Date:         Mon, 25 Aug 2003 08:47:19 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Digital Clocks: 12/24 Hours
Comments: To: Budd Premack <bpremack@MN.RR.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <009401c36aed$5a8a1ca0$6700a8c0@mn.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 05:43 AM 8/25/2003, Budd Premack wrote:
>How do you shift the digital dash clock from 24 hour mode to 12 hour
>mode?  It has been suggested that if the proper portion of the clock
>circuitry is cut (by an exacto knife, for example)
>that will shift the clock to 24 hour mode.  It can be reset to 12 hour
>mode by a small drop of appropriately placed solder to rejoin the cut circuit.
>
>Does anyone have the definitive answer to this?

Open it up carefully -- when you get to the circuit board you'll find two
pairs of adjoining semicircular solder pads with the flat sides facing each
other.  Probably will have tiny "12" and "24" in foil nearby, I
forget.  One of them (the 24-hr one) is actually bridged together by the
original circuit foil, as they build these clocks to the 24-hour standard
which practically everyone in the world except US uses.  For US
applications they cut the foil and bridge the other pair with a drop of
solder.  To shift from one to the other, open the pair you don't want and
close the one you do.  Cut original jumper with Exacto knife if needed --
two cuts a fraction apart and removing the tiny bit of foil will make sure
it really is disconnected.  If the pads aren't already tinned, shine the
pair you want to use until it looks better than a new penny.  With
rosin-core solder and a small (15-25 watt) iron and some solder-removal
wick (Soder-wick or Chemwick) or a vacuum desoldering pump, remove the
bridge from the side you don't want.  On the side you *do* want, add solder
to the pads until you can bridge them (or alternatively solder a very small
wire across them).  Be very gentle removing  solder, the pads barely stick
to the board when heated.

When disassembling, be careful, and when reassembling be sure to test with
power before putting it back in the panel.  *If* there is a loose filter in
front of the LCD, there will be four possible ways to put it back unless
it's keyed in some way.  If it's facing the wrong way you won't see the
numbers .  If it's facing the right way, likely that one rotation will give
dark letters on light background, and other rotation will give light
numbers on dark background.  Or is it the other way 'round?  No matter --
two orientations won't work and the other two will give dark vs. light
numerals.

david



>Budd Premack
>86 Syncro, 88 Wolfsburg
>Land of Sky-Blue Waters
>Minneapolis, MN

--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"