Hayri Uygur's Retro Clock Swaps His "Obsession" with OLEDs for a Vintage Bubble LED Display

from hackster.io

Maker Hayri Uygur's obsession with organic LED (OLED) displays has taken a back-seat for his latest creation: a compact clock built around vintage HPDL1414 bubble LEDs.

"I always loved these tiny displays," Uygur explains of the inspiration behind his latest project, "and wanted to make 'my' version [of a] clock with them."

The resulting retro-themed clock fits in the palm of your hand, but boasts a wealth of features — beyond its iconic glowing numerals, originally designed for use in pocket calculators and similar devices. A built-in 200mAh LiPo battery keeps things ticking, with USB Type-C for charging and programming — while the integrated real-time clock (RTC) has its own battery backup too.

The clock can be configured for 12 or 24 hour time, has a switchable Daylight Saving Time mode, and a built-in speaker — which can play five included melodies or basic tones as an hourly alarm or one of 20 user-configurable custom alarms.

The design also integrates a voltage monitor with low-battery alarm, a temperature sensor which can display in Fahrenheit or Celsius, and the ability to switch between time, date, and temperate display modes automatically on on interaction.

Uygur's previous projects have focused primarily on OLED displays, rather than bubble LEDs: the OLEDiCADE handheld games console, the OLEDiUNO GPS Cube, and an OLEDiUNO Clock which shares several features with the new bubble LED variant — but not its display type.

Uygur has put the clock up for sale on Tindie at $79.95, fully assembled.