UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

hamid_1 · 9th Dec 2018, 11:22 pm

I also have quite a collection of these electromechanical clocks, including a plastic cased Sankyo Digi-Glo alarm clock with a very similar mechanism. It has an extra wheel for the alarm, a buzzer and a button to switch on a torch bulb to illuminate the display at night. The basic principle is the same; once a minute, a clockwork mechanism switches on a motor which advances the minutes by one, simultaneously rewinding the clock. It worked last time I tried it. Maybe the only working one left?

Your clock is shown here: http://www.mridout.force9.co.uk/ecw/jecodrum.htm

There was also a mains powered drum clock, driven by a synchronous motor. I think the mechanism was made by Sankyo as well. Here's one that I used to have https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/harris...inal_h_17.html
I currently have a Prinzsound DC 10 clock radio using the same movement. It doesn't tick, it hums rather loudly, hence it has been retired from bedside duty.

A couple of other digital clocks in my collection that tick:
A Coramatic flip clock, driven by a magnetic balance wheel http://www.mridout.force9.co.uk/ecw/coroticket.htm
Magnet attached to balance wheel moves past a pickup coil, inducing a voltage in it. This turns on a transistor, allowing current from the battery to flow through a bigger coil. This generates a magnetic field which repels the magnet on the balance wheel, keeping it moving. Same principle is used in lots of clocks from the '60s and '70s. A particularly nice example is this Kundo magnetic pendulum clock which I also have : http://www.mridout.force9.co.uk/ecw/kundo.htm

Another flip clock that ticks: the Metamec 3000 (?) - https://picclick.co.uk/Vintage-retro...486252829.html

I think I got lucky - I bought mine for £1 from a car boot sale, but it's missing the pedestal stand. Internally the movement is a traditional ticking clockwork one made by Keinzle of Germany with a solenoid to automatically rewind it, like this clock: http://www.mridout.force9.co.uk/ecw/jung285.htm

And I couldn't resist buying one of the modern flip clocks like Merlinmaxwell above mentioned: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SODIAL-Uniq...dp/B00L8VNLDS/
Less than a tenner from China! Unusually, the hours and minutes can be adjusted separately. It takes two AA batteries but since they're wired in parallel, I tried it with only one battery and it worked just as well. It's quartz, so one tick per second. After about 6 months use, it developed a slight fault. At 57 minutes past the hour, the 57 and 58 minute cards sometimes flip over at the same time, so it changes straight from :57 to :59 and stays like that for 2 minutes. Not a big deal though.

Incidentally, if you're interested in vintage electromechanical clocks, http://www.electric-clocks.org.uk/ describes a good selection of them. As well as the ones I've already mentioned, I also have a few more wacky ones like the Smiths Sectronic Mk1, the Smiths Tuning Fork clock and the Diehl Dilectron - this is the only one I can't get working as yet.

9th Dec 2018, 11:22 pm	#5
hamid_1 Heptode Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks. UK. Posts: 811	Re: A digital clock that ticks! I also have quite a collection of these electromechanical clocks, including a plastic cased Sankyo Digi-Glo alarm clock with a very similar mechanism. It has an extra wheel for the alarm, a buzzer and a button to switch on a torch bulb to illuminate the display at night. The basic principle is the same; once a minute, a clockwork mechanism switches on a motor which advances the minutes by one, simultaneously rewinding the clock. It worked last time I tried it. Maybe the only working one left? Your clock is shown here: http://www.mridout.force9.co.uk/ecw/jecodrum.htm There was also a mains powered drum clock, driven by a synchronous motor. I think the mechanism was made by Sankyo as well. Here's one that I used to have https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/harris...inal_h_17.html I currently have a Prinzsound DC 10 clock radio using the same movement. It doesn't tick, it hums rather loudly, hence it has been retired from bedside duty. A couple of other digital clocks in my collection that tick: A Coramatic flip clock, driven by a magnetic balance wheel http://www.mridout.force9.co.uk/ecw/coroticket.htm Magnet attached to balance wheel moves past a pickup coil, inducing a voltage in it. This turns on a transistor, allowing current from the battery to flow through a bigger coil. This generates a magnetic field which repels the magnet on the balance wheel, keeping it moving. Same principle is used in lots of clocks from the '60s and '70s. A particularly nice example is this Kundo magnetic pendulum clock which I also have : http://www.mridout.force9.co.uk/ecw/kundo.htm Another flip clock that ticks: the Metamec 3000 (?) - https://picclick.co.uk/Vintage-retro...486252829.html I think I got lucky - I bought mine for £1 from a car boot sale, but it's missing the pedestal stand. Internally the movement is a traditional ticking clockwork one made by Keinzle of Germany with a solenoid to automatically rewind it, like this clock: http://www.mridout.force9.co.uk/ecw/jung285.htm And I couldn't resist buying one of the modern flip clocks like Merlinmaxwell above mentioned: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SODIAL-Uniq...dp/B00L8VNLDS/ Less than a tenner from China! Unusually, the hours and minutes can be adjusted separately. It takes two AA batteries but since they're wired in parallel, I tried it with only one battery and it worked just as well. It's quartz, so one tick per second. After about 6 months use, it developed a slight fault. At 57 minutes past the hour, the 57 and 58 minute cards sometimes flip over at the same time, so it changes straight from :57 to :59 and stays like that for 2 minutes. Not a big deal though. Incidentally, if you're interested in vintage electromechanical clocks, http://www.electric-clocks.org.uk/ describes a good selection of them. As well as the ones I've already mentioned, I also have a few more wacky ones like the Smiths Sectronic Mk1, the Smiths Tuning Fork clock and the Diehl Dilectron - this is the only one I can't get working as yet.