Nixie tubes lifespan

What wrinkles does a nixie tube develop over the years?

Lifespan of a nixie tube filled with high-quality gas is around 20 years.
However, during this time, it will develop visible signs of wear and tear.
Particles released from the digits when they light up settle on the glass of the nixie tube, creating a gradually darkening coating that transitions into a metallic or even mirror-like effect.
An example of the “darkening glass” can be seen in our first nixie tubes in the illustrative photos. These nixie tubes have been illuminating space 24/7 for 8 years already.
The glow remains essentially unchanged even after such performance, just slightly shifting towards orange.
The difference you see on our latest version of the nixie tube, in the form of white adhesive on the pins, is an aesthetic manufacturing change, not the result of adhesive oxidation over the operating period.

RELIABILITY

Achieving reliability

The R tube taught us what it means to achieve reliability. What a brutal difference lies between a fully working lab prototype and a product withstanding long-term real use by customers.

Leakage occurence
R|Z568M finished

More about Nixie tubes

R|Z568M Nixie Tube

Spare nixie tubes always at hand

We always keep a stock of R nixie tubes so we can quickly resolve the problem..

Made in the Czech Republic, the heart of Europe

At the castle in the small village of Březolupy.