Oldest clock radio?

[gavinhall]

I like that toshiba, at least it's got FM. Mine's only MW/LW but at least it has hands, not these new fangled digit things where you have to work out time after you've read the digits.

[Studio263]

My parents bought this Sony 8FC-69WA in Winchester in 1969 and I'm still using it today. It had a new clock mechanism in the 70s and suffered a dry joint in the radio part in the 80s but that aside it has been very good. I've tried more modern ones but they just aren't "the same".

The reduction gear for for the clock got noisy a few years ago but a light application of mineral grease has made it silent again. The clock was replaced in Germany so it has a 220V motor, I added a series resistor to make it run as cool as possible.

I think this was the first clock radio with a "digital" display, could that be correct?

We also have a Sony ICF-C11L (1979 model year) in the guest bedroom, that was their first "Digicube" model.

[Focus Diode]

Originally Posted by Zelandeth

Here's my contender: Sony TFM-C580E.

I obtained an identical unit last year. Works perfectly although I've not put it into permanant use as of yet.

Brian

[hamid_1]

I have quite a collection of clock radios, here are a few of them.
First an Ekco A244 from 1956, and in front of it a Nentone from the late 1970s. The Ekco was bought from a car boot sale last year for £8. All I did was oiled the clock and cleaned the wavechange switch, and it worked! The case is made of a brittle white plastic similar to Bakelite (I think it's called Urea Formaldehyde). The radio uses an AC/DC chassis although the set is marked AC only because of the clock.
The Nentone was found at the dump in 2005, still working but the time set knob had gone missing. I managed to make one out of a piece of plastic spindle. The flip clock mechanism is a little unusual in that the hours, 10 minutes and minutes are on 3 separate rotating cylinders. Most flip clocks have one cylinder for hours and one for minutes, meaning 60 minute cards are needed. The Nentone reduces this number from 60 to 16. I have another couple of clock radios - Harvard Cardinal and PrinzSound DC 10 - where there are no flip cards. The digits are painted onto revolving drums like an old fashioned tape counter. They also have a 'seconds' display.
Thirdly, an Interstate 5670 clock radio with vacuum fluorescent display - yes they did exist. I was given this in 1990 - the person told me the clock worked but the radio didn't. Actually the reverse was true. The clock display lit up but just flickered. The time could not be set and the radio would not turn on. I changed a couple of electrolytic capacitors on the clock PCB and it's been working ever since.

[kalee20]

Originally Posted by Kat Manton

I imagine that being gently awakened by The BBC Home Service (oh, all right, Radio 4) slowly fading in as valves warm up would be a pleasant way to be eased into the day...

It is. Or, at least the BBC Light Programme (Radio 2 if you insist). For some years I used a NOS electric cooker timeswitch to switch on my radio. Often the click as the mechanism tripped penetrated my slumber, the dial lamps gave a gentle soft light, and the radio gradually faded in. All very civilised.

And I'm after a Time Spot too...

[ms660]

I had a homebrew alarm clock "triggered" record play to wake me up at 4.30 every morning!!

Cheers.

[chipp1968]

I used to have one of those Ekco clock radios that were released just after the war . I cant remember the model no , but they are very stylishly modern , so much so that you would be forgiven to think it was made in the 1960s !

[dseymo1]

I remember a friend having a typical early - mid 60s typical 'tranny' with a wristwatch-like mechanical clock which could trigger the radio. Unfortunately, I've no idea of the make.

[Darren-UK]

'Signal', Russian made. Howard has a thread about one of these here.

[joe]

I think I can go further back in time than most of the entries in this thread.
I have a Ferranti A1 with a 50Hz synchronous clock that was launched in 1932. No alarm but just sat in the middle of the speaker grill giving the correct time.

I also have a "Hayes" made radio but cannot identify the maker accurately, although I believe a similar one was mentioned a few weeks ago by one of our contributors from the USA.
Its either a Marconiphone, HMV, or a Columbia, and according to the Trader sheet and the original manual was also launched in 1932. It has 7 valves, some of them catkins, a PX4 and the dreaded "capacitor block".

Its rather OT but all work has currently ceased while I undergo several months of chemotherapy.

Joe

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Darren-UK

'Signal', Russian made. Howard has a thread about one of these here.

Not necessarily a Signal Darren the hasty phone-cam pics show my Russian Signal, Swiss Minivox RR-34 and Japanese Sony TRW-621 and other makes were available.

The Sony features a Seiko watch whilst the Minivox has a Nepro movement a make I'd never heard of until I googled.

The Minivox user guide claims it to be the world's first and smallest pocket clock-radio but size is practically the same as the Sony and I haven't found definitive launch dates for either model.

Not shown is the Sony's black leather case but this is a thin, flimsy affair compared to the Signal's sturdy hunk of hide.

Alvin

[arjoll]

Originally Posted by neon indicator

VFD models? Were there any? (no gas in VFD, they are miniature triodes).

Yes! My parents had a National (i.e. Matsushita before they rebranded as Panasonic in NZ) dating from the late 70's. I also have a VFD clock (no radio) out in the workshop.

Our main one is a 1987 "Pro Series" cheapie (on of David Reid Electronic's own brands - phased out when Dick Smith took over), also had a cassette deck which I never used (it just switched power to the motor, no way I was leaving my tapes in there to get a crease in them!). Badly built, but still going after I trimmed the component leads that hadn't been and soldered the joints that weren't soldered in the early 90's. Taniamaree hates the thing

[PJL]

I just picked up a Telechron MUSALARM from 1946 but I have a feeling I will be having trouble with timekeeping as it's 60Hz! This claims to be the first alarm clock radio but you never know...

[PaulR]

Inspired by this old thread I have just bought an Ekco A33. It looks amazingly modern for something made in 1947, certainly compared with the Goblin from the same date but it is a pig to work on. Many of the components are attached via tag strips screwed onto the chassis such as it is and you cannot get at one without removing more. Even then you cannot get at the back of the strip to unsolder the old leads. Ekco seem to have drummed the idea of a good mechanical connection before soldering into their staff as the leads are wrapped round and round the tags.

I finally got some rather weak sound out of the radio only to find that the clock is not working. That meant more disassembly to get the clock out. Fortunately the coil seems ok and it "just" needs dismantling, cleaning and polishing. Whether I will ever get it back together again remains to be seen.

[michamoo]

I have had this same Binatone (musiclock) clock radio since I was 16 in 1981 and I am now 50 so it has done quite well I suppose. It came from my local Co op for £17.99. Apart from a new bulb in the radio display and a couple of replacement electrolytics in the clock section it has not been any real trouble and never seen a need to replace it although the sound quality isn't the best but then that forces me to get up and away from the thing!

[electronicskip]

I have a York Clock radio which dates from about 1980/81 if memory serves which is still in use today on my bedside which I bought new when I was working for Rumbelows.

[ukcol]

I have an Ekco A244 on my to do pile, not the oldest (1956) by any means.

A picture of one on Radiomuseum here.


I found a couple of 1930s GB models on RB, a Bestone B698 here. and a Tempovox R3G here.

[Trifocaltrev]

I have an Goblin Timespot MkII which is very reliable.

[PaulR]

And very smart! Much better than the previous offering from Goblin

[Herald1360]

Not the oldest by any means, but I've got a couple of HMV1127s waiting attention.

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/hismasters_hmv_1127.html