RobG

1,637 orders since May 18, 2013

Cary, NC, United States of America

Ships from United States of America.

Custom Work Available

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Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.82)

Documentation: (4.50)

Shipping: (4.78)

Communication: (4.68)

All Reviews

Arne | Sept. 4, 2017

Great Clock Kit

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I'm an electronic kit hobbyist. I've always loved the look of Nixie Tube Clocks but couldn't find a kit at a reasonable price point until I came across this one. I decided to get it and it is a great little clock kit! The instructions are very clear, well laid out and quite easy to follow with both large pictures and drawings of the area and components you are working on. The circuit board is well laid out and I love the black color on both sides. While I'm not the best with a soldering iron, the component and via layout make my execution of the kit look like it was done professionally. I have only two VERY minor negatives for the kit. The "case" consists of two flat pieces of clear plexi that sandwich the clock with nylon standoffs. It does leave portions of the board carrying 180V somewhat exposed. I would appreciate the availability of a more complete case option. The other negative is the LED back-light. While the blue LEDs look good, an option for a different color would also have been nice. With that being said, this is an excellent and great looking Nixie clock kit at an extremely affordable price. I would highly recommend it and will probably buy more of them in the future. Great job, sir!

Allan | Aug. 24, 2017

Wonderful Kit...

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

Kit appears to be very good.... I screwed up on assembly, and damaged the kit... MY FAULT!, you miss on little resistor and poof... I just ordered a second kit to replace it...

The kit is fine, it was just a loose nut behind the soldering iron...

Gary | Aug. 19, 2017

A fun Clock

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

This was My first nixie clock build , And it was really fun to assemble and Really cool to watch thanks guys ....

Ryan | Aug. 14, 2017

great kit!

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I ordered this kit with the acrylic case. I built it over the course of a few days - I'm an experienced solderer, but I'm also lazy. It probably took no more than 2 hours total. The documentation was extremely clear - I particularly liked the information about identifying the parts like the diodes and smaller capacitors and I'm sure it'll help increase the confidence of anyone building this kit. The description of the menu/interface is also very well-done, and I sent this part to the recipient (it was a gift). When everything was complete, it worked the first time (nothing I build ever works the first time!) and I never had to contact the seller (the instructions were just that good). The board is laid-out so well, and the case puts it at a nice upward angle for viewing. I left it on for a good day or so to make sure it was keeping good time but also so I could stare at it. Great kit for a great price! The recipient loved it, too.

Dave | Aug. 8, 2017

Best DIY kit I've ever purchased

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

Lately I've been on a binge of DIY kits and this one is a clear standout. The Instructions are very clear and step-by-step. The materials are clearly labeled and I had no quality complaints at all. My clock worked the instant I put the power in and I can't stop looking at it.

I had an issue downloading the docs and Rob responded almost immediately on a Saturday, I couldn't be happier with the clock. I see myself definitely ordering another in the near future for a gift.

Bradley | Aug. 6, 2017

Junk boards and horrible customer service.

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I purchased the product expecting an item that COULD be assembled and used. After a short time I realized the boards are substandard with weak solder pads, incorrect documentation, failure to operate at all. I emailed a few times and was somehow talked into buying another. This again had same result. At his request I shipped one back for him to "repair". After 3 weeks I was told he couldn't repair it (despite claiming he could after initial diagnostic) but he would send a replacement. After another 3 weeks I inquire on my replacement and I'm told "I don't do free replacements". Not sure if this seller is bipolar or what may cause his ping pong match of claims and promises to denial and dishonesty. Had great hopes but let's face it...you get what you pay for. As the cheapest kit on the net, you get exactly that.

James | July 12, 2017

What a Beautiful Kit!

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

The kit is easy to assemble. The instructions are excellent. Finished kit is an absolute joy and the price is right! These tubes are just the right size. I prefer them to the vertical tubes. If you have any interest in Nixie clocks, grab one of these. Brought it to the office to show it off and folks loved it. Most of them are too young to have encountered tubes at all. Lots of nice features like the cathode anti-poisoning routines and very easy to configure with just two buttons. It is one of the few clocks in my house with a battery backup. Thinking of getting another one to build as a gift and another one to tinker with; replacing the stock blue LEDs with RGB LEDs. From across the room the orange numbers surrounded by the blue glow really looks fantastic as the colors become blended and take on a purple tinge. Stunning! Highly Recommended.

Mark | July 5, 2017

Nice Kit Rob!

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

This NIxe tube clock went together with no issues and no missing parts.
The components are packaged and grouped together for each step of assembly.
The instructions show the components in color for easy identification.

Travis | June 12, 2017

Awesome!!

For PixelFlood 10W RGB flood light kit (WS2811 pixel)

I have bought these a few times now and love them. I also bought the 20w version and the dumb 10w version. Love them all. Thanks so much Rob!!

Dave | June 10, 2017

Excellent, best Nixie tube clock on the market for the price

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

What a wonderful Nixie clock kit.
Purchased this as my second Nixie clock as a youtube project build.
The video documenting where all the parts go can be found on my youtube channel 12voltvids.

Only suggestion I can make is to ship outside the US. There are many buyers outside the US that would want this project. I am in Canada, and had to have it shipped to my US mailing address. I would have gladly paid more to avoid the inconvenience on having to drive down to get it.

Response from RobG | June 10, 2017

Thanks for your review and your video!

BTW, I do ship outside US (only to countries where tracking works,) but due to Tindie's shipping calculator limitations, I have to do it on a per case basis (message me if interested.)

Jon | May 18, 2017

Excellent packaging and quality product

For PixelFlood 10W RGB flood light kit (WS2811 pixel)

Had to search online for assembly instructions.
Would be nice to at least include a photo of a finished board OF THE SAME REVISION
My boards are Rev 7 and instructions online are older than that. Not much difference but enough to slow me down.

Michael | May 14, 2017

Great beginner's Nixie clock

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I bought this kit because it was the best all-inclusive Nixie clock for the money, and it ended up being an even better value than the price indicates. It is all through-hole soldering, the instructions are easy to follow and have great photos to guide you, and the clock functions are very easy to understand. I have only completed a handful of electronic kits, but this clock was easy for me to assemble. It took me two and a half hours in one sitting, and I didn't run into any unforseen trouble. I had absolutely no negative experiences with this kit.

Luke | April 10, 2017

Absolutely AMAZING service, and a fantastic product.

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I was somewhat of an amateur solderer, and once assembled, my nixies didn't function. In diagnosing the situation, I ended up causing a short, which damaged several components. Rob was *incredibly* helpful in helping me fix the clock -- to the point where I had to physically mail it back to him. He fixed a number of issues, and mailed it back working perfectly!

Rob went above and beyond all expectations to help me end up with a working product. I'll be bookmarking his site, and I'll happily buy any new and interesting products he develops. In a world where the overall quality of customer service seems to be dwindling, Rob has managed to maintain a superior standard of service that is both comforting and refreshing.

Thanks so much, Rob.

Anthony | March 24, 2017

Great kit and great seller

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

This kit was amazing. Straight forward instructions and fun to build. Not only that but Rob is an amazing seller who stands by his project. He worked with me via email to help diagnose where I had went wrong in my build. I was able to eventually find my mistake in building this with Rob's help. He did not have to do this but went above and beyond to provide excellent customer service. Now my nixie is working great. Great product and great seller!

Tom | Feb. 24, 2017

Great product you won't be disappointed.

For PixelFlood 10W RGB flood light kit (WS2811 pixel)

This was my first time buying a product that I needed to solder together, but Rob was very helpful and committed to helping me succeed. I had two boards that were giving me trouble. Rob told me to send them back to him and he will take a look at them. It turned out to be that some of my soldering connections weren't perfect. So Rob fixed me up and sent them back and now I'm good to go. Thank you Rob!!

Paul | Feb. 23, 2017

A really nice nixie clock

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I found the kit well documented, fun to put together, and quite reasonable. I love it and would recommend it to anyone with some soldering skills. I do wish the acrylic guard plates were available separately after the fact.

Response from RobG | Feb. 23, 2017

Acrylic plates (and replacement parts) can be purchased separately, just send me a message.

Thomas | Feb. 23, 2017

Great little project

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

Built it over two consecutive nights while wranglin' my kids. Awesome little clock, I look forward to integrating it into a 3D printed enclosure. Great work!

David | Feb. 18, 2017

Board and parts are good, the docs were confusing

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

It was hard to read the diodes, and resistors, had to ohm them out to verify values before putting on the board. The nixies arrow was confusing, the docs should have just said to match pin one with the board to nixie. the arrow on the board for nixie viewing didn't work for me. The IC sockets were kind of cheap and didn't take well to taking the chips out and back in for testing. I did not get the unit to work, tested power supplies and nixies and the counter chip, all OK. One neon lamp was broken, and I think the 340 chip is bad, since I can't get any thing out of it. If I put the chip I can force the Nixies to light per digit. I will use the nixie board with a daughter board for the clock functions since everything else works. Contacted vender and he just wanted to see my soldering work via pictures which I don't think would work good. I have been building projects for 50 years starting with tubes in high school then heathkits to pi's and other projects.

Response from RobG | Feb. 18, 2017

Sorry to hear you have issues with my kit. The reason I want to see pictures of the board is to verify that everything was assembled correctly and the there are no issues with soldering (more than half of the issues I deal with are related to soldering.) All Nixies and Neons are tested before shipping and are packed in bubble wrap. MSP430s are programmed and tested manually, so I can guarantee they are good. If there's anything I can help with, let me know.

Dale | Feb. 14, 2017

This product rocks....

For PixelFlood 10W RGB flood light kit (WS2811 pixel)

After trying some of my own designs this product totally out did mine. The communications where great when needed.

Chester | Feb. 12, 2017

Great product at a "shut up and take my money" price

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I really wasn't seriously shopping for a nixie tube clock kit, but when I saw how reasonably priced this kit was and how great the reviews were I couldn't say no.
It went together smoothly and the directions are very straight forward. My only criticism would be to be more detailed in the orientation of the tubes. I don't know if they would be damaged if powered up while upside down. With a little careful looking, I was able to confirm that the anode looked different and that that position is labeled on the board. Most people would figure this out, but at this price, I image that a lot of people new to soldering and electronics are going to be building this.
Shipping was quick and packaging was sufficient.
I'm looking forward to be able to mess with the software as I'm also just getting into MSP430 stuff (another reason I just had to get this kit.)

Response from RobG | Feb. 12, 2017

Hi and thank you for your input, I will update my documentation with tube orientation details. Also, Nixie will not get damaged if inserted upside down.

Josh | Feb. 6, 2017

Awesome kit, awesome clock!

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

Superb quality kit, with perfectly illustrated instructions. Had fun building it, and the finished product is awesome! Love it!

Ian | Jan. 30, 2017

Great Nixie Project Clock

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

This is a really neat looking nixie clock. Took a couple of hours between work projects to solder it up.
So maybe an hour for me to do it. I would recommend using RA flux when you solder the pins for the Nixies in.
I used MG #835 and it worked perfectly. I put the flux on all of the pins then put a blob of solder on my iron (A real Hakko 888).
The touched the solder blob (60/40) to the pin. Soldered it in a second without overheating the tube.

Also i noted that in the nixie tube, there is a pin that has white ceramic surround (inside the glass).
That is the Anode pin and should line up with the silkscreen on the PCB. The pins are symmetric so you can put it in backwards.
I didn’t notice in the manual that it was noted so i thought i should mention it.

Another thing, put it all of the chips before you put the battery holder and the other tall parts in.
Same for soldering in the DC jack. Put that in before you solder the other components in that cover or are near it.
That would have been good to know before i did it. But with some fancy iron movements i got it all.

Also get the Acrylic case, its really nice and makes the clock a lot safer to have around.

So all in all, i would definitely recommend buying it!

Nathaniel | Jan. 30, 2017

Fantastic

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

So many great things so say.
It started with an email to RobG with questions about the features on his kit. Less than a day later and 3 separate email responses I knew I had found something cool.
My shipment arrived safe and sound. It was very neatly packed, all components were well organized in various baggies with plenty of bubble wrap to keep the delicate bits intact.
The documentation was clear and concise with plenty of detailed pictures.
The board is very well designed, and looks great. The kit went together very smoothly, even for someone with zero previous soldering experience. Another plus is that RobG has provided the source code in case people want to upgrade/add features to their clocks.

Mike | Jan. 22, 2017

Great kit. Awsome old time soft glowing tubes!

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

Great instructions and documentation. If you have decent soldering skills this kit goes together very easy and looks great when it's done. I recommend the plexiglass shield just to keep curious fingers away from the 180 volts.

Stephen | Jan. 19, 2017

Great kit

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

Got my kit in the mail on Monday, spent a couple hours this evening assembling. Very impressed with the quality of the kit, and the thought put into what components were in which baggies, such as keeping all of the very similar looking transistors separated. Build instructions were very well laid out and in a very logical order. Including a resistor decoder sheet was a welcome addition compared to other kits that just give you the values for each resistor. I never can remember what color means what value, and end up spending more time than I should staring at a key.

Almost had a fit though when it didn't work the first time I plugged it in. Was able to troubleshoot it myself by comparing against the very detailed photographs in the instructions, and found that I had reversed both a capacitor and a diode, like a bonehead. Once I reversed those to the way they should be, everything worked as advertised.

Can't wait to build a case for it, and put it out where everyone can see it.

Francis | Jan. 12, 2017

Very nice kits!

For PixelFlood 10W RGB flood light kit (WS2811 pixel)

These kits are very easy to assemble. I highly recommend you put the LED on the underside of the board to prevent the board from shorting against the enclosure you put it in.

Response from RobG | Jan. 12, 2017

I usually put a piece of plastic sheet between PCB and enclosure (folder dividers are great for that.)
If you mount LED on the bottom, make sure to isolate pads on the top with tape, they may come in contact with the reflector.

B Ryan | Jan. 8, 2017

Fantastic

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

Very straightforward and very fun build. Great support and communication. This is why there is tindie. :)

Dawn | Jan. 5, 2017

Nixie Clock Kit - Great Gift

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

My husband enjoyed getting his Nixie Clock Kit. He put it together and enjoyed the process. Ron ended up getting a case to display the clock. :) Thank you for having a unique, technical product! Dawn

Aaron | Nov. 12, 2016

These things are awesome! Works great!

For PixelFlood 10W RGB flood light kit (WS2811 pixel)

These little floodlight kits are great. I found a deal for some cheap $5 a piece RGB floodlights - combined with the 10 w RGB pixel kit it makes for a very effective Halloween/Christmas light show element! All of the kits worked first try after assembly and installation was simple. It is exactly what I was looking for! I ordered mine with the 10W RGB LEDs and they are very bright and color reproduction is good when compared to my other LED elements.

Really REALLY happy with these! Thanks RobG!

Check out my 2016 Halloween show where I use 4 of these floodlight kits in the graveyards:
https://youtu.be/9EhH4Hvemd4

Mark | Oct. 21, 2016

MSP430 Easy to Order - Easy to Build - Works Great

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I ordered the MSP430 because I wanted to see what the Tindie customer experience was and because it looked like a cool kit. Placing the order with a credit card was simple and easy and I received the kit in only 5 days. The documentation was good and I had no trouble assembling the clock in 1 evening and 1 afternoon. Once assembled, everything worked just fine. I brought up everything one section at a time, first testing that the 3.3 VDC regulator was working, then that the microcontroller was sending signals (I have an oscilloscope) and then turning on the 180 VDC power supply. I just bought some black and gray smoke acrylic sheets to make a box for the clock so I can hang it on a wall.

At $39.75 USD, just the Russian nixie tubes are worth the cost of the kit. My only suggestion would be to add an alarm function in the firmware. You could just add a few more numbered functions to add an Alarm Hour, Alarm Minute and Alarm On/Off setting for the clock. An alarm event could flash the numbers and the LED backlight for a set time (30 seconds or so to eliminate the need for a snooze button).

Response from RobG | Oct. 23, 2016

Thanks for your review.
I will consider alarm clock for my next version.
That said, the source code is available and can be modified to fit your needs (you can program MCU with TI's MSP-EXP430G2 LaunchPad ($10) and Code Composer Studio IDE, standalone or cloud.)
Also, you can use J1 header to attach small piezo buzzer (active or passive via 0.1uF)

Curtis | Oct. 19, 2016

Great design and great deal

For PixelFlood 10W RGB flood light kit (WS2811 pixel)

My application of these LED kits is rather unique and Rob has been VERY helpful in getting me going. Rob did a great job with his design and these are amazing for the price!
I am looking forward to using more of his products in the future.

Yong | Oct. 6, 2016

Great product and true professional.

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

I've been looking for an affordable diy Nixie clock for awhile now. I came across Tindie and Rob's site. This look like an awesome clock and the price is great. I'm a beginner, so I had some problems after I finished the kit. I emailed Rob and he helped fix my clock. Rob is a professional and I'm going to buy another clock very soon. Thanks for your help.

Toshiro | Sept. 25, 2016

Wonderful Nixie Tube Clock kit by very good price!

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

This is quite wonderful and well-designed Nixie clock kit. In general, 4-digit Nixie clock costs more than $100 but this is just $35! Not only its good price, the circuit is quite well designed and very easy to assemble. Firstly I was embarrassed because no assembling information was not in the box but quickly find the link to document at tindie's item site. I would recommend this wonderful kit for all. Wonderful!

Neil | Sept. 8, 2016

Affordable and fun!

For MSP430 Nixie Clock kit

This was a great project! I've been looking for a cheap way to build a Nixie clock, but felt like it was too pricey for cheap kits. This one was easy to build, documentation was good, and easy to get running. Great project!!!

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