Post your quartz clock matters here

[Les Sanders]

I have this Made In Japan, runs and keeps time, has a switch with off 1 2 with it off it keeps time with on 1 or 2 it chimes and chimes and strikes and strikes, so that is the problem

 

[Les Sanders]

So I have a few new pictures as I progress, I see nothing that causes this malfunction! number 3 front Plate and hour gear, 4 is the time movement 5 flip side of time movement. Since things seem sticky electric cleaner and then clock oil on pivots?

 

[Cheezhead]

Loud Ticking Quartz Alarm Clock Repair

This describes a quartz alarm clock movement repair that is posted here to avoid losing it in the Clock Repair forum. Several YouTube videos to quiet a noisy quartz clock had inappropriate information such as using petroleum oil on plastic, taking action not needed such as oiling more parts than needed or installing a new conventional or a sweep movement.

The high quality clock, a Sharp Model SPC126 has a large 4-3/8" dia. white face with black hands for good visiblilty, an ascending volume and frequency four stage alarm and a snooze feature, all to make it worth repairing. The clock had an annoyingly loud tick audible for more than 10 feet.

Opening the clock case revealed the proprietary movement's enclosure. Removing the enclosure cover permitted lubricating the armature and first gearwheel plastic pivots with a tiny bit of silicone oil. After assembly the movement was nearly inaudible at a very close distance.

 

[Berry Greene]

Loud Ticking Quartz Alarm Clock Repair

This describes a quartz alarm clock movement repair that is posted here to avoid losing it in the Clock Repair forum. Several YouTube videos to quiet a noisy quartz clock had inappropriate information such as using petroleum oil on plastic, taking action not needed such as oiling more parts than needed or installing a new conventional or a sweep movement.

The high quality clock, a Sharp Model SPC126 has a large 4-3/8" dia. white face with black hands for good visiblilty, an ascending volume and frequency four stage alarm and a snooze feature, all to make it worth repairing. The clock had an annoyingly loud tick audible for more than 10 feet.

Opening the clock case revealed the proprietary movement's enclosure. Removing the enclosure cover permitted lubricating the armature and first gearwheel plastic pivots with a tiny bit of silicone oil. After assembly the movement was nearly inaudible at a very close distance.

That's such a useful yet not so obvious tip. Thank you sir!

 

[Cheezhead]

On Feb 20, 2012 I installed a lithium AA battery in my Kienzle Piccolo quartz travel clock and speculated here on March 15, 2012 that the battery might last for 9 years. I am happy and amused to report that it has turned out that way with battery life remaining! Please refer to my posts 53, 122 and 159 for more. The voltmeter readings have been adjusted for known error and the clock will run at 1.35 and possibly lower volts.

Battery Voltages
2-20-12 1.833 assumed starting volts as measured later on two new AA batteries.
8-9-15 1.767
2-27-17 1.758
2-22-20 1.716
3-27-21 1.602 Clock is still running.
It appears that the battery voltage drop is accelerating. I intend to post more on another day.

 

[Berry Greene]

That's such a useful yet not so obvious tip. Thank you sir!

This is addressed to both sections of your post.
I bought some silicone oil and have started to use it on troublesome movements of the cheaper quartz variety to great effect. Thanks.
One exception of particular satisfaction is an older C1970 Smiths electronic balance. The type with the resonant motor activated by coils and magnet with a transistor where the oscillating balance drives the train via a worm gear arrangement. I think its the Sectronic Mk4. Mainly nylon wheels and pinions.
Mine had gone very clanky and was losing heavily. Other reports mention tooth wear. I took it apart and cleaned it to no better effect. I used washing up liquid & water. It was still the same. I fitted the Lithium battery to get more swing. Better but still noisy.
However after reading your tip I bought and applied a tiny bit of silicone oil to its spindles & pivots and the difference was immediate. The silence and accuracy is uncanny after some re-rating of the balance curb.
I left the lithium cell in place as the slightly higher voltage gives the balance a little more swing. In fact its not a new one. It came from my camera where it was struggling to flash. Just one of the 4 cells was down but I replaced them all wondering if the three best of them would still be good enough for clocks. Yes they are. Something else to thank you for then!
I'll wait to see how it works out as the voltage declines. Wanna picture? OK. Sorry its such a poor one. The Smiths electronic is LLH. Another mechanical Smiths mantle in wooden case.
Thanks again - sincerely BerryG

 

[Berry Greene]

So I have a few new pictures as I progress, I see nothing that causes this malfunction! number 3 front Plate and hour gear, 4 is the time movement 5 flip side of time movement. Since things seem sticky electric cleaner and then clock oil on pivots?

View attachment 620695 View attachment 620696 View attachment 620697

Hello Les. How did you get on? I am waiting to hear! What an interesting movement. It looks to me as if the there is no rack to count the strikes but I do see a rotary switch with increasing lengths of printed contact. That's very likely to be the equivalent of a mechanical counting wheel with detents that counts out the number of strikes. When it runs and the contact falls off the edge it should stop. The switch that sets it off needs to be found. It will likely be on the minute shaft and operated by a cam. I'll bet if that is so that its in permanent contact making it run all the time.
I think the other switch you mention is to disarm it as some people find the strikes annoying. You mention chimes as well as strikes and I have only seen Integrated Circuits that can do that electronically. You have a motorised chime barrel with cams & hammers. So therefore interested to know more. Sincerely, BerryG

 

[Berry Greene]

Re: The best quartz (fake) torsion pendulum drive that I have seen.

Hi Bang
Pulses are timed by the swinging magnet in most of these cases.
As the magnet swings into the coil, a tickler winding caused the transistor to turn
on. This causes a feedback loop that increases the feedback holding the current
through the coil and causing the swinging magnet to increase speed. The initial
feedback is limited in time by a capacitor ( usually ), timed such that it can only
start the transistor. Once the magnet begins to move out of the field, a reverse
voltage is picked up by the tickler winding. This causes the transistor to turn off
and wait for the next passage of the magnet.
This is very similar to the way the ATO clocks work, with mainly slight changes to
allow it to work with silicon transistor, instead of germanium.
Tinker Dwight

I like to call it an electronic balance because it has a (solid state) transistor but is NOT a quartz. Nor is it an "electric" balance. Its a resonant motor in the sense that it provides the power to drive the train and pointers but unlike a normal mechanical balance that absorbs power - this one redistributes the power it gets from the battery in very precise steps to the train. Really novel, (in its time), and can be uncannily accurate too. It seems to demonstrate to me that if the impulses are of consistent weight, isochronous action will be much better. No jewels; often a nylon train; clumsy but fast balance, yet accurate. I'd go further and conjecture that if the power level from the battery was held constant (not seen one that has a regulator), the performance would be outstanding and get very close to a quartz - positional errors excepted. All IMHO of course gentlemen. BerryG