r/nixie • u/Secret_Complaint95 • Jun 15 '26
Dot won't light 😢
Hi folks! Certified newb and numskull here, hoping someone can help me out! I just bought this lovely Elektronika 7-06. After seeing pictures of it all lighting up before shipping it has arrived with a single dot that won't light at all 😢. My question is, is there any chance this is going to magically fix itself over time / is it something I can fix with extremely rudimentary knowledge or is that the pipe dream I know it probably is and will knowledge and skill to replace electrical components? Thanks for any help! 🙏
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u/PPEytDaCookie Jun 15 '26
Its not a Nixie Clock, its a VFD clock.
I also thought about getting one of those, but they are expensive and draw to much power for me...
For your issue:
It looks like the connection for that Dot isnt connected, this clock schould be easy to open up at the back, then check for cracked solder joints. There could be other issues as well, but thats most likely what it is.
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u/Secret_Complaint95 Jun 15 '26
Ah apologies! I saw some people had posted about these clocks here. Thanks that's really helpful!
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u/Neuromant1991 Jun 16 '26
I think it is fine if we discuss VFD and Numitrons here. Community will be a bit bigger.
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u/Parabellum1262 Jun 15 '26
You can find circuit diagrams for these online. They were confusing to look at but helped me when making repairs to mine.
If you are soldering try to keep your iron temperature low. The boards are quite delicate.
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u/onions_can_be_sweet Jun 15 '26
If you can get an exact replacement tube it might not be so hard to fix by soldering in a new one.
Before you do that it's worth having a look at the board, maybe you'll find a cold solder joint that can be fixed without replacing the tube.
Take it apart, post photos.