Got me a new Casio G-shock "Atomic/Solar" watch

Got me a new Casio G-shock \"Atomic/Solar\" watch

Well, my inexpensive Timex Triathalon watch was looking rather pitiful after several years of wear and tear, so I decided to seek out a replacement. I wanted to keep it under $90US so I went to a few places in town and looked at what they had to offer. I had owned 2 Casio watches in the past including a simple G-Shock model, with no fancy features, but boy have they changed! I settled on what I assume is a relatively new Casio G-shock watch:

Pic is from Casio.com


This particular model features Atomic Timekeeping (transmitted from Ft. Collins, Colorado) and is Solar Rechargable. It is designed to pick up a time calibration signal and update it's time setting in accordance with the signal. You can set it for "Auto Receive" and it will calibrate when the watch reaches 2:00AM, 3:00AM, 4:00AM and 5:00AM (in timekeeping mode), or you can simply set the time as you please. The watch contains a solar cell and a secondary rechargable battery (which is charged by the solar cell), and has a power level indicator. Other features on this watch are: World Time (30 cities 29 time zones), Time Recorder, 4 alarms (1 snooze alarm and hourly signal), Stopwatch, EL backlight (with Auto Light feature), Power Saving Mode (puts the watch in a sleep state when not in use), and finally 200 meter water resistance. Now to the real question, do I really need all these features in a watch? Heck no, but it sure has the cool factor! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
All in all a very cool hi-tech and rugged watch for under $80.00 retail (Target, Wal-Mart). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

Nice watch man! I have been looking at the same model on the internet. No place around here has em. Keep me updated on how you are liking it. I think I need one. dtsoll /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

Thanks. I got mine at Target yesterday, but I was just in Walmart this afternoon and saw that they just got the same model in stock. $2 bucks cheaper at Wally-World.

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

I've had the same model for a few months now. I set my other watches and clocks to it. The guys at work, though, say it belongs on a younger wrist than mine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

It may take awhile to sync-up to Colorado the first time but afterwards it never misses. I usually have it on in the pool and when I shower with no signs of humidity inside.

Mike-

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

Costco is selling a G-shock that looks similar. Price is very reasonsable. Of course, may not be same watch. Anybody elses see that watch at Costco? Bill

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

[ QUOTE ]
budlight said:It may take awhile to sync-up to Colorado the first time but afterwards it never misses. I usually have it on in the pool and when I shower with no signs of humidity inside.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine calibrated well overnight. Incidentally, last night I forgot that I had set the Power Save feature on, so this morning I nearly freaked because the screen was blank. No worries though, just move the watch and it comes out of sleep mode while still keeping perfect time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

Cosmic,
If ya don't mind me asking, what did ya have to give for it? My walmart doesn't have it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif At least a couple months ago they didn't. Maybe I'll have to check again. dtsoll /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Oops, I should have read your post a little closer, under 80 bucks.

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

[ QUOTE ]
dtsoll said:
Cosmic,
If ya don't mind me asking, what did ya have to give for it? My walmart doesn't have it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif At least a couple months ago they didn't. Maybe I'll have to check again. dtsoll /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I got mine at Target for $79.99, but I saw the exact same model at a local Walmart for $77.99. When I commented on it the sales associate over the counter said they just got them in.

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

It's the same model (GW-300) I got from Costco for $50 several months ago. It's nice when no one can challenge you when they ask what the exact time it is! A really nice, somewhat bulky, accurate, no-maintenance watch.

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

Question--does the atomic clock signal recieve feature only work in the continental US?
What if you go on a long trip overseas (like Europe), would you still get proper signal?

-Jason

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

I wear nothing but G-shocks and have since the first model was introduced when I was 15 years old. I grew up on the waterfront just off the Chesapeake bay (The Magothy River to be exact) a perfect waterproof watch territory, and these watches are definitely the best made anywhere. I still have my first one although it's getting harder to get replacement batteries for it. I a have a couple G- shocks, all work really well though the two older ones are so beat up that I only wear them to construction jobs, or stripping furniture, or spray finishing or welding, well you get the idea! My latest is the DW 6600 and it is now about five years old and looks new, its been in the oceans and gulfs of the country and all over, I was not suprised to see them on the wrists of many Special Operations members I've seen in photos and in person.

I own a few divers watches inculding a Bulova and one of the Luminox divers designed by Marathon, but I almost always wear the G-shock, all the features(I use em all too) and durability in one watch for that low price, very cool!!!

Later,
TSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

My question is what purpose the time memo is supposed to serve- it's an interesting feature, timestamping a date and time into memory, but it looks like it traded off a countdown timer, which would have been more useful to most people.

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

"Question--does the atomic clock signal recieve feature only work in the continental US?
What if you go on a long trip overseas (like Europe), would you still get proper signal?"

-Jason


Sometimes the signal won't make it to Chicago to update my Atomic Wall clock, so I don't think it will go around the world.

Nice watch! I want one!

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

[ QUOTE ]
flownosaj said:
Question--does the atomic clock signal recieve feature only work in the continental US?
What if you go on a long trip overseas (like Europe), would you still get proper signal?

[/ QUOTE ]

No chance. The signal is sent somewhere in the VLF band (for Germany, supposed to be available in most of central Europe, it's on 77.5 kHz) and usually has a range on the order of 1000 km. May be slightly more for the US. If you travel overseas, you'll need a different watch - there used to be one around that could tune in to 3 (IIRC) of these atomic clock signals.

Bye
Markus

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

[ QUOTE ]
flownosaj said:
Question--does the atomic clock signal recieve feature only work in the continental US?
What if you go on a long trip overseas (like Europe), would you still get proper signal?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, on this specific model you won't get the signal from Colorado if you're in Europe. The manual says that under good reception conditions, it is possible to get the signal within a 2000 mile (3000 kilometre) radius from Ft Collins. There's a small map in the manual which illustrates that you can get reception in the 50 United States, most of Canada, and most of Mexico. However, judging by the illustration, it doesn't look like you can get reception in the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

*Note* The manual states that best reception is in the middle of the night and that you may NOT get a clear reception inside or among buildings, inside a vehicle, near a construction site or airport, near high-tension power lines, among or behind mountains or if the watch is placed near household appliances. You have to place the watch near a window in a location where there are no metal objects in order to get the signal.

I set mine on Auto Receive, so each night I place the watch by the window, and by the next morning it's already calibrated. I live in a valley in western Georgia and there are lots of tall trees in my area, but so far it works fine.

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

[ QUOTE ]
Wingerr said:
My question is what purpose the time memo is supposed to serve- it's an interesting feature, timestamping a date and time into memory, but it looks like it traded off a countdown timer, which would have been more useful to most people.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, I too would have preferred a countdown timer. I haven't played with the Time Memo feature yet, but the manual says that you can store up to 30 records of current time and that you can use this feature to record the start time and end time of a particular event.

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

If it allowed you to put some alpha text in there it would be useful, but unless there's a specific need to record 30 occurrences of the same event, it'd be hard to remember just what was being logged.

Some descriptions of reception capability from the atomic watch thread

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

[ QUOTE ]
sotyakr said:
It's the same model (GW-300) I got from Costco for $50 several months ago. It's nice when no one can challenge you when they ask what the exact time it is! A really nice, somewhat bulky, accurate, no-maintenance watch.

[/ QUOTE ]


I saw the same watch too at Costco but was hesitant to get one so I didn't. I heard that the Waveceptor did not intercept any signal from Colorado and I assumed this one is not that much different. So, does it really pick up signal well?

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

I've had mine a couple of months. I wear it to bed, and there is only one night that it failed to receive a signal. It wasn't necessary since it was still exact, but I took it off, layed it on the window sill and started it's manual receive mode. I went back about 5 or 6 minutes later and found it had received.

I've only one complaint with it. I had a WaveCeptor before that wasn't solar. This one requires a great deal of effort to push the buttons due to the protective molding around the buttons. My earlier WaveCeptor was easy to push.

Re: Got me a new Casio G-shock

I've got one for a month or so, and I have a difficult time getting a signal. I have to place it facing up, next to a window, without any metal near it, facing east, only in the wee hours of the night...

Far from automatic.

I don't see any purpose for the time record feature.

The buttons on mine are very hard to push (recessed and protected by plastic) but I prefer the buttons this way. I had a watch that changed its time and date by itself, much more annoying.