1970 Panasonic Flip Clock

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This flip clock fulfills a decade long quest for me. I've had to do a bit of work on it, but it's still wonderful!
It's been more than 2 days since I've filmed this as I write this and it looks like blowing out the motor with compressed air worked for fixing the motor. This thing fits so well with my HiFi equipment that I really couldn't be any happier. This is one of those items that I've been looking for for so long that when I finally broke and turned to ebay, I'm glad I went for a higher end model since I'll use this pretty much forever now.
Panasonic and Soundesign both made some very pretty flip clocks in this style. So if you want one of these you might want to start with looking at those.
Flip Clock Tile Repair: • Flip Clock Restoration...
If you want to get one of these and support the channel you can use this link:
ebay.to/2B27H1F
Playlists of more stuff like this:
1970s: • 1970s
Other Links
KZbin: / akbkuku
Github: github.com/AkB...
Thingiverse: www.thingivers...
Patreon: / akbkuku
Discord: / discord

[@TechTangents]

Get NordVPN 70% off here: nordvpn.com/akbkuku

[@humanbeing_]

Wow. Holy cow dude. *My grandfather had that EXACT same clock for I think like 40, or 50 years.* _Maybe more._ He always had it on his bedside table for as long as I can remember. And I’m just about 40, so yeah. He died in September 2013. So this really brings back memories. Very cool man. Feeling very nostalgic right now. Thanks for the video Akbkuku! Cheers! -H.B.

[@muhunun]

How tf did you get nordvpn working on a computer from radio shack

[@janb.6515]

@@muhunun I guess because it says that it is a terminal unit, he probably connected to a modern PC running Ubuntu via Telnet or some other network protocol if I am not mistaken.

[@DavidHernandez-xi8qw]

Interesting video I have He the clock refuses to work have any advice for me I'm afraid to open it up I think it's the motor thanks

[@Superov]

where can i buy this alarm clock. Give me a link.

[@LGR]

That really is one sexy flip clock.

[@elogy890]

I was gonna leave a comment like "LGR would approve", but you beat me to it, Clint.

[@video99couk]

Your voices sound quite alike, anyone commented on that before?

[@frank234561]

There used to be a flip clock in the room I slept in at my grandfather's house when I was kid. I loved that thing. I thought it was really cool cause all other clocks at the time(early 90's)had a digital display. The fact that it was mechanical was awesome to me.

[@firemedicjm911]

I had this clock right by my head when I was growing up in the 70s. Loved it, used to fall asleep to the radio at night. Wish I still had it!

[@joebobb7349]

Me too!

[@johnnyrebellion8672]

They are on ebay all day long.

[@ladysaynt4424]

Just bought one today on ebay(1971 model). Wound up spending more than I wanted, but I feel it is worth it since I have never seen a clock like the one I ordered. (Panasonic model RC-7469)

[@newref4068]

The late 70's and early 80's Honda cars (Accord, Civic, Civic Wagon, and Quintet) have beautiful flip clocks like the one you describe, that are embedded into the roof above the inner mirror. I really love those awesome cars

[@WalnutSpice]

How perfect is it that after cleaning this grungy lil clock radio, the first thing it plays is some Nirvana? Gotta love it

[@larrywilliams8010]

21:21 And you found nearly period-correct music to play. You're good.

[@sadmac356]

Ooh Pink Floyd!

[@ThetaReactor]

@@sadmac356 Brazenly taunting the IP detection algorithms with that and Nirvana.

[@francistheodorecatte]

that yellow greasy residue is 100% nicotine residue from cigarettes. cleaned up a 1970's Lafayette stereo receiver covered in nicotine residue. had to resort to some pretty strong solvents to get it all off. :|

[@gameshark528]

This can be solidified lubricant oil which happens when mixed with dust and other particulates over many years such as worn down rubber dust (from storage places and warehouses where forklifts are commonplace) and dust in general causing it to be a little like honey since the particulates absorb the oil and just it's residue :) Have pulled apart a few dead retro devices, it kind of looks like vasoline that has gone off, cig tar should be a really dark colour from my experience with ancient desktops from around the 80's - 90's, really screws up with the heatsinks :P ISO alcohol + nail polish remover mixed together works well for me for smoke tar on parts and should work well with solidified oil :)

[@Madness832]

That GE clock has what we used to call a "barrel-roll" display. Had one as a kid (~35 years back); would like to find one, again.

[@jamiesmith6838]

I actually have that Panasonic flip clock! Always liked it as a child. My grandmother actually had one! I found one about 2 years ago in a prop shop in bklyn! Unfortunately, it needs reconditioning. Glad I found your channel. There's hope.

[@cashawX10]

I have exactly the same model and came to me with the same symptoms. I greased up the seized motor and got it running fine. However, 6 months later it stopped. Turned out in the gearbox to the right of the motor, all the gears are plastic and teeth had broken off the brittle wheels. Still,it was a fun item to have, reminded me of a 70's car dashboard. Incidentally, I have a wonderful Telefunken flip-clock from the 70's which has been running for around 20 years without incidents ! :-)

[@rwdplz1]

I too have the flip clock disease, started at Goodwill with a Panasonic RC-6035. Bought a couple more, cheap and broken, usually easy to fix either the clock or radio, and have a working one.

[@spliceoncharlie]

Nice clock radio. I really miss those old flip clock radios. I find myself looking at some of the old Christmas Toy Wishbook Catalogs from the seventies and drooling over some of the classic electronics. Been looking for one as well. May have to set some time aside for some flea market hunting.

[@quoprimum9145]

I recently got a good old near-mint wood grain Copal flip clock at an estate sale. Favorite clock I've ever owned!

[@siliconinsect]

My Copal flip clock has been in service for at least 40 years. Reliable and accurate for longer than I've been alive. Even the neon light works.

[@siliconinsect]

Also... Output was probably for a pillow speaker: future-forms.com/portfolio-item/national-panasonic-rd-9203-pillow-speaker/

[@CraigRodmellMusic]

I bought a flip-clock brand new back in 1983. It wasn't fancy, it was just a clock, no radio or anything else in it, with a hard black plastic case. Its sole power source is 1 D-size battery (whi h generally lasts well over a year. 37 years later it still runs flawlessly. Never missed a beat. The only real annoyance is that the time can only be adjusted one way. So when Daylight Saving finishes in Autumn, it's easier just to take the battery out for an hour than to wind it forward 23 hours. Mine is a Seiko, it has an alarm, and a night light, operated by a pushbutton (which you don't use if you want your battery to last.)

[@superfitzy]

Also my favorite flip clock of all time! The in-depth Cameron repair video on the Flipclockfans channel features my clock. He very generously offered to repair my clock if he could use it in his video.

[@nrdesign1991]

I kind of fell in love with the rotating-digit-drum mechanism, time to re-create it in CAD, and 3D-print it!

[@joebobb7349]

I must have listened to You're So Vain a thousand times on this radio when I was a kid. Carly never sounded better!

[@scottgfx]

My dad had one, and I later was given custody of it. I don't remember what I did with it, but I later bought an RC-60 "cube" alarm clock. So perhaps I gave it back to dad or dropped it off at Goodwill. I do have fond memories of this from my childhood in the `70s.

[@PhilRacicot]

I have the same radio and a few other flip clock radios. Some are quite different from others. Sony for example used the same Copal motors in their Digimatics but they had a cam instead of a gear that made one rotation per minute. I also have a few typewriters, I really enjoyed some of your videos!

[@robwebnoid5763]

Here in 2020. I still have at least one flip clock & one rotary clock. These have been in my family since the 1970's. They don't quite work well now, so maybe one day I may open them up to see why. Could be failing caps or something. The flip clock has a lamp, to use for light to wake up or for some bed reading & it also has a remote wired separate speaker.

[@travishein]

I liked the jab about the how a clock from 1970s has a headphone jack but modern phones do not. These headphones used to be mono "ear piece", which is basically what we call an ear bud today. But it was larger and had a terrible cream color white long wire and case, which turned yellow over time. There were also a speaker on a long cord that could go under the pillow, like the Realistic 33-206A

[@osrr6422]

Need to get me an old alarm clock. I really enjoy the old wood grain flip and led style clocks.

[@johnoofsatchurch]

I recommend going to your local thrift store or goodwill once and a while, I find old alarm clocks occasionally at those stores. Usually cheap to. (Never found a flip clock, but there are plenty of digital clocks) although wouldn’t recommend antique malls. Antique malls are always extremely overpriced.

[@dronejunglistplatoon]

I don’t need one - never even seen one..... but I want one soooooo bad! Thx dude!

[@Vintersemestre00]

Sweet. New 8 Bit Guy and Akbkuku vids today.

[@danielgroenewald69]

Please take my upvote, that timer bar for the embedded sponsor ad is amazing

[@Hagledesperado]

C'mon give us a LED upgrade. :) A warm-white LED, a full bridge rectifier, and a current limiting resistor should be enough to solve that melting plastic problem. Maybe even a capacitor in parallel with the LED to smooth out any flicker and also make it slow like a proper incandescent light.

[@Sheevlord]

My thoughts exactly

[@ThetaReactor]

Indeed. It's even a practical mechanical upgrade since an LED won't bake the flip tiles.

[@EngineeringVignettes]

Probably possible to find a bulb with the same voltage rating and screw/bayonet style that is already an LED. Then just replace the bulb.

[@martinleska4292]

I think these number plates are not melted - this is low power bulb, which you can touch by fingers. It is not hot - only warm. Metal fingers which hold numbers are only barely warm. Numbers are only worn from contact with metal. Edges of number plates are covered by dust and these metal fingers wipes dust. They are made probably from soft paper soaked with some epoxy or from soft fragile plastic. Dont do LED upgrade, Light from bulb is nice, soft.

[@draketungsten74]

I had that same model GE clock back in the day. I get a kick out of seeing it on your channel.

[@Qardo]

My grandparents still have one of those somewhere. Such a sexy clock.

[@Rubycon99]

Good taste ;) I was also looking for a flip clock and as soon as I saw this model I knew I'd never find one more perfect

[@EngineeringVignettes]

Missing screws is a clue that someone else got into this radio and was messing around. It's 50/50 whether the mechanical issue is the original problem or was screwed up by the last guy. Given that screws are missing I am guess that he/she gave up, either not fixing the issue or making it worse. My guess is that the motor is binding and small flexing of the clock assembly or its location in the radio is pulling an axle or bearing out of alignment enough to stall the motor which is just a simple AC induction motor. The clocks timing comes from the 60 Hz AC in the power in that regard. If you go in again (eg to fix the tone control) try pushing on the clock assembly with a screwdriver to see if you can stall the motor. See if the chassis is out of alignment, maybe one of the plastic screw-posts broke and is shorter than original (tightening the screw then pulls the chassis further down and tweeks an axle bearing out of alignment. The other (remote) possibility is an intermittent or bad wiring connection to the motor, either in the ON/OFF/AUTO switch or at the motor itself. Unlikely though as the motor does spin although slower than it should be. On the tone control, if you have a multimeter, measure the off resistance between one end of the pot and the centre tap to see if the resistance moves up and down smoothly or jumps inconsistently (easier to do with an analog meter but no-one has them these days... well I have several VTVMs but that's another story). The port can be cleaned but these can fail if the carbon track fractures at one of the end points and thats a lot harder to fix. If the pot is good then the issue would be in the RC circuit representing the tone control and now you are down to checking solder joints and measuring resistors and caps... note that I don't think its a bad cap, they are typically the green poly type and do not see a lot of voltage; its more likely a bad solder joint. Hope that helps, its a nice clock and worth saving. I like that style myself though currently my collection is a bit older; they have tubes in them. Cheers,

[@EngineeringVignettes]

"measure the off resistance between one end of the pot and the centre tap " By this I mean that the power to the circuit should be off. You should be able to keep it soldered in though. Measuring from one side of the pot to the other will determine if the carbon trace is broken.

[@sangbeta2043]

I now have a Panasonic RC-6030, quite common. I bought a replacement bulb for the display, which is mounted below the numbers, so it shouldn't have the heating problem described in your video. The AM/FM switch could use some cleaning, but otherwise it works very well.

[@fins59]

The usual cause for flip clocks stopping is dried up motor bearings. A drop of light oil on the motor shaft should fix it.

[@KT-bj5ys]

My dad had old clock radio and it is now in my possession. Love this thing and it works great! Except the clock doesn't flip anymore ): seems like the tiles are all good but it just doesn't flip. I'll have to open it up and give it a good cleaning!

[@Ice_Karma]

Oh, gosh, this reminds me of the flip-clock my grandparents had in their bedroom that I was obsessed with when I was a kid... similar design, but I seem to recall the motor indicator was to the right of the time display, and also oriented horizontally... I want to say it was made by GE, but... it's been at least a quarter century at this point...

[@Metalman200xdamnit]

Those flip clocks are so cool.

[@finkelmana]

You can fix the wood on the sides with colored wood putty and or wood dye pens. Or

[@sangbeta2043]

My first flip clock was rather beat up. It didn't run at all, so I opened it up and found that the cup-like thing on the motor was completely bent out of shape. (Sidenote: inside the cup is lined with a magnetic strip. Did you know sheet magnets have alternating north/south polarity strips?) I tried to straighten it out, but never got it quite right.

[@robertgaines-tulsa]

Motorized electronics can act funny if started up after sitting for years in storage. Letting them run for a few days might fix the problem probably due to lubricants being unevenly distributed. Even back in the '80s, we had to use mono-to-stereo adapters so you could hear monurol electronics on both sides of headphones. They were meant to be used with a single headphone. They started using stereo jacks with bridged channels back in the '90s for convenience with stereo headphones. You can't use monurol phones with them though since the right pin will be shorted to ground.

[@johnoofsatchurch]

Wow, nice that thing has afc. I have a 50s tube radio with afc and its nice feature to use

[@boxman139]

A sexy flip clock for an equally sexy reciever! I actually almost got that same exact one that you have, but I decided on an Onkyo TX-2500 MKII instead, mainly because I liked the look of it just a little bit more. I do plan on upgrading in the coming years to something with VU meters on it, though.

[@humancentered3447]

Old English for dark woods will take care of your side “wood” wear.

[@ulincsys]

I love the ad progress bar!

[@aminorityofone]

old 70's clock that is greasy? probably caused by lots of cigarette smoke.

[@gameshark528]

Depends, my pop owned one but was in a mechanic's garage. Being near the end where the car exhaust was can cause it too, also warehouses with rubber tyres grinding on concrete (I used to cough that stuff out and that was only a few years ago) :) they had a small amount of ventilation but of course small particulates can work their way in over time :P It really depends, many ways for things to work their way into small moving parts over time!

[@VintageGamingMemories]

Nice video. Just picked up a GE 8142 from your link in the description via eBay 🙂. Looking at getting the RC-7469 next! These will be great additions to my channel and collection. Thanks for the insight.

[@oggyosbourne]

Oh that flip clock is really nice :) I have been wanted one for over 30 years now. I will buy one on ebay for sure that fit my style.

[@Captain_Char]

I know of those clock moters, they were used in many electric clocks before the synchronous motors came out< I have two vintage clocks with those types of moters, and ive never really had an issue with them, they do get rather warm though, also take note of the motor voltage, since it relies on that pure 60hz and 110-125 volts for timing purposes, a few volts over and your clock will gain time, too little and it loses time

[@ttv_switcher260]

18:35 Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit 21:21 Pink Floyd- Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2

[@sIacker]

I was like damn.. that would go amazing with my sx-780! a minute later there it is :)

[@humm_vee_wusky6273]

I have had a few of these GE and Westinghouse ones are nice to my thoughts on the wheel is perhaps the spindle its attached to it may not be grabbing it so well any more. Also slot of these ended up in somebody's garage so the would collect a lot of dirt and grime.

[@EC-ms1jr]

You can see a Panasonic flip clock in Back to the future.

[@CelGenStudios]

"The prices HAVE ARE down to something much more sensible now" Oops... In the bright side you still managed to find one for a sensible price and what a find it is.

[@TechTangents]

oops indeed. Too many revisions I guess. The titles were a last minute addition as well. I prefer not to regularly do those but I felt there were just too many things to not correct or supplement.

[@ct1660]

I own two Panasonic Camerons. Both are still working fine.

[@GoldenTrumpet24]

I would probably replace the bulb with a LED if it causes heat issues.

[@Alexis_du_60]

Most of the time manufacturers used neon bulbs (?) in lieu of incandescent ones, still that's very unusual to see an incandescent bulb in one of these

[@DennisSantos]

Or one of those neon bulbs. If memory serves, my sisters's flip clock used that.

[@moth.monster]

The vpn on the terminal was a nice touch. Always interesting seeing small channels get sponsored.

[@kaitlyn__L]

It was certainly novel to see an old terminal saying 100Mbit/s! Even though I knew it was the modern-ish Ubuntu server doing the heavy lifting.

[@robertmerrill9849]

I hope yours is still running. I have 4 and all, but one, has stopped. The reduction gears in the motor strip. I have one left that is starting to lose time and you can hear the motor gears slip every revolution or so. These motors are no longer available, so there isn't much that can be done to fix other than finding a donor unit and that's no guarantee as I tried taking one out of a donor unit with broken tiles and it ran fast in all 4 of mine. I guess there might be something I'm missing in the unit that adjusts the tile flips to the motor speed.

[@tubical71]

I got several flip clocks....Also, at least over here in germany, i come across at least one of these, but of course in 24hrs, on every fleamarket... But i´ve never seen one of these rotating drum clocks....;)

[@martinhousemuse]

Does anyone notice the clarity of the plastic cover for the flip clock? Is the difference I see just a matter of photo quality, or do the plastic covers sometimes need cleaning?

[@barrettgpeck]

That is a lovely bedside clock.

[@Edman_79]

Always a pleasure to watch you tackle a repair :D

[@sfranz5413]

I have the same Blue Stanton Headphones. They weigh a ton, but they look so cool!

[@waheex]

Nice video. the radio fading out over time may be a capacitor holding just enough charge then discharging.

[@steveg5122]

I wonder if the motor got jostled during transit, and was brought back to life just by wriggling it round and a cleaning.

[@Goldnfoxx]

And now this. This is going to bug me the way it did until I found an old answering machine my dad owned when I was a kid that was called the ANSAFONE 610. You have any idea how hard it is to find something you haven't laid eyes on in 35+ years based on memories alone? My dad had a flip clock for years, and already had it in my earliest memories (born at the butt end of '74). But looking through old pics, I'm realizing my memories of it aren't nearly as exact as some of my others. It definitely had that faux-wood top, and it was definitely a radio/alarm clock as well, but the main thing I remember is that there was a red light that allowed you to see the time in the dark. Looking through eBay is like looking through a list of "almost, but not quites," and it's frustrating as hell.

[@thejackofclubs]

you can put a bit of heatshrink on the metal tabs for insulation

[@deaxes]

I think the motor issue is caused by the shield hitting the motor, you can easily bend the shield upwards a bit.

[@MichaelAStanhope]

I just saw this exact model at a local antiques mall. Price? $150. Needless to say it is still there. I do use to this day a Wynford-Hall flip clock from 1973. Radio is iffy sometimes but she still works. I have the exact GE clock too, sits on my desk right next to my computer. At least your Panasonic has a buzzer in it, mine just outputs the most god awful tone through the speaker!

[@johnoofsatchurch]

Antique Malls are so expensive. At mine, $125 for a NON WORKING wind up clock? What? Like wow. The KZbin channel for the place shows the overpriced radios in the basement, but the video is from 2017! Some of those radios are still there! I only expect to look at the antique mall. Although, my local goodwill and thrift shops carry occasional nice items. In fact, I picked up a GE alarm clock the other day for $5

[@3DMegadoodoo]

Since actually repairing wood or veneer parts requires skill, I just use THIS ONE WEIRD TRICK to make dings, scratches, etc. a lot less visible from any reasonable distance: get a nice set of coloured pencils and just draw the defects away. It'll usually take several layers and some colour mixing (not just browns) but the improvement with just a few minutes' work is pretty significant, and it's completely reversible if you want to.

[@nathankim7664]

19:45. Anybody notice that the 11 stayed 11 even after the 59 went back to 0? It's supposed to flip to 12, not stay at 11. Hopefully that issue didn't linger on when plugged in. Congrats on getting this clock, I too collect these along with my 8 track/vinyl setup. The Cameron is a very desirable model, but the prices are not for the faint-hearted!

[@jordanlong00]

I don't know about these but most clocks I have used keep the same hour when you overflow the minutes while setting it

[@cesarantoniomello]

My grandmother had one of these on The kichen where she would deep fry. Thats whats probably was The dirt.

[@wannabetechnician7451]

great music on those radio stations

[@jjohnson71958]

Change the halogen dial bulb to a blacklight led for wicked coolness or a regular white led

[@tarstarkusz]

What year is the clock from? If it is new than about 1970, it likely has at least 1 IC in it. Is it mostly discrete? Does it have the color coded trimmers in it?

[@thatpersonsmusic]

Unfortunately, the prices have risen back up to the $150 range

[@R0n8urgundy]

It wasnt the radio eating the power. It was Dave Gilmour

[@bretsutherlandsterriblemem8439]

Found a Sanyo model in the rubbish. Plugged it in and it fired up right away. Can’t find any info on it though.

[@allan.n.7227]

WOW.. What a beauty!..

[@Nukle0n]

That audio fade, might be the age of the capacitors? Sorry to be the capacitor guys in comments, just a theory though.

[@CyberCreeper22]

you caught another brick in the wall on the radio noice

[@mirutanable]

Could we see a thrift shop episode/series with camera glasses?

[@davidmurphy2172]

Me when I think of a flip clock : YES 17 minutes, that's a new record.

[@gosoniccgo6324]

Hi. I have One of those radios.and i would like to know how do i make my alarm go off when I set it?. My alarm goes off about a half hour after it should go off.

[@dmcintosh1967]

I found a Panasonic RC-7469 at flea market but unfortunately the motor ran but the gear box was busted. So I couldn't fix and sold it as self queen.

[@nikelquint]

I found a similar GE “flip” clock and eventually the same flip clock used in Back To the Future but i eventually stuck with my GE since the real flip clock just wouldn’t stop seizing up and it was missing a few knobs and a broken radio, it just annoyed to too much haha

[@Fuzy2K]

2:21 -- If you could separate the black bezel from the plastic window, you could probably put an overlay between them, kind of like putting a new faceplate on a Nokia phone...

[@karlporath8904]

I love my flip clocks. But I have a bad habit of lightning them with various colors of LEDs. Although that one looks like one of my desktop radios crossed with a flipclock

[@hadessuk]

Broken solder joint?

[@verficationaccount]

Had a loveley russian flip clock once.. but the motor was unbearably loud. It didn´t even have an alarm, but kept me up at night nevertheless.

[@FireStriker_]

Are the caps still good? Maybe test them. I also would love to see a led upgrade

[@TheBlindingwhite]

Got one of these that needs a refurb

[@DoRC]

8:50 you sure that's melting and not just wear? The metal would have to get awfully hot to actually melt plastic.

[@FerintoshFarmsPhotography]

I used to have that same amp, flood killed it.

[@hanswurst3811]

awesome design !

[@SrSagan-hb5rr]

3:30 uuuh uuuh who can it be now?

[@MrEscanaba]

Flip Clock should make a comeback. I'm getting sick of buying new clock when one led dies out and then six more blew along into a sex symbol on the wall.

[@MikinessAnalog]

I want that shirt 2600 forever

[@setoman1]

I would wanna rebuild that thing ground up.

[@fins59]

The clock motor probably needs lubricating, the bearings dry out over time and that flip clock is around 50 years old.

[@djcb4190]

A counter clock?