Some time ago, [javadesigner] asked something that no doubt many of you have been wondering: Do Oscilloclocks emit radiation?
Had a question about oscilloscopes – specifically cathode-ray tubes (CRTs). X-rays etc were discovered in similar tubes, and I’ve read that high kV tubes produce both beta and X-ray radiation.
… Have you ever measured x-ray emissivity with CRTs, and if so, are there any mitigation strategies – especially for X-rays? Leaded glass enclosures, etc.?
Great question!
Will your faithful Oscilloclock do this to you? CRT used in this demo: 130BFB31
Fortunately the answer is a clear NO. Our hand-crafted Oscilloclocks do not emit dangerous radiation.
The general rule of thumb with CRTs (in fact, any electrical equipment operated in a vacuum) is that X-ray emission is negligible at anode voltages less than around 10kV. The accelerated electron beam simple does not have enough energy to generate X-rays when striking the phosphor screen.
But above 10kV, X-rays can and are produced as a result of the higher-energy bombardment. The high-voltage CRTs used in television and computer monitors of the day always incorporated lead glass (strontium-barium glass), to block these X-rays. (And… to protect against implosion!)
In any case, all Oscilloclocks operate at voltages well below 10kV, so this does not become an issue.
Just a few of our CRTs in stock – and none of them emit X-rays!
Thats right – whether we craft your custom timepiece from a behemoth 6498 (at left, operating at 6 kilovolts), a delightful D4P (3kV), a sleek 3WP1 (1.5kV), a cute 50SB1 (1kV) or an eentsy-weentsy CV2302 (500V), you’ll be illuminated but never irradiated.
Fascinated by electron beams and phosphor bombardment? Do you have a question that everyone else wants to ask? Query away, we love Q&A!
The long-standing favourite amongst Oscilloclock aficionados is the External GPS (Garmin ‘puck’) option. Features include:
a long cable that allows positioning for best sensitivity
an inbuilt magnet for attaching to metal beams
a gorgeous connection system – satisfying haptics and robust locking
Of course, we also have the internal GPS option, where the GPS receiver is mounted on the Control Board itself. This is super nifty, if there is no concern about satellite signal strength where the clock is placed. (This is very rarely an issue. These receivers are extremely sensitive!)
Can you spot the onboard GPS module in this gorgeous OscilloBlock?
Geolocation
The GPS option allows the Oscilloclock to obtain not just time, but also geolocation information from satellites.
Okay, it’s true that Oscilloclocks are generally placed in a fixed location, so showing the clock’s location on a map might not be very useful…
Think again!
How about an OscilloGlobe, to warm up your long-distance relationship? Plot you and your friend’s Oscilloclocks on a spinning globe, and count down the hours til you meet again…
A delightful Heathkit SB-610 shows another Oscilloclock, live and ticking elsewhere in the world! (Want a closeup of this demo feature? See this video)
Or perhaps you fancy an OscilloWear? A wearable Oscilloclock, sporting a miniature CRT and it’s-only-possible-in-Japan miniaturised circuitry! Complete with GPS.
An OscilloWatch capable of recording your sporting activities? With OscilloMaps that guide you to the nearest Oscilloclock retailer? And of course: the OscilloPhone, or oPhone for short?
Ahh, we could have so much fun making devices that use location data…!
Want even more info on the GPS hardware option? We have a nice support page here: Garmin 18x GPS Puck.
NTP – low-cost & extensible
The Oscilloclock Wave is the glorious device that allows your Oscilloclock to connect to a Wi-Fi router and pull in time from NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers.
It comes in different forms, both external and internal:
WaveWave Onboard
Wave Core
The Oscilloclock Wave requires a WiFi connection (and Internet), and some initial configuration – it doesn’t just work straight out of the box, in a standalone way like the GPS option.
However, the Wave has a distinct advantage: it can access various APIs (think: providers of data over the Internet) to pull in and display all kinds of information!
To date, we’ve used this capability in several themed Oscilloclocks: the Astro Clock (pulling in sidereal time from an API) and the AfterShock Clock (pulling in earthquake data).
Sidereal time, for all the astronomers out there!Earthquakes are disasters – no joke. But a semi-live visualization in Lissajous figures? Too cool..
Not saturated yet? For more on Wifi based synchronisation and various configuration options, see the support page: Oscilloclock Wave.
The No Synchronization option!
Do you want to take your Oscilloclock off-grid? We’ll craft you a unique clock powered by wind, solar, USB-C power bank, or even a hamster wheel. (We can even procure extremely low-power CRTs!) But to go fully off-grid, you won’t want to use GPS or WiFi.
A (more likely!) scenario is simply that signal strength is just too poor. Maybe your clock sits in a basement 3 stories below ground…
For such cases, you can set the time manually in the Time Setting screen. Once set, an on-board quartz oscillator then maintains reasonably good time (in the order of seconds per month). You’ll want to adjust it occasionally!
Must it be one OR the other? Can’t a gadget lover have their Oscilloclock source data of different types from both GPS and public APIs over the Internet?
Sadly, no – not in the current Control Board revision. This supports only a single interface, which is occupied by either the GPS or the Wave module. (We have multiple input capability on the long to-do list!)
Oscilloclocks are beautiful and entertaining. There’s that warmth of the CRT filament and the brilliance of coloured phosphor excitation, combined with all the features of our digital era.
But above all – they are clocks! Hope you enjoyed this treatise on how time is managed.
If you’re up for the craziness of an Atomic Oscilloclock, or if you want a custom theme using specific API data, let me know! Otherwise, stay tuned!
Here’s a rare thing: Take the Toshiba ST-1612B Oscilloclock. Run the OscilloTerm VT52 terminal feature. Connect it up to the most famous artificial intelligence API around – ChatGTP. And what do you get? OscilloChat!
Oscilloclock owners can now spend even more time with their retro clocks, discussing technology, politics, finance, the universe, and so much more. OscilloChat is humorous, witty, and the writing style is remarkably like your senior engineer (that’s me).
At best, this is eerily entertaining. At worst, it’s annoying and entirely untrustworthy! Let’s see what happened when I asked: “What’s your favourite Oscilloclock?”
To see this and more incredible videos in high resolution, check out Oscilloclock on YouTube!
They don’t call it generative AI for nothing. Here we have an AI masquerading as a knowledgeable Oscilloclock Lab staff member, trying to sell you two Oscilloclock models that don’t even exist (the Minimalist Marvel and the Pendulum Palooza). And when challenged with “Is it real?” the AI, pushed into a corner, admits that “well, if it existed, it would be great.” It’s like dealing with a child.
The fictitious “Pendulum Palooza” Oscilloclock
But like we do with children, let’s give OscilloChat a chance! Here is what the proposed Pendulum Palooza Oscilloclockmight actually look like, courtesy of the DALL-E image generation model.
Dear readers, please draw your own conclusions!
How it works
The OscilloChat experiment setup is simple. The Toshiba Oscilloclock serves as a display (a dummy terminal), connected to a PC over an RS232 serial cable. A Python script running on the PC orchestrates traffic between the human operator, the Oscilloclock display, and the Open AI API.
Interaction with the GPT AI
The Python script first creates a session with the GPT AI. It then sends an instruction telling the AI what it is; i.e., to give it a role, including any specific instructions that it needs to follow in the subsequent conversation with the human:
"You are an assistant at Oscilloclock.com. You will be asked questions about any topic. Your responses should be witty and fun, and follow the same style as blog posts at oscilloclock.com web site. Responses should be short (within 512 characters). You can ONLY use ASCII characters! Do NOT use non-ASCII punctuation marks. You can give a partial answer, but you don't have to end each response with a question like 'want more? just ask!'"
Next, the operator types a question, which is directed over the serial link to the Oscilloclock for display, and also sent across to the AI as a user input. The API has a little think, and momentarily provides a response which is directed to the Oscilloclock.
Until the session is closed (e.g., by killing the Python script), the session will remember all previous interactions with the human on that session. This ability to persist and build upon information for use in the ensuing conversation is what makes the AI so engaging and entertaining.
Delay effects
Each response back from the AI is sent character by character to the Oscilloclock display over the serial link. But even at 9600 baud (a turtle’s pace, by any modern standard!), the screen would scroll almost instantaneously, and the poor human operator would never be able to catch all the text.
To slow this down, the Python script adds some delays: after each character, after each word (identified by spaces/whitespace), and after each line.
Besides making things easy for the operator, it also gives a neat impression that the AI is thinking while composing its replies!
Lissajous Watermark
Plain character displays can get boring. Happily, Oscilloclock Lab has a solution for every kind of ‘boring’! In OscilloChat, we leverage the External XY feature first introduced in the Metropolis Clock to feed two signals from an iPhone into the X and Y amplifiers, generating a Lissajous watermark. What a way to make a dumb terminal display look smart!
Dissecting the dribble
If you want to dissect OscilloChat’s dreadful dribble in detail, here’s the full transcript:
Hi, tell me about yourself!
Ochat: Well hello there! Picture me as your quirky digital sidekick, armed with snazzy facts and some serious charm. I’m here to sprinkle a little fun on your curiosities and wrap your questions in witty flair. Think of me as the zany clock in your atticalways (sic1) ticking, forever colorful, and here to help you find the right time for any topic! So, what tickles your fancy today?
What is your favorite oscilloclock?
Ah, the grand question of favorites! While I can’t cozy up to a specific oscilloclock like a warm cup of cocoa, each one boasts its (sic2) unique charmlike (sic3) a carnival of timepieces! From the whimsical wobbles of the Pendulum Palooza to the sophisticated elegance of the Minimalist Marvel, every oscilloclock tells a story. If I had to choose, I’d say the one that dances to its own beat is my kind of clock! Ready to find your oscilloclock soulmate?
Tell me more about the Pendulum Palloooza (sic) Oscilloclock… is it real?
Ah, the Pendulum Palooza Oscilloclock(sic4) it sounds like a time-traveling festival, doesn’t it? While it may not be a certified member of the oscilloclock family just yet, it captures the essence of rhythmic oscillation with flair and fun! Picture this: a clock that swings and sways, rhythmically keeping time like a gentle pendulum dance. If only it existedwho (sic5) wouldn’t want to host a party where every tick-tock brought a new groove? Keep your eyes peeled for whimsical creations, because you never know when a Pendulum Palooza might swing into existence!
Nice! thanks for the feedback
Anytime, time traveler! I’m always here to sprinkle some fun on your quest for knowledge. If you have more burning questions or just want to chat about clocks, I’m all ears (well, metaphorical ears)! Keep ticking and tocking along with curiosity!
Missing dash (technically an em dash, Unicode U+2014). This should read “… attic — always …” ↩︎
Missing dash. This should read “… charm — like …” ↩︎
Missing dash. This should read “… Oscilloclock — it ….” ↩︎
Missing dash. This should read “… existed — who …” ↩︎
You can see from the footnotes that the AI is responding with non-ASCII characters. These cannot be displayed (yet!) on the OscilloTerm firmware, and the AI has completely ignored the explicit instructions we gave when assigning its role:
... You can ONLY use ASCII characters! Do NOT use non-ASCII punctuation marks. ...
But scolding the AI about this results in a childish non-apology, and quick change of subject:
You were NOT supposed to use any non-ASCII characters, like dashes or right quotation marks!
OChat: Oops! It looks like I got a bit carried away. No special characters from now on, I promise. Just plain ASCII fun ahead! What can I help you with today?
(Note: this interaction was not included in the video.)
What’s Next?
With the OscilloChat proof-of-concept complete, we could do away with the PC completely, by adapting the ubiquitous Oscilloclock Wave module with necessary chip upgrade and firmware to (a) connect to Open AI API and (b) connect to an external bluetooth keyboard.
Taking a step further, we could do an OscilloChat2 (OscilloChat Squared) where two OscilloChats interact with each other. What would the conversation be like? Where would it lead?
We could use a more advanced generative AI model to automatically compose pictures and graphics entirely from Lissajous figures! (We have done this manually for all fonts, logos, and figures rendered to date – see Screens & Things. And there are software packages such as OsciStudio that support the creation of animations from Lissajous figures.)
Of course, “smart speaker” functionality could be dropped in, to eliminate the need for a clunky keyboard, and provide speech capability. OscilloChat could become OscilloChatty! How cool? How annoying? You be the judge!
All excellent items to add to the ever-growing list…
Credits
[Eric], the protagonist of the recently published Zork on an OscilloTerm!, noticed this at the end of the post:
He just couldn’t help pick up the gauntlet! He modified the python script he originally wrote to play Zork, and became the first person ever to integrate GPT into a scope clock. Check out his own video of Zork and GPT running on his OscilloTerm!
Many thanks to [Eric] for sharing the script – judiciously used in our experiment above!
Video music credits: Electrorchestra by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Like what you see? Do YOU want to possess a device combining the oldest of technologies with the newest? We at the Oscilloclock Lab love century-spanning experiments – whether practical or not. Stay tuned for more!
Here at the Oscilloclock Lab, we see a lot of vintage Japanese oscilloscopes made in the 50’s to 70’s. Most were purely utilitarian and austere, with little aesthetic appeal.
But this Toshiba ST-1612B is different. It’s cute, compact, and culture-rich. Just when we thought Toshiba had exhausted its artistic reserves with their stunning ST-1248D, they managed to come up with THIS. Wow…
Oscilloclock’ed!
We discovered our protagonist some years back – dirty, dusty, and destined for the trash heap. For aeons, it sat in stock, patiently waiting its turn.
“Oh, when can I transcend test equipment mundaneness, and reach nirvana like my brethren?” screamed our protagonist.
During our COVID-era hiatus, this unit’s pitiful wail fell on deaf ears. But with a strong recent recovery in parts availability, shipping routes, and other stabilizing factors, the Oscilloclock Lab has begun to thaw. Spring has arrived!
And what better way to mark the occasion than to grant our Toshiba its wish?
Done.
And yes – it was made in Japan. Again.
Exquisite exterior
The case and knobs were in reasonably good condition and polished up very nicely…
One knob is NOT original. Can you pick it?Class and style – even down to the model number plate at rear!
Sadly, the leather carrying strap had seen better days. Yes, you read that correctly! This was designated as a portable oscilloscope, although it weighed in at more than 10kg, and had no battery supply!
Nice leather. But was it really… portable?
We love this adorable hatch compartment and secret patch panel. So utilitarian! Whole tribes of radio servicemen must have stashed their valuables here for safe keeping, before going away on holiday. Sadly, there was no jewellery or secret documents to be found in our unit…
Take a look at this CRT hood. The phosphor screens in cathode-ray tubes are sensitive to external light, so many ‘scopes employed hoods or shades to keep ambient light out. This improves screen contrast for the lucky operator. Kudos to you if you can recognise the material used our Toshiba’s hood:
Yes, it’s rubber. Solid rubber, with no metal tube inside. And while it’s a little banged up on the surface, it’s not disintegrating or brittle! It’s firm, yet still sufficiently flexible to support the CRT. And a little plastic polish did wonders. Good for another 60 years!
Incredible internals
Unlike many other scopes of the era, opening the case is easy. Just turn the latches with a coin, a single revolution. Voila!
A nice complement of 12 tubes. Toshiba made them accessible for easy replacement
As with its Toshiba brother and several other units crafted to date, we carefully installed amber LED lighting to simulate the original warm, gentle glow of electron tubes. This generates a beautiful, peaceful ambience.
XY Input inspires!
Avid readers may recall the XY Input feature first introduced in the Metropolis Clock, and included in several models since.
This ST-1612B unit features a neat set of banana jacks in the rear hatch compartment, where the oscilloscope probes used to plug in. We repurposed them as X and Y channel signal input connectors.
Driven by function generators, preamps, or even a mobile phone, we can explore an entirely different level of visual imagery!
The ST-1612B was an engineering marvel. They packed an amazing amount of circuitry into a very limited space.
But we needed to find space for two 100 x 80mm Oscilloclock boards. With legroom to isolate high voltage and provide circulation. And where controls can be reached. Not easy!
Well, removing just a few bits and pieces* revealed two nice big cavities. And the best part? There were already access panels, complete with ventilation holes! What foresight those Toshiba designers had!
A perfect fit! * Which bits were removed? Subscribe and await the “Making of…” post!In situ adjustments, made easy
Control Freak
You can’t beat vintage test equipment if you like controls: toggle switches, slide switches, rotary switches, potentiometers, trimpots – these guys have it all!
But at Oscilloclock.com we target simplicity. There is only one control you need to turn the clock on and off, change faces, change settings, and generally play with your precious. Here, the focuscontrol (焦点) gives you this authority. Who would ever guess?
And for that most discerning owner, keen to install her beloved Toshiba ST-1612B in a moody environment such as a bar counter, living room, or bedroom: the intensity control (輝度) dictates the velocity of the electrons, as they smash haplessly into the phosphor. Okay, okay – it’s just a brightness control!
Finally: we’ve wired up the frequency range switch (周波数範囲) to switch something on and off. We haven’t decided what. Let the Toshiba’s future owner decide its fate!
What does this DO? You decide!
Circle Graphics – with a caveat
Oscilloclocks employ Lissajous figures to generate smooth, curvy artwork and characters on the screen. No pixelated, chunky graphics! But fastidious followers may spot that on the Toshiba ST-1612B’s screen, circles are not as perfect as advertised in our Circle Graphics post. And there are some jagged edges on the segments.
This is because we’ve installed some prototype boards. These are early revisions of the yet-to-be-announced New Design, and the circle generator and deflection amplifier circuits aren’t quite right. But they’re too good to waste.
Earlier prototypes of the New Design. – not quite right, but not wrong either!
But we think it’s just fine! Tube amplifier enthusiasts understand: vinyl records and tube amplifiers actually sound better than digital devices, for some music. And our Toshiba here is 50 to 60 years old. A few kinky curves only add to its grace.
These beautiful vintage British* CRTs have travelled the world over the last half century. And like homing pigeons, they have found their way at last to the Oscilloclock Lab!
Here, each piece of glorious glassware will receive the attention they have craved for years. They will be cleaned, rejuvenated, and start their latter-day lives performing retro electronic miracles for loving new owners from all over the world. * In fact, one of these CRTs was not made by a British manufacturer. Can you spot which?
From Unloved to Loved
This SE4DP31 is brand new, complete with protective paper sticker that was attached at the factory to protect the front glass. It’s never been loved. Such a waste, and we will certainly rectify that, as we have done previously for similar CRTs:
Unloved…Doubly loved!
Two is better than One
These bad boys are dual-beam CRTs. They have two electron guns and two sets of deflection plates, meaning they can display two completely independent figures at the same time.
Valvo E10-12GPGEC DHM9-11
We used one of these in the custom Aftershock Clock, to overlay standard clock faces against a map hewn entirely from Lissajous figures. The intensity (brightness) and positioning of each beam can be independently adjusted to get the overlay effect just right!
But importantly – the innards look so cool!
Feeling Blue?
We’ve talked before about rare blue phosphor finds. The newly landed Brimar SE5F/P7 will one day boast both presence and persistence:
Presence. A strong physicality, tempered by a dappled blue light ambiencePersistence. A visual expression of impactful new, awash with memories and traces of old
With thanks…
We dedicate this post and the promise of seeing these CRTs reincarnated to [Atif]. Many thanks for helping these pigeons find their roost!
Are you in a state of cathode-ray rapture? Check out other CRT related posts, and see the Gallery to see examples of vintage glassware objects given new leases on life!
