Digital Clock

[andyd]

Rissy Wrote:Now all we need, is more interest from people in order not to lose theirs.

Ok, tentative interest from me. My clock's never worked but I think PO mike had a go at sorting it from:

Mrdashbo Wrote:i recentley (after reading this post took out my clock to see if it can be fixed. it has a white dot in one corner of the display.

any ideas
Mike

I'm not too fussed really, so wouldn't commit to spending a fortune with various other rather more important jobs on the go. But if a batch is getting made at a reasonable price, I could tag along...

Anyone else?

a

[MikeWard]

If replacement looks and functions as per the original, then count me in.

Any options for adding some additional functionality under the hood, e.g. a replaceable battery to allow the clock to keep time when the main battery is disconnected? (As per the replacement clock offered by DeLoreanVIN on DMC Talk)

[Rissy]

...I'm still waiting on a reply from the German site, and further word back from Dakota Digital too.

On a side note, sort of...this week, I've been patiently waiting delivery of my two replacement transistors, and crystal. The last component, the crystal, arrived tonight. I've since put the whole clock back together once more, and installed it back in the car. (I couldn't wait! I was SO excited! lol!) It immediately sprang into life and it all works as it should do. I'll leave it for a soak test, to see now that it does indeed stay working. I'm not expecting to disconnect it from the battery again for some time, so people, if interested, can see it running (hopefully) in Butterely. 8)

fingers crossed.

[Rich H]

Rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying...

you so I told :wink: :lol:

Glad it's sorted, hopefully it'll stay that way.

Now if my theory holds true, a DeLorean clock somewhere has just stopped working....

[Rissy]

RichH Wrote:Rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying...

you so I told :wink: :lol:

Glad it's sorted, hopefully it'll stay that way.

Now if my theory holds true, a DeLorean clock somewhere has just stopped working....

Ha-Ha! Yeah. Sorry out there, whoever you are. That'll be my doing. (I'm saying that, with confidence, but i've still to go out a bit later today to check and make sure its still working! - still got my fingers crossed lol!)

[Nick H]

Hi Rissy, Glad it's sorted. Been away working on the Isle of Man. Having to be careful using the phone for the web as it's classed as a international location!

Regards
Nick

[Rissy]

Hey Nick! Wondered why you had fallen off the planet! lol!

Clock is working! Proved it to RichH yesterday. I'm sure he was going to pat me on the head! lol! (not really :lol: )

I'm still conversing with Dakota Digital, asking people's questions about possible mods etc. I'll post the outcome here for people once I've got the details. Because my clock is now working, i'm scared i'll lose interest in this topic, before getting some conclusions together, but i'll try hard so that my efforts, and you efforts, don't go wasted. I see it that we've gone this far, we might as well get some conclusion going, either way. Modern equivalent possibilities, and/or Russian old style modern replacement.

How you going with the Russians? Would it be of help for us to give the details of the components on the old one, and a circuit diagram produced from PCB track following, and then saying, "here, make that, using your equivalents"? At this stage, the Russian route will definitely be cheaper than the modern Dakota Digital. I'm still not getting any word back from the German company who say they have our VFD's in stock (according to their website) I've emailed them twice now...

[Nick H]

Hi Rissy,
I think they were looking for sizes of the PCB and the enclosure so they could design a new clock to fit within
the exsisting housing.

Regards
Nick

[Rissy]

Nick H Wrote:Hi Rissy,
I think they were looking for sizes of the PCB and the enclosure so they could design a new clock to fit within
the exsisting housing.

Regards
Nick

Ok, well, I've given that (see further up in the thread). You're the man in contact with them. If you give them the details above, and if they need anything else, then we can get that for them too. I'll still help out with info gathering. I just thought that perhaps with more knowledge of the existing unit, we could get them to make it as close to original spec as possible. THEN, since other's are showing interest, but with an interest in things like battery backup etc, then we can ask if this is also possible, even if it's a fly-off on the main board or something. I think this is still worth pursuing. It would be quite cool if we could offer the solution through the club for people to purchase. Sounds as though it may be cheap enough to do, and at this point, we're getting the designing aspect thrown in for free from them!

keep it going.

[MikeWard]

What are folks thought's on this? Most likely a dodgy joint?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y8wS8sPym0[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y8wS8sPym0

It's always done it ever since I've had the car, it's just never really bothered me enough to fix it yet.

[Rich H]

Quote:Most likely a dodgy joint?

Yep, definitely a dry joint.

[MikeWard]

Is there a how-to anywhere on how to take the clock to pieces?

I've currently got the car laid up for a couple of weeks while I have the wheels refurbished, so thought it would be an ideal opportunity to take a look at the clock. Not wanting to damage it I was looking to see if anyone has or has posted a how-to guide for opening up the clock?

[Rissy]

MikeWard Wrote:Is there a how-to anywhere on how to take the clock to pieces?

I've currently got the car laid up for a couple of weeks while I have the wheels refurbished, so thought it would be an ideal opportunity to take a look at the clock. Not wanting to damage it I was looking to see if anyone has or has posted a how-to guide for opening up the clock?

I never found a "How to", but if you've not already seen them, I put lots of lovely piccies and information of my clock on page 2 of this thread. They're pretty good at giving you the detail you can expect to see once you lift th centre console up and remove it from the car with the clock attached underneath. You just have to unplug it from the rest of the wiring loom under the console when you lift it up, and then it's pretty self explanatory what you have to do to detach it from the underside of the console display and take it apart *CAREFULLY* from there on. Then you will see where all my piccies come in for all the information you could EVER need! 8)

I tried my best to cover every possible part and statistics/detail information so that this thread for a resourcing point for all others coming up behind me. No sense in reinventing the wheel all the time!

Any further questions you have, which my piccies don't detail, then please ask, but I doubt you'll have any to be honest. It's pretty much all there.

[MikeWard]

Cheers Rissy, got the bugger open now, prise carefully!

Just reading back on page 2, did anyone ever take things further with Konstantin at Kosbo.Com?

[S3Envy]

Rissy, fancy taking up a position as official club horologist! :wink:

I'm tempted to do mine now as it works most of the time but does act similarly to Mike's & I'm sure there's a dry joint somewhere, however I need to invest in some new decent soldering gear as mine is crappy old kit I used to use on my RC cars as a kid!