Auto Command Problems

[abem]

Hi.

I just bought a P4 Big Time that was advertised as "fully working" but it seems to have issues with the wrist flick function.

The mercury switch is functioning more like an orientation sensor than an accelometer. If I slowly tilt the watch to the left, then the time is displayed and continues to remain illuminated, counting seconds for as long as the watch remains in that orientation. That clearly seems wrong.

Since I've never had a working P4 in my hands before and I'm not familiar with the range of behaviors of aging mercury switches, I thought I'd ask about opinions and possible fixes, if any. The switch sometimes sticks and requires some shaking to activate, which I would expect given its age (the same could be said of me), but I wasn't expecting the watch to continously stay on in some orientations. I haven't opened the watch up yet, but it appears that the module has had some modifications. I was wondering if it's likely that an incorrect mercury switch may have been substituted.

Thanks for any ideas.

-abe.

[abem]

Update:

I seem to have found and fixed the problem and it wasn't at all what I initially thought.

Clues:
The watch had a number of other issues including:
1) The time button was far too sensitive, indicating that the button to reed switch distance was off.
2) The back of the watch was misthreaded and visibly crooked.
3) When I took the back off, the little screws fixing the module position in the case were missing.

Solution:
I carefully reseated the module inside of the case, closed it back up and all of the problems were fixed. The flick now works as intended, the time button works perfectly and the back is now seated correctly.

Theory:
I bought the watch from an experienced seller so it seems unlikely that he would let the watch go with the back not threaded properly. The watch came from overseas. I think what happened is that the customs guys must have opened up the watch, goofed up the module positioning, and then improperly closed the watch up again.

Am I paranoid?

Anyone know if the customs guys open up watches to look inside? I had a dream a while back that terrorists started using Pulsars to trigger bombs and I couldn't wear mine anymore (shudder).

-abe.

[bucko170]

The watch came from overseas. I think what happened is that the customs guys must have opened up the watch, goofed up the module positioning, and then improperly closed the watch up again.

Did the package look as if it had been opened?

[retroleds]

I was wondering if it's likely that an incorrect mercury switch may have been substituted.

That could be quite possible, as the original ones were normally circuit closed, then the "flick" was to open/break the connection momentarily and then the lightly magnetic ball(mercury coated steel ball) was supposed to be attracted back to it's closed position.They were custom made switches.

A properly functioning P4 should be able to be tipped all the away away from you(glass 90 to horizontal, time command button up) and the command buttons work - the light magnetism that was applied to the mercury coated steel ball inside, keeps it in the closed position against random movement.

Possibility exists that someone put in a common mercury switch where one direction it is closed, the other open and wired it as a bypass to the lower command reed. I say bypassed to that point rather than the original connections, as the flick circuit was programmed to require that closed/open/closed sequence to activate...normally there is no way to flick and keep the display on or display seconds. Other than using your hands to press a button.

I'm curious if the watch starts displaying seconds after you have it tipped for more than 3-4 seconds? That would point to my possibility from the preceding paragraph. Could just be buggy.