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Radio watch - where's the power supply?

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nick0123

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Radio watch - where's the power supply?

Post22 Dec 2018, 22:38

I found an Armitron FM Stereo radio watch 40/6345 M511 in a lot of watches and with a new battery the display is great but aren't getting anything from the radio.

On closer inspection there seems to be nowhere for power to get to the radio, unless it comes via the headphones (which I don't have).

I've seen an Armitron radio watch, different to this one, that says on the instruction card that the headphones require 2x batteries but am only guessing this one may work the same way.

Assuming this is how the radio is powered, how can I replicate this with something modern? e.g. headphone amplifier, etc. Alternatively how do you run power down a headphone lead?

NB the watch part and radio part exist totally separately from each other so it doesn't look to be one of those radio watches that piggybacked batteries on top of each other.
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Kasper

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Re: Radio watch - where's the power supply?

Post28 Dec 2018, 14:59

maybe this helps??

C360_2011-10-05 23-48-17.jpg
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nick0123

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Re: Radio watch - where's the power supply?

Post28 Dec 2018, 23:29

Thanks for that Kasper — your watch looks to have separate battery areas (the two batteries for the radio? and the single battery for the watch?).

With mine there's just one battery (for the watch) and the watch unit and radio unit are separate from each other. There's nowhere obvious that the batteries can go for the radio (unless power is coming down the headphone cable) so I'm still stumped :scratch:
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cybr

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Re: Radio watch - where's the power supply?

Post05 Jan 2019, 21:46

The first FM radio watches - STEREO or not (and I have 2 of the early and very rare Stereo radio-watch pieces from early 80's :-D ), had the radio part OF THE WATCH powered from an EXTERNAL BATTERY PACK INCLUDED IN THE HEADPHONES CORD, headphones having a (mini)jack with 3 (three!!!) dividers, not 2 as in a regular stereo headphones :grin1:
Thus You cannot hear anything unless You have such Headphones, with a battery pack included and THAT special minijack connector!!! :grin1:
Please see the below picture from Ebay from an early Armitron FM stereo watch: :-D
PIcture from:https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BN4AAOSwdAxZbPnd/s-l1600.jpg
Image

And this is a regular stereo minijack, with TWO dividers NOT THREE, for the comparison! :-D
Image
Hope this helps,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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nick0123

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Re: Radio watch - where's the power supply?

Post06 Jan 2019, 06:53

That's very interesting (and confirms my suspicions/theory). On one hand they could fit a larger radio unit in the case because they didn't have to worry about batteries, or additional battery hatches, but on the other — as you say — if you don't have the powered headphones you might be out of luck with getting it working at all.

I have a few of the 3-part 3.5mm cables (the other end goes to RCA plugs) that came from old handycams, that I wonder might be usable (send 3v down the yellow plug).

Other than that, I'll start looking for a powered headphone pack.

Thanks for the information — much appreciated :)

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