Very cool! Numitrons were used in test equipment, as well as early digital tuners like the
Heathkit AJ-1510. I believe they were also used in early digital gas pumps, and possibly some pinball machines as well (though some of those might've been
Panaplex displays). Numitrons indeed technically qualify as vacuum tubes, unlike nixie tubes (which are filled with neon, so technically are "gas tubes").
I'm lucky to have a couple of sleeves of National-branded DR2010s. I've long been planning to build a clock or two using them, but have yet to get around to finishing the project. If you can get a few more 7-segment Numitrons (try
here), you could use them to build
this clock design or one of the other designs listed on that page. Good luck!
-Adam
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