brian r stuckey » hack

Neon Gadgets

Brian Stuckey — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:22:11 +0000

I take a lot of product photos for my work on TubeClockDB.com. Every product Ir review gets a full set of photos before I even begin to produce the video review. These are some of my favorite images.

[Show as slideshow]

NL-54362 Nixie Tube

Brian Stuckey — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:00:24 +0000

It is no secret that I like oddball display tubes and today I present to you the National 54362 two digit nixie tube. That’s right, there are two distinct and independently controllable digits inside of this device. On the lefthand side there are standard SI prefixes and on the right side there units – Hz, and Seconds. I am guessing that these were used in some sort of multimeter or counter of some sort. I can’t really find much information on their use but they are fun to play with so I shot another quick video of them.

Video and photos after the break:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Playing with lasers

Brian Stuckey — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:27:45 +0000

I haven’t spent much time playing with my lasers lately so I pulled them out last night to make sure that everything still worked. This is the first (and probably last) laser video that I shot with my 5D MII – one stray beam and it will destroy the sensor. This is the same basic home built setup that I’ve been using for a while.

Click here to view the embedded video.

EOL Robot Band covers The Beautiful People

Brian Stuckey — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:29:55 +0000

Here is an awesome video of a robotic band playing The Beautiful People. Look out House On The Rock

Click here to view the embedded video.

via Hack A Day

Help identify these plasma neon displays

Brian Stuckey — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:35:43 +0000

Okay, the last time I asked for help identifying an unknown device, you guys came through. Even Evil Mad Scientist helped out (you guys rock.) Well, I now have two Panaplex-style neon displays that I can’t seem to find that much information on. Does anyone have any information on these or hints to where I can find more information? I’ve found a few references to the larger display, but have not had any luck locating data sheets

Or, do you just have an interesting factoid about these guys?

SOLVED: Display #1: NEO8000

The enclosure is about 4″ tall and 1/3″ thick. On the front is stamped “Y.S” and on the back is written “NEO-8000M Made In Japan 3.9.3″ There do not appear to be any other markings.

SOLVED: Display #2: NEO5000

The enclosure is about 3″ tall and 1/3″ thick. The only markings I can see are “”Made In Japan 2.d.3″

UPDATE: These are the NEO5000 and NEO8000 – I found clear photos of them on Neonixie-l from a post ajfranzman made 6 years ago… I’m still looking for specs if anyone has them.

(Egon warned against crossing the streams. He did not warn against crossing the wires and reversing the polarity. If you do, this is what happens)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mechanical Computer Basics

Brian Stuckey — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:56:38 +0000

YouTube user gwz40 uploaded a series of fascinating videos on mechanical computers and how they were used in in the US Navy for controlling projectiles fired from one moving ship to another moving target. The movies were produced as part of a US Navy training program and illustrate the basic components that are used inside a mechanical range fire control computer. Each mathematical operation is translated in to a mechanical component and the components are combined to provide a desired calculation based on (up to) 25 inputs. Basic geometric shapes are used for shockingly complex operations.

After watching the videos, it is amazing to think that these devices, built in the 1920′s achieved such precision. Calculations were not preformed by hand, but by the contours of a gear that was precision ground by a machinist. (More info below the videos)

Video #1: Basic Mechanisms in Fire Control Computers Part 1 (3 sections)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video #2: Basic Mechanisms in Fire Control Computers Part 2 (4 sections)

Click here to view the embedded video.

I believe the machine show in the video and the photo on this site is the Mark 1 computer. From Wikipedia:

The Mark 1, and later the Mark 1A, Fire Control Computer was a component of the Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System deployed by the United States Navy during World War II and up to 1969. It was used on a variety of ships, ranging from destroyers (one per ship) to battleships (four per ship). The Mark 37 system used tachymetric target motion prediction to compute a fire control solution. Weighing more than 3000 pounds (1363 kilograms), the Mark 1 itself was installed in the plotting room, a water tight compartment that was located deep inside the ship’s hull to provide as much protection against battle damage as was possible.

Essentially an electromechanical analog computer, the Mark 1 was electrically linked to the gun turrets and the Mark 37 gun director, the latter mounted as high on the superstructure as possible to afford maximum visual and radar range. The gun director was equipped with both optical and radar range finding, and was able to rotate on a small barbette-like structure. Using the range finders, the director was able to produce a continuously varying set of outputs, referred to as line-of-sight (LOS) data, that were electrically relayed to the Mark 1 via synchro motors. The LOS data provided the target’s present range, bearing, and in the case of aerial targets, altitude. Additional inputs to the Mark 1 were continuously generated from the stable vertical, a gyroscopic device that reacted to the roll and pitch of the ship, the pitometer log, which measured the ship’s speed through the water, and an anemometer, which provided wind speed and direction.

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewayofthegun/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_I_Fire_Control_Computer

RGBV Laser Scanner

Brian Stuckey — Sun, 24 May 2009 19:41:17 +0000

Here is some more recent footage of the RGBV laser scanner video I’ve been working on. It is really only good for beam effects but it is still a lot of fun to play with.

Specs

200mW @ 650nm
120mW @ 532nm
40mW @ 473nm
190mW @ 405nm

Software is LaserLine

Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

Gallery

Kickass watches

Brian Stuckey — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:59:35 +0000

I got quite a bit of interest from the Kickass Clocks post so I thought I would do a follow up. Now, for the neatest watches in the world.

The Nixie Tube Digital Wristwatch!

By Jeff Thomas / Resonant Instruments LLC

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

This is the really little brother of the NixiChron clock. The fact that he managed to fit all of the components in to such a small packagaing – and fit four vacuum tubes in it is amazing. They require about 180vdc to power…your average AA battery puts out just 1.5 for comparison.

The Nixie Watch

By Cathode Corner – $395

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

This watch was inspired by the one above. It uses an entirely different design – tubes and power supply. It looks a little more like a watch than the above one but uses only two display tubes.

Negative

by Tokyo Flash – ¥16,900 / $170

http://www.tokyoflash.com/en/watches/tokyoflash/negative/

If you want to show your geeky side with pride, this is the watch for you! This is the first of the mass produced watches on this list. Tokyo Flash makes some amazing watches. They focus on innovative ways of displaying the time to make reading it unintuitive. If this watch isn’t for you, check out some of the other ones they offer.

Bling binary LED watch

By Todd Bailey – $?

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/05/concept_bling_binary_led.html

This watch is for the DIY crowd and would probably appeal to the BOFH-type personality. You know, the guy who wants you to know that he is better at technology, computers, and anything else that uses electricity than you do. This watch isn’t for the casual enthusiast – no only do you have to build it, but it tells the time in bianary. Reading it takes a bit of practice but can become second nature to the true aplha-nerds

Synchronar 2100

By Roger Riehl – $?

http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?p=1366081

This was an amazing device. It was the first mass produced LED wristwatch and was designed never to need adjustment.

From http://www.soluhr.com/sync.htm

Independent inventor Roger Riehl designed the most advanced wrist timepiece devised up to that time. His goal was to built an extremely accurate timepiece that required no service, could withstand great variation of temperature, was shockproof, was waterproof to great depths, was visible in any lighting conditions, and had multiple functions. In short, his goal seemed to be to build the ultimate wristwatch that would simultaneously overcome all of the traditional challenges to the wristwatch.

Look for part two in the near future. Suggestions on what to include? Post them in the comments!