A Clock That Doesn't Tick

I'm pretty sure that many seasoned radio amateurs immediately recognized the title of an article published way back in 1988. Back then, electronic clocks were sold as DIY kits and cost quite a bit: 16 rubles (and the most interesting thing was that the display alone cost even more). Many people probably got into building these clocks and tinkering with them, and I was no exception.
If you're interested, read on—I think you'll like this.

I've had a clock from one of these kits running for many years now, though it's the second version, in a case, and cost 25 rubles. It also has the modifications.
When I decided to order another clock for home, I already knew from the start what I'd be tinkering with.

But first, as usual, I'll tell you what arrived. Can't skip that part.
So, the little clock arrived in a cardboard box, shipped fairly quickly by China Post.

The clock itself is a white block with a wood-grain texture.
It looks pretty good. My daughter wanted a clock, specifically a block-shaped one, not a cube.


There are a few sloppy bits, too. You can see that the film wasn't applied very well, and there's a particularly bad spot on one corner. It's not very noticeable from the front, though, and since the clock will be sitting on a shelf, I just decided not to worry about it.


Under the back cover, there's a compartment for the batteries and another one for an even smaller battery. It keeps the clock running when the main power is off; without it, you'd have to set the time again every time the power is disconnected. I really missed this feature on my old clock with the KR145IK1901.


The package included a manual and a cable.
It turned out to be easier to figure things out by intuition than by following the manual.
The cable has a USB connector for power from an external source. I used the power adapter from an e-cigarette charger, since I charge it from a USB hub anyway.
But I'll probably replace it—more on that later.


When I first turned it on, the clock immediately showed the correct time, just in a different time zone.
It also shines pretty brightly.


After a while, the clock switches to displaying the room temperature.
This mode only comes on briefly, but I didn't need it, so I turned it off (press SET once).


I won't go into much detail about the clock, its features, or how to use it. It's a well-known model and has been reviewed many times.
I'll just say that after it arrived and I turned it on for the first time, I set the correct time. Then it sat in its box for a month because I didn't have time to write a review.
When I turned it on again, the time was still quite reasonable—it was off by no more than 15–20 seconds, which I consider perfectly acceptable accuracy.
The thermometer is similar: it reads about 1 degree high, which is good enough for household use.
Next, I wanted to take it apart and poke around. How could I not?
Actually, that's why I bought it in the first place (you don't buy a cow for its looks :) )
It's very easy to open: just pry up the plastic part at the back and lift it evenly. It takes a bit of force, but comes off without a problem.


Inside, I found dust and hot glue—everything you'd expect :)


Inside is the clock's main circuit board. It looks like it uses a Microchip processor, but the marking has been erased, so that's just a guess.


Some of the soldering is pretty dismal, though :(
I get that this is a mass-produced product, but how anyone can solder like this is beyond me.
The photo shows the microphone contacts being soldered (the clock can turn on the time display in response to a sound, such as a clap or a knock).


On the back of the board are the buzzer, three buttons, a battery (accessible from the outside), the power connector, and a quartz crystal.



And here's how it turned out.
Alarm off —


Alarm on.


So, to sum up.
Pros.
The clock does everything it's supposed to: it keeps time fairly accurately, sounds the alarm, and displays the temperature.
The clock is easy enough to modify.
It looks pretty good.

Cons.
The decorative film isn't glued on very well.
Some of the solder joints on the board are very poor, though this hasn't affected operation at all.
I don't like how bright the display is, but that's a matter of taste; it could easily be used as a night-light.

The display sometimes flickers. It's barely noticeable, but I can see it. I don't know how else to explain it.

In my opinion, this is a perfectly decent clock as long as you don't look too closely at the flaws in the film application. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

This product was provided free of charge by the chinabuye store for testing and review.

I hope you found the review interesting and useful.
I think I got everything right, but if you spot a mistake, let me know and I'll fix it.