Projection Clocks

The two clocks in this video have been around for as long as I can remember, and then they kind of disappeared. I found both of them recently, sitting in the darkness of my grandfather's seldom-used workshop in his basement.

I'd love to know approximately how old they are. They can't be all that old, but I know they were around when I was very young--so I'd guess they are from sometime in the 1980s.

These clocks use a simple flashlight bulb for their projection, and run it at lower than its rated voltage to prolong bulb life and reduce heat output, which is important considering that the entire projection unit is plastic like the rest of the clock.

Both projection bulbs were burned out, both clocks had loose power plugs on them and corroded battery terminals. The more used looking of the two clocks actually had developed an internal short as the litz wire going to the power plug and battery areas had been twisted around and around until it shorted things out.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Hoyle
• Model
• 7770
• Projection
• Digital
• Clock
• interesting
• fix
• repair
• use
• demonstrate

[mgospeed31]

I have never seen anything like this! And the weird thing is, even with the little bit of light they put out, clocks do bug me when I am trying to sleep!

[uxwbill]

I've had that problem. What solved it for me was to get an alarm clock with thin-walled red digits. (Hard to believe that anyone could care about this, but...)

I found a Sony Dream Machine at a garage sale that fit the bill. The human eye is least sensitive to red, and it seems to make a difference. The thin digits help too, as less light comes out. I've had clocks with blue and green numbers (and thicker digits) that are much more visible.

[vwestlife]

Neat! It would a useful little project to retrofit in an LED in place the original light bulb.

[uxwbill]

That's a good idea! I'm sure the LED could produce a brighter display and there would be much less heat output.

It turns out that the projection function *can* run with batteries if the SNOOZE button is held down while on battery power. A display backlight and the projection will appear as long as the button is held down.

[JeffN727]

I have a projection clock that also has a thermometer with an outdoor radio-controlled sensor, so you have both the outdoor and indoor temp. The only problem with it is it don't project anymore. Going to have to crack it open and find out why. Chinese junk!

[uxwbill]

I think I've got something similar. It's a kind of weather station. I've never tried to use the projection feature of it, since I didn't get a power adapter and felt insufficiently motivated to find one. :-)

Someone got a little rambunctious with the projection barrel on mine, so I had to find a way to stick it back on. It no longer rotates, but at least it doesn't hang by the wires.

Hopefully the bulb in yours is replaceable and not annoying, as a soldered grain of sand bulb would be!

[clubcar98]

I am not sure if someone else has commented or not. And I honestly won't read through /all/ the comments. But I was looking through some radio shack catalogs to help date some things I own, and I saw these in the 1985 catalog. Retailing for $34.95 back in the day!

So I remembered this video, and said, what the hell I will go back and comment!

[Juggla17]

They still make those today, use to sell them when I worked the night shift at CVS.

~fin~

[MrMoterKid]

I've seen a few of those down in my local store, I would've bought one but the price put me off. Those look interesting though, the one on the right looks in great shape for being 20 years old, or thats what it looks like anyway.

[Lachlant1984]

Do these clocks use LEDs, or are they based on standard light bulbs?

[Lachlant1984]

Those clocks look to be very old, I'm guessing mid 80's, right? I thought prujection clocks were quite a recent thing, I have an Oregon Scientific projection alarm clock radio that i bought new in 2004, I really like it, it's very reliable and works well, it also displays indoor temperature. Like your clocks if you want constant projection you need to use the AC Adaptor, but the projector will run for about 5 seconds on batteries if you press the Snooze button, or if the alarm goes off.

[gameboy1984]

Mine looks a lot like this one But I've have mine about 5 years.  /watch?v=oICheg6WAsE&feature=r­elated

[gameboy1984]

haha cool I have a projection atomic clock that i never have to set the time on just plug it in and every 2 am it makes sure the time is right.

I keep it on the floor to get the biggest display possible.

It's made by La Crosse Technology.

[Righty736]

I remember having a hoyle card shuffler.