View Full Version : 24 hour analog "atomic" wall clock
A thread on another mailing list prompted me to investigate this further and so far I've come up empty. #There are plenty of WWVB sync'ed wall clocks. #Fewer that are 24 hour clocks and none that I've found offer UTC as one of the time zone options. #I thought sure the MFJ model I've seen for years would do UTC. #Nope. #EST, CST, MST, and PST with a DST button, but no UTC.
One would think that for ham shack use that such an animal would exist. #Incidentally, for a wall clock I prefer analog as I have enough digital clocks available on computers, the VCR, and whatnot.
So, is there such an animal, analog, 24 hour, "atomic" clock, #out there?
WA2ZDY
12-03-2007, 12:19 AM
Move the hour hand on the shaft?
I have only one atomic clock - digital - that sets to UTC so yeah I guess they're rare. But you'd think MFJ would know hams use UTC.
Oh Mr Jue, what are you thinking???
My watch syncs to WWVB and it has a world clock function with UTC (GMT) as one of the time zones.
ab8ma
12-03-2007, 01:01 AM
Just take any atomic clock, offset the time to match GMT, and turn the DST function OFF.
Check out the SkyScan models. Digital, but ya can't have everything.
K8MHZ
12-03-2007, 03:13 AM
Or move to London...and don't forget to bring the clock with you.
The one in our class room only has US time zones on it and it will change the hour hand accordingly. I did not see a GMT setting on it at all. I think they are pretty amazing considering how small the antennas must be in them.
A71AN
12-03-2007, 05:11 AM
I bought a clock from Thailand with 6 large square clocks on one teach stile board, tune one of them to UTC time and just change the tag.
Still I did not mount this on my wall but I will soon.
I also saw smillar clocks in Dubai city centre mule, in my log I have both the local and UTC time automatically entered when entering the call sign, so I do not really need more than that.
73
W4INF
12-03-2007, 07:35 AM
I know its likely NOT what you are looking for, but it MAY get you by until you get a better fix...
http://rogertango.com/downloadsread.aspx?idnumber=88430127
HTH-
Quote[/b] (WA2ZDY @ Dec. 02 2007,12:19)]Move the hour hand on the shaft?
I have only one atomic clock - digital - that sets to UTC so yeah I guess they're rare. #But you'd think MFJ would know hams use UTC. #
Oh Mr Jue, what are you thinking???
MFJ does make an analog "atomic" clock in 24 hour format (sort of) - the MFJ-131RC for the low low everyday price of $39.95!
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-131RC
I said "sort of" because it has a normal 12 hour face, but each mark has the 12 hour number and 24 hour number so you have to have some idea what your offset is in order to know what the time is in UTC.
Scott NĜIU
Interesting suggestions so far. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
Scott, I looked at the MFJ-131RC manual and it only has the four US time zone settings. #No UTC setting at all, which makes it sort of useless for serious ham shack use. #Okay, I'm geeking out here and I want to geek out my way! #Looking around the 'Net, La Crosse Technologies is quite common and they offer some very fine pieces. #If only they would make one model that had a 24 hour face (no extra dials or other doo dads needed) and a UTC setting.
It's not like I'm asking for the moon! #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
G8ADD
12-03-2007, 01:19 PM
Quote[/b] (k8mhz @ Dec. 02 2007,20:13)]Or move to London...and don't forget to bring the clock with you.
It won't help you much, half the year we're on GST! (What moron invented daylight saving time? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif )
73
Brian G8ADD
K9YLI
12-03-2007, 02:58 PM
not mentioned yet. what do hawaiians use.
they arent pacific time..
maybe they cant hear 60kc signal over there.
I like the "just move the hour hand on the shaft thing"
KA4DPO
12-03-2007, 03:18 PM
I heard that if you slam two Atomic wall clocks together really fast they will explode. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
WA9SVD
12-03-2007, 03:26 PM
Quote[/b] (WA2ZDY @ Dec. 02 2007,17:19)]Move the hour hand on the shaft?
I have only one atomic clock - digital - that sets to UTC so yeah I guess they're rare. But you'd think MFJ would know hams use UTC.
Oh Mr Jue, what are you thinking???
MFJ (and many other companies) probably rely on "off the shelf" chips as the guts of their clocks; and the chip manufacturers probably don't bother including other than (most) U.S. time zones, since the "Atomic" time sync feature might not be available in other parts of the world, or at least the signal from WWVB might be too weak to allow syncing.
However, many of the clocks are elatively accurate, and can be set for manual operation, with occasional manual adjustments as needed.
n2jso
12-03-2007, 04:25 PM
Quote[/b] (N0NB @ Dec. 03 2007,07:22)]It's not like I'm asking for the moon! #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
If you would settle for a digital clock, you could have the moon, too! Well, it's just a display of the phase, but close enough! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Actually, I've seen analog grandfather clocks that have the phase of the moon. I've never seen one with a 24 hour face, but I wouldn't be surprised if they exist.
K8ERV
12-03-2007, 07:35 PM
Quote[/b] (G8ADD @ Dec. 03 2007,06:19)](What moron invented daylight saving time? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif )
Blame it on Bush. Everything else gets blamed on him
Tom K8ERV Montrose Co.
KC7YPJ
12-03-2007, 08:15 PM
Quote[/b] (G8ADD @ Dec. 03 2007,06:19)][It won't help you much, half the year we're on GST! (What moron invented daylight saving time? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif )
73
Brian G8ADD
That would be Ben Franklin
I gave up on getting a decent digital atomic clock, every one I've seen locally has had a garbage lcd display that you can't see unless you are looking at it from the perfect angle with plenty of light shining on them, at this point I'd settle for being able to score a couple of 24 hour movements and build my own from some old hubcaps, I'm past trying to find a 24hr analog atomic clock, adjusting them every once in awhile isn't an issue, I've got multiple computers that sync so I have a referance
Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Dec. 03 2007,08:18)]I heard that if you slam two Atomic wall clocks together really fast they will explode. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Right now there are two Iranians trying to see if it works...
W4INF
12-03-2007, 10:12 PM
Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Dec. 02 2007,09:18)]I heard that if you slam two Atomic wall clocks together really fast they will explode. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
That is a myth... you need some sort of detonator to set off the chain reaction. For that size of a clock, a blasting cap should be sufficient.
Quote[/b] (KC7YPJ @ Dec. 03 2007,14:15)]Quote[/b] (G8ADD @ Dec. 03 2007,06:19)][It won't help you much, half the year we're on GST! (What moron invented daylight saving time? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif )
73
Brian G8ADD
That would be Ben Franklin
I gave up on getting a decent digital atomic clock, every one I've seen locally has had a garbage lcd display that you can't see unless you are looking at it from the perfect angle with plenty of light shining on them, at this point I'd settle for being able to score a couple of 24 hour movements and build my own from some old hubcaps, I'm past trying to find a 24hr analog atomic clock, adjusting them every once in awhile isn't an issue, I've got multiple computers that sync so I have a referance
As I understand it, Ben Franklin offered the idea of DST purely as a joke in an effort to show how stupid/gullible people can be. # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
AES sells a nice 24 hour clock from Benjamin Michael Industries that has a quartz movement. #It would be fantastic if it were WWVB sync'ed, but it it is what it is. #That may be the route I'll reluctantly go.
OTOH, someone may be inclined to build one intended specifically for hams and SWLs as a result of this thread. Yeah, right. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
KC5CSG
12-04-2007, 12:26 AM
My wife bought me an Atomic Clock a couple of years back. It has a huge display and it can be seen very easily from any angle. The one I have can't be set to UTC but it is set for 24 hour format. It also displays the moon phase, indoor temperature, and outdoor temperature with a remote sensor.
The name brand is La Crosse and she picked it up for about 40 bucks at Walmart.
Every night at 0000 it turns on it's radio recv and syncs up with wwv. I've never had to set it since I've had it. Oh, when you first put batteries in it, it will search for wwv so most of the time you don't even have to set it when you set it up.
The other problem is I haven't seen any La Crosse analog clocks with a 24 hour face. Only their digital models offer 24 hour time it appears. Sorry.
http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/
Jerry
k4kyv
12-04-2007, 01:10 AM
I have a large 24-hour analogue 60~ a.c. clock, but quit using it because the damned power won't stay on here. I could rarely set the thing and go for more than a couple of days before having to reset it. Even if the power outages last only a second or two, the clock error builds up. When the power actually stays on uninterrupted for a period of time, the electric clock is almost as accurate as a WWVB clock, but that just doesn't happen here very often. So I finally gave up on the thing.
FYI, Benjamin Franklin never proposed shifting clocks. While an American envoy to France, Franklin, author of the proverb "Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," anonymously published a purely whimsical 1784 essay called "Turkey versus Eagle, McCauley is my Beagle.", suggesting that Parisians economise on candles by rising earlier to use morning sunlight. This 1784 satire proposed taxing shutters, rationing candles, and waking the public by ringing church bells and firing cannons at sunrise.
Leave it up to politicians to take something like that seriously.
http://www.standardtime.com/
AB8RU
12-04-2007, 01:46 AM
Quote[/b] (AG4YO @ Dec. 03 2007,18:47)]Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Dec. 03 2007,08:18)]I heard that if you slam two Atomic wall clocks together really fast they will explode. # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Right now there are two Iranians trying to see if it works...
Would a cyclotron work ? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
n6vmo
12-04-2007, 02:39 AM
My time piece syncs with atomic energy too...
http://www.wetgoatracing.com/Links/Sundial_jpg.jpg
KA4DPO
12-05-2007, 02:59 AM
Quote[/b] (n6vmo @ Dec. 03 2007,21:39)]My time piece syncs with atomic energy too...
http://www.wetgoatracing.com/Links/Sundial_jpg.jpg
That's a cool looking clock, where do the batteries go? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
N8CPA
12-05-2007, 02:41 PM
Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Dec. 04 2007,22:59)]Quote[/b] (n6vmo @ Dec. 03 2007,21:39)]My time piece syncs with atomic energy too...
http://www.wetgoatracing.com/Links/Sundial_jpg.jpg
That's a cool looking clock, where do the batteries go? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
It's fusion powered.
N8CPA
12-05-2007, 02:50 PM
Quote[/b] (N2RJ @ Dec. 02 2007,20:54)]My watch syncs to WWVB and it has a world clock function with UTC (GMT) as one of the time zones.
I have one that does that. It has both an analog and digital face.
I took a cruise to Hawaii a couple years ago, which meant changing time zones twice at sea. The analog face falls back by jumping forward 23 hours. While it was changing, I told my family that it was spinning like that because we were in the Pacific equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle.
It may be practical for some hams to build their own clock based on a purchased atomic clock movement
http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-159__sku-AAAAH.html
Atomic Clock Movements : Choice of Four Shaft Lengths
In 1976, as a 13 year old, I built my own 24 hour digital clock, using a big IC chip I purchased via mail-order. I used it as my main station clock for 20 years.
WA9SVD
12-07-2007, 05:02 PM
Quote[/b] (w1vt @ Dec. 07 2007,09:16)]It may be practical for some hams to build their own clock based on a purchased atomic clock movement
[URL=http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-159sku-AAAAH.html[/URL]
Atomic Clock Movements : Choice of Four Shaft Lengths
In 1976, as a 13 year old, I built my own 24 hour digital clock, using a big IC chip I purchased via mail-order. I used it as my main station clock for 20 years.
MM5314 or CT7001? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
Of course, before the LSI clock chips there were our TTL 16 chip digital clocks, with LED MAN-1 display digits that cost an arm and a leg...
It was the MM5314, giving me AC line synchronized time to the nearest second--worked just fine for contest and DX work.
WA9SVD
12-07-2007, 05:48 PM
Quote[/b] (w1vt @ Dec. 07 2007,10:22)]It was the MM5314, giving me AC line synchronized time to the nearest second--worked just fine for contest and DX work.
Alas, poor '5314. I knew it well.
I built one with an add-on Xtal timebase from Poly-Paks; put it in a TenTec case, and used it in a '68 VW Beetle. I still use it for portable operations and Field Day. It lost less than a half-minute per month when in the car, which was pretty good considering the temp changes.
(The TTL clock took WAY too much power to use battery powered; that was before the 74LS or CMOS chips were readily or affordable available.)
kl7aj
12-07-2007, 07:31 PM
One of these oughtta do the trick. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gifNixies (http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/nixiegallery.html)
WA9SVD
12-07-2007, 08:11 PM
[quote=kl7aj,Dec. 07 2007,12:31]One of these oughtta do the trick. Nixies
Thoe burned out LONG ago. (Most of the chips [except for the SN7441's] went into the TTL clock with the MAN 1's.
Ever try pricing even one of those babies? You can practically buy a new rig for a set of 6. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
BTW: I put together the TTL clock with the only soldering device I had at the time: A Weller 100/140 Watt gun. Not recommended, and now I know better. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
kl7aj
12-07-2007, 08:14 PM
Quote[/b] (wa9svd @ Dec. 07 2007,13:11)]Quote[/b] (kl7aj @ Dec. 07 2007,12:31)]One of these oughtta do the trick. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gifNixies (http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/nixiegallery.html)
Thoe burned out LONG ago. #Ever try pricing even one of those babies? #You can practically buy a new rig for a set of 6. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
That's why I have my own personal hoard. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
ka5piu
12-07-2007, 08:20 PM
Hello.
My GPS units, all of them, can do GMT.
The "atomic" wall clock I bought a while back has the selector for time zones, but the default is UCT.
The trick is to take the battery out and wait a few minutes.
At powerup it will ask to set time zone, do nothing!
Replace the battery AFTER you have done this.
w8nga
12-09-2007, 03:15 PM
I don't know if your looking for a wall clock or just a small clock for your desk. #I have one that is made by LaCross but has the Weather Channel name on it. #It uses the signal from WWVB and I have mine set to display UTC time on a 24 hour format. #The DST function can be turn off as well. #In addition to the time, it also displays indoor/outdoor temp and humidity, max/min outdor temps for the day along with a forcast function. #Another thing, that the signal from the remote sensor uses 915 mHz instead of the more common 413 mHz. #I picked mine up in the garden department of Home Depot for 40 bucks. Here is a link if anybody is interested:
http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/9625/
Greg W8NGA
VO1GXG
12-09-2007, 03:25 PM
Its hard to receive CHU here in VO1. WWV? Forget about it! . Its funny walking into Radio shack and spying the Atomic clocks basically stuck on 12:00.
AD7DH
12-09-2007, 04:05 PM
Every analog, radio-controlled clock I have worked with has no idea where the hour hand is pointing, so you can initially set it to UTC and it will stay on UTC. Be sure to disable the DST. (Not all radio-controlled clocks permit disabling DST.)
Two disclaimers: I have not worked with every analog, radio-controlled clock and I have not worked with any 24-hour, analog, radio-controlled clocks.
AD7DH
Well, I gave in and bought the La Crosse Technology WS-8007C (http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/8007/). It features 24 hour clock capability, DST off, and UTC time zone. The only "extras" besides the date are the moon phase and indoor temperature which suits me fine as I already have a Peet Bros. weather station.
I put batteries in it around 2245z today, set it up, hung it on the wall, and it sync'ed with WWVB by 2252! Apparently WWVB gets a good signal in to northeast Kansas as it's hanging on the west wall of an aluminum sided double-wide (don't ask why a ham is living inside a faraday cage, but I get power from a main feed and had minimal power outages this week which was worth a lot).
I still think that a WWVB based analog 24 hour clock would be ultra cool. When I find one...
KA4DPO
12-16-2007, 01:30 AM
I have a Sio Scan atomic clock. Since it was made in China you know it's good and the lead paint on it provides excellent shielding.. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
w8znx
12-16-2007, 10:00 AM
jezus
just use a regular 60 cycle clock
learn how to convert 12/24
GMT in your head
it only takes a sec
and it keeps
your brain working
mac dit dit
Easy, Mac. No need to use the Lord's name in vain here.
With the myriad of clocks I've had over the years with some speeding up and others slowing down and few that could maintain some semblance of right time, I'm pleased to now have a clock that keeps itself updated. Plus, I don't have to reset it after a power outage, which were frequent this past week.
As for converting the time from local to UTC in my head, I'm quite able to do so and have done so for at least a quarter century. I suspect that it's a skill I'll keep as few clocks are set to UTC.
But thanks for caring about my brain! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
KA4DPO
12-16-2007, 04:26 PM
Quote[/b] (w8znx @ Dec. 16 2007,05:00)]jezus
just use a regular 60 cycle clock
learn how to convert 12/24
GMT in your head
it only takes a sec
and it keeps
your brain working
mac dit dit
Mac, mine is a regular 12 hr clock. As for 12 to 24 hr time conversion, after all these years in the Army I do it without thinking.#
I just add four hours to get UTC, #that's GMT for us OF's. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif