Panasonic RC-6015 alternative?

[Reaper]

I have a friend who is obsessed with Back To The Future. He has also admired my GE 7-4305C roll clock I restored. I would like to get him a vintage clock as a house warming present but the RC-6015 is just way too expensive on eBay. Does anyone know of a similar looking clock I could use as a cheaper alternative, either Panasonic or otherwise? You can pick up GE clocks for $20-$30 in good shape but some of the Panasonic clocks are very pricey, especially the one from that movie.

[RetroFlip]

For a Panasonic look at the RC-6040 or RC-6234, tends to sell lower than the 6015 on ebay. Depending where you live, check out your local thrift stores and see if something comes through you can fix up for a reasonable price, the reseller prices on ebay can be on the high end.

[Reaper]

Thanks! I'm leaning towards the RC-6040. I'm sure my friend will appreciate the clock even if it's a different model. What are Panasonic clocks like for reliability? I only have experience with GE so far and they seem to be built pretty well. Also, what type of bulb does the RC-6040 take? It seems to give off a white light so it's definitely not a neon bulb like the GE models take.

[Mackey]

The RC-6040 is going to take the bulb most of those Panasonic's take. There one on eBay but it's ridiculously priced

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283102262338

It's a 12V 50mA 5.5mm diameter bulbs with leads. They look exactly like the original when you add a little white shrink wrap to them. Miniatronics is the brand I use for this. They can be found here:
http://www.miniatronics.com/Merchant...roduct_Count=2
which is almost what the seller on eBay is selling one bulb for.

As far as reliability. The RC-6015s are notoriously easy to crack. The motors tend to freeze up more than others (I think because the case lets in too much dust compared to GEs and especially early Copal clocks), but the motors are very easy to free up with a little cleaning. I believe the GEs are more reliable overall but nothing can touch the Copal Clocks for reliability.

Here's my feeling. You can get him a clock like the one in Back to the Future, but it's not going to be the right clock. It's not going to do it for your friend. I'm speaking from experience, because I'm a big fan of Groundhog Day (the movie). Just getting a flip clock that sort of looked like the movie clock would not have done nothing for me. I'd just as soon someone got me a decent restored flip clock like yours instead of one "sort of like" the one in the movie. In fact, if your not going to get the real deal, I'd get just a clock .... not a clock radio (they look nicer anyway) and your friend's significant other, if he has one who is style conscious, will like that better anyway. Honestly, the Panasonic flip clock radios are not that cool looking to a non-FlipClockFan (ask my wife!).

Just my opinion ... don't mean to offend.

Good luck

[The Swede]

I have a Panasonic RC-6015 which I want to sell. I bought it in a package deal of 3 clocks and I only wanted 1. I have gone thru it and cleaned and lubed the motor, cleaned all parts with soap and water and polished the front glass. It looks like it have not been used so much and I would rate the condition to be ~8.5/10. You can see some minor wear on the plastics and some small scratches. But the overall impression I think it's just below a NOS one. From the start my plan was to sell this one and I have no plans getting top dollar for it. Even though it is a nice condition all working clock radio. I feel the price on these are way to high and would rather selling this for a fair amount to someone who wants to enjoy it. I live in Sweden but I can adjust the total price to make it worth. I have no price in mind I just wanted to get the words out and that I'm flexible on the pricing. But I wont give it away.

[Matt Anderson]

You sell it yet? I restored a 6040 but have been looking for one of these for years!

[Reaper]

Thanks for the great input Mackey! I see your point, I should probably just look for a more stylish clock if I'm not getting the real deal. Personally I think most of the Panasonics look like very cheap plastic. The GE clocks at least "tried" to look like real wood instead of brown plastic! He's always commenting on my clock so I'm sure he would be satisfied with another model besides the one from the movie.

The GE I restored seems to be very well built. I have been using it for a while now as my daily alarm and it works flawlessly, and the sound quality is good. Personally I like the look of old fashioned radio tuners, especially ones that light up. They kinda look like stereos from classic cars!

Maybe I should go with something like the GE 8142-4. I've seen the same clock show up in several movies I own. It's a roll clock like mine but it's much smaller, and the black case with silver face is more modern looking. I guess a foot long fake wood grain brick doesn't fit with everyone's decor!

[Mackey]

It's funny Reaper . I figured that the Panasonic RC-6015 would have been a cheaper model compared to your GE. But apparently not. In fact the 6015 was priced at a little more than the GE (both ads below are from 1980.



Adjusted for inflation, $24.88 in 1980 is equal to $79.97 in 2018 (per dollartimes.com)
Adjusted for inflation, $25.88 in 1980 is equal to $83.18 in 2018. (per dollartimes.com)

[Mackey]

Since I was already digging around on Newspapers.com, I stumbled upon an add for both an RC-6025 and and RC-6040 (in one ad) from 1977. Dollar times says that they were relatively expensive in the day. This would explain why I never had a flip clock as a kid (we were poor).


Adjusted for inflation, $29.99 in 1977 is equal to $127.03 in 2018.
Adjusted for inflation, $39.99 in 1977 is equal to $169.39 in 2018.

[Reaper]

I guess there's a reason why these clocks were built way better than today's $10 Wal-Mart LED clocks. They were expensive, even for the time. It seems a little odd to be advertising flip clocks in 1980, unless they overlapped into the 80s before being completely discontinued. My radio was built in 1970 as far as I can tell. The general consensus online is that the second digit of a GE date code is the last digit of the manufacture year. I also have a GE vacuum fluorescent clock radio I just restored, and I think that one was made in 1983. I assumed roll clocks were first, then flip, then vacuum fluorescent, then LED, with some overlap of course.

Edit: I just noticed the ad for my GE clock says "compact... fits almost anywhere". At nearly 10" wide and 4" high I thought it was a beast when I first got it in the mail! I was born in the 80s so I never saw one up close before, just in movies.

[cadillacman89]

hey guys! i have an rc-6015 of my own, that i got off ebay back in 2020, great shape, i even soldered a new light bulb in it as well, and i use it as my daily alarm clock! but i feel i could try to solder a new better sounding sounding speaker in mine, i have a 3 inch 32 ohm EAS-8p28aag 4w factory speaker, i tried to google a replacement speaker, but had zero luck finding one, i need one that's similar that fits. have you guys replaced the speakers in your rc-6015s? if so, what's a good replacement speaker? help me out, i'd sure appreciate it.