When you have a sudden performance issue, it's gas. Especially when large sections of large-area cathodes go dim. Poisoning from sputtering affects small sections and is observed over longer periods of time. I'll bet that tube will start going pink soon.
Sent from my iPhone > On Jan 22, 2014, at 7:41 AM, Terry S <tschw10...@aol.com> wrote: > > Gene, please explain how you know this is the case. > > Thanks > > Terry > > >> On Wednesday, January 22, 2014 9:30:40 AM UTC-6, Gene Segal wrote: >> You're all wrong, it's leaking gas through the pins. >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> > On Jan 22, 2014, at 7:27 AM, Adam Jacobs <jacob...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> > This is an issue that is most obvious on clocks with lots of >> > functionality. If there are different modes/menus that display numerals on >> > a tube that are not normally lit as part of the clock, then you'll see >> > this. Best advice is to take full advantage of automated cathode-poisoning >> > prevention routines. >> > Clocks that don't have any menus, i.e. they don't ever display a numeral >> > on a tube that wouldn't be displayed as part of the standard clock, still >> > have this problem but it's not anywhere near as obvious. >> > For example: If the 10-minutes tube only ever displays 0-5 in the course >> > of being a clock and I don't have any additional menus or modes that might >> > try to display something besides those values, then the critical poisoning >> > of 6-9 doesn't matter to me. >> > >> > John is right. Try to repair the cathode poisoning if it is still fairly >> > mild. I've had great luck in the past doing this with IN-8-2's. [I learned >> > the hard way on some of my earliest clocks regarding current limiting >> > resistors. :S] >> > >> > -Adam >> > >> > On 1/22/2014 5:36 AM, John Rehwinkel wrote: >> >>> One of the IN-18s in my Nixichron has started to fail. I don't know if >> >>> it's cathode poisoning or some other failure mode. >> >>> In the 10's hours position, several of the digits are not lighting >> >>> completely, they are dark toward the bottom of the tube, probably the >> >>> bottom 1/3 of the numeral. >> >> Sounds like cathode poisoning. >> >> >> >>> This happened rather suddenly, or at least I only noticed it recently. >> >>> The "1" digit is fine, and that's what is lit most of the time. The >> >>> other digits only come into play during display of the GPS coordinates >> >>> every 1/4 hour. As they scroll across the clock, I can see the bad >> >>> digits. >> >> Yeah, cathode poisoning happens when not all the digits are used enough. >> >> >> >>> I do have a couple spare tubes, but they have no hours on them. I'll try >> >>> one to be certain it's just the tube. But I'd actually like to find a >> >>> used tube, something with several years worth of use on it, so the >> >>> brightness will be a better match. >> >> It's worth trying to depoison that one. The easy way is to swap it with >> >> one of the other digits that gets used more evenly. The quick way is to >> >> run those other digits for a bit a higher-than-normal current until they >> >> light fully again. >> >> >> >> - John >> > >> > -- >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> > "neonixie-l" group. >> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> > email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com. >> > To post to this group, send an email to neoni...@googlegroups.com. >> > To view this discussion on the web, visit >> > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/52DFE351.7030606%40gmail.com. >> > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "neonixie-l" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/191985dc-65bf-4a2a-ae1c-57984c742113%40googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/550EDB1D-0929-4F51-B23B-496EEA0AC385%40earthlink.net. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
