Smiths Car Clock

[kevin]

The only thing that doesnt work on the Singer is the clock.
Not really bothered until today when I decided to take a look.
I had hoped that the last owner had simply pulled the connector from the back to save the battery at some point. That seems to be the case but unfortunately I cant find the removed feed wire.
so, I suppose I can find a feed somewhere but my question is..is it just a 12v fused feed I need or do they run at a lower voltage?
If it is then I will just run a wire from the battery tomorow to test the clock before rewiring.
This is the only visible terminal, im assuming it earths through the casing?





One more question..

On the 2nd picture, bottom left, there is a scale just to the right of the regulator screw. what is this?

Thanks
Kev

[JPB]

That scale shows how far from the arbitrary "normal" position the regulator is set at, F to make it run faster, S for slower. The only clock of that style that I've seen (in a period moulded accessory dashboard that came with a mini I once had) was wound mechanically using a pulse from the battery that was sourced from the same terminal as its dial illumination, on the cold side of the light switch. In that case the mainspring was a little short as a result of an older repair so it used to run down far more frequently than it should and I used to have to switch the lights on roughly every three hours to provide the supply to wind it up again. It soon went the journey to be replaced by a discrete DC qu***z movement that was fitted to the original face.
I'm now, the cuckoos will come after me and peck out my remaining hair as punishment for that 1980s crime against horology.

[suffolkpete]

Surely that clock is the sort that has an electromagnet that gives a pulse to the balance wheel. Not terribly reliable, I've had several on 50s and 60s BMC cars and they fail when the contact pin on the balance wheel burns through. You need a permanent 12v feed to the terminal on the back and it earths through the casing, as does the panel light which I can just see at the top.

[kevin]

Surely that clock is the sort that has an electromagnet that gives a pulse to the balance wheel. Not terribly reliable, I've had several on 50s and 60s BMC cars and they fail when the contact pin on the balance wheel burns through. You need a permanent 12v feed to the terminal on the back and it earths through the casing, as does the panel light which I can just see at the top.

i will rig up a 12v fused temp feed and see if it works.if it doesnt, is there a better quality clock that will fit?

Kev

[JPB]

Well if it is that type, then you could fit the sort that the number suggested it was that uses a conventional, wind up movement that's kept wound by motor pulses supplied from the battery. The one I had in that accessory panel in the mini was of the same shape and had that movement which was why I'd assumed it was one of those and that would be a straight swap but sometimes, taking out the original gubbins and fitting one of these single AA cell clocks that can be bought at craft shops for very small amounts of cash is the way to go, especially if you're the sort of person who can't take the sight of a clock that's not telling you the right time!
Granted it's not ideal but as long as the face can be separated from the rest of the thing, so leaving it open to being returned to standard some day, then it would at least get you going.

Here's the sort of thing I had in mind: On eBay. The single cell in one of these will run the thing for around a year and sometimes, it's possible to use the original clock's hands with this type of device though the supplied ones could always be given a quick coat of Tippex and overpainted with fluorescent Humbrol.





edited: Scrub that, I've checked and unsurprisingly, Pete is correct. I'd misread the number. The perils of accessing fora from phones, now on a 17" screen and there it is!

[kevin]

I think what I will do is buy another similar size smiths clock off the Bay of E to have a mess about with.
Some nice movements available now you've given me the idea, going to try and find one that I can rig up with a remote battery case so battery changes will be easier.

Kev