Junghans Mega 1000 do not synchronise near Paris (France)

[DCF77in77]

Hi,
I had a Junghans Mega 1 since 1992, whitch works whithout problem : synchronisation always OK near Paris (30 km east of Paris).

In 2009, I bought a Junghans MEGA 1000 ; I have a lot of problems. Its never change hour in "daylight saving time" day.

[Updated : non-official and confidential informations]

Best regards,

[rewolf]

Many Mega 1000 users have problems with poor reception, you are not alone. The Mega 1 of 1990 is a lot better.

Where do you have the information from that Junghans [update: non-official and confidential information removed on OP's request]? Can you provide a link?

[DCF77in77]

[Updated : non-official and confidential informations]

I'll test it today, returning the watch to the seller.

Best regards.

[Huertecilla]

Junghans seems to recognize the problem faced by users outside of Germany ...edit on request of DCF77....

Just get yourself a Citizen Wave Receiver.



or drop in at the Radio Shack for


and simply take the pc interface off at the capacitor. It will cost you some 10 Euros.


It will extend the receiving range for Mainflingen/Anthorp to the Canary Islands.

The higher end Seiko SBPG and SDGA have the same ´problem´. The range of the reception is way better than that stated in the manual but still a long way from meeting overly optimistic customer expectations.
The Citizen thingamy solves it like a magic wand.

A spanish forum member with a Mega 1000 has reliable synchronising at the southside in the city of Málaga with this simple thing.

I suggest ányone with a wave receiving watch to source one. It will amplify 60 kHz too.
It does not matter which station, which watch. It simply amplifies the long wave length.
My Seiko reliably picks up the Anthorp 60 kHz at 2400 kilometres now.

Have a read http://www.thewatchsite.com/index.php?topic=14355.0

[rewolf]

...Junghans seems to recognize the problem faced by users outside of Germany ...

Oh, they "recognize it" - just about time after 6 years. These problems are as old as the Mega 1000 and should have been fixed in 2006 already, follow this thread: http://dwf.nu/viewtopic.php?t=781

I asked Junghans why they only mention DCF77 in the printed manual, but advertise it as "multi frequency" everywhere else (homepage, online shops, PDF manual, even on the back side of the watch).

The answer: they found out too late that it does not work properly with 60kHz signals due to some interference with the display. This affects WWVB (USA) and JJY60 (southern Japan), but DCF77 (central Europe) and JJY40 (central/northern Japan) are ok.
If you live not too far from WWVB (Fort Collins, Colorado), it could work, but there's no guarantee.
That's the reason why they currently sell it only in Germany.

They will fix this and the new version is scheduled for the beginning of Oct. 2005.

[rewolf]

@ Huertecilla: tha external antenna is a great thing - but I find it a bit awkward to have to use an external device to make an RC watch sync...

[Huertecilla]

@ Huertecilla: tha external antenna is a great thing - but I find it a bit awkward to have to use an external device to make an RC watch sync...

... but, but... but you don´t keep it on you stráp Wolfgang


I have the receiver on the bed stand (in the box, under a book or whatever). The watch will pick the signal up when within half a meter of it so leaving it anywhere on the bedstand too (boxed or not) will see it sync the next morning.
So what if I skip somenights because I have left it near the pc or slept elsewhere. The EPD is well within a second/month.

[DCF77in77]

That's the reason why they currently sell it only in Germany.

I have bought my watch in France in may 2009.

The manual user indicates :

"Your Junghans Mega 1000 radio-controlled watch is able to automatically receive the radio signals of the following time signal transmitter stations:
– DCF77 in Mainflingen (24km south-east of Frankfurt am Main) for Europe"

"The following time zones are received from the transmitter stations:
Transmitter station Time zone
DCF77 (Europe) CET or CEST"

[Huertecilla]

Like I wrote, the manual with my Seiko EPD gives a range to the south of France.
With the wave reciever no problems at the southern edge of Spain. Reception of Anthorp is reported from the Canary Isles.



Simple problems, simple solutions:

1. send the watch back as it is in warranty
2. ánd get a wave reciever

[rewolf]

That's the reason why they currently sell it only in Germany.

I have bought my watch in France in may 2009.

The manual user indicates :

"Your Junghans Mega 1000 radio-controlled watch is able to automatically receive the radio signals of the following time signal transmitter stations:
– DCF77 in Mainflingen (24km south-east of Frankfurt am Main) for Europe"

"The following time zones are received from the transmitter stations:
Transmitter station Time zone
DCF77 (Europe) CET or CEST"

My quote was from the linked thread, year 2005. Maybe I should have made this clearer...
I wanted to say that your watch, bought in 2009, is already the "improved" version and should work in France (as the manual states). But it doesn't. So, like Huertecilla wrote, It is either defective or flawed by design -> send it back.

[DCF77in77]

My watch has been recieved today by the seller.
My watch should be forwarded to Junghans factory soon.

[rewolf]

Please keep us informed.

[lars]

I don't check in here very frequently these days but did spot your thread just now. It's been reported several times in the forums but Junghans in Germany is actually very helpful in sorting out these kinds of issues.

Hartmut Kaiser
Service Manager
Junghans Uhren GmbH
Geißhaldenstr. 49
D-78713 Schramberg
Fon: +49 (0)7422/18-670
Fax: +49 (0)7422/18-550
Mail to: hartmut.kaiser@junghans.de
http://www.junghans.de

I had posted last year about synchronization issues in the UK (it wasn't signal reception but the hour was wrong - even if set manually).

The result was that Junghans exchanged my watch a second time (first for an M that worked in the US and the second time - without obvious marking but clearly with different firmware to address the UK time issue) and the highly helpful Hartmut Kaiser is still with the company.

Give it a go..,

[DCF77in77]

My Junghans Mega 1000 just come back today from repair in factory (after 1 month for repair).

The new software version number is "VER 02 JH" (I don't read it before sending to repair).

It seems to be an older version ?

My watch comes back with the message "DCF77 2", I understand that the watch failed the reception since 2 days ?

After a reset, the watch try to synchronise during 5 min, scanning all the time signal transmitter stations (DCF, WWVB and JJY). After a second cycle (10 min), the synchronisation is OK.

I will now watch few days if the automatic synchronisation performs during the night.