Somewhere at the junction of modern open-source hardware and early 80’s Russia lives a beautiful new DIY kit from the Maker Shed called the Ice Tube Clock. The centerpiece of this old-meets-new clock is a Russian-made, 9-digit, vacuum florescent display (VFD). Included in the kit is everything you need to build a complete VFD clock.
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 the clock from you, and you from the 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!
4 thoughts on “New in the Maker Shed: Ice Tube Clock kit”
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This is partially correct
“Precision watch crystal keeps time with under 20ppm (0.0002%) error (< 2 seconds a day) ”
However, 20ppm is 0.002 % and not 0.0002 %
So, 20ppm (0.002%) of 86400 (seconds in a day) is 1.728 seconds per day so the “< 2 seconds a day” part is correct.
Having said that, crystals are largely temperature dependent and the 20ppm is a tolerance and not a fixed error. So a watch crystal operating in an average 25 degrees C environment may well not lose the 1.728s/day. In fact, the temperature vs. frequency stability curve is designed to be 0.0ppm @ 25c for most crystals.
Thanks for the info. We will adjust the specs. At the very least, this clock will wake you up in the morning…within a second or 2! :)