Solar powered LCD?

[RaWatch]

I have put together a site about early solar writswatches. soluhr.com

A number of them are LCD. I have not tried to show every single LCD solar watch ever made.....just interesting or significant ones made before 1996.

Did I miss any that dwf members think are significant? (I have just found a Xernus but it is not up on the site yet)

[fronzelneekburm]

Nice website. The watch that came first to my mind was a german one, i think its a meister anker. I should have one in my collection, but unfortunately its broken. :(

[RaWatch]

Is the Mister Anker you are thinking of the same one as the Nepro model?

[TheFordGuy]

That website helped me identify that unusual watch I remember reading ads for in the back of Popular Science in the late '70s. The Synchronar 2100.

Looks like finding a mint working model is quite the challenge (and expense!) though. All the ones I've seen on eBay are quite rough and/or not working.

Oh well...I went with my second choice (another one I remember from old issues of PS), the Casio AL-180. Found what's probably a fake on eBay for 20 bucks. What the heck...If it looks and functions like the original, it's good enough for me. Not like anyone I hang around with is going to know the difference. If it craps out, I'm only out 20 bucks and some freight. I've lost more money on stupider things already, so it's not that big of a deal.

[RaWatch]

I am glad the site was helpful....that is my purpose.

A mint Synchronar in working order will cost $1000 or more.

I like the Casio 180. It is not afraid to proclaim that it is a solar watch. It has a large solar cell for the size of the watch. As you may have seen on my site, there was information comparing the original Casio 180 to the one you bought. They look exactly like to all but a few. And as you point out, you are not out anything when it expires.

What I can't figure out is why is someone conterfitting this watch? It suggests that this style is cooler than we think and still in demand.

[TheFordGuy]

I hate to admit it, but I think I got a real one! According to the information about the fakes I saw on your site, none of the characteristics of the fake are present on mine. The display looks like the original, it came with the Casio tags on the band, including a barcoded one.
I haven't taken the back off of it yet (and may never), but so far, this one's looking like the genuine article. Only thing I've discovered so far is the barcoded tag shows module #668, but the watch back is stamped with a module #2505.

Edit: Anyone know where I could obtain an instruction pamphlet for this watch?
Edit2: Found the user guide on Casio's website. They claim the watch needs to be charged for a minimum amount of time each day, and that it will only last 14 days on stored power. This totally contradicts even the first ones that had a lithium battery in them. They should last for years not days with backup battery power, dontcha think?

[vintagewatches]

Hi,

i found a New old Stock Orignal Casio 180 Solar (made in japan) with tags at a local watch store. if some one intersted i will buy for him. he asking me US$100 and i will sell it in US$120 + US$25 courier charges.

thanks
kashif
www.vintagedigitalwatches.com

[azimuth_pl]

Great website RaWatch!
In case you would need one I have a Crystron Solar in steel. Not an LCD but the nicest analog solar ever made IMO.

[TheFordGuy]

I'd like to find out more info on these Casio AL-180 watches. Namely, according to the instruction pamphlet I downloaded from Casio's site, they claim that it needs to be charged in direct sunlight for 45 minutes minumum to 2 hours maximum. Lesser light sources take more time.
I've had mine outside with the solar panel aimed directly at bright sunlight for most the morning already, and the sun indicator is still on. According to Casio, this will go out when the watch is fully charged.

Any ideas?

[LEDluvr]

Hi TheFordGuy,
a Chevy fan here but don't let that bother you. When I first bought my AL180 a few years back I set it up on the window sill with direct sun on it. It didn't fully charge in a few hours (like the manual said) but by the end of the day the 'sun' icon was gone. Since then it's never returned.
I give it a sun bath once a week whether I'm wearing it or not.

One tip I can share with you is to place a small piece of cardboard over the LCD window to protect it from the UV rays.

[TheFordGuy]

Hmmm...Mine was in direct sunlight all day, and it still hasn't gone off, and it also seems like it's a bit weak. If you test the alarm, the display fades out about half as bright as it should be.

I'm beginning to not like this watch, and may toss it in the dresser drawer in favor of something better. I just haven't decided what "something better" might be yet.
I see there's a Synchronar on eBay, but it's over $1000 now. Way too expensive for something that appears to be somewhat tempermental. This one was "overhauled" by someone (not Mr. Riehl) too, so that sends up a red flag.

I dunno...I'll see what's out there.

I remember back in the late '70s-early '80s, my dad got a Texas Instruments LCD watch that was pretty cool. It was a basic 5-function, but had a display that would glow green at night so no pushbutton backlight was necessary. I loved that watch...Very basic, but stylish and functional. I've checked eBay and so far none have come up that were the exact same thing as what he had.

[LEDluvr]

I'm sorry to hear the day long charging didn't work. The scuttlebutt is that all these new AL180's are fakes but mine has worked perfectly since I got it. Either way, it sounds like you got a loser on your hands.

You could always try to unscrew the back and put in a new battery. I know it says "batteryless" on the front, but that's not the case.

The seller of that Synchronar has a solid rep. and is a member of this forum. I bought an LED watch from him about a year ago - just as described and still going strong. But the price for any running Synchronar is more than I to pay these days...

[TheFordGuy]

The more I look at the vintage LED watches, the more I'm interested in them. I might do a little more research and pick up a good one if the price is right.

As for the AL180, I like the way it looks, and for the money, it's a good deal, even if it isn't a "real" solar powered watch, but more of a "solar assist".

I did a dumb thing with mine the other day...I left it sit on the dashboard of my truck in bright sunlight, and now the solar panel has warped a bit. Since I'm so retentive about things like this, I may just buy another one, knowing not to do this again, and keep this one for parts or whatever.

[TheFordGuy]

With the suggestion of another forum member, I tried one last-ditch effort to make this supposed "solar powered" watch work as it's supposed to...I installed a rechargeable Li-Ion ML-2016 battery in it to replace the regular CR-2016 lithium cell installed in it from the factory.

No difference. Charge it in bright sunlight for better than a week now, and not a bit of change in the crispness of the display. It's still weak looking, like it's got a half dead battery.

I don't think the solar panels even do anything on these. I took my first AL-180 apart, and the solar panel didn't appear to even be hooked up.

Oh well...I found my "something better". Bought a nice CompuChron LED, so this one's going to sit on my windowsill from now to infinity, and I'll see if anything changes in a year or so.

[LEDluvr]

Congrats on the CompuChron LED! Post a picture when you can.

My AL180 is still doing OK... I was wondering where you bought your (two?) from? I got mine on ebay (no surprise there) from a seller in Singapore.
If you got yours from a Thai or Chinese seller maybe they came from different factories? No big deal either way - your in the LED world now!

[TheFordGuy]

If you go to the reference section on the main page, and look thru the CompuChron photos, the one I'm getting is #16.

The eBay seller I bought my AL-180 from was located in Singapore, but when I got the watch (I bought two from different sellers) it came from an address in China.

[stevehead]

I have had one of these allegedly vintage NOS Casio from watchrepublik (Ebay) and:
It had a barcoded Hangtag (1980's?)
The charging icon remains on night and day
The battery went flat
It comes with a battery that you should never attempt to recharge
It cost peanuts, so who cares?

[xevious]

I have a similar Casio watch, the model DW-2000-1B (uses module 242). Thanks to Kim Patterson I was able to find out the exact model number (it isn't on the watch). I lost the original box, but still have the manual (which only identifies it as "module 242").



Although I had left it in a drawer with the expired battery for over 15 years, I was lucky that the battery didn't leak (I just took off the caseback to check). The watch is in used but very good condition. I'd really like to bring it back to life, but... where to find the right battery? The watch apparently takes 726R (stated in the manual) or 920R cells (currently in it).

From all of my searches, I'm starting to conclude that no correctly sized button cell shaped rechargeable batteries are available any more. Is that right? I did see someone mention that a regular silver oxide battery can indeed be used without damaging the watch, but... I'm really uneasy about risking it.

I'm hoping there's some way to power up this watch again. I really like the styling... one of the best solar watch designs that Casio came up with, IMHO.

[xevious]

OK, I found out a little more info (thanks to a vintage watch afficionado named Higgy). Apparently 370, 371, and SR69 button cell batteries are compatible with 726R and 920R size. Does anyone know if these are silver oxide batteries or are indeed of the rechargeable type?

Thanks,
~Xev

[rewolf]

370, 371 and SR69 are all non rechargeable Silver Oxide (AgO).
370 (=SR920W) is for high drain, 371 (SR920SW) for low drain.

Continued here: http://dwf.nu/viewtopic.php?p=15228

[xevious]

Ok, I was able to locate the MS920S, 370, and 371 (AG6) at very reasonable prices. The cheapest I can find the MT920 is $16... so, I'd rather try my luck with these less expensive batteries first.

The 726 and 920 rechargeable cells appear to be 1.5v. So, it looks like the 371 or 370 will work, and definitely the MT920. So, that leads me to believe the MS920S (3v) may be too much for the Casio. Would it overload the watch, simply not work, or work initially but be incapable of being recharged by the solar cells?

[rewolf]

So, that leads me to believe the MS920S (3v) may be too much for the Casio. Would it overload the watch, simply not work, or work initially but be incapable of being recharged by the solar cells?

Overload rather not, at least no permanent damage - maybe all display segements would turn black because the LCD is driven with too high voltage - until the cell discharges a bit. But it wouldn't charge if the solar cells don't deliver more than 2.5V.
Looking at the watch photo, I can see 6 solar cells. Connected in series, they deliver about 2.4V max (open circuit). Not enough to charge the high voltage type cells. So it's rather the low voltage (Panasonic MT920), as you wrote.