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Dave468
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
The kit is is a nicely designed circuit, and works well. The board is good quality. Mine was missing 2 1N60P diodes, but I had some in stock to replace them. BAT41 diodes are a direct replacement. The 2 vacuum tubes that came with my kit were poorly matched, and not of very good quality. The display on 1 tube is very dim, and the other is out of focus and isn't centered in the Phosphor on the glass very well. I am thinking that these might be reject tubes from the manufacturer, tossed in the kit just to get you going. Don't get me wrong, they DO work, they just aren't the prettiest Magic Eye tubes I've ever seen. I DID order another set of just bare tubes from a seller here on Amazon for $10, and plugged them into the kit, and they are VERY nice. Very bright and matched well. Other than the tubes included, and the 2 missing diodes, the kit is very nice. Be aware that there are NO included directions or schematic included in the package, although the board is very clearly marked where each component goes. You WILL have to identify the individual components by their markings and color bands in order to identify them. There is a color diagram in the ad for how to wire the tube sockets, and the socket pins are labeled with numbers that correspond to the numbers on the board connectors also. REMEMBER to wire the tube heaters in series if you plan to use 12 volts to power them. I used a 3s lipo battery and a 12volt to 250volt boost converter to power mine, and it works well for many hours before needing a recharge. 4 stars because of the missing diodes, and not so pretty tubes. Other than that, I'm happy with it.
Ben Taken
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2024
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Soda
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2024
Easy to assemble if you have eyes, a brain, and a multimeter. It was fun to see the tubes come alive once everything was plugged in. Tubes were not 100% matched but for $17, I could care less, plus, such tubes are inexpensive, abundant and can easily be replaced. The kit could benefit from some more heat shrink tubing and a better translation of the instructions, but was easy to assemble and worked correctly.IMPORTANT POINTS:- Pins 6 and 8 of the tubes output 280V but remain unconnected. To avoid shocks and short circuits, remove these pins from both of the ceramic tube holders by flattening the little retaining tab with some pliers and pushing them out.- The kit does not come with a power supply, and the recommended supply board does not output the necessary 6.3V to drive the heating filaments. I ended up buying "Acxico High Voltage DC Converter Nixie&Magic Eye Tube HV Power Supply Module 250V/6.3V" for the power supply instead. Worked fine and comes with a barrel jack compatible with any generic 12V wall wart.
Bill in Arizona
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2024
One bad tube. The only solution was to buy a replacement pair for $10. The effect is not very interesting. There are so many other audio level indicators out there. I purchased this looking for a nostalgic appearance. The unit failed to provide it. That, combined with the audio system integration needing to be wired I would skip buying this as a project. There is very little wow factor. Also, without a case you are left at risk of being shocked. There is approx a 240 volt current under the board.I did not buy a set of replacement tubes. I lost my enthusiasm for this toy. One of the other purchasers posted a great video of this running with his VU gauges. Watch his video prior to making an impulsive purchase you may regret. I have buyers remorse on this purchase
Fritz
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2023
The kit is easy to build and requires no modifications to work. All the parts were there and except for the dead tube they all functioned.I waited to build this kit and missed the return window. One of the tubes was bad. It's not the build or tuning. The good tube works in both sockets and the bad tube fails in both sockets. I contacted the seller and they wouldn't help. They wouldn’t warranty the kit, replace the tube or sell me a new tube. I had to go to another vendor to get a replacement. Customer service ruined an otherwise great product experience. The kit is worth the chance of a bad tube just don't make my mistake, build it before the return window closes.UPDATE: I Purchased a new set of tubes from another seller on Amazon. The unit now works great!
Jeff Saint Weston
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2023
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Customer
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2022
This is a really great kit to build and operate. It contained all of the correct parts and worked 100% after assembly. We purchased the green high voltage board and adjusted it to 250v before connecting it to the main board of this kit. For the price, you can't beat this kit. We will probably remove the screw terminals and solder the wires directly to the board for a permanent setup. The screw terminals are not great, but certainly work for initial setup and testing. The displays are bright and a blast to watch!
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