One of the few souls on earth who haven't sold out to the dollar. Thanks for your integrity Mr Moan you inspire others by example. Integrity is lasting, money comes and goes. One never forgets compromising their integrity but they surely forget what they spent the money they compromised it for on.
MrBallen and Mentour Pilot also seem to be very sincere and have great integrity, check out the videos regarding their personal stories. The way people talk, their stares, smiles and mannerisms go great lengths in mirroring their inner voices.
@@coolguy-xd1bg How at all is it insincere? It's to the point, tells you what you need to know. He didn't need to include it, but he did, in his own tone of voice. He writes as he speaks. This lack of pretence is the definition of sincerity.
I met David a few years ago through his day job as radio astronomer; I saw he was wearing a Nixie watch and asked about it, then found out he was the one who made it! Among other things, David works on the Event Horizon Telescope, the project that produced the first images of a black hole.
I lost my dad a year ago and he, too, was a big fan of this channel. I'd often hear your voice coming from his tablet at random when he'd be watching a vid! He'd have absolutely loved one of these CRT clocks, no doubt. He loved old technology and clocks and construction of said things and I have no doubt this would have been a Christmas or birthday gift to surprise him with. What a gorgeous piece.
Being a vector display clock, it's a shame that none of the included games originated as vector games, like Asteroids or Tempest... but with the source code to the clock being available, I'm sure somebody will put those on there in short order.
@@danielpope3579 Then we have to get Dave Plummer to play it. He's the world record holder for Tempest and he has a play-through video on his channel, Dave's Garage.
tennis for two, the game nolan bushnell would later adapt into pong, was originally written by ralph baer, using an oscilloscope as a display. you can find video of it online. on a vector screen it's just going back to its original home.
My kit arrived on the 29th, assembled the next day... It is! I've also written code for it to display audio waveforms from USB since :D Seems we need a discussion place for owners...
08:50 - great idea for a size comparison, I have the same string laying around to check the size of my clocks. What is really a coincidence, is that the clock has the exact same length as the string. I'm mind blown! ... well, as a side note, great watch!
Thank you for the full disclosure about receiving the clock for free and how it's not really possible for you to be totally objective. Offbeat tech channels like yours, Technology Connections and BigClive are some of the only YT channels who I trust to have integrity. I feel lucky and thankful that we live in a time where 'make something you're passionate about, give it away for free and trust that people will donate for it' is a viable business model, and have watched and enjoyed all your vids ASAP after release for several years now. Thanks for what you do Mat.
Even the way the laser cut acrylic was designed to fold around the front and rear faceplates is really cool and something I haven't seen done before on acrylic without heat forming. Overall it's a really nice design!
I haven't seen that type of construction before. The whole video, I'm thinking to myself "I wonder how long before the stresses finally make that plastic snap?" Anyone know any history? Is this a construction method that will last?
The times when every household used to have at least one linear particle accelerator are long gone. With this product, you can get one once again. And what a beautiful one too.
According to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's online The World Factbook (2016), the ONLY countries that have NOT adopted the metric system are Myanmar (also known as Burma), Liberia and the United States. Really, America? Really? 🙄🙄🙄 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ 😗
@@LeofromFreo The United States does have the metric system. Everything is officially done via the metric system, we've just reskinned it to look like imperial.
I don't want a CRT clock, or most of the devices reviewed here, for myself. That doesn't change the fact that the devices are fascinating and that Techmoan's videos are both nostalgic and informative - as well as entertaining - and I long ago decided that I never need to worry about his motives. I watch every video, regardless, and I always learn something.
This is so rad! Never would have imagined old scopes would be turned into a clock. And it plays games! Those displays are very sharp as well. What's not to love?
Until you said (roughly) "I realize this may look like one long commercial", the thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Thank you for sharing this awesome piece of kit, and thank you to David for sending you one so we could all check it out in great detail.
This is what influencers do. Works for handbags just as well as it does for tech gadgets. They're sold out btw., so it worked perfectly. There is a waiting list.
That's a very pleasing device. Reminds me of my favorite day of the electrical engineering lab course I took in the one semester before I switched to mechanical, when we got to play with actual oscilloscopes. :) If anyone is interested in metric conversions of the dimensions, I would eyeball-estimate it at approximately 0.00047 Eiffel towers in height, with a length of roughly 0.016 Paris Métro cars.
@@ZGryphon Numbers without units aren't helpful. :-D 5'7" is Imperial, yes, but I was asking about the ... Got it. You meant those number are in Smoots. Good.
Great video. For those that want converted measurements of the device. The height is a toilet roll (on its end and a cox's apple with stalk), the length is 4aa batteries and a orange or 1.5 strips of streaky bacon.
If anyone doubts your integrity after watching this video all they have to do is watch some more of your content. Who you really are is on display in full. Thanks for sharing, it sure is beautiful.
@@olmostgudinaf8100 I kind of assumed that-after all I visited Manchester a couple of years ago-but I worry that the American viewers won't be able to make sense of it 😉
I hope the Cathode Corner guy sells all his stock. It is a very cool clock, outside my budget right now, but it looks like a great piece for a shelf. Great video as always, Mat. Thanks for showing us this clock.
@@Knitting_n_Trucking Glad I snagged one of the kits. I was going to sit and dwell on in awhile, then I noticed in the description about only having only hundreds of the tubes. I was certain they would sell out after making it to a techmoan video. I've actually had my eyes on David's scope clock for probably a decade.
3/09/22: I received mine after watching your video but it took awhile before I could order it. Mine came packaged exactly like yours, covered in bubblewrap only. I'm surprised yours survived all the way to the UK! Mine was delivered in the states and came to me with part of the case broken. The back end piece that accomodates the neck of the tube broke off the rear plate & it was in several pieces. The front of the tube was laying down inside on top of the electronics. Disappointed I was, it was a beautiful piece, had to send back for a refund. Much more care was needed in packing a delicate instrument. So if anyone is interested in buying this, I hope you have better luck. As of this comment, it's $600 for the fully assembled unit or $500 for the kit version. Great review on it, it's what finally made decide to get one, but maybe later now.
4:11 I paused this to make a comment about the time on the clock and then I noticed the video length. No way that's a coincidence, thanks for reinforcing the leetness, Techmoan!
Never commented before, but I've recently been gorging on your videos, like a man with a multipack of Hula Hoops and the family's out for the day. Loving all this cool stuff, and as a new owner of a serviced cassette deck from 1983, I really enjoy your videos on cassette media and proper audio equipment from years gone by. Keep 'em coming Techmoan! :)
...so LGR gave us his MIDI Mountain episode...maybe you could do a similar thing with all your clocks and cathode tube neon awesomeness? I love to see all your favorites together in the same frame.
You are becoming an expensive channel for me, first I bought a Nixie tube clock because of you, and now I'm off to buy CRT clock for myself for Christmas. Excellent video as always
Yeah sure let's just say it is like a commercial, doesn't change the fact I'm enjoying this video, this is some of the reason I come back to this channel, I love old school type of tech reimagined into modern or modern old school products, even if you did get a commission or was sponsored to show this clock it doesn't change the fact I enjoyed watching it and am intrigued by the product, if it was sponsored or you were getting a commission it still flows with your usual uploads is either way it's fitting and I enjoy it, partly because it's cool but mostly you're just the right man to show it off and explain this kind of stuff because you not only draw interest into the things you feature but you get others excited about it too, bottom line if it's paid or not, you still show your interest in what you do and do a great job showing it off and explaining it I'd watch you advertise products like this any day
I've always wondered why no one ever adds a motion sensor to these nixie and CRT type projects. I suspect the tubes would last a lifetime if they were turned off or the brightness turned down when no motion is detected. Just having the brightness auto-dim would help save that phosphor from burn in.
@@Ritefita Those sensors are pretty sensitive. Tuned right, a mere handwave is typically enough to trigger one. There's one in a bathroom where I work that will detect motion _reflecting on the door_ if it's left open at the right angle.
Watching the outro of this video and seeing all the beautiful bits of 70's and 80's tech confirms that we haven't progressed in consumer technology, we've just removed the necessity lost what was a beautiful age
Amazing device, the sharp green of real oscilloscope screens is really something else. Only one thing bothered me a little bit, the wire harnesses inside could have been cable laced like you see often in old lab equipment for that neat look.
I thought something along those lines while watching the video. That would definitely add to the look of it. Also from the looks of it... That should be easy enough to upgrade. 😊 Cheers
@@lucasrem1870 I'm not sure what you mean with this? Revit might have been used to design the casing, I guess, but we mean the code that runs the display.
That really is gorgeous. I had a vintage oscilloscope for decades. I tried to sell it on eBay but got no bids for it, so unfortunately I eventually discarded it. I still find that technology fascinating.
@@zaprodk That'll sure help but the screen is still going to suffer from screen burn. At best it'll take longer and be over a wider area. Even LCD displays can suffer from screen burn but it's not as much of an issue as it is with CRT as it's not in most use cases as noticeable. Apart from moving the display around on this CRT clock it might be an idea to adjust the intensity according to ambient light levels. I have had CRT phosphors replaced but I doubt there's anyone doing that these days.
The store page mentions Davids (the creators) clock that was built 20 years ago still works fine, and that the tube used should handle at least 10 years without any problem.
As an American, I appreciate you augmenting the measurements with something I can understand. A Cup Noodle with a tangerine on top makes far more sense than that strange and arbitrary metric nonsense.
A beautiful, visually interesting timepiece is representative of the 1 thing that mankind, despite all his/her achievements, will never be able to recapture: time. Cherish each moment. It could be your last.
The slots are there for bending purposes. There is no need for ventilation as the plastic is only 3mm thick so it doesn't retain heat. I would have preferred to not have the slots for purity of design, but it's hard to bend acrylic nicely without them.
I vaguely remember that a similar type of device was also available as a bare microcontroller board without the oscilloscope and that you could connect it to the X and Y inputs of any old scope you already had. These were much cheaper.
Are normal oscilloscope circuits fast enough? I remember I tried Jerobeam Fenderson Oscilloscope Music on two of my analog scopes and you could see that when there was much on the screen it started struggling drawing straight lines
The limiting factor would probably be the sound card / audio source - human hearing tops out in the 10s of kHz while pretty much any CRO I know of will at least be in the MHz. As for weirdness happening when other stuff is drawn - is there some AC coupling going on (either in the sound card / audio source or in the scope)? I think this would cause some unexpected artifacts and make stuff self-center over time. The gain in one channel of my scope is a bit up the creek and this failure / change in the amplifier behaviour also causes artifacts / skews shapes at moderate frequencies.
@@davidforbes8900 only one I really know of was the dutchtronix oscilloscope clock board. I've wanted another since those are no longer available as kits but a lot are the whole thing minus the CRT and case
Definitely burn in is a factor. Decades ago I build an on-screen clock for a CCTV channel that displayed the time and scrolling text. The audio was a classical music channel. So many people at the hospital where I worked left it on that channel that eventually we had a lot of CRT televisions with 88:88 burned into the screen. That's the reason early computer screen savers moved the text and graphics around the screen to prevent burn in.
@@Techmoan This initially confused me too until I looked up the manual - "Mains tells whether the AC power in your location has a frequency of 50 or 60 Hz. This is used to synchronize the display to any magnetic fields that may be present. Having it set to the wrong value will cause the display to shimmy if the clock is near an AC-powered motor, transformer or electromagnet."
I'll try and snip a couple of seconds out of the video to remove my erroneous nonsense. I'm attempting to do this in situ, which works about one in a hundred times...so we'll see. The UA-cam editor is just as likely to invert the video and make it black and white as it is to snip the section out I marked.
Yes, the power supply doesn't care. But the CRT is sensitive to the magnetic fields created by any mains-powered equipment near it. Synchronizing the display to the mains frequency hides this effect, so the tube may be unshielded and not suffer from visual interference.
I knew it was sold out before I clicked on the link. Turns out David is not just a talented engineer, but quite brilliant at marketing! 👍😃 Happy for him, a little sad that I missed it.
At the price, I'm not likely to purchase one without PCH coming to the door with balloons, confetti, and an oversized cardboard check, but thank you for the review of this marvel! Brings tube-age codgers joy!
A very nice designed CRT clock. There are not many designs around that use CRT tubes, because they are rather difficult to bring to life, with the very high voltages you need for that. Well done, very well done!
It would also be cool for them to make original Beetles and 10 lb telephones again, but it's not going to happen. I'm working on the old stock. Not enough demand to make new ones.
@@davidforbes8900 I think the main problem with the original Beetle is less about demand than that there is finally nowhere in the industrialized world with automobile safety standards low enough to allow new-production ones. :)
Hey Matt, I appreciate your measuring methods but I was looking for a clock with the depth of half of a length of string. My desk wouldn't accompany it very well. Guess I'll keep looking through the lengthy library of round CRT oscilloscope clocks with GPS options in clear cases. Great video as always. It feels like time travelling back to your nixie videos.
Especially since you can't turn off the display or set a time when the screen would be off, I expect the burn-in would be really bad after a few months. If you put the month on display, that month is being projected for 30 days straight 24/7. Also the left-most hour digit, 1 or 2, is always projected half a day. I would really like to see what the display looks like after a year of being on.
The clocks that I made 20 years ago, and have been running continuously since then, still look reasonably good. These tubes last a long time! Also there's a display dithering feature to spread out the wear over a 5mm square area.
Such a beautiful clock and with a lot more features than I would have thought. A very functional and attractive conversation piece. While the price is definitely up there for a clock, it's cool to see that the quality is there to back it up. I'm very happy for anyone who does pick one up and I hope the manufacturer comes up with many more cool pieces like this.
In response to your comment at 11:00 about keeping it sideways as art, I imagine that you might be able to get a custom firmware to enable a horizontal reversal of the display so that you can have a it on display sideways with a mirror redirecting the light towards the room
It can be resolved, at this time the font's data doesn't allow for much accuracy. Looking at the code, it's only ellipses and lines locked to a grid typically 16x20. It could be scaled up or use a float type for better precision. Great use of the Teensy 3.6's dual DACs by the way :)
Yes, it's a bit of a compromise. The code was originally written for a different circle generator design which didn't have as much precision as the current design. I will probably make them fit a bit better when I have a free moment. The firmware is V1.0.0 at this time.
I was thinking a subtle circular motion of the screen position, just a bit larger than the screen dot with, could also reduce wear on the screen. But yeah, a clock like this really deserves a timeout, screensave, or other options.
To avoid wear on the screen (and save power) you'd really want to turn off the CRT's cathode heater. I could be mistaken but I don't think the hardware design allows for this.
You'd think it was necessary, but the tube will last for many years without it. There's a screensaver that moves the beam, and the cathode is a very long life version. My 20 year old scope clocks made with the same tubes still look good.
As an American, I really appreciate your alternative measurement options to the metric dimensions. As long as string is very helpful for me. Centimeters make about as much sense as sitting the tube next to a pile of dirt for size comparison.
What a wonderful gadget. I can't even count the number of hours I've spent adjusting the controls on CRT displays (TV/Radar/Oscilloscope) trying to keep the picture centered. "Mains drift" doesn't mean much these days, but in the heyday of such displays, it certainly did!
I loved the "...about as deep as this piece of string..." ... I think the "piece of string" should be used worldwide instead of banana! ...and, as that Paris place guards an original "1 meter" , you should guard the original "piece of string" by which all others pieces of string should be measured and calibrated!
@@currentsitguy IDK, man...wumble sounds like rumble with speech impediment... I just think 'a piece of string" is good enough name, laterwhen i gains traction and recognition, let the people decide.... a piece .... or just - a string.
4:31 okay I can't stay silent anymore.... I see 1337 all over in your content sometimes (this video is 13:37 long, and so are a few others... and now the clock just happens to be showing 13:37... are you leet, Mr. Techmoan?
Always happy when a new Techmoan video arrives. One observation is that I'd be afraid at how quickly that tube would get terrible burn-in with that static image displayed all the time. Too bad the clock couldn't be made to drift around or otherwise mitigate this. Also, since you have a scope anyway, would be cool if it had a microphone and some selectable patterns to go with music, or line-ins for this purpose.
I have one of the original Cathode Corner scope clocks. It does constantly shift the display position a tiny bit to reduce burn in. I’d hope the new clock does the same.
I would never doubt Techmoan's sincerity. One of the most genuine UA-camrs out here.
He is very trustworthy one of my favourites.
One of the few souls on earth who haven't sold out to the dollar. Thanks for your integrity Mr Moan you inspire others by example. Integrity is lasting, money comes and goes. One never forgets compromising their integrity but they surely forget what they spent the money they compromised it for on.
MrBallen and Mentour Pilot also seem to be very sincere and have great integrity, check out the videos regarding their personal stories. The way people talk, their stares, smiles and mannerisms go great lengths in mirroring their inner voices.
I agree!
@@coolguy-xd1bg How at all is it insincere? It's to the point, tells you what you need to know. He didn't need to include it, but he did, in his own tone of voice. He writes as he speaks. This lack of pretence is the definition of sincerity.
I met David a few years ago through his day job as radio astronomer; I saw he was wearing a Nixie watch and asked about it, then found out he was the one who made it! Among other things, David works on the Event Horizon Telescope, the project that produced the first images of a black hole.
That's very cool!
I also met David a few years ago when I caught him pooping in my garden.
@@spacewolfjr He’s a smart man, saw it needed the fertilizer. How’d your eggplants turn out?
@@spacewolfjr splendid, what a scrumptious bounty
Cool!
I lost my dad a year ago and he, too, was a big fan of this channel. I'd often hear your voice coming from his tablet at random when he'd be watching a vid! He'd have absolutely loved one of these CRT clocks, no doubt. He loved old technology and clocks and construction of said things and I have no doubt this would have been a Christmas or birthday gift to surprise him with. What a gorgeous piece.
👍
@@zognaldblormpf5127 I do, troll
My father in law passed this year as well and he absolutely loved gadgets, particularly older and out of date tech. This is right up his alley.
@@zognaldblormpf5127 about you
My condolences for your dad 💐. I know my dad won’t make it much longer and I’ve come to accept it.
In case you’re wondering about the length of that piece of string, it’s twice the distance from the middle to one end.
D = 2R
Wow!!!
This should go to the top!
That's no use to me. Which end?!
The loose end.
@@ChristianBehnke the loose end is for precise height measurement
“About as deep as this piece of string”
Definitely a strong contender for joke of the year.🤣
I have a piece of string here and there is no way I could fit a clock of that size in my room. 🤣
@Les It's about one parrot deep. How many parrots is your rope?
@@SianaGearz My dog has a rope toy that's almost as long as he is. So the rope is about 3.5 parrots.
YSMV
"This piece of string" is the most accurate unit of measurement. Thank you for the precision.
I laughed out loud at those size comparisons. Well done.
I didn't have any bananas in the house.
I don't know. That string might be metric.
Americans needed to know too.
Banana lenght string
that string was 4-3/4 inches
Being a vector display clock, it's a shame that none of the included games originated as vector games, like Asteroids or Tempest... but with the source code to the clock being available, I'm sure somebody will put those on there in short order.
@@danielpope3579 Then we have to get Dave Plummer to play it. He's the world record holder for Tempest and he has a play-through video on his channel, Dave's Garage.
with 2 pots, you only need a trigger and you could do Atari Star Wars
This raises the option of vectrex clocks...if you could make a card with a clock program in.
It needs a cartridge slot!
tennis for two, the game nolan bushnell would later adapt into pong, was originally written by ralph baer, using an oscilloscope as a display. you can find video of it online. on a vector screen it's just going back to its original home.
Beautiful indeed! I love how the video is 13:37 long and that's the time the clock shows first :)
It's LEET
Good observation. Would not have noticed.
damn, i didn't even notice that :-O
I noticed that as well
Damn that’s pretty neat. Wouldn’t have spotted that
I got mine in the mail yesterday and opened it today on Christmas day -- it's amazing. Just a gorgeous thing!
My kit arrived on the 29th, assembled the next day... It is! I've also written code for it to display audio waveforms from USB since :D Seems we need a discussion place for owners...
08:50 - great idea for a size comparison, I have the same string laying around to check the size of my clocks.
What is really a coincidence, is that the clock has the exact same length as the string. I'm mind blown!
... well, as a side note, great watch!
on your side note, i feel i need to point out it is a clock not a watch :-) that said i agree it is great!
@@alanw8834 Every clock is a watch if you're strong enough.
@@alanw8834 Two pedants sat on the floor, and one fell off.
Where did you buy your clock measuring string?
Also excellent to see it's just the right height to fit on the shelf where I keep my noodles and tangerines.
Thank you for the full disclosure about receiving the clock for free and how it's not really possible for you to be totally objective. Offbeat tech channels like yours, Technology Connections and BigClive are some of the only YT channels who I trust to have integrity. I feel lucky and thankful that we live in a time where 'make something you're passionate about, give it away for free and trust that people will donate for it' is a viable business model, and have watched and enjoyed all your vids ASAP after release for several years now. Thanks for what you do Mat.
Even the way the laser cut acrylic was designed to fold around the front and rear faceplates is really cool and something I haven't seen done before on acrylic without heat forming. Overall it's a really nice design!
it's called a 'living hinge' if you were curious!
I haven't seen that type of construction before. The whole video, I'm thinking to myself "I wonder how long before the stresses finally make that plastic snap?" Anyone know any history? Is this a construction method that will last?
@@wilkgr Thanks! I ended up finding it and was gonna post it here but you beat me to it haha. I’ve seen it done on wood before just never on acrylic.
@@BLenz-114 I expect it to last a long time. These only really wear out when you're actually using them as a hinge (ie opening and closing it often)
@@wilkgr I expect it to snap in 5 years when you have to replace the RTC battery.
The times when every household used to have at least one linear particle accelerator are long gone. With this product, you can get one once again. And what a beautiful one too.
i crt what you did there Erik
At least these days everybody has kilowatt-level RF transmitters at the ready.
As an American, I appreciate the alternative measurements alot.
According to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's online The World Factbook (2016), the ONLY countries that have NOT adopted the metric system are Myanmar (also known as Burma), Liberia and the United States. Really, America? Really? 🙄🙄🙄 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ 😗
@@LeofromFreo The United States does have the metric system. Everything is officially done via the metric system, we've just reskinned it to look like imperial.
I don't want a CRT clock, or most of the devices reviewed here, for myself. That doesn't change the fact that the devices are fascinating and that Techmoan's videos are both nostalgic and informative - as well as entertaining - and I long ago decided that I never need to worry about his motives. I watch every video, regardless, and I always learn something.
This is so rad! Never would have imagined old scopes would be turned into a clock. And it plays games! Those displays are very sharp as well. What's not to love?
@@rikimiki12 everyone is different, I really like the sides as they are,. Why would you want to cover it up? Then you'd have long brick.
@@rikimiki12 Injection is not happening for the size of production run this will have
Until you said (roughly) "I realize this may look like one long commercial", the thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Thank you for sharing this awesome piece of kit, and thank you to David for sending you one so we could all check it out in great detail.
This is what influencers do. Works for handbags just as well as it does for tech gadgets. They're sold out btw., so it worked perfectly. There is a waiting list.
Indeed!
That's a very pleasing device. Reminds me of my favorite day of the electrical engineering lab course I took in the one semester before I switched to mechanical, when we got to play with actual oscilloscopes. :)
If anyone is interested in metric conversions of the dimensions, I would eyeball-estimate it at approximately 0.00047 Eiffel towers in height, with a length of roughly 0.016 Paris Métro cars.
How about Smoots?
@@howardshubs7157 The smoot is an ANSI unit, but just for you: approximately 0.09 × 0.22.
@@ZGryphon Numbers without units aren't helpful. :-D 5'7" is Imperial, yes, but I was asking about the ... Got it. You meant those number are in Smoots. Good.
Eiffel tower? who uses Eiffel tower anymore? you French really needs to move on to the 21st century and start using string units.
If it's not in rods per fortnight I can't visualize it.
it is so refreshing to see someone so genuine. passionate and enthusiastic when there is so much cynicism in the world.
Great video. For those that want converted measurements of the device. The height is a toilet roll (on its end and a cox's apple with stalk), the length is 4aa batteries and a orange or 1.5 strips of streaky bacon.
Did you use imperial or Whitworth bacon?
This video had me at hello. Great review and best non-advertisement ever, just asked to get on the waitlist.
"Along with the unusual comes the unknown."
Soo true. I need to write it down.
Thank you for another great video!
It's 12 syllables, so not a true Haiku. 😉
If anyone doubts your integrity after watching this video all they have to do is watch some more of your content. Who you really are is on display in full. Thanks for sharing, it sure is beautiful.
“As long as this piece of string” excellent!!!
I imagine Your videos have helped him a thousand times over, and it's nice to see him acknowledge it with such a lovely gift. Thanks for sharing.
Nice to find alternative use for cup noodles ❤️😊
But how big is that in washing machines?
@@inshadowz The standard measure of height in the UK (where Techmoan lives) is double-decker busses.
@@olmostgudinaf8100 I kind of assumed that-after all I visited Manchester a couple of years ago-but I worry that the American viewers won't be able to make sense of it 😉
I am a clock freak too and when you took this out of the box, I literally screamed like a little girl! What a beautiful object d'art!
I hope the Cathode Corner guy sells all his stock. It is a very cool clock, outside my budget right now, but it looks like a great piece for a shelf.
Great video as always, Mat. Thanks for showing us this clock.
I just looked and it’s sold out!!
Same :)
I've visited Cathode Corner's site many times over the years hoping to be able to buy a kit... they've always been out-of-stock. 8-((
@@Knitting_n_Trucking Glad I snagged one of the kits. I was going to sit and dwell on in awhile, then I noticed in the description about only having only hundreds of the tubes. I was certain they would sell out after making it to a techmoan video. I've actually had my eyes on David's scope clock for probably a decade.
I've got a waiting list, but it's already 100 people. I can make several hundred clocks, given the free time.
A great deal of effort went into this. The price is steep but it is a work of art.
I love that all the menus are done with rotary encoders, so responsive and smooth!
3/09/22: I received mine after watching your video but it took awhile before I could order it. Mine came packaged exactly like yours, covered in bubblewrap only. I'm surprised yours survived all the way to the UK! Mine was delivered in the states and came to me with part of the case broken. The back end piece that accomodates the neck of the tube broke off the rear plate & it was in several pieces. The front of the tube was laying down inside on top of the electronics. Disappointed I was, it was a beautiful piece, had to send back for a refund. Much more care was needed in packing a delicate instrument. So if anyone is interested in buying this, I hope you have better luck. As of this comment, it's $600 for the fully assembled unit or $500 for the kit version. Great review on it, it's what finally made decide to get one, but maybe later now.
Tecmoan's full circle. What a 12 years, Im still looking for the new kitchen stuff also :D
"It's about as deep as this piece of string."
Oh Mat, never change. :D
if it wasnt for the alternate dimensions i wouldn't have any clue its size, thanks!
Yea but I don't know if a piece of string is longer or shorter than a banana.
For me it's perfect! I was looking for so long for a scope clock that has the depth of a piece of string!
4:11 I paused this to make a comment about the time on the clock and then I noticed the video length. No way that's a coincidence, thanks for reinforcing the leetness, Techmoan!
To keep the seconds it could have the small circles blink to represent the seconds. Great video!
Never commented before, but I've recently been gorging on your videos, like a man with a multipack of Hula Hoops and the family's out for the day. Loving all this cool stuff, and as a new owner of a serviced cassette deck from 1983, I really enjoy your videos on cassette media and proper audio equipment from years gone by. Keep 'em coming Techmoan! :)
...so LGR gave us his MIDI Mountain episode...maybe you could do a similar thing with all your clocks and cathode tube neon awesomeness? I love to see all your favorites together in the same frame.
You are becoming an expensive channel for me, first I bought a Nixie tube clock because of you, and now I'm off to buy CRT clock for myself for Christmas. Excellent video as always
oh god, he sells the watches too! I forgot about that
That really is a thing of beauty. It’s so sharp on the screen!
Yeah sure let's just say it is like a commercial, doesn't change the fact I'm enjoying this video, this is some of the reason I come back to this channel, I love old school type of tech reimagined into modern or modern old school products, even if you did get a commission or was sponsored to show this clock it doesn't change the fact I enjoyed watching it and am intrigued by the product, if it was sponsored or you were getting a commission it still flows with your usual uploads is either way it's fitting and I enjoy it, partly because it's cool but mostly you're just the right man to show it off and explain this kind of stuff because you not only draw interest into the things you feature but you get others excited about it too, bottom line if it's paid or not, you still show your interest in what you do and do a great job showing it off and explaining it I'd watch you advertise products like this any day
Very cool.
I commend the designer for not adding cheap LED's for "ambience".
I expected Asteroids in the games. ^
David is an awesome dude. In the Tucson community he is held in high regard and has the coolest Bicycle BoomBox you'll ever see.
I've always wondered why no one ever adds a motion sensor to these nixie and CRT type projects. I suspect the tubes would last a lifetime if they were turned off or the brightness turned down when no motion is detected. Just having the brightness auto-dim would help save that phosphor from burn in.
so I couldn't see the time, being not dancing?
what about bed? sofa?
or at least a photocell to turn down the brightness automatically at night
@@Ritefita Those sensors are pretty sensitive. Tuned right, a mere handwave is typically enough to trigger one. There's one in a bathroom where I work that will detect motion _reflecting on the door_ if it's left open at the right angle.
It would also be good to slowly dither the X,Y location of the displayed clock to avoid phosphor burns.
@@w6wdh this feature is already there.
read the decription
I love your content. I especially appreciate your genuine warmth, every video feels a bit like a random run in with an old friend.
That font really is gorgeous.
Watching the outro of this video and seeing all the beautiful bits of 70's and 80's tech confirms that we haven't progressed in consumer technology, we've just removed the necessity lost what was a beautiful age
Amazing device, the sharp green of real oscilloscope screens is really something else. Only one thing bothered me a little bit, the wire harnesses inside could have been cable laced like you see often in old lab equipment for that neat look.
Well, that is a great sugestion for those that get the kit!
I thought something along those lines while watching the video. That would definitely add to the look of it. Also from the looks of it... That should be easy enough to upgrade. 😊
Cheers
Yes, but I never worked as a Navy tech, so I never learned the technique. We have a spool of that stuff at the radio astronomy lab where I work.
Thanks for creating these beauties, @@davidforbes8900 🙂👍
Thanks David. I can sense how much Mat loves this early Christmas present. It really is a thing of retro beauty. Great work.
Since the source code is online, I imagine it would also be an excellent platform for developing and showcasing vector graphics.
Depends on how the graphics are generated.
@@Schule04 Seems pretty simple, the creator wrote a little mini drawing library in the scope code itself. Makes it relatively easy to draw shapes.
@@lucasrem1870 I'm not sure what you mean with this? Revit might have been used to design the casing, I guess, but we mean the code that runs the display.
Love cathode corner, many years have passed and still have my nixie tube watch from them, on 3rd battery now. they are the best. thanks for posting.
That really is gorgeous. I had a vintage oscilloscope for decades. I tried to sell it on eBay but got no bids for it, so unfortunately I eventually discarded it. I still find that technology fascinating.
I sold a vintage Heathkit scope on Ebay, no problem. There must have been a reason your scope did not sell.
We can tell all your videos are completely sincere. Don't worry about it, you are right, it's a gorgeous clock 👍🏽👍🏽
I wonder how quickly they'd be affected by screen burn.
Last time i looked at the code, it moves the trace around slowly to avoid just that.
@@zaprodk That'll sure help but the screen is still going to suffer from screen burn. At best it'll take longer and be over a wider area. Even LCD displays can suffer from screen burn but it's not as much of an issue as it is with CRT as it's not in most use cases as noticeable.
Apart from moving the display around on this CRT clock it might be an idea to adjust the intensity according to ambient light levels. I have had CRT phosphors replaced but I doubt there's anyone doing that these days.
Sadly this design falls a bit short - especially for the asking price.
See the video description.
The store page mentions Davids (the creators) clock that was built 20 years ago still works fine, and that the tube used should handle at least 10 years without any problem.
As an American, I appreciate you augmenting the measurements with something I can understand. A Cup Noodle with a tangerine on top makes far more sense than that strange and arbitrary metric nonsense.
I see you made the video exactly 13:37, that's some elite editing!
A beautiful, visually interesting timepiece is representative of the 1 thing that mankind, despite all his/her achievements, will never be able to recapture: time.
Cherish each moment. It could be your last.
Great design - I like the combined bend and vent :-) and perfect orange-on-potnoodle proportions
Vents are really unnecessary, these tubes barely get warm. I'd prefer a sealed unit to keep out dust.
The slots are there for bending purposes. There is no need for ventilation as the plastic is only 3mm thick so it doesn't retain heat. I would have preferred to not have the slots for purity of design, but it's hard to bend acrylic nicely without them.
These just came back in stock and I purchased mine! Thank you for featuring this - would NEVER have seen it otherwise.
I vaguely remember that a similar type of device was also available as a bare microcontroller board without the oscilloscope and that you could connect it to the X and Y inputs of any old scope you already had. These were much cheaper.
Are normal oscilloscope circuits fast enough? I remember I tried Jerobeam Fenderson Oscilloscope Music on two of my analog scopes and you could see that when there was much on the screen it started struggling drawing straight lines
@@DerSchoermbro any oscilloscope with a bandwidth of 5MHz will work fine
The limiting factor would probably be the sound card / audio source - human hearing tops out in the 10s of kHz while pretty much any CRO I know of will at least be in the MHz. As for weirdness happening when other stuff is drawn - is there some AC coupling going on (either in the sound card / audio source or in the scope)? I think this would cause some unexpected artifacts and make stuff self-center over time. The gain in one channel of my scope is a bit up the creek and this failure / change in the amplifier behaviour also causes artifacts / skews shapes at moderate frequencies.
Those are available still, and they are a lot cheaper. They do require blanking Z input to prevent little streaks between segments.
@@davidforbes8900 only one I really know of was the dutchtronix oscilloscope clock board.
I've wanted another since those are no longer available as kits but a lot are the whole thing minus the CRT and case
Thrilled you gave us the string measure!
Great clock, would be better with a simple system to detect motion or body heat to turn screen on and off to increase life of tube and save energy.
That’s smart
.... And 'Burn in' would have to be an issue. I thought the designer would reposition the image slightly every 5min. or so.
Definitely burn in is a factor. Decades ago I build an on-screen clock for a CCTV channel that displayed the time and scrolling text. The audio was a classical music channel. So many people at the hospital where I worked left it on that channel that eventually we had a lot of CRT televisions with 88:88 burned into the screen.
That's the reason early computer screen savers moved the text and graphics around the screen to prevent burn in.
So many memories coming back. Yes I was shuffling such tubes around, education at any price, never questioned the cost only to be taken for a ride.
How does it use the mains frequency on a DC power supply? Does enough of the 'ripple' make it through the rectification to still be usable?
🤷♂️ I do not know.
@@Techmoan This initially confused me too until I looked up the manual - "Mains tells whether the AC power in your location has a frequency of 50 or 60 Hz. This is used to
synchronize the display to any magnetic fields that may be present. Having it set to the wrong value will cause the display to shimmy if the clock is near an AC-powered motor, transformer or electromagnet."
I'll try and snip a couple of seconds out of the video to remove my erroneous nonsense. I'm attempting to do this in situ, which works about one in a hundred times...so we'll see. The UA-cam editor is just as likely to invert the video and make it black and white as it is to snip the section out I marked.
Yes, the power supply doesn't care. But the CRT is sensitive to the magnetic fields created by any mains-powered equipment near it. Synchronizing the display to the mains frequency hides this effect, so the tube may be unshielded and not suffer from visual interference.
Many cameras have a similar setting to help prevent flicker from lights. This must be doing a similar function.
I knew it was sold out before I clicked on the link. Turns out David is not just a talented engineer, but quite brilliant at marketing! 👍😃
Happy for him, a little sad that I missed it.
This is a thing of beauty - brilliant idea and execution!
At the price, I'm not likely to purchase one without PCH coming to the door with balloons, confetti, and an oversized cardboard check, but thank you for the review of this marvel! Brings tube-age codgers joy!
What a gorgeous piece, I wish I had $500 just burning a hole in my pocket!
A very nice designed CRT clock. There are not many designs around that use CRT tubes, because they are rather difficult to bring to life, with the very high voltages you need for that. Well done, very well done!
It would be cool to see them make some new CRT displays.
I think the very very last ones stopped in India in 2015, although you can still buy new old stock flat 5 inch ones online
It would also be cool for them to make original Beetles and 10 lb telephones again, but it's not going to happen. I'm working on the old stock. Not enough demand to make new ones.
@@davidforbes8900 I think the main problem with the original Beetle is less about demand than that there is finally nowhere in the industrialized world with automobile safety standards low enough to allow new-production ones. :)
I think there is some company that makes the clear ones for prison system.
This is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a while. Imagine if vector was all we had and we never knew pixels.
Could have happened! It's one of the things I like to imagine for alien technology concepts.
Hey Matt, I appreciate your measuring methods but I was looking for a clock with the depth of half of a length of string. My desk wouldn't accompany it very well. Guess I'll keep looking through the lengthy library of round CRT oscilloscope clocks with GPS options in clear cases.
Great video as always. It feels like time travelling back to your nixie videos.
Is that British string or a French string?
@@mandowarrior123 The airspeed of an unladen string?
That is a thing of beauty. Bespoke objects like this are worth every cent. Superb!
Was that a metric piece of string or an Imperial one?
What a great review, concise, informative and to the point.
Wow! Gorgeous piece. I wonder how burn-in will effect the phosphors and how quickly.
Especially since you can't turn off the display or set a time when the screen would be off, I expect the burn-in would be really bad after a few months. If you put the month on display, that month is being projected for 30 days straight 24/7. Also the left-most hour digit, 1 or 2, is always projected half a day.
I would really like to see what the display looks like after a year of being on.
The clocks that I made 20 years ago, and have been running continuously since then, still look reasonably good. These tubes last a long time! Also there's a display dithering feature to spread out the wear over a 5mm square area.
Such a beautiful clock and with a lot more features than I would have thought. A very functional and attractive conversation piece. While the price is definitely up there for a clock, it's cool to see that the quality is there to back it up. I'm very happy for anyone who does pick one up and I hope the manufacturer comes up with many more cool pieces like this.
In response to your comment at 11:00 about keeping it sideways as art, I imagine that you might be able to get a custom firmware to enable a horizontal reversal of the display so that you can have a it on display sideways with a mirror redirecting the light towards the room
Or just swap the connections to the X deflection plates
Or just turn the CRT around by 90 degrees!
...or just put it on an open shelf, where you can see it from both the side and the front.
Or just put it on a turntable so it alternates between right side, front, left side and back :D im sure he has a spare one lying around :P
@@unitrader403 problem with that is the power cable can't have infinite rotations
I think the nixie clock video was my first experience with your channel. Then the nixie watch so on. I'm still fascinated with clocks.
Is be interested to see if there is 'screen burn in' over time being a CRT
Same
Agree, this needs a PIR sensor with screen blanking function, especially at this price point.
@@poruatokin yes absolutely
I want one. Don't need it. But want it. Badly. Superb design. Superb product. Appreciate not just the electronic engineering, but the coding as well.
This is awesome! Great work Mat great video on a cool device
Finally we've started measuring in SU - String Units! I've been waiting ages for it to catch on!
I really think the lines of the „6“ and „9“ characters should be tangent to the circles (of the characters). Especially on such an expensive clock.
Probably a small firmware update could resolve that.
It can be resolved, at this time the font's data doesn't allow for much accuracy.
Looking at the code, it's only ellipses and lines locked to a grid typically 16x20. It could be scaled up or use a float type for better precision.
Great use of the Teensy 3.6's dual DACs by the way :)
I quite like the 6 and 9s. The slight offset is part of the charm of a CRT.
Yes, it's a bit of a compromise. The code was originally written for a different circle generator design which didn't have as much precision as the current design. I will probably make them fit a bit better when I have a free moment. The firmware is V1.0.0 at this time.
@@davidforbes8900 lovely work David , a pat on the back for that , thank you .
Thanks for converting the depth to string - that helps us string enthusiasts immensely!
I think it would be good to add a timeout feature to avoid premature wear on the tube. Could easily be done with a software update.
I was thinking a subtle circular motion of the screen position, just a bit larger than the screen dot with, could also reduce wear on the screen.
But yeah, a clock like this really deserves a timeout, screensave, or other options.
To avoid wear on the screen (and save power) you'd really want to turn off the CRT's cathode heater. I could be mistaken but I don't think the hardware design allows for this.
You'd think it was necessary, but the tube will last for many years without it. There's a screensaver that moves the beam, and the cathode is a very long life version. My 20 year old scope clocks made with the same tubes still look good.
As an American, I really appreciate your alternative measurement options to the metric dimensions. As long as string is very helpful for me. Centimeters make about as much sense as sitting the tube next to a pile of dirt for size comparison.
Just be aware that that's Imperial String, which is actually 20% longer than US Customary String.
I really appreciate the alternate measurements. I had a string that length, so very informative.
What a wonderful gadget. I can't even count the number of hours I've spent adjusting the controls on CRT displays (TV/Radar/Oscilloscope) trying to keep the picture centered. "Mains drift" doesn't mean much these days, but in the heyday of such displays, it certainly did!
I loved the "...about as deep as this piece of string..." ... I think the "piece of string" should be used worldwide instead of banana!
...and, as that Paris place guards an original "1 meter" , you should guard the original "piece of string" by which all others pieces of string should be measured and calibrated!
Perhaps the string should be kept with the rock that defines the stone 🙂.
@@currentsitguy IDK, man...wumble sounds like rumble with speech impediment... I just think 'a piece of string" is good enough name, laterwhen i gains traction and recognition, let the people decide.... a piece .... or just - a string.
There are many things I truly need in life to further my business along. This is not one of them, but I've never wanted something more.
"It's about as deep as this piece of string" 🤣
Dang. All sold out! Thanks for sharing this wonderful item. Hope he builds more as this is so up my alley! Thanks Matt
Is the more or less static time display going to burn the screen like we were always warned about in the early days of PC monitors?
Damn, now we need screensavers for our CRT clocks...
I like the imperial units you gave for the measurements. Those ancient people should be happy.
4:31 okay I can't stay silent anymore.... I see 1337 all over in your content sometimes (this video is 13:37 long, and so are a few others... and now the clock just happens to be showing 13:37... are you leet, Mr. Techmoan?
The alternate measurements got a good laugh out of me. Well done.
Tell me I'm not mad; the puck did go through the right paddle a couple of times didn't it?
You're not insane.
Always happy when a new Techmoan video arrives. One observation is that I'd be afraid at how quickly that tube would get terrible burn-in with that static image displayed all the time. Too bad the clock couldn't be made to drift around or otherwise mitigate this. Also, since you have a scope anyway, would be cool if it had a microphone and some selectable patterns to go with music, or line-ins for this purpose.
I have one of the original Cathode Corner scope clocks. It does constantly shift the display position a tiny bit to reduce burn in. I’d hope the new clock does the same.