On Mon, 3/31/2025 6:00 AM, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 31/03/2025 in message <vsdk4l$3qqok$1@dont-email.me> wasbit wrote:

On 30/03/2025 13:19, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I see that WiFi clocks for home use are becoming available at last. My  "atomic" clocks fall in to two categories - "only works in the right  place at the right angle" and "works a dream". In my experience the  former are the cheap Chinese clocks

and the latter one clock bought 20  years ago when they had decent receivers and aerials.

I have found a couple of WiFi clocks that might suit. One from Ali  Express who will only let me sign up using Google or Facebook, the other  from Amazon which is 5 times the price plus £8 postage.

Does anybody here use one and willing to make a recommendation?

In the spirit of the group I could use an old tablet set to always on  and permanently plugged into a charger, not sure how long it might last  though.

What do you mean by wi-fi clock?
We have 4 radio controlled clocks ie in theory they should all show the correct time & update themselves without user intervention.
250mm Ø with the face being 220mm Ø so large & clear enough to be read at a distance. The garden one, under the carport, does go through AA batteries faster than the others probably 1 every 6 to 9 months.

My "Atomic" clocks are somewhat fussy, see my opening comments!

This one is 100uV at up to 1000km.
That should be enough to do it, and the transmitting antenna is omnidirectional. That is 60KHz (a little
less than double the quartz crystal in your digital watch or ATX computer RTC).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_from_NPL_%28MSF%29#The_'MSF_signal'_and_the_'Rugby_clock'

The one in Germany is 77KHz.

The design inside a clock, consists of a piece of Russian Ferrite
(other suppliers do not make that particular flavour of ferrite rod).
There is a tuned circuit, an LC fitted to the antenna. And that's
enough of an antenna for a 100uV signal. The integrated circuit
fitted in the clock, has to acquire that 100uV signal.

The scheme in North America is similar, except the signal strength
does not guarantee good reception at all times of the day. A Radio
clock in North America should be able to achieve a time fix once a day
(perhaps in the evening hours). Other times of the day, the signal
might be a little weak. Propagation may also differ between
summer and winter. The UK scheme is good all day.

If you don't have the piece of ferrite, you can use an ordinary "aircore coil of wire",
but the amount of wire required, is about the same size as a foot diameter
wall clock with a big face. Not exactly convenient. (There is a UK web site which contained pictures of a working wire coil.) But if for some
reason you lacked the piece of Russian ferrite, it's still possible
to wind your own coil antenna (and fit it with a capacitor to tune for
max signal at the intended frequency). I don't know how the Q of those
two schemes compare (the sharpness of the frequency response). That
ferrite makes a big difference.

Really, your atomic clock should have worked. You are not in North America where our signal does not meet the minimum at all times of the day. The LF signal penetrates buildings no problem at all. It is not a 2.4GHz or 5GHz
Wifi signal, it is only 60KHz and a relatively low frequency for RF. You would think that harmonics of line frequency would potentially interfere.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 05/04/2025 09:40, Paul wrote:

On Mon, 3/31/2025 6:00 AM, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 31/03/2025 in message <vsdk4l$3qqok$1@dont-email.me> wasbit wrote:

On 30/03/2025 13:19, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I see that WiFi clocks for home use are becoming available at last. My  "atomic" clocks fall in to two categories - "only works in the right  place at the right angle" and "works a dream". In my experience the  former are the cheap Chinese clocks

and the latter one clock bought 20  years ago when they had decent receivers and aerials.

I have found a couple of WiFi clocks that might suit. One from Ali  Express who will only let me sign up using Google or Facebook, the other  from Amazon which is 5 times the price plus £8 postage.

Does anybody here use one and willing to make a recommendation?

In the spirit of the group I could use an old tablet set to always on  and permanently plugged into a charger, not sure how long it might last  though.

What do you mean by wi-fi clock?
We have 4 radio controlled clocks ie in theory they should all show the correct time & update themselves without user intervention.
250mm Ø with the face being 220mm Ø so large & clear enough to be read at a distance. The garden one, under the carport, does go through AA batteries faster than the others probably 1 every 6 to 9 months.

My "Atomic" clocks are somewhat fussy, see my opening comments!

This one is 100uV at up to 1000km.
That should be enough to do it, and the transmitting antenna is omnidirectional. That is 60KHz (a little
less than double the quartz crystal in your digital watch or ATX computer RTC).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_from_NPL_%28MSF%29#The_'MSF_signal'_and_the_'Rugby_clock'

The one in Germany is 77KHz.

The design inside a clock, consists of a piece of Russian Ferrite
(other suppliers do not make that particular flavour of ferrite rod).
There is a tuned circuit, an LC fitted to the antenna. And that's
enough of an antenna for a 100uV signal. The integrated circuit
fitted in the clock, has to acquire that 100uV signal.

The scheme in North America is similar, except the signal strength
does not guarantee good reception at all times of the day. A Radio
clock in North America should be able to achieve a time fix once a day (perhaps in the evening hours). Other times of the day, the signal
might be a little weak. Propagation may also differ between
summer and winter. The UK scheme is good all day.

If you don't have the piece of ferrite, you can use an ordinary "aircore coil of wire",
but the amount of wire required, is about the same size as a foot diameter wall clock with a big face. Not exactly convenient. (There is a UK web site which contained pictures of a working wire coil.) But if for some
reason you lacked the piece of Russian ferrite, it's still possible
to wind your own coil antenna (and fit it with a capacitor to tune for
max signal at the intended frequency). I don't know how the Q of those
two schemes compare (the sharpness of the frequency response). That
ferrite makes a big difference.

Really, your atomic clock should have worked. You are not in North America where our signal does not meet the minimum at all times of the day. The LF signal penetrates buildings no problem at all. It is not a 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wifi signal, it is only 60KHz and a relatively low frequency for RF. You would
think that harmonics of line frequency would potentially interfere.

Paul

If you have wifi the 60kHZ clock is simply irrelevant.

Boot up a PI ZERO W, and it will acquire 'internet time' and 'know'
about time zones
Couple it up to a 5 digit display of some kind - or indeed some stepper motors..
..and you have a better than a few ms clock.



--
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and
wrong.

H.L.Mencken

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:

If you have wifi the 60kHZ clock is simply irrelevant.

Boot up a PI ZERO W, and it will acquire 'internet time' and 'know'
about time zones
Couple it up to a 5 digit display of some kind - or indeed some stepper motors..
..and you have a better than a few ms clock.

The trouble with such things is power. If you want a wall clock you have
to provide a power supply to keep it powered all the time, which means
running a wire. If it had a battery it would run down in a few days. I
don't think you want to add the clock to the ever lengthening list of things you need to keep charged.

I expect you could do something similar with something like an ESP32 that
goes to sleep for 59 seconds of every minute, waking up just to update the display and then going back to sleep again, syncing with the internet
perhaps once a day. But unless somebody has already implemented that it's
not exactly a ten minute programming exercise.

I expect the commercial 'wifi clocks' do roughly the same thing.

Theo

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <vsqq99$1r7d2$1@dont-email.me>, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> scribeth thus

On Mon, 3/31/2025 6:00 AM, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 31/03/2025 in message <vsdk4l$3qqok$1@dont-email.me> wasbit wrote:

On 30/03/2025 13:19, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I see that WiFi clocks for home use are becoming available at last. My� >"atomic" clocks fall in to two categories - "only works in the right� place at >the right angle" and "works a dream". In my experience the� former are the cheap

Chinese clocks and the latter one clock bought 20� years ago when they had >decent receivers and aerials.

I have found a couple of WiFi clocks that might suit. One from Ali� Express

who will only let me sign up using Google or Facebook, the other� from Amazon >which is 5 times the price plus �8 postage.

Does anybody here use one and willing to make a recommendation?

In the spirit of the group I could use an old tablet set to always on� and >permanently plugged into a charger, not sure how long it might last� though. >>>>

What do you mean by wi-fi clock?
We have 4 radio controlled clocks ie in theory they should all show the >correct time & update themselves without user intervention.
250mm � with the face being 220mm � so large & clear enough to be read at a >distance. The garden one, under the carport, does go through AA batteries faster

than the others probably 1 every 6 to 9 months.

My "Atomic" clocks are somewhat fussy, see my opening comments!

This one is 100uV at up to 1000km.
That should be enough to do it, and the transmitting antenna is omnidirectional.
That is 60KHz (a little
less than double the quartz crystal in your digital watch or ATX computer RTC).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_from_NPL_%28MSF%29#The_'MSF_signal'_and_th
e_'Rugby_clock'

Now moved to Anthorn in Cumbria some time ago and as its further away
from places like London the signal isn't quite as good as it once was...

The one in Germany is 77KHz.

The design inside a clock, consists of a piece of Russian Ferrite
(other suppliers do not make that particular flavour of ferrite rod).
There is a tuned circuit, an LC fitted to the antenna. And that's
enough of an antenna for a 100uV signal. The integrated circuit
fitted in the clock, has to acquire that 100uV signal.

The scheme in North America is similar, except the signal strength
does not guarantee good reception at all times of the day. A Radio
clock in North America should be able to achieve a time fix once a day >(perhaps in the evening hours). Other times of the day, the signal
might be a little weak. Propagation may also differ between
summer and winter. The UK scheme is good all day.

If you don't have the piece of ferrite, you can use an ordinary "aircore coil of
wire",
but the amount of wire required, is about the same size as a foot diameter >wall clock with a big face. Not exactly convenient. (There is a UK web site >which contained pictures of a working wire coil.) But if for some
reason you lacked the piece of Russian ferrite, it's still possible
to wind your own coil antenna (and fit it with a capacitor to tune for
max signal at the intended frequency). I don't know how the Q of those
two schemes compare (the sharpness of the frequency response). That
ferrite makes a big difference.

Really, your atomic clock should have worked. You are not in North America >where our signal does not meet the minimum at all times of the day. The LF >signal penetrates buildings no problem at all. It is not a 2.4GHz or 5GHz >Wifi signal, it is only 60KHz and a relatively low frequency for RF. You would >think that harmonics of line frequency would potentially interfere.

Paul

--
Tony Sayer


Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.

Give him a keyboard, and he will reveal himself.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Theo wrote:

If you want a wall clock you have to provide a power supply to keep
it powered all the time, which means running a wire.

Surprised MK still sell these, only one I remember seeing was above the
mantel in my parents' 1968 house.

<https://tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK0995.html>

Dad made an octagonal clock from a sheet of plywood with matchsticks as
roman numerals.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Theo wrote:

If you want a wall clock you have to provide a power supply to keep
it powered all the time, which means running a wire.

Surprised MK still sell these, only one I remember seeing was above the mantel in my parents' 1968 house.

<https://tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK0995.html>

Dad made an octagonal clock from a sheet of plywood with matchsticks as
roman numerals.

Those would actually be quite neat for wall mounted things that need power, like TVs and smart widgets. The downside is they tend to be quite ephemeral and not worth chiselling up the wall for. But maybe in these days of dry lining everything it wouldn't be implausible to fish a wire behind the dot
and dab.

Theo

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 06/04/2025 in message <auh*Dsj-z@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo wrote:

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Theo wrote:

If you want a wall clock you have to provide a power supply to keep
it powered all the time, which means running a wire.

Surprised MK still sell these, only one I remember seeing was above the >>mantel in my parents' 1968 house.

<https://tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK0995.html>

Dad made an octagonal clock from a sheet of plywood with matchsticks as >>roman numerals.

Those would actually be quite neat for wall mounted things that need power, >like TVs and smart widgets. The downside is they tend to be quite
ephemeral
and not worth chiselling up the wall for. But maybe in these days of dry >lining everything it wouldn't be implausible to fish a wire behind the dot >and dab.

Theo

I have a 12" Acctim radio controlled wall clock in the kitchen. Runs on 1
x AA battery, changed annually, worked perfectly form day 1.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
George Washington was a British subject until well after his 40th birthday. (Margaret Thatcher, speech at the White House 17 December 1979)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 06/04/2025 11:19, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 06/04/2025 in message <auh*Dsj-z@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo
wrote:

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Theo wrote:

If you want a wall clock you have to provide a power supply to keep
it powered all the time, which means running a wire.

Surprised MK still sell these, only one I remember seeing was above the
mantel in my parents' 1968 house.

<https://tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK0995.html>

Dad made an octagonal clock from a sheet of plywood with matchsticks as
roman numerals.

Those would actually be quite neat for wall mounted things that need
power,
like TVs and smart widgets.  The downside is they tend to be quite
ephemeral
and not worth chiselling up the wall for.  But maybe in these days of dry >> lining everything it wouldn't be implausible to fish a wire behind the
dot
and dab.

Theo

I have a 12" Acctim radio controlled wall clock in the kitchen. Runs on
1 x AA battery, changed annually, worked perfectly form day 1.

My quartz clocks are not radio controlled and run on a battery. But
since they need resetting every 6 months anyway, I am not overly
bothered about their accuracy

--
“Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”

H.L. Mencken, A Mencken Chrestomathy

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

My Ali Express WiFi clock arrived at lunchtime:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007538965861.html

I hadn't expected it would be a kit! 4 bits of transparent plastic, the
actual working bit and some stand offs and screws. I think I know why the Chinese are so clever, there were no instructions and I expect it would
have taken a Chinese toddler 5 minutes but I took half an hour.

Anyway, plug if in (you need your own USB lead and power supply) and it
sprang into life. I managed to follow the instruction on the web page to connect to its built in server to give it my WiFi details (presumably now stored in the Chinese equivalent of the Kremlin) whereupon it put itself
to the correct time, presumably in China - the minutes were correct but
the hour miles out.

I had a devil of a job setting the time zone. It was set to 0 but refused
to change. Long story short, change it to something else then back to 0
and you're in business.

I paid around �10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues
to work that is a bargain in my book.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
How does a gender neutral bog differ from a unisex bog ?
It has a non-binary number on the door.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 07/04/2025 17:29, Jeff Gaines wrote:

My Ali Express WiFi clock arrived at lunchtime:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007538965861.html

I hadn't expected it would be a kit! 4 bits of transparent plastic, the actual working bit and some stand offs and screws. I think I know why
the Chinese are so clever, there were no instructions and I expect it
would have taken a Chinese toddler 5 minutes but I took half an hour.

Anyway, plug if in (you need your own USB lead and power supply) and it sprang into life. I managed to follow the instruction on the web page to connect to its built in server to give it my WiFi details (presumably
now stored in the Chinese equivalent of the Kremlin) whereupon it put
itself to the correct time, presumably in China - the minutes were
correct but the hour miles out.

I had a devil of a job setting the time zone. It was set to 0 but
refused to change. Long story short, change it to  something else then
back to 0 and you're in business.

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues
to work that is a bargain in my book.

Why?

--
Jim the Geordie

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 07/04/2025 in message <vt0vgq$3cf9a$2@paganini.bofh.team> Jim the
Geordie wrote:

On 07/04/2025 17:29, Jeff Gaines wrote:

My Ali Express WiFi clock arrived at lunchtime:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007538965861.html

I hadn't expected it would be a kit! 4 bits of transparent plastic, the >>actual working bit and some stand offs and screws. I think I know why the >>Chinese are so clever, there were no instructions and I expect it would >>have taken a Chinese toddler 5 minutes but I took half an hour.

Anyway, plug if in (you need your own USB lead and power supply) and it >>sprang into life. I managed to follow the instruction on the web page to >>connect to its built in server to give it my WiFi details (presumably now >>stored in the Chinese equivalent of the Kremlin) whereupon it put itself >>to the correct time, presumably in China - the minutes were correct but >>the hour miles out.

I had a devil of a job setting the time zone. It was set to 0 but refused >>to change. Long story short, change it to  something else then back to 0 >>and you're in business.

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues >>to work that is a bargain in my book.

Why?

Why what?

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
Roses are #FF0000, violets are #0000FF
if you can read this, you're a nerd 10.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Jeff Gaines <jgnewsid@outlook.com> wrote:

My Ali Express WiFi clock arrived at lunchtime:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007538965861.html

I hadn't expected it would be a kit! 4 bits of transparent plastic, the actual working bit and some stand offs and screws. I think I know why the Chinese are so clever, there were no instructions and I expect it would
have taken a Chinese toddler 5 minutes but I took half an hour.

Anyway, plug if in (you need your own USB lead and power supply) and it sprang into life. I managed to follow the instruction on the web page to connect to its built in server to give it my WiFi details (presumably now stored in the Chinese equivalent of the Kremlin) whereupon it put itself
to the correct time, presumably in China - the minutes were correct but
the hour miles out.

I had a devil of a job setting the time zone. It was set to 0 but refused
to change. Long story short, change it to something else then back to 0
and you're in business.

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues
to work that is a bargain in my book.

So that's an ESP32, a display, an RTC chip with button cell for timekeeping, but no battery. ie it needs USB power at all times, they haven't bothered making it low power to run off its own battery. Fine if you want a desk
clock, I suppose the LED display is going to chew through power anyway so
not much point battery powering it.

Theo

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 07/04/2025 in message <auh*xqq-z@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk> Theo wrote:

Jeff Gaines <jgnewsid@outlook.com> wrote:

My Ali Express WiFi clock arrived at lunchtime:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007538965861.html

I hadn't expected it would be a kit! 4 bits of transparent plastic, the >>actual working bit and some stand offs and screws. I think I know why the >>Chinese are so clever, there were no instructions and I expect it would >>have taken a Chinese toddler 5 minutes but I took half an hour.

Anyway, plug if in (you need your own USB lead and power supply) and it >>sprang into life. I managed to follow the instruction on the web page to >>connect to its built in server to give it my WiFi details (presumably now >>stored in the Chinese equivalent of the Kremlin) whereupon it put itself
to the correct time, presumably in China - the minutes were correct but
the hour miles out.

I had a devil of a job setting the time zone. It was set to 0 but refused >>to change. Long story short, change it to something else then back to 0 >>and you're in business.

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues >>to work that is a bargain in my book.

So that's an ESP32, a display, an RTC chip with button cell for
timekeeping,
but no battery. ie it needs USB power at all times, they haven't bothered >making it low power to run off its own battery. Fine if you want a desk >clock, I suppose the LED display is going to chew through power anyway so
not much point battery powering it.

Theo

All my LED clocks are mains powered, presumably as you say to power the display.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
The first five days after the weekend are the hardest.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 07/04/2025 17:50, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 07/04/2025 in message <vt0vgq$3cf9a$2@paganini.bofh.team> Jim the
Geordie wrote:

On 07/04/2025 17:29, Jeff Gaines wrote:

My Ali Express WiFi clock arrived at lunchtime:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007538965861.html

I hadn't expected it would be a kit! 4 bits of transparent plastic,
the actual working bit and some stand offs and screws. I think I know
why  the Chinese are so clever, there were no instructions and I
expect it  would have taken a Chinese toddler 5 minutes but I took
half an hour.

Anyway, plug if in (you need your own USB lead and power supply) and
it sprang into life. I managed to follow the instruction on the web
page to connect to its built in server to give it my WiFi details
(presumably  now stored in the Chinese equivalent of the Kremlin)
whereupon it put  itself to the correct time, presumably in China -
the minutes were  correct but the hour miles out.

I had a devil of a job setting the time zone. It was set to 0 but
refused to change. Long story short, change it to  something else
then  back to 0 and you're in business.

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it
continues to work that is a bargain in my book.

Why?

Why what?

Why this clock when every device in the home and pocket has a clock in it?



--
Jim the Geordie

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 07/04/2025 in message <vt15g0$3cf9b$2@paganini.bofh.team> Jim the
Geordie wrote:

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues >>>>to work that is a bargain in my book.

Why?

Why what?

Why this clock when every device in the home and pocket has a clock in it?

Because I want a clock that sits on the side and shows the time.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day.
Tomorrow, isn't looking good either.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 07/04/2025 17:29, Jeff Gaines wrote:

My Ali Express WiFi clock arrived at lunchtime:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007538965861.html

I hadn't expected it would be a kit! 4 bits of transparent plastic, the actual working bit and some stand offs and screws. I think I know why
the Chinese are so clever, there were no instructions and I expect it
would have taken a Chinese toddler 5 minutes but I took half an hour.

Anyway, plug if in (you need your own USB lead and power supply) and it sprang into life. I managed to follow the instruction on the web page to connect to its built in server to give it my WiFi details (presumably
now stored in the Chinese equivalent of the Kremlin) whereupon it put
itself to the correct time, presumably in China - the minutes were
correct but the hour miles out.

I had a devil of a job setting the time zone. It was set to 0 but
refused to change. Long story short, change it to  something else then
back to 0 and you're in business.

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues
to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.


--
Regards
wasbit

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 08/04/2025 in message <vt3aji$2cnem$2@dont-email.me> wasbit wrote:

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues >>to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.

Usenet never changes does it -)

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 08/04/2025 15:24, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 08/04/2025 in message <vt3aji$2cnem$2@dont-email.me> wasbit wrote:

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it
continues to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.

Usenet never changes does it -)

Cost me a fiver in fuel to get to lidl and find they don't have one

--
Of what good are dead warriors? … Warriors are those who desire battle
more than peace. Those who seek battle despite peace. Those who thump
their spears on the ground and talk of honor. Those who leap high the
battle dance and dream of glory … The good of dead warriors, Mother, is
that they are dead.
Sheri S Tepper: The Awakeners.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 08/04/2025 in message <vt3q92$2qsta$1@dont-email.me> The Natural
Philosopher wrote:

On 08/04/2025 15:24, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 08/04/2025 in message <vt3aji$2cnem$2@dont-email.me> wasbit wrote:

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues >>>>to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.

Usenet never changes does it -)

Cost me a fiver in fuel to get to lidl and find they don't have one

And I don't want an analogue clock :-)

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do or
say nothing. (Edmund Burke)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 08/04/2025 20:00, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 08/04/2025 in message <vt3q92$2qsta$1@dont-email.me> The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 08/04/2025 15:24, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 08/04/2025 in message <vt3aji$2cnem$2@dont-email.me> wasbit wrote:

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it
continues to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.

Usenet never changes does it -)

Cost me a fiver in fuel to get to lidl and find they don't have one

And I don't want an analogue clock :-)

Well I dont want ANOTHER one. I have at least 5....
--
The New Left are the people they warned you about.

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On 08/04/2025 15:07, wasbit wrote:

On 07/04/2025 17:29, Jeff Gaines wrote:

My Ali Express WiFi clock arrived at lunchtime:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007538965861.html

I hadn't expected it would be a kit! 4 bits of transparent plastic,
the actual working bit and some stand offs and screws. I think I know
why the Chinese are so clever, there were no instructions and I expect
it would have taken a Chinese toddler 5 minutes but I took half an hour.

Anyway, plug if in (you need your own USB lead and power supply) and
it sprang into life. I managed to follow the instruction on the web
page to connect to its built in server to give it my WiFi details
(presumably now stored in the Chinese equivalent of the Kremlin)
whereupon it put itself to the correct time, presumably in China - the
minutes were correct but the hour miles out.

I had a devil of a job setting the time zone. It was set to 0 but
refused to change. Long story short, change it to  something else then
back to 0 and you're in business.

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it
continues to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.

Do the current Lidl radio-controlled clocks (being German) sync with
Athorn? Older ones only synced with Mainflingen and struggled to get
signal in some parts of the UK.

--
Reentrant

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On 09/04/2025 in message
<3D6dnYyNacoTxmv6nZ2dnZfqnPudnZ2d@brightview.co.uk> Reentrant wrote:

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it continues >>>to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.

Do the current Lidl radio-controlled clocks (being German) sync with
Athorn? Older ones only synced with Mainflingen and struggled to get
signal in some parts of the UK.

The Chinese one I have is WiFi not radio controlled which is why I was so pleased to find it - and at a good price!

When I lived in Pewsey none of my radio controlled clocks could pick up a signal (army territory, lots of conspiracy theories as to why!). It is
better here but I still have a situation where if they are one side of the
bed they will work but not the other side.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
You can't tell which way the train went by looking at the tracks

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On Wed, 4/9/2025 8:43 AM, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 09/04/2025 in message <3D6dnYyNacoTxmv6nZ2dnZfqnPudnZ2d@brightview.co.uk> Reentrant wrote:

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it  continues to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.

Do the current Lidl radio-controlled clocks (being German) sync with Athorn? Older ones only synced with Mainflingen and struggled to get signal in some parts of the UK.

The Chinese one I have is WiFi not radio controlled which is why I was so pleased to find it - and at a good price!

When I lived in Pewsey none of my radio controlled clocks could pick up a signal (army territory, lots of conspiracy theories as to why!). It is better here but I still have a situation where if they are one side of the bed they will work but not the

other side.


The implication here, is with the radio clock, you
can extend the LC antenna assembly, away from the
unit, for antenna positioning.

https://www.galsys.co.uk/time-reference/gps-and-ntp/ntp-server-reference-source.html

Paul

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On 13/04/2025 in message <vtfh2k$2606t$1@dont-email.me> Paul wrote:

On Wed, 4/9/2025 8:43 AM, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 09/04/2025 in message >><3D6dnYyNacoTxmv6nZ2dnZfqnPudnZ2d@brightview.co.uk> Reentrant wrote:

I paid around £10 (it's shown at a higher price now) and if it  >>>>>continues to work that is a bargain in my book.

Yeh, but they are £7.99 for an 8" dial in Lidl's middle aisle.

Do the current Lidl radio-controlled clocks (being German) sync with >>>Athorn? Older ones only synced with Mainflingen and struggled to get >>>signal in some parts of the UK.

The Chinese one I have is WiFi not radio controlled which is why I was so >>pleased to find it - and at a good price!

When I lived in Pewsey none of my radio controlled clocks could pick up a >>signal (army territory, lots of conspiracy theories as to why!). It is >>better here but I still have a situation where if they are one side of the >>bed they will work but not the other side.

The implication here, is with the radio clock, you
can extend the LC antenna assembly, away from the
unit, for antenna positioning.

https://www.galsys.co.uk/time-reference/gps-and-ntp/ntp-server-reference-source.html

Paul

The article is not about radio clocks it's about NTP clocks which is what
I bought from Ali Express.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
This mess is what happens when you elect a Labour government, in the end
they will always run out of other people's money to spend.
(Margaret Thatcher on her election in 1979)

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