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Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 5:10:11 PM

TheHeretic

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From: California, USA
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Part rant, part question.

When we first got this house, we noticed a bit of wall that just cried out for a great big clock, and my mother-in-law bought us one. She spent enough money on it that it will be with us a while.

It's one of those radio control jobs. Instead of setting the time yourself, you push a button to tell it what time zone you are in, and the long hands sweep gracefully past the roman numerals, and settle on the correct time. Except the time is almost always 10-15 minutes slow! The first switch to daylight saving, I finally had to tell the thing we had moved to Colorado, to get it to advance an hour. In three years, it only kept accurate time this last winter, and is now running on Mountain Time, and wrong again. I spotted it going through the reset cycle earlier this afternoon, and it went from 10 minutes slow to 12!

Does anybody have a clue what might be wrong with this thing? (As I said, we are stuck with it. I'm hoping for just enough of an earthquake that we can tell her it fell and broke, but until then, it hangs)

I was given another of these radio controlled clocks, and it lives in my office. Perfect time. WTF?

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Post #: 1

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 6:20:11 PM

Muttling

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I would call the manufacturer. Being off by an hour is a time zone issue, 10 to 15 minutes is something else. There are a number of systems that transmit a hyper accurate time based on Greenwich Mean Time and this is the basis for the entire GPS system. Your clock should be taking it's time from satellite signals that are used for GPS. It may be a signal reception problem or a problem with the clock itself, the manufacture should be able to help you with either of these.

(in reply to TheHeretic)

Post #: 2

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 6:43:07 PM

soul2share

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From: somewhere out there.....
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Maybe the batteries? If it runs on them, that is.

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RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 8:25:07 PM

ThatDamnedPanda

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Sounds like radiation to me. That's the only thing I know that makes clocks run funny.

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Post #: 4

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 8:55:40 PM

Muttling

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Joined: 9/30/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda

Sounds like radiation to me. That's the only thing I know that makes clocks run funny.

Must resist!!!! Ohhhh.....

Weakening.......

The power of the NERD side is TOO STRONG......

Normal clocks count time based on the frequency of the sine wave from the alternating current (AC) electricity that powers them, when the power company alters the frequency of the electricity is screws up the time keeping of the clock.

<shudder>

Am I o'k??? I blacked out for a moment.

(in reply to ThatDamnedPanda)

Post #: 5

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 8:59:24 PM

ThatDamnedPanda

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I used to tell a guy at work that if he turned off all the appliances, more electricity would flow to the clock, and it would run faster, and we'd get out of there earlier. Almost had him convinced at one point. Our manager couldn't figure out why he was turning off all the lights at 4:30.

_____________________________

Panda, panda, burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Made you all black and white and roly-poly like that?

(in reply to Muttling)

Post #: 6

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 9:03:51 PM

Muttling

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Joined: 9/30/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda

I used to tell a guy at work that if he turned off all the appliances, more electricity would flow to the clock, and it would run faster, and we'd get out of there earlier. Almost had him convinced at one point. Our manager couldn't figure out why he was turning off all the lights at 4:30.

I gotta remember that one. I teach high school math these days and I'm betting I can get my kids to pester other teachers to turn the lights out. buwahahahaha

Gonna have to save it for a few weeks and get closer to the end of school though......there will be heck to pay when I push that one down the line.

(in reply to ThatDamnedPanda)

Post #: 7

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 9:13:25 PM

Aileen1968

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From: I miss Shore, New Jersey
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I told my ex brother in law (he wasn't the sharpest) once that when October came around, he had to take the summer air out of his car tires and replace them with winter air.
He believed me.
I love gullible people.

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Post #: 8

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 9:27:17 PM

Muttling

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Oh you're a bad, bad Aileen. Can I spank you????

As long as we're going off topic though..........

I had a private running down the airline holding a garbage bag open a few years back. He was collecting an air sample for base environmental. :D

(in reply to Aileen1968)

Post #: 9

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 9:41:17 PM

Aileen1968

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From: I miss Shore, New Jersey
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Muttling

Can I spank you????

No.

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Post #: 10

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 9:51:53 PM

Muttling

Posts: 1612
Joined: 9/30/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Aileen1968

quote:

ORIGINAL: Muttling

Can I spank you????

No.

<sniff, sniff>

I have that effect on women. I ask an innocent question and they always say "no."

(In truth and respect, please smile my Lady....it is only meant in good fun and I don't want it to be taken as disrespect.)

(in reply to Aileen1968)

Post #: 11

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 10:52:47 PM

TheHeretic

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From: California, USA
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The batteries have been replaced, twice. I have no idea who the manufacturer is (or was, if this is the quality they were shipping). I tested if it was the reception by letting it spend a couple days in other places in the house, with no effect, including taking it up to my office, where the other rc clock works just fine.

We have adjusted, and adapted. As long as we know to automatically add ten minutes when checking that clock, it's easy to read from a distance, even without glasses, and looks as right in that spot as we knew it would.

But dammit! The thing was finally reading right, all winter long, and now it's consistently slow again.

_____________________________

If you lose one sense, your other senses are enhanced.
That's why people with no sense of humor have such an inflated sense of self-importance.

(in reply to Muttling)

Post #: 12

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/2/2011 11:10:05 PM

Muttling

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Joined: 9/30/2007
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You have 1 of 2 choices....

1 - Put a sticker on it noting how many minutes off it is.

and

2 - A liberal application of high explosives.

(in reply to TheHeretic)

Post #: 13

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/3/2011 6:53:55 AM

DomKen

Posts: 19457
Joined: 7/4/2004
From: Chicago, IL
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Super geekdom time

Radio controlled clocks mostly get their time from a single radio signal, WWVB out of Colorado. There should be either a light, icon or audio alert to indicate that the clock is receiving the station properly. Having the clock work in winter seems to strongly suggest you are having reception problems.

Try taking the batteries out, taking it outside at night and putting the batteries back in. If it synchronizes to the right time then it is definitely a reception issue.

(in reply to Muttling)

Post #: 14

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/3/2011 8:45:00 AM

flcouple2009

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That's what the small people are good for, "I told them not to throw that ball in the living room".

(in reply to DomKen)

Post #: 15

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/3/2011 8:51:25 AM

JstAnotherSub

Posts: 6174
Status: offline

We have them at work. They did reste them selves for daylight saving time, but since then, every afternoon about 4:30, they go all the way around the clock, then stop right back on the correct time. The ones at work are dial ones.

I have a digital at home, and I have never had problems with it.

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yep

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Post #: 16

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/3/2011 12:22:25 PM

playfulotter

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Joined: 6/27/2005
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I have an alarm clock I bought from "The Sharper Image" catalog over 10 years ago. It uses a radio signal to reset the time and when we go on and off of daylight saving time it always takes a few days to reset itself to the right time...Also, sometimes the signal isn't getting to the clock for some reason and a "U" shaped icon appears that indicates this. When this happens I put it in my window and it starts again after a while when it obtains the signal again.

< Message edited by playfulotter -- 4/3/2011 12:23:13 PM >

(in reply to JstAnotherSub)

Post #: 17

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/3/2011 12:40:10 PM

TheHeretic

Posts: 19100
Joined: 3/25/2007
From: California, USA
Status: offline

Just to keep things interesting, the damn thing reset itself to daylight savings time overnight. I pulled it down, told it we had moved back to the coast, and it's now almost 20 minutes slow.

I suspect the signal this thing recieves either is coming from some crafty old coot's HAM radio tower, taking the data from an old digital watch he found in a dumpster, or some third world country that keeps their own time standard, and lays claim to that particular frequency.

If the clock was only for function, it would be gone, but its form is part of its function. It looks good right there, and we haven't seen anything yet that both looked better, and didn't persuade us it would be a lot cheaper to just do a touch of mental math.

_____________________________

If you lose one sense, your other senses are enhanced.
That's why people with no sense of humor have such an inflated sense of self-importance.

(in reply to JstAnotherSub)

Post #: 18

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/3/2011 12:44:12 PM

thishereboi

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Joined: 6/19/2008
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quote:

I pulled it down, told it we had moved back to the coast, and it's now almost 20 minutes slow.

Maybe it's afraid of the water

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Post #: 19

RE: Radio controlled clocks - 4/3/2011 1:01:35 PM

DarkSteven

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Joined: 5/2/2008
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The people who design these clocks are liberals. You're going to need to become a liberal yourself to get accurate time, or it'll never perform correctly.

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"You women....

The small-breasted ones want larger breasts. The large-breasted ones want smaller ones. The straight-haired ones curl their hair, and the curly-haired ones straighten theirs...

Quit fretting. We men love you."

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Post #: 20

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