new to flip clock repair

[everythingok]

Hi everyone,

I own a Panasonic RC-7021 AM/FM clock. There was a power outage here last night and I am afraid it fried my clock. That is my best guess as the power was on and off all night sporadically and I woke up to it not working… I suppose it coincidentally could have died another way.

The radio still works fine.

I was shocked/delighted to find that this forum exists. I am new to flip clock repair but I am a confident tinkerer. Does anyone have any suggestions for where to start troubleshooting? How to identify what needs replaced?

Thank you for any help you can offer!

[Jumblejeff]

Hi and welcome to the forum

The restoration section of the forum has lots of resources for repairs.

As for you situation with the clock not working after a power interruption. Since the radio still works it is unlikely that the clock is fried. I would suggest opening up the clock by removing the upper case. The screws are usually at the bottom that hold the two halves. Start by carefully removing the knobs. Use something that won’t scratch. Duct tape works good to make a handle. Take your time and apply even pressure. Once it’s opened, you will have access to the motor. Try to help it start by giving the whirligig a little nudge with you finger. If it starts and continues to work, it probably just need’s lubricant. The forum has lots of information and videos on how do do this.

[everythingok]

EDIT: I was able to spin the whirligig and it started right up and the numbers were flipping! However in order to reassemble it I unplugged it but when I plugged it back in it no longer would spin. This occurred twice. I suppose there is some kind of starter mechanism that isn’t working? In theory I could never unplug it again but that’s not very practical. Any thoughts on what might be the issue?


//

Thank you for your response… I will search the forum for more information. Can you clarify what is the whirligig?

[Jumblejeff]

The whirligig is the spinning thing with barber pole style sticker. It goes by a few names, but the small window to view it is called a “operation indicator”. I’m not sure if you have the typical Copal motor and gearbox setup in that model. I have never worked one. The picture does not show the motor. It appears to be covered by a metal plate.

Maybe another member will join the post with information on the motor setup in this model.

[everythingok]

Hi,

I have opened it up and poked around in this clock on and off over the past few months but haven’t been able to make much sense of it. Other than getting the whirligig to start spinning for a few minutes after giving it a manual start, it doesn’t seem to be responding to much. Even then it stops after a few minutes. I have deployed compressed air on any speck of dust visible.

Is there anyone that can point out specifically what or where the motor is on this mechanism?

[Johan de Jong]

Hello,

The motor is the striped rotating wheel on the right and the coil that is inside it. Next to it is the gearbox in a metal case labeled "60Hz AC 117V".
The motor and gearbox in your clock are made by Copal.

How it basically works is that the spinning wheel is driven by a magnetic coil that is inside the wheel. This spins quite quickly at a speed synchronous to the mains frequency. The gearbox then reduces the speed to the right speed to drive the clock.

A common problem with these motors that after so many years the lubrication of the motor bearings dries out. The spinning wheel then feels too much friction and stops. Temperature can play a role here, so that may explain why it runs at first and only stops after a while.

Solution is to apply some lubrication. The video below shows how to do that. (Note: you do not need to take apart the motor as shown in the video, that was only for demonstration! You just need to apply a few drops of oil as shown around minute 4:20)