Chinook RV

Projects never end - now the quartz movement in our Takane Telesonic clock has expired. Actually, I’m surprised it lasted 15 years in the summer 100 degree + heat up there under the ceiling.

This repair may seem trivial, but for those like me who appreciate the understated elegance of the made-in-USA Takane, take hope it may be resurrected. So now I don my clocksmith hat, emboldened by experience repairing mechanical cameras, and show the exploded clock.

Simple really - the quartz movement itself is available online as a replacement sealed black box. The clock is water proofed by two gaskets held together by a bezel and 8-screw back. Fortunately the clock is easily removed by twisting the bayonet mount so we will now make a habit of taking it inside during storage to avoid the cycle of temperature extremes. Sure, a Chinese-made Walmart replacement would be cheaper and quicker but the old Takane has garnered sentimental value.

But of course he has a Clocksmith Hat in his collection...

Did you buy a quiet sweep movement or one of those tick-tick-tick ones?

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Hmm. I guess I'm not as sentimental as I thought. When my Chinook clock's five dollar movement stopped working correctly, and was being resistant to easy fixes, I rather quickly took it as a Heaven Sent Sign that it was time to replace it.

In other words, it was a great excuse for me to go shopping online to find something different and with a bit more functionality

In my case, that meant a weather station clock with time / temp / humidity.

But I respect that you wanted to keep the stock clock. Kind of like how some Chinooks have that Coke bottle opener. Gives it a certain historical air.

kdarling wrote

Did you buy a quiet sweep movement or one of those tick-tick-tick ones?

Hmmmm, good point… the $8.58 movement I ordered did not specify if it was quiet or not; guess we shall see. We still keep the coke bottle opener for the same sense of nostalgia. The clock is more interior decoration than function, especially when iPhone apps provide more accurate information and can be read in the dark.

Well, the clock repair did not end well. First, the new ‘black box’ quartz drive mechanism did not fit and I had to shim it so the spindle didn’t interfere with the cover glass. Then the plastic body had aged sufficiently to become warped and brittle so the retaining screws wouldn’t engage properly again. As kdarling noted, old mechanisms can be stubborn and resist "easy fixes."

Lesson learned - time to move on and let go of nostalgia. There are many retro styled clocks available from Walmartia and I may even be tempted by an LED unit, as long as it doesn’t have to tap into the house 12V circuit. Reminds me of our Chinook's backup clock that was most ‘Rube Goldberg’ in concept. We’d resort to the generator to supply AC to power the microwave’s digital clock; so much for my minimalist ethic

Rokrover wrote:Reminds me of our Chinook's backup clock that was most ‘Rube Goldberg’ in concept. We’d resort to the generator to supply AC to power the microwave’s digital clock; so much for my minimalist ethic

Thanks. Thus made me laugh out loud!

For me, I tried various digital weather stations with even remote outside sensors. But in the end I punted halfway and found a used wooden Ll Bean inside temp/humidity/moon phase clock off eBay for about $45:
Although I don't think the moon thing does much except look nice.

Anyway, be sure to measure the available space before shopping. Happy hunting!

Predictably, consumer impulse took hold when this unit had my name on it in the aisles of Walmartia. So this current horological iteration combines a digital weather station and synchronizes to the atomic clock in Boulder.

It covers the obsolete bayonet mount for the original analog clock and fits nicely between bins. Let’s hope it survives 80+ storage temperatures. 2 AA batteries are needed for the clock and 2 more for the outdoor temperature sensor, so my aversion to tapping into house 12V is satisfied. Unfortunately the display is not lit for night viewing.

Note my new Walmart budget towel curtain underneath.

I love it. Nice wood frame find !!

Especially like the big displays and the inclusion of the day / date.

Now, about that curtain...

On a very rare occasion that brought me to Walmart for refills for my mosquito repellent device, I happened upon the atomic clock and installed it today. Very nice upgrade to the loud ticking monster that kept me awake until I remembered to bury it in my clothes bin. . Notice I have been busy replacing the old AC cover and lighting as well as the old fantastic fan that was not so fantastic.

Jaflagler wrote:On a very rare occasion that brought me to Walmart for refills for my mosquito repellent device, I happened upon the atomic clock and installed it today. Very nice upgrade to the loud ticking monster that kept me awake until I remembered to bury it in my clothes bin. . Notice I have been busy replacing the old AC cover and lighting as well as the old fantastic fan that was not so fantastic.

Can you tell me which AC cover that is? I like the way it distributes air far better than the factory version I have now. Thanks!