atomic clocks

[retro-man]

I have a couple of these clocks around the house. Since the new year they have only picked up a signal once like on jan 2. This is the last time they have recieved a signal. They try numerous times during the day and night. I have moved them to different locations through the house and still no signal. A friend of mine is having the same problem about 3 miles from me. Nothing has changed in the house electronic wise. I am in southern NH. Anyone else having an issue with their clocks? Makes me wonder what is going on in the airwaves that is preventing this reception.
Jon

 

[sudsmaster]

They can be a bit fussy. And they seem to drain batteries faster than regular clocks.

I've found that they only work in certain positions in my home. Computers upset them, in particular.

They are, however, nice to have because when they work, they're very accurate.

 

[danmantn]

Yep, very fussy creatures...try to sit them as close to a window as possible. Leave it there for no less than 12 hours to see if they pick up the signal (usually in the middle of the night).

 

[mynameismiele]

They are ACCURATE man.
I readed in a book, the best atom clock is just leaping 1 second behind after 300 years.

 

[petek]

I have two and they work great. One is a plain round analog dial with hands and sweep second, like in a classroom and the other is a modern digital cube thing also with indoor/outdoor temp.
I found both of them at a liquidation place for about $10 each

 

[petek]

Love this clock, tell ya everything.
BTW the picture below it.. That is my granma circa 1918 chauffering Emily Pankhurst and her daughter to a Sufferagette rally in Manchester UK

 

[mielabor]

We had several of those, both at work and at home. They were unreliable: sometimes the hands started running round and round and then stopped but not always on the correct hour. The minutes and seconds were usually correct, but you had to guess the hour. We don't use them anymore.

 

[countryguy]

I have an atomic wall clock and wrist watch and both have been working fine since the new year. My watch updates every morning at 5:04 am EST.

Gary

 

[danmantn]

If the minutes were correct, but the hour wasn't, then somewhere there is usually a switch or setting function to indicate your time zone.

 

[danemodsandy]

What I Don't Understand...

...Is why so many people have to have atomic clocks.

It's not like anyone's on time for anything any more.

My late partner had atomic clocks everywhere, and I could never figure it out, because for all his insistence on knowing the time right down to the least fraction of a second, he had absolutely no respect for time, least of all anyone else's.

 

[mielabor]

@ DanManTN:

There was no switch or setting for the time zone. One had to set the hands to the nearest hour and then press the start button. The problem was that it tried to set the time several times a day and each time stopped at a different hour. The time could be off one hour, two hours or any other number of hours. It seemed that our clocks only used the minute/second information of the time signal broadcast.

@ Sandy:

Our motivation for installing these clocks at work is that they were supposed to adjust themselves automatically to summer or winter time, which they did (sometimes).

 

[toggleswitch2]

.

Oh Sandy, You are killing me! LOL. I bet it was a form of OCD tied to the hoarding.

Anyone have a clock collection? (now that's a stupid question around here)! Peropel have 5 or more of them! (clock collections).

Here is a clock from Milan Italy. The black dial rotates, pointer (red) is stationary. I bought it with my last $60 in Provinctown, Massachusetts while on vacation back in the early '80s

Quite different, eh?

 

[petek]

Well as much as I love my atomic clocks for the gadgety factor only there are enough clocks everywhere to know what time it is, besides I'm pretty good at judging time. I don't even wear a watch, other than maybe when the first LED ones came out in the 70s. Couldn't stand wearing it and I worked at the railroad for 30 years and never wore one and never will.

 

[foraloysius]

I have two atomic alarm clocks. The Philips (black one) is the older one. It was a birthday present many years ago. It eats batteries but I love it because it has a very delicate alarm tone that starts almost silent and then builds up. I bought the grey one as a back up because when the batteries of the Philips are low it seems to loose contact with the atomic clock. The grey one was very cheap, I believe it was around $12.-. I hate the noise it makes when it goes off.

 

[peterh770]

A clock just isn't a clock unless you have to wind it, it makes an audible tick-tock, and you have to mess with the pendulum to get it to keep time exactly. Someone said once that a house isn't a home unless there is a clock there beating the heart beat.

 

[sudsmaster]

Toggles,

Why am I not surprised you're a clock watcher?

;-)

I guess I'm a collector. Must have 20+ clocks... not all running... most are quartz type wall clocks. Have four atomic ones - One for the office area, one for the master bath (so I can see how late I'll be for work when I'm showering), one for the garage, and one for the back yard shop (it actually has a little glassed in compartment in the wall all its own).

Windup clocks are fine, if one has the time and patience to tend to them. I'd love to have a grand father's clock etc but really can't dispute that quartz rules as far as accuracy goes.

I wouldn't wear a wristwatch in college. Instead I got a good quality pocket watch (the type with a jeweled swiss movement and cover) and went by that for years. Then it slowed down and got a bit erratic, despite cleaning/adjusting etc. Been wearing a wrist watch ever since.

People can get very into collecting wristwatches. Have a buddy who deals in them... one can pack a LOT of $$$ in a collection in a relatively small space.

My favorite wristwatch? An intermediate sized (man's or woman's) Timex chronometer with Indiglo dial. Alas, the backlight died a couple years ago. I'd buy another one if I could find one!

Another favorite: A Martha Stewart branded small quartz dial alarm clock from Kmart with a simple stalk on the top for setting and cancelling the alarm. So simple and obvious and beats all the fancier designs hands down. I use it as a very reliable backup for the equally diminutive Timex clock radio.

 

[danmantn]

I think I'm nearing 30 vintage clocks. I use to insist that they were all run...but as I've traveled more and more I found it hard to keep up with them. I've set them to the proper 10 after 10 "V" shape format for displaying and removed the electricity/battery/windup.

 

[toggleswitch2]

What can I say Rich?
Sometimes you see a nice clock and just have to have it!

Electricl sesk closl
The dial says "sentinel".
"Arlington" was the name.
Model SD136
The E. Ingraham Co. Bristol, Conn.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Electric desk clock, that is!