LED Watch /24-hour format?

[blooflame]

I like the simple LED watches like the TX series, but I am curious: is there ANY way to set these to 24-hour format? They say they use a modern CMOS module for the watch, and most modern watches allow 24-hour format; therefore one might deduce that it technically is possible but the case might have to be opened to accomplish it.

Anyone know?

[Majestyk]

I'm not sure what a TX watch is, but there is no way to make a 12 hour only module in to a 24 hour and vice-versa. The only vintage LED module that I know that can be converted from 12 hour to 24 hour (unless they have a 12/24 hour feature) are some National Semi Conductor modules; by switching one of the wire bonds. NSC did this because some of their modules were 24 hour and they basically didn't want to make two different modules...Of course, the problem with switching the 12 hour to 24 hour is that the first digit of the 12 hour modules only formed a "1". :)


Jeff

[megalaser]

Hi, Our ZX1 Drivers style LED watches are 24hr mode, availabe in red or green display. Please see: www.led-watch.com

Many Thanks

[blooflame]

I don't really like the ZX-1 style, and need a metal band anyway (the others cause irritation). The TX4/B are nice styles and more what I'm looking for, I'd just prefer to be able to use 24-hour time.

Maybe you could market a ZX4 with the style of the TX4 but the chip and display segments from the ZX-1? :)

[Led-Time]

How about one of these, they display constant 24Hr time.

http://www.ledwatches.net/photo-pages/elektronika.htm

http://www.ledwatches.net/photo-pages/elektronika4.htm

http://www.ledwatches.net/photo-pages/elektronika5.htm

I've got a couple of these I can highly recommend them.

[retroleds]

Or you could save your money for a late model Bulova sideview, the one's with 12/24 format, seconds showing next to the time? Those razor sharp digits some "moderns" claim....don't let'm fool ya kid, those ain't your dad's vintage display LEDs!? You are getting a square bulb behind a rectangular hole for each segment, sometimes one square "bulb" for two segments. And then a couple of layers of various colored plastic to "diffuse" the effect". IMO, a square bulb behind a rectangular hole is just fuzzy from the start. I'm a habitual deconstructor of new LED watches(it's a form of therapy)and these manufacturers are all taking the same softcuts in tolerences which leads to displays that leak light every way but straight up(out)...

HAD to vent It's bad enough being an aging baby-boomer without having to squint at some fuzzy numbers.

[retroleds]

How about one of these, they display constant 24Hr time.

http://www.ledwatches.net/photo-pages/elektronika.htm

I've got a couple of these I can highly recommend them.

HA-HA!! Klippie's got the right idea - scalpel sharp digits. Bottom left shot of this one is pretty nice, if you want a driver's style.
http://www.ledwatches.net/photo-pages/bulova-computron4.htm

[Majestyk]

Those razor sharp digits some "moderns" claim....don't let'm fool ya kid, those ain't your dad's vintage display LEDs!? You are getting a square bulb behind a rectangular hole for each segment, sometimes one square "bulb" for two segments. And then a couple of layers of various colored plastic to "diffuse" the effect".

My modern couldn't be any sharper, so I think the modern displays are getting better. What you see on my auction is the actual display. Some of them, from the other manufactures, do have a fuzzy look, though.

As for the Bulova; forget it. It will take you forever to find a working one. Go with the Elecktronika, from page one. They are always on Ebay and pretty cool, being from Russia.


Jeff

[Majestyk]

Look ma, no tripod! My camera does not like overly bright displays...It makes the color look cyan on blue and pink on red, so I have to adjust in a program, but this is the unadjusted display. The photos of the blue display in my auction were taken with a CR-2032 in the blue module (as opposed to two 2016's) so my camera could better handle the display with the lower brightness

Anyway. as you can see, nice a sharp...And no; it's not your dad's display but it's better than those damn modern magnified wire bonded ones.


Jeff

PS: Should have had this in 24 hour mode. :)

(Click on the photo if your broswer resizes it)

[retroleds]

That looks really good Jeff...it's not that the manufacturers CAN'T make a sharper display today, economically, they just don't try that hard in some cases. Looks like your people did pretty good.

Seems that a big difference between the old displays and the new ones stems from how the segments are formed. The old ones usually had horizontal segments(or rows of dots) that were slightly long than the vertical segs., ending sharply at the corners or butting together. The angled, equally-sized segments of newer displays are often hard to read at that size. Making the segments a few thousanths of an inch thinner and not "mitered" together would do wonders for making modern displays more readable to aging eyes. The same thing is always a factor with print - fonts without serifs(those little flaring protrusions at the endpoints of letters) are easier to read.

I'd agree with you that the bulging "fish-eyed" effect of some of the modern wire-bonds(like the Fossils) leaves much to be desired.