Features

  • Clock Design

    Reintroducing the Strelka (Russian for “Arrow”) Nixie Clock! The original Cold War Creations Strelka was an IN-16 Nixie based acrylic clock with a unique arrow shaped design. It was discontinued 2013.
    This clock is 100% designed and manufactured by Cold War Creations. The case is made out of laser cut acrylic.



  • Clock Electronics

    The heart of the clock is a single circuit board that contains the high voltage power supply, processor, temperature & light sensors, and the Nixie tubes themselves. Surface mount circuit parts are used on the custom black circuit board, shrinking the size to emphasize the Nixie tubes and downplay the modern circuitry. The processor is a very low power RISC based AVR chip. This chip has more processing power then the large computers that originally used the Nixie tubes!


  • Clock Features

    * Unique arrow case design
    * Displays time, date, temperature
    * Alarm with programable snooze interval, and can be cancelled with the switches and/or just by turning on a light!
    * Auto-DST (daylight saving time) adjustment, adjusts the time when DST changes. US/EU/AUSTRALIA/New Zealand zones
    * Special effects: cross fade, slide across, and slot machine effect (these effects take place when digits change, or going from time, date, temperature
    * Programable colon effects: always off, always on, blinking, alternating
    * Time can be either 24-hour mode, or 12-hour mode, leading zero or leading blank
    * Programmable date format (mm-dd-yy, dd-mm-yy or yy-mm-dd)
    * Temperature can be displayed in Deg F, or Deg C
    * Auto tube brightness display adjust (varies with ambient light levels), or set to a fixed level
    * Programmable Display OFF/ON times, including Off during weekends
    * Auto display ON/OFF using ambient light level option, display off when dark
    * Keeps time during power outages for at least 12 hours using a super capacitor - no battery to replace, or worry about corrosive leakage
    * Anti-Cathode Poisoning function (extends tube life). Options for once a day, once an hour or once every 15 minutes
    * Standard Sockets for the Nixie's - easy replacement in case of failure


  • Tube Floor Lighting

    Tube floor LED lighting is standard on Strelka. Available in white, amber, blue and red. Standard floor LEDs light up each tube, or can be disabled completely. Floor LEDs also adjust with ambient lighting.
    White and Amber versions shown below:



  • Clock Dimensions

    Dimensions of Strelka IN-14 Clock.
    Length = 11.3" (287mm)
    Width = 2.5" (63.5mm)
    Height = 2.54" (64.5mm)


Glass Clock Technologies

  • Nixie Tubes - ИН-14's (IN-14)

    The tubes used in this clock are Soviet (Russian) military tubes. The Soviets, seeing the Western Nixie tube, came up with their own versions with similar sizes and shapes. Unlike the West, they manufactured Nixies well into the 1980’s. The ИН-14 version of Strelka Clock uses the Soviet ИН-14 tubes. They have a digit height of 18mm. The ИН-14 uses an unique ‘5’ digit, it uses an upside down and reversed ‘2’ for the ‘5’.
    The ИН-14 is available in 2 versions, standard grid and fine grid.

    Nixie tube life is usually 100,000 to 200,000 hours. See Burroughs Nixie Tube Lifespan article.

  • Time Keeping

    The purpose of a clock is to tell time, no matter how fancy the display. A watch crystal is used for precise time keeping. Each clock is individually calibrated with an atomic clock time base (Rubidium Oscillator). Also the temperature sensor on the clock adjusts the time depending on temperature – further increasing accuracy. The clock also will keep time when there is a loss of power. Instead of a battery backup, a super capacitor will power the time keeping circuitry (at least 8 hours). Unlike a battery, a capacitor never needs to be replaced.
    Also, Auto DST (daylight saving time adjustment) is included, the clock will automatically adjust time for daylight saving time. DST rules options for North America, Europe and Australia (or no auto adjust at all).

  • Tube Sockets

    The Strelka IN-14 clocks have socket pins for the Nixie tubes. This means no more soldering/unsoldering to replace tubes. The socket pins are very small - does not change the look of the clock. Most IN-14 clocks have the tubes soldered to the board, or special socket boards. The Strelka IN-14 clock will take any IN-14 tube (after cutting the leads). No soldering or special parts required.