scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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May 21, 2012 12:16:42 GMT
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OK - got loads of brownie points for building a massive gate (OK so the gate post is now moving but that's not my fault!) so I've been playing again... One of my various hobbies is wargames of various sorts, grew out of it but now playing again. About to start playing Firefight Normandy so got thinking... All these dice are very old fashioned.... what it needs is some 1960's electrics! Circuit is bread boarded but needs a revision (It can't count) but that is in hand. Wanted a suitable military/steampunk feel but I think I might have got a bit carried away... Disappointed the top plate is ali but the brass was far too hard to stamp! More later once the electric are working... What do you reckon? Suggestions welcome!
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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May 21, 2012 17:30:35 GMT
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i recon that is awesome! nixies are so very righteous.
how about an optional tilt switch in there, so you could give it a shake and it will roll the dice.
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May 21, 2012 18:34:02 GMT
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very cool!! seeing this reminds me i still have not got a nixie clock
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Last Edit: May 21, 2012 18:34:45 GMT by mortcars
'90 Audi B3 Coupe 2.3 Auto [gone] '92 Audi S4 Avant 2.2 AAN Turbo Auto [gone] '93 Audi 80 Avant 1.9TDi [gone] '96 Audi A4 Avant 2.6 Quattro [gone] '97 VW T4 1.9td LWB [gone] '03 Skoda Octavia 1.9TDi [gone] '05 VW T5 Shuttle LWB 1.9TDi '15 VW Caddy Maxi Kombi 1.6TDi
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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I thought about the tilt sensor but I don't want them shaking too much, not for the nixies, they are much tougher than they look, but for my case! I'm concerned that the internals will break loose and the brass case combined with 160V DC might make it more exciting than expected!
Internals mostly built!
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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OK electrics appear to work, need a bit more work (50+ wire links to cut and solder in) then nail it into the case and button it up. Whole thing runs on a 9v battery (Or 2 if one isn't up to it...)
The 'dice' are 2 independant pulse generators running at 800Hz and 750Hz When you press the button to 'roll' a little circuit counts the pulses. When you let go it stops the count and displays the result. Impossible to fudge unless you can react at 1/800th of a second! To make it even harder to cheat there is a delay when you release the button of around 1/2 second so around 400 counts.
Hopefully be done today... but it depends when I get out of work.
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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May 22, 2012 12:59:42 GMT
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PVA and iron filings on the ally, then let it rust
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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May 22, 2012 13:09:29 GMT
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Do you mean just stick the iron to the ali and let it rust or is there something more to that?
Was thinking of painting over the stamped letters then sanding back to pick the letters out better.
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Last Edit: May 22, 2012 13:22:38 GMT by scruff
1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Electrics mostly work bit I haev a short somewhere on one of the tubes, I suspect I may have cooked a transistor with over zealous soldering.
It does work: one tube works perfectly, but the other tube has a permanent glow at the moment, you can see it trying to dispay but it's overwhelmed.
Will be sorted tomorrow as I'm far too busy fixing cars tonight!
Just need to wire in the selector switch as it defaults to counting to 10 and nail it all into the case with some insulation...
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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Very nice, do like that. I need to fix my nixie clock- got the same trouble, two glowing tubes because a transistor got shorted out.
Need to see some in-action shots!
--Phil
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Go for it, get it fixed and running! I found a pair of metical type locking forceps are good as a heat sink when soldering transistors, I have a habit of cooking them otherwise!
Electrics now work except I made a cock up, the electrics count from 0 not 1 so the dice go 0-1-2-3-4-5.... rewired one tube to fix (0>1, 1>2, etc), just a bit tedious and need to do the other side. Should be done and cased by this afternoon.
I'll get a pic of the circuit, it's a right old mess of black wires.... function over form!!
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Last Edit: May 25, 2012 8:33:17 GMT by scruff
1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Oh and I have the next plan lined up already: Dekatrons. I have for reasons that I can't remember, seemed like a good idea at the time. They have 30 pins and can 'count' up and down one at a time. Plan is either a D10 similar to the above or a more complex D6 which means a bit of division. Just need a case of some sort, some time and some thinking....
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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May 25, 2012 16:13:17 GMT
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It lives! It lives! Running on battery power and all buttoned up and no electric shocks so far! Sadly since I fought it into the box the damn toggle switch died so it's not another push button as I had one, but never mind!
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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