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Old 3rd Feb 2023, 5:29 pm   #4
TonyDuell
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK.
Posts: 5,208
Default Re: Battery quartz clock problem/questions

Most of these Quartz movements have asymmetrical stator pole pieces and a magnetised rotor. The operating sequence is something like :

1) Current pulse through the coil in one direction causes the magnetic poles of the rotor to line up with the stator

2) No current through the coil. The rotor moves a little in the same direction to get into equilibrium again

3) Current pulse through the coil in the opposite direction causes the rotor to move a bit more in the same direction.

4) No current, moves a bit more in the same direction to get to the equilibrium state

Repeat...

Note that the asymmetry of the stator determines the direction of rotation. You can take many of the cheap movements apart, turn the stator metal pole piece thing over (you often have to shave off a plastic peg which is there so it can't be misassembled at the factory), put it together and have a 'mathematician's clock' which turns anticlockwise.

But if there is too much friction in the pivots and gear train it won't do the movements with no current. The result is a twtiching clock. If that's the fault then increasing the coil current won't help really.

It's worth taking the movement apart and cleaning the pivots and teeth. Do not lubricate.
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