Hitachi KC - 695ER Alarm Clock Radio Help

[ploughmans]

I recently bought a Hitachi KC-658ER alarm clock radio.
I am struggling to understand the correct process for setting the alarm, snoozing and deactivating the alarm.
Through trial and error I have managed to get the alarm working but this seems to be a little hit and miss you guessing there is some nuance that I am missing.

I have had a google but don't seem to able to find instructions for this model or similar online. If anyone would be able to help that would be great.

[Simon Gittins]

Welcome to the forum.
The plate shows KC - 695ER so you may have better luck with that; I see a service manual for it but don't see an instruction manual.
Someone on here may have a similar model.

[Cobaltblue]

I'll update the title.

Cheers

Mike T

[Stuart R]

Just some guesses from me. I managed to set the time on my Auntie's mid-90s HiFi last week with no instructions, so I think I might still have 'The Knack'. Sorry if this below is teaching you to 'suck eggs'

I would have thought that setting the alarm would be a similar process to setting the time.

I'm guessing to set the time, you keep holding down the TIME button, whilst advancing the time read-out using FAST to move quickly, or SLOW once you're getting close. Round again with FAST if you over-shoot the required time?

I would assume that repeating the same process but holding down TIMER as you use the FAST/SLOW buttons should adjust the wake-up time.

The slider switch on the top must be left in AUTO for the wake-up function to work and the adjacent ALARM/RADIO slider I would imagine selects whether you wake up to to your favourite radio station or some awful electronic beep.

You might need to have the unit set to AUTO in order to use the Sleep function. Maybe one jab of the sleep button will give you a default 59 minute count-down and you can lengthen this with the FAST/SLOW buttons.

SNOOZE, presume that's the large button above the display, I would assume cancels the alarm and it will repeat again after a pre-determined time, unless you've cancelled the alarm by sliding the switch from AUTO to OFF.

I am confused why they've called it a TIMER button and not ALARM - so maybe something is not as obvious/normal as I'm hoping for.

There are similar buttons on a mid 90's Alba unit here but one of the big problems is the switch contacts are wearing out and although the HOURS and MINUTES buttons are working, the TIME SET and ALARM SET are very intermittent and need a hard push or wiggle before they do something. Hard to work out which one is faulty when it's a simultaneous push of two.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

SR

[Nickthedentist]

Agree with all you said, Stuart. It probably uses the same IC as most other Japanese clock-radios produced c. 1982, so it's odd there's a button marked "timer". To me, that would signify what is normally labelled as "sleep", i.e. it plays the radio for a predetermined period and then switches off. But that's obviously nonsense as there's another button labelled sleep, and no sign of an "alarm set" button.

Likewise, I feel that intermittent pushbuttons might be the cause of an erratic user experience. Cracked PCB tracks are also not uncommon. But firstly, I would apply some switch cleaner to, and exercise, the two slide switches.

N.

[Graham G3ZVT]

My guess is
to set the time of day, hold the "time" button while using "Fast" & "Slow" to cycle up to the correct time.
To set the alarm time, same as the above, except hold the "Timer" button.

Once set, you arm the alarm by setting the slide switch to "Auto".
The "Alarm - Radio" switch selects whether a buzzer or the radio wakes you up.
As Alarm=buzzer here, I can sort of see why a pedantic Japanese designer used the word "Timer" instead of "Alarm" on the front button.

The tactile switches operated by the buttons often get oxidised contacts that don't respond well to switch cleaner, sometimes they will work if pressed much harder that normal.