Vintage GE Clock Radio restoration

An old classic that I inherited gets restored.

[@vwestlife]

By 1979 more people started listening to FM than AM in the U.S., but as late as 1990 some cars and trucks still came with an AM-only radio as standard. This GE clock radio can be seen in the intro to the TV sitcom "Who's The Boss?".

[@josephsalmon2709]

Great video, my wife had a clock radio just like this one. Her brother gave it to her for Christmas in the mid 70's when her & I were dating. It lasted many years, this video brought back good memories. Thanks!

[@WeatherSTARIII]

I have that same exact GE clock radio model too. The one that I have originally came from my mom (which she had it since it was new back in the 70s). Since this exact model that I have only has an AM tuner, we normally used it as an analog clock in our laundry room (we normally didn't have the alarm set and rarely used the radio on this thing anyway). It's still a nice basic analog clock radio. I just love these old clock radios like these.

[@12voltvids]

Laundry room clock. Great idea that's the only room without one. Great idea.

[@JerryEricsson]

Just for a point of information, we got our first FM radio station in my home town back 3 years ago. It sure made things nice for mom, who is 97 and in the nursing home, she loves her radio but the AM was filled with static so now we tune in the FM for her and she can again keep in touch with our local news.

[@12voltvids]

And here the am stations are shutting down. Just about a month ago bell pulled the plug in 2 50kw stations in my area. They will probably sell the transmitters and a new Punjabi or Chinese station (or both) will fire them up.

[@angryshoebox]

I had that exact model of GE clock radio when I was a kid, in the mid '70s. The date code year is 1975.

[@12voltvids]

75 is what I figured it was because if it was 65 it would have tubes and 85 would be IC LOL

[@rtyour1]

I have the same one but it's AM FM with same clock

[@DonZulch]

I have an 86 with an LED digital display.

[@airplaneengine]

There's also a date code stamped on the Telechron clock rotor you could use to get an idea of year of production. It's year (1 digit), month (1 or 2 digits), and decade (1 digit). There's more info on this if you Google "Telechron rotor date code". One of the best clock movements ever made. If it ever runs noisy or starts to lose time, you can also draw new light synthetic oil into those sealed rotors. One method is to use heat (such as with a light bulb) to build pressure inside the rotor that will then create a vacuum when it cools down to suck the oil in around the pinion. The method I like to use is to draw a vacuum by placing the entire rotor into a large syringe with the tip plugged, then quickly remove it from the syringe, place a drop of oil at the pinion, and either let it draw the oil in itself, or place it back in the syringe and use pressure to force the oil in. I repeat that process a few times. There's some good read-ups on this if you do a bit of Googling.

[@TerryMcKean]

That little set definitely has a neat style to it. Thanks for sharing, Dave.

[@bobsoft]

OMG, I had one of those clocks in the 70's

[@veb6814]

I remember when you'd see one of those on almost everyones bedside table. Now they're getting rare.

[@12voltvids]

That's true. These days many use their phone as an alarm clock.

[@markmarkofkane8167]

Oh yeah! My friend's mom had one just like that! I saw it everytime I went to their house. Excellent!

[@dmcintosh1967]

I that was one of GE's very low end clock radios. That being said they do seem to work good as I have that same one you got. I noticed that the covers over the volume and tunning nobe are missing which is a common thing as the glue that was used would fail. Also this clock was used as a prop in the 1989 move Little Monsters.

[@xeroinfinity]

I save old clocks like this. I think i have 20 Westinghouse windup clocks Ive bought from thrift stores/goodwill for cheap. I have a lot of clocks in general. These asynchronous clocks do last a long time if they're kept clean and lubricated. I have various items using those motors for fans that were made in the early 50s and they're still going. A little noisy at times Lol

[@Joetechlincolns]

We had that model of clock growing up. I probably took it apart and broke it as a kid. Lol

[@michaelturner4457]

I'm the UK, where it's 240VAC, and I don't think we ever had those live chassis transistor radios here. Maybe because too much dropper would be required? And so the ones I seen always had a step-down transformer in them. I know we had live chassis valve radios though.

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

Those are terrific radios 📻. So are those GE clock ⏰ radio 📻. The only kind of those I’ve seen, were AM/FM. The GE clock radio my mother 👩 had was from around 1975-1976. I saw it in 1977, at her apartment in Fairbanks, Alaska. Just be VERY careful working in the backs of these. 120 volts is actually worse to be shocked 😳 by than 220, because ya cannot let go. Your friend, Jeff.

[@kenzingzong6704]

Maybe that coiled trace on the PCB was a way of fusing the mains so if something goes wrong it blows the trace? I've seen other electronics where they did this as it's cheaper than a glass fuse.

[@12voltvids]

Possibly but the big resistor is going to limit the current anyway

[@SeanBZA]

@@12voltvids More likely just a easter egg the PCB layout person left in there, as it would not affect operation, and also would not actually use any space on the board either. Voltage regulation is likely done by the output stage, as they probably bias it to be a fixed current, so the current draw was selected to give around 15-20VDC across the power supply rail. Likely there is a zener diode for the LO stage and IF stages, as those will drift with voltage, and output stage bias is derived from there.

[@bobwigg761]

I had this same clock radio back in the early 70s, so this design is about 50 years old ……….where did the time go?

[@macgvrs]

You are lucky the synchronous motor still works. Far too many have failed. Sounds pretty good for such a small radio. I have a Realistic Stereo from 1984 and the power cord wires go to wire wrap pins so you have these little pins sticking up with full AC volts on them. Pretty common back then, and a bit scary.

[@12voltvids]

Hence the warning to not open the back. Dangerous voltages inside.

[@macgvrs]

@@12voltvids I've been working on this stuff for a long time and I'm very careful. Still seems a bit crazy that they used to do things that way. I am concerned for the unwary who might be hurt by them. I saved the On/off switch on that 1984 Realistic stereo, which had welded itself together, by installing a relay. Had to un-weld the contacts but it now works great. As you know, certain parts for things like this are not available.

[@12voltvids]

@@macgvrs yes I'm fully aware of the parts problem. I have been working on electronics now for a little over 50 years. Started when I was about eight or nine years old hanging out at old Al Mallatt house. He was the local TV repair man and his house believe it or not is directly across the street from where I live now. Yes I grew up in the neighbourhood a couple blocks away. I was a friend of the family and I got to hang out at his place and learn how to fix radios when I was very young. I worked at local TV repair shop when I was in high school but never plan to go down that road. I kind of fell into the business and did it for 20 years as a living. the past 20 years have been taking on projects at home so I've never really left the business so over 50 years I've been in this line of work.

[@MrChrisRP]

Definitely not 1985, so must be 1975.

[@12voltvids]

I believe I already said that if 85 it would be a single ic and have FM

[@kyoudaiken]

Pretty sure this was made August 8 1975.

[@zx8401ztv]

I'm shocked that the caps are still ok, maybe the ripple was low because the radio is very low in current. A transformer would have been nice for a level of isolation, now it would have to have one for safety now. Is your lighting creating the radio noise?, it didn't sound like the mains. I like the way the tuning string and poly cap were keyed, easy pcb removal 😀

[@douglashoff95]

It would be my guess that the spiral on the PC board would serve as a sort of filter choke to suppress interference which might be on the AC line which AM radio is very susceptible to.

[@butcharmstrong9645]

that is vintage. no snooze button to slap when you just dont wanna get up

[@Sans_Solo_]

wonder if hot chassis sets have greater electromagnetic throw off?

[@Earcandy73]

I had one in blue that was made in 1976.

[@joshhoman]

Made in Singapore is a bit of a surprise, though I know that deindustrialization was a problem even back then. It works well, though, and reminds you of a time when life was simpler.

[@mmichaelnowell1512]

Your watch is a citazin!

[@12voltvids]

No it's a Casio. My other one is a Contoli.

[@ACURAOCULTA]

Very good

[@Davesobscurevideos]

Okay but what was that one song coming through the radio? That was pretty tight.

[@12voltvids]

The music playing on the radio was music I was transmitting from the transmitter in the shop. Its 500mw AM stereo cQUAM the music that is always playing in the background is wave 98.3FM as I have a radio on always very quiet in the background.

[@12voltvids]

Saxy serrinade by musicbakery.com

[@chriskelly3678]

Maybe an electric clock radio for the OG "Get Off My Lawn" 1970's demographic? Replace the Windup alarm and still get Perry Como. I think in the 70's I had a Flip digit electric clock radio hand me down from Dad. I would use that as a Shop clock today. Bravo, You Know All things Appliance! Is Hot Chasse just a less expensive option?

[@12voltvids]

Shop clock set to the news station is what i intended to use it as.

[@JCrustii]

i have one of these and it only picks up one channel is there a way to boost the strength? how do i identify the internal antenna

[@markanderson350]

Its a class a amp. It will draw a constant current so no zener needed

[@michaelturner4457]

I guessed it was class A, mainly because only one transistor with a heatsink.

[@markanderson350]

@@michaelturner4457 yep. Sort of a solid state version of the all American five so forget that zener, we got a room heater

[@12voltvids]

@@michaelturner4457 that right. I mentioned that. That's why the large heat sink on the audio output.

[@12voltvids]

@@markanderson350 it does get warm.

[@markanderson350]

@@12voltvids old car radios were like that.. imagine draining your battery to an am radio, no AC.

[@elsaarmstrong-zp6ng]

That kit risky to work on live? Line voltage to dropper resistor, no isolation transformer?

[@12voltvids]

That's how they used to make them.

[@MrChrisRP]

Step up or down for the audio transformer? I am just wondering is all.

[@michaelturner4457]

High impedance input, low impedance output for the 8ohm speaker.

[@MrChrisRP]

@@michaelturner4457 The speaker is 4 ohm, and I think it is saying 1.6 W. What I'm wondering is if the transformer raises or lowers the voltage, or maybe it even keeps it equal and is just isolation.

[@12voltvids]

Class a single ended output.

[@MrChrisRP]

@@12voltvids A quick Google search, and I see some interesting things to read. Basically, I was wondering if the windings are equal or not on each side. I will read on it tomorrow some. Thanks!

[@mmichaelnowell1512]

I'm surprised that it was made in Singapore, probably a1985 model!

[@12voltvids]

85 would have been a 1 chip radio and would have had FM.

[@mitchd949]

No snooze!?

[@12voltvids]

No, people back then got up when the alarm went off they weren't lazy aaaes. For that matter i have never used the snooze button on my clock radio. It goes off i listen to the radio for a few minutes then the tv turns itself on for the morning news and i turn the radio off and get up watching the news while i get ready for work.

[@jimdayton8837]

27:44 What radio station is that?

[@12voltvids]

CASS 1410