radio-synched clock : Computer Hardware Buyers’ Glossary

1. It should be very accurate.
2. You might want it to display 24-hour time.
3. It should automatically and accurately correct for daylight saving time so you can verify your computer and other equipment and clocks are correctly set.

Radio-Synched Accurate Clocks

Because of anomalies such as the fact Illinois ignores DST, the clocks are not always 100% automatic. You have to tell them the timezone, and sometimes you must tell them the approximate time. Here is a typical fudge to deal with the fact Illinois ignores DST.

The clocks work all through the USA and southern Canada, though you need good radio reception.

Manufacturers call them analog atomic clocks and digital atomic clocks, though there is nothing radioactive in them. They are merely radio-synchronised from a government atomic clock.

When I was a child a read a story about a man who devised a scheme to keep all the world’s clocks in sync. People thought him mad. Today you have to be mad to put up with an inaccurate clock or one that keeps forgetting its time every time it loses AC power or its batteries run down.

Vendors of Radio-Synched Clocks

•   WeatherBuffs.com atomic analog, digital, mantel clocks and watches
• Weather Connection atomic analog wall clocks atomic digital wall clocks atomic alarm clocks atomic watches
• The Clock Depot
• Radioworld Canada. Mostly small travel clocks.
• BRG Canada. Commecial clocks. Ethernet synched clocks. Building-synched clocks.

Desk and Wall Radio-Synched Clock Models

Wall Clocks
Model	Cost mindprod.com CurrCon international currency Applet needs Java installed for it to display prices in any world currency. mindprod.com CurrCon international currency Applet needs Java installed for it to display prices in any world currency.	Appearance	Notes
Oregon Scientific Atomic Digital Desk Clock	$29.00 CAD		MRM-983A. This exact model is no longer manufacturer, but there are several other models similar to it. Keeps accurate time by monitoring a radio signal from a US government atomic clock in Colorado. It also displays room temperature in Fahrenheit only. 12 or 24 hour digital display. 8.76 × 11.43 cm (3.45 × 4½ in). I have one on my desk. I watched it automatically leap an hour forward on the spring DST change. It made the change about 2:02 AM. It is very simple to use since other than setting the time and date to get it started, it stays in synch automatically. It has two alarms: The single alarm that goes off each day The weekday alarm that goes off each day that goes off only on Monday through Friday. You can figure out the buttons without the manual if you know that you press ALARM once to select W (or twice to select the S alarm) then press and hold ALARM for two seconds to enter alarm setting mode.
Honeywell Atomic Digital Wall Clock	$40.00 USD		Model RCW33W. Keeps accurate time by monitoring a radio signal from a US government atomic clock in Colorado. It also displays temperature inside and out using an included remote sensor. 12 or 24 hour digital display. 28.58 × 17.14 cm (11¼ × 6¾ in)
Lacrosse Atomic Analog Wood Wall Clock	$23.00 USD		Model WT-3122J. Wood. Keeps accurate time by monitoring a radio signal from a US government atomic clock in Colorado. 12 hour analogy display. No temperature display. 30.48 cm (12 in) diameter.
Lacrosse Atomic Digital Wall Clock	$40.00 USD		La Crosse Model WS-8117OAK-IT Keeps accurate time by monitoring a radio signal from a US government atomic clock in Colorado. It also displays temperature inside and out using an included remote sensor. 12 or 24 hour digital display. It also computes the phase of the moon. 20.32 × 30.99 cm (8 × 12.20 in)
Lacrosse Atomic Plastic Analog Wall Clock	$25.00 USD		La Crosse WT-3144P. Plastic. Keeps accurate time by monitoring a radio signal from a US government atomic clock in Colorado. 12 hour analogy display. No temperature display. 35.56 cm (14 in) diameter.