The Nixietach II Nixie Tube Tachometer

If you’re reading this blog and aren’t a fan of Nixie tubes, then we’re not really doing our jobs. On the other hand, these cold cathode devices seem today to be mostly relegated to use as timepieces, not as displays on critical equipment as many of them were originally intended!

Hardware hacker Jeff LaBundy decided to break out of this pattern, and used four tubes in his Nixietach II build — an RPM display and dwell meter for his 1971 Ford LTD.

Besides displaying these beautiful glowing numbers along the bottom of the vehicle’s dashboard, the device features a USB connection on the back for data logging and control. If that wasn’t enough, this design — an evolution of two other tachometer projects by LaBundy — also includes a Bluetooth interface for use when tuning the vehicle.

It’s a brilliant project, and something that fits in very well in this classic car.