This is a beautiful timer. Always wanted a clock with a display like that since seeing Marty's bedroom clock in Back to the Future. Thanks for showing this thing in action (and I appreciate the quick mention!)
I watch your thrift-shopping and get so jelly about how much you find amazing "crap" that we haven`t ever seen here in Finland.... I`m no old geezer like moaner and still crazy about this stuff. :D ps. i overclocked my 486 DX2 to 100mhz back in the day.
It's funny to see people amazed by these flip-leaf clocks. having grown up in the 70s and 80s, these flip-leaf clocks were in every home, bedroom clock radios, kitchen clocks, airport clocks and signs... it was just a way of life. Now it is considered retro-vintage!! HAHA, I am old. Still have a few dozen clock radios with the flip-clocks around here, and even a very early microwave oven which has a flip-clock for both the time of day (hours and minutes), and another for cook time (minutes and seconds 00-15-30-45).
Things cost more and were intended to last longer. I remember only changing TVs when they broke, now you feel like you need to change them to keep up to date. We had a B&O TV from 1987 until 2007.
6581punk Exactly. It's easy to get lost in how awesome this old gear is and forget that it was expensive in its day. People complain about stuff being cheap and not lasting, but that was driven by their buying habits. I do think however, that the high end is comparatively more expensive than it used to be (when looking at both average income and price of mid and entry level). A very high end speaker back in '75 was for example the Quad 57 for just over 60GBP. A more affordable quality speaker could be the Wharfedale Dovedale 3, for about 36GBP. Now days, it'd be $3000 and $30000.
I think it's the crisp clicks and mechanical noises.. I get similar feeling from mechanical keyboards and thick mechanical toggles. You get that satisfying force feedback that you did something. I watch some of Techmoan's videos, and wonder why we don't make aesthetic pieces with retro style and modern features. Imagine if the SAE tuner were remade, but with a hidden SD card slot and the contents accessible by switching to the "SD Band" and the menu controllable with a thick metal intermittent toggle that clicks in for select. a few moments after you make your selection it goes back to the oscilloscope. All in a phosphorus green...
I agree, but these days manufactures care about cheapness, they make a product with cheap nasty and beautiful until 0.1ms after you have opened the box glossy plastic Even if they made products with proper materials vs cheap ugly glossy plastic, and maybe kill the bright AF LED"s it would make a huge difference and might even make them more profit than selling ugly and baldly designed products but they dont seem to see the benefits which sucks
+Techmoan At around 8:40 look at the top left, you can see the thing that mitigates the problem of buttons, a rec/play timer switch. This puts the item into rec or play on power up. Many devices of that era with non-mechanical buttons had these switches. [Edit] Also at 2:53 a Hewlett Packard HP-01 calculator watch from 40 years ago.
Sorry, I made the same comment, before I scrolled down to find yours. The irony is he showed the solution to the problem he was mentioning right on the video! :)
Yes, another downgrade, we could do with that function on modern devices, something that might be replaced with a piece of non-volatile memory perhaps, if switches are a no-no.
+vwestlife Indeed. I had one. It was well documented, if not obvious. I also had a reel-to-reel with mechanical controls you MIGHT leave in Record or Play but that would damage the pinch roller and at removal of power the brake would not apply and you'd get an inertial spew of tape, so that was a no-no. Presumably the "specially designed" mechanical decks avoided this. I also have a Sony flap digital clock radio from 1972 that still works! BTW, I agree about recording radio. I wanted to record The Hitchhikers' Guide to The Galaxy in 1978 off the radio but mechanical timers were far to irresolute for a neat result, you had to be there to pres Start. ISTR my parents had a poky-out piano-key JVC VHS machine followed by an amazing full logic Ferguson (JVC underneath) thing with a DIGITAL timer. Woohoo! I subsequently had a tuner with a timer and switched ouput that could turn on a recorder.
These things are incredibly addictive, I don't have any actual stereo timers but I have 2 flip clocks and plan to pick up more whenever I see them for sale! I have an early 80s Panasonic with a built in radio with the flip type display, and a 70s GE with little rotating cubes with the numbers on them
Wow. I was given a flip alarm clock by someone when I was a teen. It bothered me cause it was dusty and didn't light up. So I opened it up, dusted all the flaps, cleaned it all up, regreased it, rewired some of the natty wiring, replaced globes, resprayed the chassis black to cover the scratches and to match in better with my components, and replaced the buzzer for the alarm because it was crackly. Wow, I bloody loved it. There was something so satisfying of those blinds flipping from 59 to 00 and seeing all blinds change at once, and the little second reel rolling around. So, off to eBay, I guess. I've actually had a massive reminiscing week, buying some old remote control cars on eBay that I'd always wanted. Hmm.
This video just now popped up, and as he is showing he service centers, the shows the Michigan service center. Madison Heights, ABL Electronic is a place I took several pieces of stereo equipment to for repair years ago. Kind of cool. Brings back memories of the 1970s and 80s. Rock on.
Your videos are so well done that you’ve actually got me interested in something as simple as a power on timer. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down after work and instead of watching tv, I’ve watched a marathon of your videos. Keep up the great work!
Years back, I found a flip clock radio in the trash. The radio part and case was broken, but the clock worked. I removed it and put it in a clear plexiglass box. It worked and looked AWESOME!
Awesome. I'd almost forgotten that Pioneer made a flip-clock timer, let alone one so late in the decade - 1977! I have a DT-500 digital timer from just a couple of years later (yes, with the beautiful Fluoroscan display) which I use to switch my entire hi-fi setup on and off, using a high-power relay system hidden out of sight to dodge the 500 watt maximum imposed on the rear outlets, as my system exceeds that figure with everything running at full tilt. It's deadly accurate, goes forward and backward, allows both on/off times as well as sleep, and counts seconds too.
I really love all your videos. They are expertly produced and edited--a truly joy to watch. I come from your same approximate era and love the aesthetics of the Hi-Fi of those days, You dig up an incredible number of interesting items. In addition to this, you got a wire recorder and more. All the best to you.
4:02 i live there in "Modesto, Ca." Modesto House of Sound 301 Mc Henry ave is now Car Audio Outlaws. I used to work next door at Audio Pros 229 Mc Henry Ave. Modesto, ca. They still are in business and they compete literally across the street from each other.
I absolutely love it! We had an Avocado green flip clock when I was a wee tadpole in the 70’s. Recently I acquired an amazing flip clock from a gentleman who purchased it new in San Francisco in 1977, he paid $30.00 for it. I got home and researched it, it has a current value of $300.00 Not a bad acquisition for three hours of helping him go through old stuff. I particularly enjoy the soft red glow of the neon bulb illluminating the face. 😁
Bought a pioneer combo ( radio cassette and turntable ) in 1977 received one of those as a bonus . Seemed like the future back then . Bought a Casio calculator watch also . How far we have not come .
we called them flip flop clocks. Back in the day, I built one from an old clock radio. put it inside a gutted old UHF TV converter box. used it as a sleep timer mostly for my stereo. still have it and it still works. the motors are very hard to find replacements for. neon bulb made the cool orange light in most of them. I still love those clocks. durable too.
I picked up one of these (almost this exact model) years ago at a flea market and have been using it as a bedroom clock ever since. I had no idea what its intended purpose was for until I watched this video. I loved how the display is super easy to read across a dark room. Mine is branded Copal and doesn't have voltage selection. It says it can handle devices with a combined wattage of 1200. After several years, the motor stopped running due to old grease inside it, but that was easy to fix.
Lovely device, still looks quite modern. I have had many flip type clock radios in the past, I always liked them as clocks, seems LEDs glow like lasers in your eyes when you're trying to sleep.
Thanks for the review, I never knew this existed. About 1980 I began taping a radio show that came on when i was away from home, I started with an appliance timer that turns the lights on and off to make you look at home when you weren't, and plugged it into my boombox and recorded on 60 minute per side tapes. It worked but wasn't accurate, and the tape was thin, I then started using a VCR and had a tuner plugged into it. It was very accurate. I next switched to Hi-Fi VCR, which tapes great audio. Now I use TuneinRadio, and Radioshark. Your Video brought back good memories. God bless you !!
I had two flip-style alarm clocks, one illuminated with an orange neon, and another with a mini blacklight tube. I never knew they made a flip-style audio timer; very cool to see!
I have never seen that fuse box with integrated voltage selection before. That's really novel! And oh my, those prominently placed front panel screws are really doing it for me. Beautiful piece of kit. Thanks for sharing!
Flip clocks, if you live in the US, are occasionally found in thrift shops. Found one at a show for $2, picked it up, have been using it for well over 2 years and it keeps amazing time. Radio is a bit meh on it, but another old digital clock makes up for it. It should be said that you must be a big nut for fake wood grain. I happen to love it, so it fits me perfectly.
I love the old "flip clocks". My bedside alarm clock is an old compact SEIKO QUARTZ. Made in JAPAN, and uses 1 D-cell battery..... which has been in it now for about a year. And yes, it runs almost silently.
At that period of time I was a poor college student. I used a simple power timer switch on my stereo system so I could use it as an alarm clock. The system was capable of shaking me out of bed, worked very well. I don't know how much my neightbors appreciated it though. At the same time, I had a flip-clock display alarm clock. I actually continued to use that clock into the 1990s. But it didn't produce enough volume to get me up for early classes.
Wow!!! - I had that exact same timer/''Rolodex-flip-clock'' in my Pioneer set up back in the 80's! (I actually used mine as a regular ''wake-up-clock'' - switching on my SX-1250 and RT-909, activating the two CS-922A speakers with the music I wanted, what a set-up!) So nice to see the timer here! . . . . .💓
I once got a Pioneer CT-9R used on eBay that originally came from that army station here in Germany. I found it pretty fascinating that they had their own US ecosystem in Germany here with their 120V outlets and stores and everything.
Holy hell! I just bought one of these, but a 120V one. Without seeing your video, I bought a cheap 240/120V adapter, took the transformer out of it, and built it into the device. I got it in pretty much the same place yours had from the factory. Very proud of myself, and it works perfectly. Also, you're right, it is pretty much useless with my RT-909. Thankfully the SA-606 amp and the TX-606 tuner both have physical buttons, so it is no problem to make a musical alarm clock :D
My first AM radio 📻 alarm ⏰ clock had a flip timer. The *tik* of the minute changing was just loud enough you could hear it in the late night hours. Oddly enough another coincidence with this video. I worked for a packaging company that shipped military and helicopter parts and I helped do the drop testing of our cardboard. Fun!
Ha. This reminded me that I used a on power socket "light timer" on my old Yamaha system to force myself out of bed (and not be late for work as it was becoming an issue). The idea of the old light timer was you set on off times on the little 24 hour dial, plugged a light in the socket on the device, and it would power on the light an power it off- "fooling" crooks into thinking somebody was home when you were away on vacation. My Yamaha receiver had a power outlet on the back which I plugged my Yamaha CD player into. I installed a large old "suitcase" speaker in the headboard shelf of my bed. I say suitcase because it was some old speakers that were in a $500 73 F-100 I bought, and they were the size of small suitcases and could be fastened together face to face for mobility with a metal hinge and clasp. I assume they were some odd 60's portable speakers, though they were a nice 70s brown. Back to the stereo - When the light timer powered the socket, the receiver turned on and also the CD player which held Broken by NIN. The first song on the CD was Pinion, a building but quiet short song, then Wish starts up with the loud guitar. I would wake up, then have to run to the living room of my apartment to turn off the player before the loud riffs started so I wouldn't piss off all my neighbors. I only missed getting it turned off in time once.. all the banging on the walls..lol. That really did fix my sleeping in problem. Once I had ran to the front room.. I was wide awake. -Bryan Here is what the old light timer looked like (not this model, but similar) www.quickgrow.com/images_shop/tn311.jpg Oh- and sorry to admit my Yahama component system was all that black plastic crap. But unfortunately that was the style in the early 90s. I still have it, and your channel makes me want to get it all out and refurbish. We followed the convenience thing with music so far in the last two decades. listening to music should be an occasion, not just convenient.
my late 80's launched Nakamichi 700ZXE had electronic transport switches, but also had special timer switch position, to get over this. I used a UHER electro-mechanical German timer. worked great for recordings of my Nak 430 tuner, set to narrow , hi-blend, in case of fm drift. recordings sound great, of radio shows I loved, but were even then (80's), going out of fashion. nice thing, u reviewed well.
nb:if you left a typical cassette deck/ recorder in record mode, unpowered, ready for timer switch-on, the capstan would deform the pinch roller. creating wow/wobble on record AND playback. disaster! so special timer switch & power-assisted/solenoid mechanism- key (Mat called 'electronic,soft-touch buttons'),equipped recorder essential.
Didn’t think I’d ever see my hometown’s name on a Techmoan video. The place listed for Gretna, LA is now in a sad rundown part of the city. In the 70’s it was a booming area.
The Sony DT-30 timer was sold for use with Betamax models SL-7200 and SL-8200, starting with the SL-8600 all Sony home VCR's had a digital clock built in. There where other models of timer, that also had a tuner built in, for connecting to the industrial Betamax or U-Matic VCR's as those machines did not have built in television tuners.
The clock can still be very usefull for the device with the soft-touch buttons you show at 8:42 as it has the timer (Rec/Off/Play) switch. That equipment can be turned on as the real2real :)
Wow what a lovely clock, I couldn't help noticing the motor was badged Copal. I actually have a Copal flip clock that I bought in 1972, and yes it is still going to this day! I'm guessing that Copal were the major manufacturers of these clocks. Once again a very interesting video. By the way some hifi with soft touch buttons had a special switch that allowed unattended recordings with an external timer, the Aiwa AD6700 cassette deck for example.
My first Betamax, a Sony SL-7200, came with an external flip type timer. It had a fixed "on" interval of just a few minutes over an hour. Not too useful once hour and a half L750 tapes came out. I ended up buying the same Copal MG730 timer you show later in the video. I still use it as a clock. It also is the device in my house that is most sensitive to even the most momentary of power outages. It will blink 12:00 at the slightest provocation.
Sir Moan of Techshire, you said it was great that the manual said "thus" and I totally agree but I would be even more blown away if the manual said " and when you reach the time you require it will then be bob on " gees I think I would pay extra for that !!!
I picked up the Pioneer DT-32 earlier this year. It matches my set up well but what I like is that it makes a great timer for the led shelf lighting. The only downside is there is no battery back-up which can be a bit annoying during monsoon season when the power twitches out.
Kenwood also made some really beautiful 70s silver-themed audio timers, with some being slimline and the standard width of audio components such as cassette decks and tuners, so they fit in the stack nicely.
@ 7:34 the clock motor shows the manufacturer's name COPAL. They also made camera shutters for various Japanese camera makers. I'll bet they were the supplier for most flip-clock makers. My parents had a Panasonic one from the early Seventies that had almost identical digits.
Bought a Yamaha (Bright Green) back in the mid 1980's, still own still works. Needed 1 more and to be different bought a Pioneer (Same Bright Green) but prior owner cigarette smoker and took major dismantle to clean, looks good now and accurate with time. Like the way these look with other stereo equipment.
Lovely timer. I have one of the Pioneer LCD display timers which is still going strong as there are no mechanical parts to wear out. I use it in conjunction with my Technics RS-M260 cassette deck, which sounds superb and was one of the last decks to come with soft-touch switches so it could still be used with external timers. Thereafter, some cassette decks did have internal timers too.
I used a rotary light timer for my bedroom stereo for a while, just so I can use it as a "sleep" timer. Not very accurate if you want it to start at a specific time, but it worked for what I used it for. (I eventually took it out because it became very noisy.) Flip clocks are so cool but they're so hard to find in working condition; most of the time they're broken. I have a vintage Strauss flip clock at my desk and while it's a pain to set accurately down to the second, I think it's really cool.
Great find. And great vintage manual -- remarkably, I know ABL in Michigan is still around, or at least it was a few years back when I went to them for a drive belt for my Marantz 6110...
I still use an audio timer. I use it to automatically disconnect my Sky+ set top box at night and then connect it back up again just before I wake up. The noise of the hard drive keeps me awake, even though it barely makes any noise at all.
I have a Pioneer DT-550, myself... Got it for a "song" at a local thrift-store. I used it to control a cheap, second-hand 200w component stack--once I got it's head-unit repaired--for use as a alarm-clock. Nothing like awakening at 6:30-A.M. to a high-bias tape of the musical intro from Cheech & Chong's "Earache, My-Eye!" playing at a soothing 113db!!!
I have a tube stereo receiver by Pioneer from the late 60's that was also marketed to US military personnel. It was common for Japanese companies to build products specifically for them when on base there at the base's PX and have them shipped back to the US given they had free mailing services. Though, in the 60's it only really happened in Korea and Japan it seems to have expanded to elsewhere by the time this was made.
Nnnnice! It´s amazing to see an "unboxing" and a "time machine" literaly, at the same time. all this "retro" tech is just marvelous. thanks for the video!
Back in the day, those flip digit clocks didn't have the precise turn on time like electronic clocks that weren't even available yet. But of course the alternative was the classic dial clock and those were definitely approximate. So I'd say turning on 30 seconds ahead of time was really great timing! ;)
Please don't think of me as a muppet but... I think most soft-touch control decks (including the one you highlighted) have timer switches on them. Both my cassette decks do (and the first time I checked for their presence was today!) I'd probably not want to use a timer with the older decks for fear of putting flat spots in pinch rollers and idlers. Thanks for making this vid. This old tech brings back the memories:)
Actually, this reminds me of my youth in the early 80's for a number of reasons. For one, my dad worked for the Armed Forces Network as a radio DJ, radio producer, TV director, TV producer, and more than all, person who slings B.S. at the local press in Europe at the time. For another, I distinctly recall going to my dad's workplace and seeing banks of mostly Beta (but some VHS) devices all hooked up to all sorts of various things and thingy-ma-bobs, and yet having a situation at home where my mother could not figure out how to program a VCR to record the big game. She actually woke me up in the middle of the night (Central Europe Time) so I could see the Redskins beat those Denver Broncos assholes at the Super Bowl. She actually just now sent me a text (no joke) about the Washington Nationals and/or Jayson Werth, as if I cared.
I really shouldn't watch your site as I just had to get myself a Sony DT-30 and was amazed to discover that it was built in 1976 as a timer for a very early VCR. There's even a large metal clip to attach it to the VCR case. I'm surprised you haven't done a piece on it.
What I like to do with such pieces of tech history, is fitting LEDs in. Particularly white ones. I'd change that vintage orange to a subtle white. Maybe try it for yourself as well? Once again, thanks for the upload. I too always wanted a flip clock, as I've seen them in movies when I was little.
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](/img/n.gif)
This is a beautiful timer. Always wanted a clock with a display like that since seeing Marty's bedroom clock in Back to the Future.
Thanks for showing this thing in action (and I appreciate the quick mention!)
Wooo when worlds collide!!!
Any time...always happy to help.
LGR, Technomoan, Rick and Morty... It's just like if ashens did a collaboration with big Clive! Oh, wait...
I watch your thrift-shopping and get so jelly about how much you find amazing "crap" that we haven`t ever seen here in Finland.... I`m no old geezer like moaner and still crazy about this stuff. :D ps. i overclocked my 486 DX2 to 100mhz back in the day.
It's funny to see people amazed by these flip-leaf clocks. having grown up in the 70s and 80s, these flip-leaf clocks were in every home, bedroom clock radios, kitchen clocks, airport clocks and signs... it was just a way of life. Now it is considered retro-vintage!! HAHA, I am old. Still have a few dozen clock radios with the flip-clocks around here, and even a very early microwave oven which has a flip-clock for both the time of day (hours and minutes), and another for cook time (minutes and seconds 00-15-30-45).
Even though it's meant to record stuff, I honestly just want this as bedside clock. that looks awesome
Can't stop thinking that this has better built quality than today's similar products. It looks magnificent!
There's plenty of wonderfully constructed equipment, it's just very expensive.
Things cost more and were intended to last longer. I remember only changing TVs when they broke, now you feel like you need to change them to keep up to date. We had a B&O TV from 1987 until 2007.
6581punk Exactly. It's easy to get lost in how awesome this old gear is and forget that it was expensive in its day. People complain about stuff being cheap and not lasting, but that was driven by their buying habits.
I do think however, that the high end is comparatively more expensive than it used to be (when looking at both average income and price of mid and entry level). A very high end speaker back in '75 was for example the Quad 57 for just over 60GBP. A more affordable quality speaker could be the Wharfedale Dovedale 3, for about 36GBP. Now days, it'd be $3000 and $30000.
Everything today is designed to break so that you have to buy a new one. Its called throw-away economics
Had one, loved it, let someone borrow it, never saw it again
Shout out to LGR ftw.
I love the synergy of learning that your two favourite YT contributors regard each other positively.
These videos are addictive.
Love the vintage HIFI videos
Something fascinating about a solid bit of HIFI equipment that you can't get these days
It's because most people don't want to pay for quality. They just want all the bells and whistles as cheap as possible.
I think it's the crisp clicks and mechanical noises.. I get similar feeling from mechanical keyboards and thick mechanical toggles. You get that satisfying force feedback that you did something.
I watch some of Techmoan's videos, and wonder why we don't make aesthetic pieces with retro style and modern features. Imagine if the SAE tuner were remade, but with a hidden SD card slot and the contents accessible by switching to the "SD Band" and the menu controllable with a thick metal intermittent toggle that clicks in for select. a few moments after you make your selection it goes back to the oscilloscope. All in a phosphorus green...
I agree, but these days manufactures care about cheapness, they make a product with cheap nasty and beautiful until 0.1ms after you have opened the box glossy plastic
Even if they made products with proper materials vs cheap ugly glossy plastic, and maybe kill the bright AF LED"s it would make a huge difference and might even make them more profit than selling ugly and baldly designed products but they dont seem to see the benefits which sucks
Denon make some awesome gear, just dont have the money or the room to buy a nice HIFI setup
Yeah I agree and its always nice to grab a retro bargain!
My god 2:56. That HP-01 calculator watch. I think I'm in love.
I got hard when I saw that watch
+Techmoan At around 8:40 look at the top left, you can see the thing that mitigates the problem of buttons, a rec/play timer switch. This puts the item into rec or play on power up. Many devices of that era with non-mechanical buttons had these switches.
[Edit] Also at 2:53 a Hewlett Packard HP-01 calculator watch from 40 years ago.
wow, that's rly interesting :o
Sorry, I made the same comment, before I scrolled down to find yours. The irony is he showed the solution to the problem he was mentioning right on the video! :)
Yes, another downgrade, we could do with that function on modern devices, something that might be replaced with a piece of non-volatile memory perhaps, if switches are a no-no.
+vwestlife Indeed. I had one. It was well documented, if not obvious. I also had a reel-to-reel with mechanical controls you MIGHT leave in Record or Play but that would damage the pinch roller and at removal of power the brake would not apply and you'd get an inertial spew of tape, so that was a no-no. Presumably the "specially designed" mechanical decks avoided this. I also have a Sony flap digital clock radio from 1972 that still works!
BTW, I agree about recording radio. I wanted to record The Hitchhikers'
Guide to The Galaxy in 1978 off the radio but mechanical timers were far
to irresolute for a neat result, you had to be there to pres Start.
ISTR my parents had a poky-out piano-key JVC VHS machine followed by an
amazing full logic Ferguson (JVC underneath) thing with a DIGITAL timer.
Woohoo!
I subsequently had a tuner with a timer and switched ouput that could turn on a recorder.
how cool is that hp watch yo
Now that's an absolutely GORGEOUS piece of kit! I've never seen one in the wild, but if I find a similar one on EBAY for not too much, I'm having it!!
These things are incredibly addictive, I don't have any actual stereo timers but I have 2 flip clocks and plan to pick up more whenever I see them for sale! I have an early 80s Panasonic with a built in radio with the flip type display, and a 70s GE with little rotating cubes with the numbers on them
Wow. I was given a flip alarm clock by someone when I was a teen. It bothered me cause it was dusty and didn't light up. So I opened it up, dusted all the flaps, cleaned it all up, regreased it, rewired some of the natty wiring, replaced globes, resprayed the chassis black to cover the scratches and to match in better with my components, and replaced the buzzer for the alarm because it was crackly. Wow, I bloody loved it. There was something so satisfying of those blinds flipping from 59 to 00 and seeing all blinds change at once, and the little second reel rolling around. So, off to eBay, I guess. I've actually had a massive reminiscing week, buying some old remote control cars on eBay that I'd always wanted. Hmm.
This video just now popped up, and as he is showing he service centers, the shows the Michigan service center. Madison Heights, ABL Electronic is a place I took several pieces of stereo equipment to for repair years ago. Kind of cool. Brings back memories of the 1970s and 80s. Rock on.
I cant get enough Retro Tech on this channel. You always find something I never heard of or thought could have existed..
So glad when a new Techmoan video comes out right when I get home. What a great way to relax!
Thanks for stopping on Michigan! I recognized all of those places.
Your videos are so well done that you’ve actually got me interested in something as simple as a power on timer. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down after work and instead of watching tv, I’ve watched a marathon of your videos. Keep up the great work!
Years back, I found a flip clock radio in the trash. The radio part and case was broken, but the clock worked. I removed it and put it in a clear plexiglass box. It worked and looked AWESOME!
Just brought my Luxman L 510 amplifier back to life... nothing beats this kind of equipment!
Awesome. I'd almost forgotten that Pioneer made a flip-clock timer, let alone one so late in the decade - 1977! I have a DT-500 digital timer from just a couple of years later (yes, with the beautiful Fluoroscan display) which I use to switch my entire hi-fi setup on and off, using a high-power relay system hidden out of sight to dodge the 500 watt maximum imposed on the rear outlets, as my system exceeds that figure with everything running at full tilt. It's deadly accurate, goes forward and backward, allows both on/off times as well as sleep, and counts seconds too.
I really love all your videos. They are expertly produced and edited--a truly joy to watch. I come from your same approximate era and love the aesthetics of the Hi-Fi of those days, You dig up an incredible number of interesting items. In addition to this, you got a wire recorder and more. All the best to you.
4:02 i live there in "Modesto, Ca." Modesto House of Sound 301 Mc Henry ave is now Car Audio Outlaws. I used to work next door at Audio Pros 229 Mc Henry Ave. Modesto, ca. They still are in business and they compete literally across the street from each other.
I absolutely love it! We had an Avocado green flip clock when I was a wee tadpole in the 70’s. Recently I acquired an amazing flip clock from a gentleman who purchased it new in San Francisco in 1977, he paid $30.00 for it. I got home and researched it, it has a current value of $300.00 Not a bad acquisition for three hours of helping him go through old stuff. I particularly enjoy the soft red glow of the neon bulb illluminating the face. 😁
Bought a pioneer combo ( radio cassette and turntable ) in 1977 received one of those as a bonus . Seemed like the future back then . Bought a Casio calculator watch also . How far we have not come .
we called them flip flop clocks. Back in the day, I built one from an old clock radio. put it inside a gutted old UHF TV converter box. used it as a sleep timer mostly for my stereo. still have it and it still works. the motors are very hard to find replacements for. neon bulb made the cool orange light in most of them. I still love those clocks. durable too.
I picked up one of these (almost this exact model) years ago at a flea market and have been using it as a bedroom clock ever since. I had no idea what its intended purpose was for until I watched this video. I loved how the display is super easy to read across a dark room. Mine is branded Copal and doesn't have voltage selection. It says it can handle devices with a combined wattage of 1200. After several years, the motor stopped running due to old grease inside it, but that was easy to fix.
Lovely device, still looks quite modern. I have had many flip type clock radios in the past, I always liked them as clocks, seems LEDs glow like lasers in your eyes when you're trying to sleep.
You're right about that! I have my clock radio facing away from me while I sleep for that reason. To damned bright even on "dim" setting!
These have a warm, candle light glow, like an Edison bulb warmth, not ELECTRIC RED POW IN YOUR FACE!
Thanks for putting out those nice videos for us to watch and enjoy.
I saw plenty of flip clocks back in the day but never a specific device like that. It's beautiful. New old stock makes it a real treat, too.
Thanks for the review, I never knew this existed. About 1980 I began taping a radio show that came on when i was away from home, I started with an appliance timer that turns the lights on and off to make you look at home when you weren't, and plugged it into my boombox and recorded on 60 minute per side tapes. It worked but wasn't accurate, and the tape was thin, I then started using a VCR and had a tuner plugged into it. It was very accurate. I next switched to Hi-Fi VCR, which tapes great audio. Now I use TuneinRadio, and Radioshark. Your Video brought back good memories. God bless you !!
Aesthetics that spring from function always pleases me, flip displays are no exception. It used to be common in airports!
Love this guy's videos. Had no idea I was so interested in retro technology but now I'm hooked!
I had two flip-style alarm clocks, one illuminated with an orange neon, and another with a mini blacklight tube. I never knew they made a flip-style audio timer; very cool to see!
Another nice find. I always liked those flip digit style of clocks.
6:40
Cheeky bugger
Came to the comments looking for this
I have never seen that fuse box with integrated voltage selection before. That's really novel! And oh my, those prominently placed front panel screws are really doing it for me. Beautiful piece of kit. Thanks for sharing!
Flip clocks, if you live in the US, are occasionally found in thrift shops.
Found one at a show for $2, picked it up, have been using it for well over 2 years and it keeps amazing time. Radio is a bit meh on it, but another old digital clock makes up for it. It should be said that you must be a big nut for fake wood grain. I happen to love it, so it fits me perfectly.
I love the old "flip clocks". My bedside alarm clock is an old compact SEIKO QUARTZ. Made in JAPAN, and uses 1 D-cell battery..... which has been in it now for about a year. And yes, it runs almost silently.
At that period of time I was a poor college student. I used a simple power timer switch on my stereo system so I could use it as an alarm clock. The system was capable of shaking me out of bed, worked very well. I don't know how much my neightbors appreciated it though.
At the same time, I had a flip-clock display alarm clock. I actually continued to use that clock into the 1990s. But it didn't produce enough volume to get me up for early classes.
6:40 dank memes strikes again.
Dammit, I was gonna make a webm out of that but you called it first ;_;
blaze it
I saw 4:20 and then immediately had to look in the comments to see if somebody made a comment on it and even better Im stoned writing this comment
Dank memes love to hide in Techmoan's vintage electronics.
This is why I am commenting.
Wow!!! - I had that exact same timer/''Rolodex-flip-clock'' in my Pioneer set up back in the 80's! (I actually used mine as a regular ''wake-up-clock'' - switching on my SX-1250 and RT-909, activating the two CS-922A speakers with the music I wanted, what a set-up!) So nice to see the timer here! . . . . .💓
I once got a Pioneer CT-9R used on eBay that originally came from that army station here in Germany. I found it pretty fascinating that they had their own US ecosystem in Germany here with their 120V outlets and stores and everything.
Holy hell! I just bought one of these, but a 120V one. Without seeing your video, I bought a cheap 240/120V adapter, took the transformer out of it, and built it into the device. I got it in pretty much the same place yours had from the factory. Very proud of myself, and it works perfectly. Also, you're right, it is pretty much useless with my RT-909. Thankfully the SA-606 amp and the TX-606 tuner both have physical buttons, so it is no problem to make a musical alarm clock :D
That time check was brilliant!
I'd give my left arm to hear Techmoan and LGR ramble on for an hour about random 70s electronics.
My first AM radio 📻 alarm ⏰ clock had a flip timer. The *tik* of the minute changing was just loud enough you could hear it in the late night hours.
Oddly enough another coincidence with this video. I worked for a packaging company that shipped military and helicopter parts and I helped do the drop testing of our cardboard. Fun!
I own 4 audio timers all pioneer, DT-510, DT-550(x2), DT-555 so one blue display, two green display, and one orange display.
That was cool. You always find the rather obscure vintage audio stuff. I never knew that those even existed back then.
Haven't even watched the video yet but going by just the thumbnail image I am already in love with the hardware.
That's a beautiful piece. The military specification/designation makes it all the more of a prize score for your collection, at least to me.
Ha. This reminded me that I used a on power socket "light timer" on my old Yamaha system to force myself out of bed (and not be late for work as it was becoming an issue). The idea of the old light timer was you set on off times on the little 24 hour dial, plugged a light in the socket on the device, and it would power on the light an power it off- "fooling" crooks into thinking somebody was home when you were away on vacation. My Yamaha receiver had a power outlet on the back which I plugged my Yamaha CD player into. I installed a large old "suitcase" speaker in the headboard shelf of my bed. I say suitcase because it was some old speakers that were in a $500 73 F-100 I bought, and they were the size of small suitcases and could be fastened together face to face for mobility with a metal hinge and clasp. I assume they were some odd 60's portable speakers, though they were a nice 70s brown.
Back to the stereo - When the light timer powered the socket, the receiver turned on and also the CD player which held Broken by NIN. The first song on the CD was Pinion, a building but quiet short song, then Wish starts up with the loud guitar. I would wake up, then have to run to the living room of my apartment to turn off the player before the loud riffs started so I wouldn't piss off all my neighbors.
I only missed getting it turned off in time once.. all the banging on the walls..lol.
That really did fix my sleeping in problem. Once I had ran to the front room.. I was wide awake.
-Bryan
Here is what the old light timer looked like (not this model, but similar)
www.quickgrow.com/images_shop/tn311.jpg
Oh- and sorry to admit my Yahama component system was all that black plastic crap. But unfortunately that was the style in the early 90s. I still have it, and your channel makes me want to get it all out and refurbish. We followed the convenience thing with music so far in the last two decades. listening to music should be an occasion, not just convenient.
my late 80's launched Nakamichi 700ZXE had electronic transport switches, but also had special timer switch position, to get over this. I used a UHER electro-mechanical German timer. worked great for recordings of my Nak 430 tuner, set to narrow , hi-blend, in case of fm drift. recordings sound great, of radio shows I loved, but were even then (80's), going out of fashion. nice thing, u reviewed well.
nb:if you left a typical cassette deck/ recorder in record mode, unpowered, ready for timer switch-on, the capstan would deform the pinch roller. creating wow/wobble on record AND playback. disaster! so special timer switch & power-assisted/solenoid mechanism- key (Mat called 'electronic,soft-touch buttons'),equipped recorder essential.
Many tapedecks had timer switches even in the 90s
It says copal on the back of the motor in the Pioneer. It also says copal on LGR's timer.
Whoa, so it does. Didn't notice that on the Pioneer til now!
Excuse me! Mr. Technmoan if you please, you can't just flash a watch like that on screen and not talk about it.
yeah does anybody know what watch that is?
It's the Hewlett-Packard HP-01.
(Would love to have one of these, too.)
LGR briefly touched on the subject of early digital watches in his Calculator episode. I don't remember if he referenced the HP-01 in it though...
Well, good on you, because Techmoan did do a video on the HP-01!
Shane Ellis hi, I’m from 2017 and I can tell you that he was just teasing us with that watch for an upcoming video!
Didn’t think I’d ever see my hometown’s name on a Techmoan video. The place listed for Gretna, LA is now in a sad rundown part of the city. In the 70’s it was a booming area.
The Sony DT-30 timer was sold for use with Betamax models SL-7200 and SL-8200, starting with the SL-8600 all Sony home VCR's had a digital clock built in. There where other models of timer, that also had a tuner built in, for connecting to the industrial Betamax or U-Matic VCR's as those machines did not have built in television tuners.
The clock can still be very usefull for the device with the soft-touch buttons you show at 8:42 as it has the timer (Rec/Off/Play) switch. That equipment can be turned on as the real2real :)
Wow what a lovely clock, I couldn't help noticing the motor was badged Copal. I actually have a Copal flip clock that I bought in 1972, and yes it is still going to this day! I'm guessing that Copal were the major manufacturers of these clocks. Once again a very interesting video. By the way some hifi with soft touch buttons had a special switch that allowed unattended recordings with an external timer, the Aiwa AD6700 cassette deck for example.
My first Betamax, a Sony SL-7200, came with an external flip type timer. It had a fixed "on" interval of just a few minutes over an hour. Not too useful once hour and a half L750 tapes came out. I ended up buying the same Copal MG730 timer you show later in the video. I still use it as a clock. It also is the device in my house that is most sensitive to even the most momentary of power outages. It will blink 12:00 at the slightest provocation.
Sir Moan of Techshire, you said it was great that the manual said "thus" and I totally agree but I would be even more blown away if the manual said " and when you reach the time you require it will then be bob on " gees I think I would pay extra for that !!!
I picked up the Pioneer DT-32 earlier this year. It matches my set up well but what I like is that it makes a great timer for the led shelf lighting. The only downside is there is no battery back-up which can be a bit annoying during monsoon season when the power twitches out.
Kenwood also made some really beautiful 70s silver-themed audio timers, with some being slimline and the standard width of audio components such as cassette decks and tuners, so they fit in the stack nicely.
First Ashens and Big Clive had a bit of a colab, now Techmoan is mentioning LGR.
All my favorite TH-camrs are coming together, it's beautiful.
Techmoan mentioning LGR??? My life is complete!
Including the locations of service stations was a nice touch! I saw at least one in Madison, Wisconsin that is still around
@ 7:34 the clock motor shows the manufacturer's name COPAL. They also made camera shutters for various Japanese camera makers.
I'll bet they were the supplier for most flip-clock makers. My parents had a Panasonic one from the early Seventies that had almost identical digits.
Excellent. Nice to see a flip version. Of course, later electronic decks often have the timer record playback switch. My Kenwood has.
Really beautiful, i'd buy one for its pure stylishness.
Man that orange light is so satisfying
I had a much later version of this. The clock was led by that time in the 80s The tape deck has a switch to record or play from the timer.
This is just what I needed in the last 70's to record "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".
Bought a Yamaha (Bright Green) back in the mid 1980's, still own still works. Needed 1 more and to be different bought a Pioneer (Same Bright Green) but prior owner cigarette smoker and took major dismantle to clean, looks good now and accurate with time. Like the way these look with other stereo equipment.
I have a wooden 1969 Sony Digitamatic flip clock love it, still keeps excellent time even now. People always comment on it lol.
Lovely timer. I have one of the Pioneer LCD display timers which is still going strong as there are no mechanical parts to wear out. I use it in conjunction with my Technics RS-M260 cassette deck, which sounds superb and was one of the last decks to come with soft-touch switches so it could still be used with external timers. Thereafter, some cassette decks did have internal timers too.
That one's pretty! I've got a brown Copal flip clock, always like the subtle click when it flips to the next minute. Thumbs up!
Mate, the beep blends into the dreamscape.......soo music is the best wakeup sound!
I used a rotary light timer for my bedroom stereo for a while, just so I can use it as a "sleep" timer. Not very accurate if you want it to start at a specific time, but it worked for what I used it for. (I eventually took it out because it became very noisy.) Flip clocks are so cool but they're so hard to find in working condition; most of the time they're broken. I have a vintage Strauss flip clock at my desk and while it's a pain to set accurately down to the second, I think it's really cool.
By my count this video is the second tease of that awesome looking gold HP watch. Really looking forward to that review.
Hahaha I remember commenting on that LGR video saying how I thought it was a techmoan video! It comes full circle. TH-cam is an amazing place.
"Clock Tarts" Clock! This is awesome!
Great find. And great vintage manual -- remarkably, I know ABL in Michigan is still around, or at least it was a few years back when I went to them for a drive belt for my Marantz 6110...
Hooray! Another channel has gone 4K! Fitting for channel that discusses hi-fi.
I saw one of those at my local flea market the other day. I 100% regret not buying it.
I still use an audio timer. I use it to automatically disconnect my Sky+ set top box at night and then connect it back up again just before I wake up. The noise of the hard drive keeps me awake, even though it barely makes any noise at all.
I have a Pioneer DT-550, myself... Got it for a "song" at a local thrift-store. I used it to control a cheap, second-hand 200w component stack--once I got it's head-unit repaired--for use as a alarm-clock. Nothing like awakening at 6:30-A.M. to a high-bias tape of the musical intro from Cheech & Chong's "Earache, My-Eye!" playing at a soothing 113db!!!
I have a tube stereo receiver by Pioneer from the late 60's that was also marketed to US military personnel. It was common for Japanese companies to build products specifically for them when on base there at the base's PX and have them shipped back to the US given they had free mailing services. Though, in the 60's it only really happened in Korea and Japan it seems to have expanded to elsewhere by the time this was made.
Nnnnice!
It´s amazing to see an "unboxing" and a "time machine" literaly, at the same time. all this "retro" tech is just marvelous.
thanks for the video!
I had a digital one. During summer I wake up to the sound of my favourite music thanks to that thing.
Back in the day, those flip digit clocks didn't have the precise turn on time like electronic clocks that weren't even available yet. But of course the alternative was the classic dial clock and those were definitely approximate. So I'd say turning on 30 seconds ahead of time was really great timing! ;)
Please don't think of me as a muppet but...
I think most soft-touch control decks (including the one you highlighted) have timer switches on them. Both my cassette decks do (and the first time I checked for their presence was today!)
I'd probably not want to use a timer with the older decks for fear of putting flat spots in pinch rollers and idlers.
Thanks for making this vid. This old tech brings back the memories:)
what a gorgeous bed side clock , begging to be plugged into a light and a radio , so so trendy looking
Actually, this reminds me of my youth in the early 80's for a number of reasons. For one, my dad worked for the Armed Forces Network as a radio DJ, radio producer, TV director, TV producer, and more than all, person who slings B.S. at the local press in Europe at the time. For another, I distinctly recall going to my dad's workplace and seeing banks of mostly Beta (but some VHS) devices all hooked up to all sorts of various things and thingy-ma-bobs, and yet having a situation at home where my mother could not figure out how to program a VCR to record the big game.
She actually woke me up in the middle of the night (Central Europe Time) so I could see the Redskins beat those Denver Broncos assholes at the Super Bowl. She actually just now sent me a text (no joke) about the Washington Nationals and/or Jayson Werth, as if I cared.
If you like split-flap clocks you must look for Solari products. I'm very proud to be a fellow citizen of Solari Brothers who invited such a system.
what a great start for a Rube Goldberg alarm clock!
I had a Sony audio timer with blue led display back in the late eighties. It was great as a sleep timer, alarm clock, as well as scheduled recording.
That's a seriously good looking bit of kit
You are the luckiest man finding all this N.O.S electronics.
I really shouldn't watch your site as I just had to get myself a Sony DT-30 and was amazed to discover that it was built in 1976 as a timer for a very early VCR. There's even a large metal clip to attach it to the VCR case. I'm surprised you haven't done a piece on it.
I have one of these, just one made by NEC. It’s essentially exactly the same.
What I like to do with such pieces of tech history, is fitting LEDs in. Particularly white ones. I'd change that vintage orange to a subtle white.
Maybe try it for yourself as well?
Once again, thanks for the upload. I too always wanted a flip clock, as I've seen them in movies when I was little.
The Sony DT-30 timer was used in the first Sony Betamax model SL-7200 which didn't have a built-in timer!