Do you happen to have one of those mini black-and-white televisions gathering dust? Or a portable TV that stopped working when analog signals disappeared? If so, and you want a simple project for the next weekend, you can use that spare TV to create a retro clock with an Outrun aesthetic, based on the excellent ESP32 microcontroller. The physical connections are minimal, as are the code modifications.
The situation with CRT televisions is quite striking: on one hand, most people don't know what to do with them (and some can't even get them out of their houses due to weight), and on the other, retrogaming enthusiasts fight to rescue and restore the most interesting models. However, mini models are more attractive thanks to their portability and modding potential. Some of these TVs even have multiple inputs and outputs besides the classic RF. So why don't we do something with them? A retro clock, perhaps?
Turning an Old TV into a Retro Clock from the '80s
The project was shared by user Marciot as part of the Retro Tech Challenge organized by the folks at Instructables, and it finished in second place. Fortunately, it's very easy to replicate: don't worry about opening the TV or being exposed to high voltage. All you need from the TV (or monitor, or whatever) is that it works and has an RCA input for video.
The heart of this retro clock (so to speak) is the ESP32 module, a wonderful microcontroller with a huge number of built-in functions. Compatible clones cost less than six euros on Amazon Spain, and are usually relatively inexpensive in other regions too. Marciot uses the Huzzah32 Feather de Adafruit, but the connection barely requires two wires: one between GND and the ground point of the RCA, and the other between DAC1 and the center pin. Depending on the ESP32 clone, the position of DAC1 may change, but its function is the same.
Now that we know how to connect the ESP32 to the TV, the rest is a matter of loading the code using the Arduino IDE. The tutorial includes everything needed to succeed, including the database with compatible boards (the ESP32 isn't included in Arduino IDE, and we must load it first). The code creates a WiFi access point called "ESP32 Dali Clock", where we can configure the wireless network to connect to for automatically updating the time, and the NTP synchronization server.
Finally, the clock includes six visual themes (one of them changes automatically according to the time of day), and its code allows us to enable PAL support if needed. The only warning Marciot makes is about burn-in: The clock image is relatively static, and over time it will "mark" the tube, so it's not recommended to do this project with a CRT you value too much, or as an alternative, you can always use an LCD, adapting the RCA to VGA/HDMI.
Official site: Click here
Access the code: Click here
