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Ask Slashdot: Alternatives To "Atomic" Clocks?
Tony Isaac writes: "Atomic" clocks that you can buy in stores synchronize time using the WWVB shortwave band from NIST in Boulder. The problem is, this signal is notoriously weak, making these clocks very sensitive to interference by other RF or electronic devices, or less-than-ideal reception conditions. In many locations, these clocks are never able to receive a time signal, making them no better at timekeeping than a cheap quartz clock. There are other ways to synchronize clock time: NTP over WiFi, GPS, or cellular. The cheapest clocks that use NTP over Wi-Fi cost around $400. Really? And while there are plenty of GPS-enabled smartwatches in the $100 price range, there don't seem to be any similar wall clocks. Are there any reasonably-priced wall clock alternatives, that use something other than shortwave to set the time?
No wait, it's still atomic
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
The Global Positioning System can do more than just tell you where you are. It can also tell you when you are.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
"Are there any reasonably-priced wall clock alternatives, that use something other than shortwave to set the time?"
Buy an Amazon fire for under 50$ or any cheap tablet and use one of the clock apps.
it is not about being that accurate. it is about being accurate and no need to set it ever.kinda convenient
As cheap as 50$ on ebay, some are GPS-disciplined. Small, available. About the same tech currently on the GPS satellites themselves.
If you don't need real hands, you can buy inexpensive Android tablets for $25. Or buy a $300 tablet with a cracked digitizer for $30 (make sure the display is fine) and stick it in screensaver mode. (You can use a bluetooth mouse to operate it.)
Oh, don't do this if you're married and the clock is for one of the "good" rooms. B-)
In the U.S. it is extremely accurate. Any analog clock with a regular synchronous motor or digital driven by line frequency will keep near perfect time if the power doesn't cut off.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
Clockmaker here, fix things like this for a living.
There is a simple analog battery movement with a secondary clock inside that resets the clock for DST and back again. They work well, are reasonably accurate and inexpensive. Pretty much a "replace single AA battery one a year and ignore it" movement. I have replaced several of the old "Atomic" movements with these.
If you want digital, we call them cell phones these days. :)
I think the problem that you're having with finding such a device is that it's simply not necessary at this point. People use their phones and such for the time. If they're buying an alarm clock, it's generally accurate enough as is, and if they're putting a wall clock up they're doing it for the ambiance as much as having the time available.
GPS indoors is iffy anyways.
Perhaps for home use, but after repeated requests, my office finally put up wall clocks in all of the conference rooms and common areas. They use some central syncing mechanism, but I'm not sure if it's wifi or proprietary radio.
WWVB transmits on 60KHz. This is longwave not shortwave - The wavelength is 5 kilometers.
To avoid seeing this message again, always shut down your computer properly by selecting Shut Down from the Start Menu.
... but I kept losing it.
Anyway. Pi 2, $70 screen, $20 case. 5v adapter. Done.
Or a burner phone.
Ex: AT&T GoPhone - Motorola Moto E, 8gb memory, no-contract, Android Lolipop 5.0: $29.99
That gets you a battery-backed clock with a nice LCD display that includes GPS, WiFI, and Cellular. Build a little wooden frame or something for it, run a long usb cord to power, and plug it in. I'm certain there are loads of "dashboard" or screensaver style apps that'll display a clock and keep the screen on.
I'm honestly not sure why people aren't abusing these things more. That's SUPER cheap for what you get.
You kids. in my day we used a schmitt trigger, a resistor, and a capacitor to keep time and we glad to have it. My grandfather used to feel his pulse and bang on a hollow log, so we had it easy. Atomic clocks. Luxury!
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Here's one on Etsy that can use NTP, GPS for $70. there's other for $30 out there if you google.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/2...
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
OP is obviously assuming that you'll leave the cell network connected to keep the time correct. That's the whole point of using a phone. Nobody is tracking a burner phone that has never been used, and even if somebody does bother to track it, what are they going to see?
-- Let us endeavor so to live that when we pass even the undertaker shall be sorry. -- M. Twain
Better still, make a Pi into a Stratum 1 server:
http://www.satsignal.eu/ntp/Ra...
$400? No way!
I think the problem that you're having with finding such a device is that it's simply not necessary at this point. People use their phones and such for the time. If they're buying an alarm clock, it's generally accurate enough as is, and if they're putting a wall clock up they're doing it for the ambiance as much as having the time available.
GPS indoors is iffy anyways.
I think it's sort of a step backwards when a meeting is nearing the end, someone asks what time it is, and we all have to dig something out of our pockets.
We could all leave them on the table, but they're often a distraction. It's hard to check the time without obviously checking the time, or worse your email.
We went from pocket watches, to wrist watches, back to pocket watches and lost wall clocks somewhere in there.
It's a minor convenience, but so were wrist watches in the first place.
This kind of thinking has killed the entire electronics industry, and is stifling innovation generally.
Why can't I buy an HD Radio/alarm clock for my bedside table? ("Nobody wants one, they use their 'smart' 'phones'," I'm told. So do you get up, open your eyes, so you can see the silly touch-screen to run things -- instead of having red LEDs (don't kill your night vision), a normal button for SNOOZE and a volume knob?) Why can't I replace my 10-year old DVR with another one that works with antenna broadcast? Same answer. Why do people use things like Instagram that don't even let you upload a picture from a normal PC? Same answer.
Lazy thinking like this is moving everything into the walled gardens of the megacompanies with oversight of the three-letter agencies, and sucking what little life remains in the do-it-yourself makerspace.