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Ice Tube Clock Kit


 
Our Price: $85.00


Product Code: MKAD16
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Description How To More Details
 
Somewhere at the junction of modern open-source hardware and early 80’s Russia lives a beautiful new DIY kit called the Ice Tube Clock. The centerpiece of this old-meets-new clock is a Russian-made, 9-digit, vacuum florescent display (VFD). These types of displays were typically used in electronics form from the late 60’s through the mid 1980’s. Remember those bright green VCR and boom-box displays? Yep, those were most likely a type of VFD.

Included in the kit is everything you need to build a complete VFD clock. The power source, case, VFD tube, and all the electrical components are ready to be soldered together right out of the box. They even include the coin-cell battery for the battery backup system. The kit features an alarm, with a snooze function, and adjustable brightness, which makes it perfect for your nightstand.

These are in extremely short supply so if you don't get one now make sure to sign up for the "Email Me When Back In Stock" to get an automatic notification when we receive more.

Please Note: This kit generates a high voltage - 40V to 70VDC. Only persons who are competent at electronics assembly and understand the dangers of high voltages may attempt to assemble this kit! Safe assembly and operation of this kit is the users responsibility.

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Features
  • Cool glowing blue tube with 8 digits, PM dot and alarm on/off indicator
  • Adjustable brightness
  • Alarm with volume adjust
  • Precision watch crystal keeps time with under 20ppm (0.002%) error (< 2 seconds a day)
  • Clear acrylic enclosure protects clock from you and you from clock
  • Battery backup will let the clock keep the time for up to 2 weeks without power
  • Selectable 12h or 24h display
  • Displays day and date on button press
  • 10 minute snooze
  • Integrated boost converter so it can run off of standard DC wall adapters, works in any country regardless of mains power
  • Great for desk or night table use, the clock measures 4.9" x 2.9" x 1.3" (12.5cm x 7.4cm x 3.3cm)
  • Completely open source hardware and software, ready to be hacked and modded!

Average Customer Review: Based on 4 reviewsWrite a review.

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  1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 
Great kit! Fun build, and a great clock! December 25, 2011
Reviewer: Joseph Coyote from Chardon, OH United States  
The instructions are very detailed.  Quality parts, excellent boards...  There's parts of the build that are pretty challenging, so I wouldn't recommend it as a first kit.  But now my alarm clock is far, far cooler!

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  2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 
Perfect first PCB project January 20, 2011
Reviewer: Dan D. from Maumelle, AR United States  
I have some limited experience with a soldering iron (repairing broken switches on my kid's toys) but this was my first real electronics kit. The online kit instructions and supplemental online reference materials are fantastic and made assembly a breeze.

The step-by-step assembly guide, with pictures and text detailing the placement of every component and pictures of every solder point, was fantastic! There was no guesswork involved in the assembly whatsoever.

I foolishly did not check the parts in the kit package before starting and was on the last soldering step when I discovered that a diode was missing. I e-mailed the manufacturer's customer support. The missing diode was immediately mailed to me -- so add terrific customer support to the list of this kit's awesome features!

I highly recommend this kit. I learned a lot in the process of building it and may build another to give as a gift before moving on to other kits and projects.

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  3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 
A Work of Art September 9, 2010
Reviewer: country_too from Battle Creek, MI United States  
This kit is a perfect rainy weekend project.  Easy to follow instructions, quality components and a case that is itself a work of modern art.  My only problem is that one digit of the VFD is not as bright as the rest.  It happens to be the seconds counter (the digit closest to the wired end of the tube) so it is not that important.  Other than that it works as advertised and is fun to assemble.

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  1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 
awsome January 22, 2010
Reviewer: jamil merali from corbeil, ON Canada  
This kit went together very easily and looks great. Would recommend to anyone. It is a great conversation piece.

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