robnee , vor 3 Tagen

@TechConnectify wonderful video as always. Did any actual products ever use these?

pa3weg , vor 3 Tagen

@TechConnectify "I've always been fascinated with the idea of building 7-segment displays out of weird things. Imagine a clock where each segment is a 4 foot fluorescent tube"

yes
I have done this a looong time ago and it's a nightmare to get the high frequency drive of the tubes right and if I'd do it now I would probably predict when to change digits (if it's a clock) to pre-heat the filaments to strike the tubes flicker-free.

breadbin , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify The gray background was the most puzzling one. Wonder how it would have worked with one of those super black paints now available.

I sometimes wonder how good old tech would be if we used modern manufacturing.

Technodoug , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify
https://www.wamcoinc.com/products/aero/displays

Aerospace incandescent numerical displays.

thefeiter , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify Rocket Surgeon. Love it!

Sylvhem , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify Numitron, finally answering the question “What if Nixie tubes were bad?”.

(I want some of them now of course.)

Rusty , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify It's the gray background that really gets me :neofox_what: Like. Why?

Meanwhile it's 2024. Numitrons with vantablack backgrounds please :blobfoxfloof_w_:

wolf480pl , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify I think there was no reason for RCA to put more effort into making those.

They already knew there were multiple better technologies that would become viable in a few years, so they just quickly came up with a cheap stopgap solution.

Also, regarding those silly "selling points" in the datasheet - what if they were trolling?

What if the entire product line was a joke to see if the management will let them ship something stupid?

chloeraccoon , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify "rocket surgeon"? What is this, Brain Science? :)

cosvak , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify my favorite pass time?

penguin42 , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify I wonder if they got some 'certification' thing going, along the lines of 'you use light bulbs in your system, so you can use these without having to do new certification'.
(Either that or a desperate use for the growingly redundant vacuum tube line)

mikej , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify And how many segments do you need to do the hair of The Police?

mikej , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify Great band name. "Tuesday at the Black Cat, Seven Segment Display along with 60 Cycle Hum, doors open at 8:30"

foo , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify Related weird-but-somewhat-terrible-tech: my LG dishwasher has a 7-segment display which tries to trick you into thinking it’s an LCD which is emulating a 7-segment display.

TechConnectify OP , vor 4 Tagen

@foo thanks I hate it

th , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify the George Mason patent diagram is wonderfully weird

th , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify the George Wallace patent diagram is wonderfully weird

gigabecquerel , vor 4 Tagen

@TechConnectify Nice.