Connex Nixie 6 User manual

Connex Nixie 6
Table Clock
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Version 1.0
User Guide

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Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………......... 3
Specifications………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Safety……………………………………………………………………………………...................... 3
How to Use Your Nixie 6…………………………………………………………………………. 4
Initial Setup…………………………………………………………………………………….......... 4
Advanced Setup…………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Setting the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) Time Zone1……………………….. 6
Setting Summer Time/Daylight Savings…………………………………………………… 7
Time Correction……………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Number Change Ghosting………………………………………………………………………. 9
Colon Blinkers………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
Backlight Color Change Program…………………………………………………………….. 9
Manual Color Settings……………………………………………………………………………. 9
Additional Functions…………………………………………………………………………….. 10
Warranty……………………………………………………………………………………………... 11
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1Applicable only to the Nixie 6 G and AG.

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Introduction
The Connex Nixie 6 Table Clock (hereinafter “Nixie 6”) is designed to display
the exact time and date through gas-discharge tubes. The backlighting of the
tubes is carried out by RGB LEDs. The clock is equipped with a built-in battery
that will continue counting time in case your Nixie 6 loses power.
Depending on the model2of your Nixie 6, your clock may have the following
supplementary features:
• Remote control for menu setup and backlight programming.
• GPS module for setting the exact time and date.
• Temperature Sensor.
Specifications
1. Power Supply……………………………………………12-18 V
2. Maximum current consumption………………….1 A
3. Average current consumption…………………….0.35 A
4. Accuracy...………………………………………………..98.5%*
5. Battery………………………………………………. ……CR1220
* Adjustable
WARNING
Please read the following to ensure safe and effective handling of your Nixie 6:
High Voltage: Do not power on the Nixie 6 while it is unassembled. Touching
the circuit board while it’s plugged-in can cause serious bodily injury due to
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2See Table 4 on page 10.

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electrocution.
Sensitive Glass Tubes: The vacuum tubes on the Nixie 6 are new-old-stock IN-
14’s that were developed and used by the Soviet military. They are sensitive to
strikes, falls and other impacts. If they break, the user will be exposed to sharp
parts that can cause injuries. Please treat them with care!
Battery: The Nixie 6 contains a CR1220 battery that is designed to keep running
the clock if your device loses power. Please note that if you lose power when the
battery is missing or corrupted, your custom settings will reset to factory
defaults.
How to Use Your Nixie 6
3-Button Control Panel – Operation Mode
Left button
Middle Button
Right Button
Enter Settings Menu.
Show Date.
Toggle backlight on/off.3
Table 1
Initial Setup
1. Plug the provided power supply into the 12V jack at the back of your Nixie
Clock. Plug the power supply’s 2-prong connector into a wall outlet and wait
until the time is shown. By default, the time is set to 00:00:00.
2. Press the Menu button. The backlight will turn crimson, and the backlight of
the first pair of tubes (on the far left) will become brighter. This is the hours field.
Use the Minus and Plus buttons to input the hour of the current time.
3. Press the Menu button again. The highlighted field will shift over to the pair of
tubes in the middle. This is the minutes field. Use the Minus and Plus buttons to
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3If you’ve turned the backlight off in the settings, then you won’t see any response to pressing
this button. Please note that the backlight is always on in Setup Mode (this allows you to
toggle through the Settings Menu).

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input the minutes of the current time.
4. Press the Menu button again. The highlighted field will shift over to the pair of
tubes on the far right. This is the seconds field. Use the Minus and Plus buttons to
reset the seconds.
Advanced Setup:
3-Button Control Panel – Setup Mode
Left button
Middle Button
Right Button
Menu navigation: toggling
through tubes and “pages.”
Minus (-): decreasing the
value of the selected field.
Plus (+): Increasing the value
of the selected field.
Table 2
After you’ve set the time, press the Menu button (the left button) again and you
will enter the next “Page” of the Nixie 6’s settings.
The Nixie 6 Settings Menu has as many as six different Pages (depending on the
model) that allow you to customize different functions to your liking. For a
complete listing of options, refer to Table 3.
You can access the Settings Menu anytime by pressing the left button on the
control panel (grid key [#] on the remote control4).
To exit the Settings Menu, press the Menu button repeatedly until you have
toggled through all the Pages. OR, wait 30-45 seconds for your Nixie 6 to switch
to standby mode.5
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4Applicable only to the Nixie 6 R.
5This option may not be available in older software versions of the Nixie 6.!

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Settings Menu
Setting the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) Time Zone (for
Nixie 6 G and AG)
On Page 3 of the Settings Menu, you can set the time zone by toggling through 0-
24. Numbers 0-12 indicate an increase in hours from UTC, while numbers 13-24
indicate a decrease in hours from UTC.
Your Nixie 6 uses the following formula to set the time zone:
T = 12 - x
For example: if you live in King Edward Point, then your time zone is UTC-2.
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6Applicable only to the Nixie 6 G and AG.
7Applicable only to the Nixie 6 G and AG.
8Applicable only to the Nixie 6 R.
9Applicable only to the Nixie 6 A and AG.!
Page
Color
Left Pair of
Lamps
Middle Lamps
Right Pair of Lamps
1
Crimson.
Set hours.
Set minutes.
Reset seconds.
2
Green.
Set date.
Set month.
Set year.
3
Blue.
Set time zone.6
Time correction.
Toggle
number
change
ghosting
on/off.
Toggle
colon
blinker
speed.
4
Yellow-
Green.
Toggle
GPS
on/off.7
Toggle
backlight
on/off.
Toggle
12 hr.
clock
on/off
Toggle
Backlight
Color
Change
Program.
Toggle
Summer
Time/Daylight
Savings.
Toggle
remote
control
on/off.8
5
Varies with
Backlight
Color.
Manual Color
Setting: Red.
Manual Color
Setting: Green.
Manual Color Setting:
Blue.
69
Orange.
Set alarm clock
hours.
Set alarm clock
minutes
Toggle alarm clock
on/off.
Table 3

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You can determine which value to input into the Nixie 6 by performing the
following calculation:
T = 12 – (-2)
T = 14
This means that if you live in King Edward Point (UTC-2), you’d enter 14 as your
time zone value.
OR
Suppose you live in Madagascar. Your time zone will be UTC+3. You can
determine which value to input into the Nixie 6 by performing the following
calculation:
T = 12 – (+3)
T = 9
This means that if you live in Madagascar (UTC+3), you’d enter 9 as your time
zone value.
Setting Summer Time/Daylight Savings
UTC Time is constant – it does not change with Summer Time or Daylight
Savings. To program the Nixie 6 with Summer Time/Daylight Savings, input the
correct value in the Summer Time/Daylight Savings field (as listed in Page 4 of
the Settings Menu).
Summer Time/Daylight Savings values can be programmed as follows:
• 0: Disabled.
• 1: European Summer Time (time change on last Saturday of September
and March).
• 2: American Daylight Savings (time change on the second Sunday of
March and the first Sunday of November).

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Please visit these pages for more information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_by_country
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Time_in_Europe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_in_the_Americas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_in_Oceania
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_in_the_United_States
Time Correction
Your Nixie 6 can be programmed to compensate for timing inaccuracies. Time
deviation calculations are carried out according to the following formula:
Correction (# of seconds/24 hours) = (50 - (fixed number)) x 5.2 sec
You can toggle the “fixed number” in the Time Correction field from anywhere
between 01-99.
This means that you can set the time correction on your Nixie 6 to anywhere
between +254.8 seconds/24 hours and -254.8 seconds/24 hours.
To Correct the Time:
First, make sure the Time Correction value on your Nixie 6 is set to 50.
Work your way back to Page 1 of the Settings Menu. Set the time on your Nixie 6
to a reliable source (such as www.time.gov).
Wait 24 hours and check the difference between your Nixie 6 and whichever
reliable source you have chosen as your comparison time. Once you know how
many seconds your Nixie 6 has deviated, use the time correction formula to
determine which “fixed number” you should select.
Remember that all the fixed numbers below 50 will give you positive numbers
(which you can use if your Nixie 6 is counting time too quickly).
And remember that all the fixed numbers above 50 will give you negative
numbers (which you can use if your Nixie 6 is counting time too slowly).

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Number Change Ghosting
Your Nixie 6 can be customized to provide smooth number transitions. Each
new value will gradually cover the previous value, giving the user a “ghosting”
effect.
0 = Number Change Ghosting Off
1 = Number Change Ghosting On
Colon Blinkers
The neon dividing lights on your Nixie 6 can be toggled to blink at two different
speeds.
0 = Blink at 0.5 Hz (1 time every 2 seconds)
1 = Blink at 1 Hz (1 time every 1 second)
Backlight Color Change Program
Your Nixie 6 has nine different backlight color programs. If you wish to set the
backlight colour manually, then enter “0” into the Backlight Color Change
Program field.
Manual Color Settings (Settings Menu Page 5)
You can toggle the backlight color to your liking by manipulating the values in
the red, green and blue field.
Each color can be set to a value between 0 and 40.
Note: If you wish to set the backlight color manually, make sure the Backlight
Color Change Program field (on Page 4) is set to “0.”

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Additional Functions
GPS Model (Nixie 6 G): The GPS function allows you to connect a special
antenna to your Nixie 6, allowing it to receive highly accurate time information.
You will need to place the Nixie 6 by a window for the GPS function to work
properly.
In the event that the signal is lost, the Nixie 6 G will synchronize itself to an
internal clock until the GPS signal is resumed.
Remote Control: Currently Under Development.
Temperature Sensor: Currently Under Development.
Alarm Clock: The Nixie 6 A and AG are programmed with an alarm clock (see
Settings Menu Page 6). The alarm signal consists of a bright white glow, LED
blinking and 1-3 kGts frequency sound. The alarm will sound for two minutes. It
can be manually turned off by pressing one of the control panel buttons. The
alarm signal will repeat itself every 24 hours (unless manually turned off in the
menu).
Nixie 6 Models
Model #
Features
-
Standard features (clock with RGB backlight).
A
Standard features + alarm clock.
G
Standard features + GPS
R
Standard features + IR remote control support
T
Standard features + temperature sensor.
AG
Standard features + GPS + alarm clock.
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Warranty
The manufacturer (Millclock) guarantees uninterrupted operation of the
electronic part of the device within 1 year of the date of purchase. The average
service time of the electronic part of the device is 5 years.
This warranty does not cover the IN-14 vacuum tubes or the CR1220 battery.