CZ battery only for quartz clock module?

[not blandon]

My mom and I are restoring an old wall clock from the 80s and swapped in a new quartz movement. The instructions say to avoid alkaline batteries and only use carbon-zinc. I've always thought alkaline was better for long-term use, so I'm wondering why it would be a problem here. Could it be related to voltage consistency or internal resistance? We're trying to keep the clock running smoothly without damaging the module.

 

[Guardian Egyptian]

That's a great project! My brother and I restored a '70s kitchen clock with my uncle last year and ran into the same battery note. Turns out quartz movements can be sensitive to the higher current from alkaline batteries, which might mess with the timing or wear out the module faster.

Carbon-zinc gives a gentler, steadier flow which is better for these older-style movements. We've stuck with them since and had no issues.

 

[not blandon]

That's a great project! My brother and I restored a '70s kitchen clock with my uncle last year and ran into the same battery note. Turns out quartz movements can be sensitive to the higher current from alkaline batteries, which might mess with the timing or wear out the module faster.

Carbon-zinc gives a gentler, steadier flow which is better for these older-style movements. We've stuck with them since and had no issues.

I hadn't thought about the current flow differences between CZ and alkaline. The warning makes sense now. Did you notice any long term drift or timing issues when using CZ in your clock? I'll run a few tests over the next couple weeks and see how it holds.

 

[Alan]

One cool thing is that carbon-zinc batteries usually don't leak as much as alkaline ones as they get old. This helps keep your old clocks and the little metal bits inside them in good shape. So, they're a good pick if you want something that lasts.

 

[not blandon]

One cool thing is that carbon-zinc batteries usually don't leak as much as alkaline ones as they get old. This helps keep your old clocks and the little metal bits inside them in good shape. So, they're a good pick if you want something that lasts.

That's a really good point about the leakage risk. Between that and the current flow, you've convinced me that carbon-zinc is the right choice. My only remaining question is about the practical trade off. Have you noticed a significant drop in runtime with CZ batteries compared to alkaline in your clocks?