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cuckoo clock disappointment

jeffpas

Nov 1, 2015
4
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Nov 1, 2015
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Hi All-

I purchased several of these little cuckoo clocks for Christmas gifts from Bits and Pieces which came from a Hong Kong manufacturer- they are great little clocks. but they have one really annoying problem.

Link----> http://www.bitsandpieces.com/product/modern_cuckoo_clock

That is, they cuckoo on the hour but then you have to actually go round and push a 'STOP' button on the back of the clock. Yes, every hour of every day!
Perhaps this is seen as entertaining to the Chinese, but I can tell you anyone I give this clock to will be pulling out the batteries the first day. They are a purchase disaster.

I'm contacting the company Monday but I can bet the bank the salespeople will know nothing, and basically just offer to return.
Howevever- I'm wondering circuit wise, these can't be very complicated- if there is any possible way to add something to the little circuit board in the clock, to shut it off after the electric cuckoo is triggered once on the hour, aka, fix the broken cuckoo?
Willing to try, the "roof" screws off giving access to the electronics, wondered if this is something that anyone has heard of.
thanks for any help or comments.
 
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jeffpas

Nov 1, 2015
4
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
4
View inside the roof. There's a small circuit board on the other side of the yellow "Flower" button, that when pushed stops the cuckoo when it is activated at the top of every hour.....
 

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jeffpas

Nov 1, 2015
4
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Nov 1, 2015
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Actually, pressing the "flower" button in the back will activate the cuckoo once, and it stops, so the board is fully capable of doing this, it just isn't triggering that circuit on the hour. Instead, it triggers the 'alarm' circuit. I'm thinking perhaps this could be fixed just by moving a few wires.....it appears to be a tauntingly easy fix.
 

shrtrnd

Jan 15, 2010
3,876
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Jan 15, 2010
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My guess is that the little proprietary integrated circuit, which is probably a little black blob on the electrical circuit board is a manufacturer defect.
I'd go with the return to the store suggestion.
 
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