P3 with persistent date display

[coconutman351]

Recently acquired a P3 GF watch from ebay specifically for the working module. I successfully transferred the module to my P2 Date II SS watch case, however I did notice for this module when pressing the date button the date stays on briefly for 1 second with the exact behavior like the time button. All my other Pulsar date buttons, with the exception of my pulsar Sport, stop displaying the date as soon as I release the button. Is this common in other P3 modules or do I just have one of the last inventory of P3 modules before the Pulsars were discontinued? Serial number on case back is 263523.

[charger105]

I would say that the reed switches are sticking a bit...........perhaps the buttons are a bit too strong, and upon release the reeds are only just opening.
Does it behave the same way out of the case using an handheld magnet ?

[andyz4000]

I have a P3 which does the same. Its the only one in my collection, its not the magnet, I would say its in the programming or set up of the module. So I think somewhat of a rarity :)

[coconutman351]

Interesting, I wonder how many of these modules were manufactured? Maybe Bruce could weigh in on this discussion, I'm sure he's come across a few of these modules.

[andyz4000]

Another thing you will notice is if you keep the date button pressed, the date will switch off after a second or so, its as if it will start counting seconds as the time display does. But of course it will not and just turns off.
In normal P3 modules the date remains on for as long as the button is pressed, my serial # by the way is 157566 but I cant say if its the original module to watch case so it may not mean anything.

[coconutman351]

Yes, my watch exhibits the exact behavior, excellent point. All my other P2 and P3 Pulsars will hold the date display for as long as you keep the date button pressed. Also, I agree about the serial number, there is no way of knowing if this module was the original one in this case.

[retroleds]

Coconutman - wasn;t entirely clear, it stays one a second or two after releasing the button, yes? Drip a little isoprpyl acohol in the button,work up/down, repeat. It may just be the button isn't returning correctly. Some of those have a magnet on a piece of spring steel instead of a magnet directly in the button. But in either case it just might not be floating back out of range super fast. It's not like a physical contact where it's all or nothing. THe magnets move into a range, they do their thing, they move out of range they stop doing it. IT's a really short distance in between.

[coconutman351]

retroled - yes that is correct the DATE display stays on for the same length of time the TIME button is pressed when it is pressed and released. I know it's not a button issue because when I use an external magnet to activate the date function it reacts in the same fashion, it stays lit for about 1 second and turns off consistently. Even if I press and HOLD the DATE button it displays the DATE and turns off while continuing to hold the date button. As andyz4000 had mentioned I wonder if some of these modules were programmed differently where the DATE activation works exactly the same way the TIME is displayed.

[bruce wegmann]

I am sure this behavior (displaying the date exactly the way a P4 module would) is actually programmed in the chip, and not a functional aberration; I have just one of these modules, too, in a Date 2. The module sticker reads "3050", indicating it is a real variation of the standard 3013 (301, revision 3) module. It behaves the same in or out of the case, so it is certainly not a button issue. A friend of mine recently encountered one of these (again, in a Date 2), so there are a (very) few of these out there. Everybody might want to go through all their Date 2s and P3s and see what the relative occurrence of these is (I'm willing to bet a few of these have gone unnoticed in collections).

[coconutman351]

This is turning out to be an interesting find. Bruce and everyone else thank you for your input in validating this undocumented feature of the Pulsar watch. I agree with you Bruce, I never really thought about it much until I started setting the date on this module as it started to react differently. I immediately checked all my other P3s and P2 Date watches but none have this characteristic. I can only imagine that there may have been modified release of this module based on feedback by by Pulsar owners (I'm speculating). This may have led up to incorporating this design in the P4, Sport and other later watch module designs.

[retrowrist]

Wow Bruce,

I think coconutman351 has uncovered an Easter egg! And so close to Easter time!

But Seriously, I think that it is worth the search through our collections to make this an official relative occurrence with their Date 2s and P3s.

Anyway,

- Patrick

[napnap]

Oh yes please... look at all your P2 Date 2 and tell us all about there buttons Bruce!

[coconutman351]

It's so interesting after 40+ years we continue to find new discoveries in our vintage Pulsar LED watches. Let's see how many of these modules in our collection we can find it may turn out to be rarer than we think. I appreciate all the input and sharing of information this forum provides.

[andyz4000]

Cool, looks like we have a few rare birds I have known about mine for quite a long time but never thought it was worth mentioning. God job you looked into it coconutman 351

[coconutman351]

Thanks andyz4000, who knows how much these watches could be worth? Did your module have the 3050 model like Bruce's? I'll have a 2nd check on the module, I could have sworn it said 3013. This was also a good buy as I won this module off of ebay for $199.00 buy-it-now. Watch case was a old beat up GF P3 with Spidel stretch band, I only wanted the module and I'll probably use the old case to practice removing the ruby crystal.

[andyz4000]

Mine is also a 3013 module, I'm not sure if they would get better prices if auctioned but it would pay to advertise the fact that the module is unusual and maybe even rare.

[abem]

That's pretty nifty. I remember the first time I got a P3, I was a little surprised to find that the persistence of display was different for the date and time - it seemed/seems a little kludgy. It makes me think that they took some shortcuts in the design to get the new models out the door.

Congrats on the nice find.

-abe.

[andyz4000]

I made a short video of the unusual module and put it on youtube, incase anyone is interested

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KndlkP11AQ

[bruce wegmann]

Yup, that's exactly what mine does, and the others, too, I'm sure. I think that pretty much rules out any kind of internal defect or failure. Any of these other modules carry the "3050" sticker? I'm sure, as we look ever closer at these watches, we will find new variations. Remember the Touch-Command Executives? No mention of those whatsoever on a certain website, until AFTER one (and then a second) showed up on eBay. Nobody knows everything about the Pulsar LEDs, but among us all, we can piece together a passably clear picture.

[coconutman351]

Thanks andyz4000 for posting the video. Pictures / videos always speak louder than words. Yep, that's exactly how my P3 3013 module works. Attached is the original P3 GF case with Spidel watch band and its new home in a P2 SS Date II. I can't thank the forum enough for coming together on this find. I'm sure there are more hidden undocumented features that we have yet to uncover. If only we had the engineer who coded the Pulsar LED watch chip on this forum, who knows what else this watch can do?

[bruce wegmann]

Actually, turns out that the puzzle pieces have been known for nearly nine years, but, now they all come together. Was just looking at the chip in the "3050" module, and, lo and behold, it's NOT an RCA chip (who, according to He Who Knows ALL about Pulsars, was the sole supplier of clock chips to Time Computer; he denied, up to the moment he squinted through the microscope eyepiece, that this chip could have come out of a Pulsar watch). Every chip I can read is either 81209 (P2s) or 82151 (P3s). But, the chip on the 3050 module is clearly marked SCTR 0220, and below that, H 7346 C, indicating that it's a HUGHES chip, manufactured in mid-November of 1973. I have a loose chip extracted from an identically-marked package, and, leaving no doubt that this was made SPECIFICALLY for Time Computer, it has, next to the Hughes name, the PULSAR logo (it's even in the same font as used on the top of the brown clamshell cases. I am guessing the date-display change is an ideosyncracy of the Hughes chips, whether by accident or design. What percentage of TC chips came from Hughes is an unanswered question, but, judging by their infrequent appearance, is probably a low number (perhaps, 2-5%). If I can find a camera capable of doing adequate macro, I will post an image of the package and the chip. So, there it all is, finally. How much this might add to the value of a watch will be up to the buying public to determine, but, at least, it's documented now.

[coconutman351]

Thanks Bruce for that excellent detective work. So do you think from 1973 it was a turning point for TC to utilize all Hughes chips for the last of the P3 or P2 date modules (3013 or 3050) executive, sport, dress..etc since they all exhibit the same characteristics of the date display delay? The date and time function appear to share the same delay circuitry as pressing the TIME button just before the DATE display turns off will take you straight to the SECONDS display, no TIME information is given. This characteristic exists in my P4 Executive and Sport Pulsar watch.