clock!  Unlike every other site, they do ship to the US and other countries outside of the EU.

The display is made up of square LED pixels.  What makes this clock unique is that the digits scroll down.  The new digit pushes the old one out of its place in a brief animated second.  Below are a few photos of the clock from various sites.

PIN Clock

By Daka Design – $50

This is about the only clock on this list that you can easily find.  Amazon.com sells it.  The concept is simple – the display is made up of pins that extend to form a pattern in the shape of the digits.  It is like a practical version of the toy that you played with as a kid.  (You know, the one that you used to make hand prints in…that that is about it….)

And because it reminds me a lot of this song, here is “Only” by Nine Inch Nails.

Check out Kickass Clocks Pt.2 and Kickass Watches