NCS314-6 v3.4 nixie tubes repeatedly "burn out"

[dapharsydeParticipant]

I’ve had my NCS314 clock for a little over a year now, and have already gone through an entire set of 6 nixie tubes that have each experienced at least some digit malfunction. Tubes work well for a few weeks or months, but eventually begin malfunctioning like in this video of 2 & 3 burned out. With the 2, the top left is unlit, EXCEPT when the seconds counter is on a 5. With the 3, the top left stays unlit regardless of the condition of the other tubes. And here is a link to a video showing the 9 – the bottom left has a subtle blink that is opposite of the column dot state. I’ve tried multiple power supplies with the same results. It’s become frustrating having to replace these tubes so often, so I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what is causing my tubes to burn out so quickly?

[Gra AfchKeymaster]

Shields version 3.x really no longer have a trimming resistor, because now it is fixed at 180 volts, which corresponds to the data in the datasheet for the nixie lamp. Although it is still possible to adjust the voltage, you need to measure it first to make sure it is necessary.

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