Clocks - DST

My wife and I both appreciate clocks, and so we have quite a few. Actually, we have a BUNCH of clocks. It's nice having them around, except for two days of the year. When it comes time to adjust to DST or turn them back to normal time, it's a major chore.

We'll, I've probably got a quarter of them changed, so far. Some are radio controlled atomic clocks and will change themselves. Some are more delicate or heirloom type clocks that my wife has received as gifts. She gets to change those, since my handling of them would likely make her nervous; she claims I experiment too much with things.

Anyway, I'd say we have over a hundred clocks to change. Is anyone else in the same situation?

A 100 clocks! WOW!

I wish! I love clocks, but have only a few. I have a beloved 8 day Seth Thomas pendulum school house clock that I had rebuilt a few years ago. I grew up with the tick-tock of a pendulum clock, and was overjoyed to have it back again. (My parents gave my wife and I the Seth Thomas for an engagement present.) It keeps pretty good time, too, for a pendulum clock, although I fiddle with the pendulum setting regularly to keep it under a minute +/- a week.

I would really like to get a GPS "star" clock someday, but that will likely never happen. I'm not too keen on the radio controlled "atomic" clocks, though. I've read too many reviews where people said they couldn't get theirs to work right.

One of the things that really frustrates me is that it seems that there is no good quartz wall clock available. The "good" ones that cost a lot, just have fancy walnut or brushed metal bodies, but still the same cheapo plastic AA bat movement made in china. I would pay good money for a really good quality quartz wall clock, but I can't find any. Empath? Any suggestions? Also, tell us about the different clocks in your house. Which ones are your favorites?

I was just about to post about changing your clocks (setting them back one hour) at bedtime tonight or at 2:00am tomorrow if you stay up late. But I see I got beaten to it this year. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I've only got a handful of clocks to worry about. The one on the wall above the TV never got "sprung ahead" last April, so I don't have to worry about that one this time around. And the one on the wall above this computer has a dead battery (or no battery) in it, so it's read 9:46 all year. There are 4 clocks in the bedroom I'll have to change, plus my LED watch. And I think the computers both change themselves, so I don't have to {vulgar term for intercourse} with them.

I've got it EASY compared to Empath and his wife.
Now, if clocks were as numerous here as flashlights or used up old insulators, the tables would be turned. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
js said:
One of the things that really frustrates me is that it seems that there is no good quartz wall clock available. The "good" ones that cost a lot, just have fancy walnut or brushed metal bodies, but still the same cheapo plastic AA bat movement made in china. I would pay good money for a really good quality quartz wall clock, but I can't find any. Empath? Any suggestions? Also, tell us about the different clocks in your house. Which ones are your favorites?

[/ QUOTE ]

I found these:
GERMAN EUROSHAFT QUARTZ CLOCK MOVEMENTS
Precision made high quality German movement
here

js

I've been using Klockit quartz movements for years, probably a dozen clocks, no problems. I have two "Atomic" movements from them and since the NIST transmitter boosted it's power a couple years ago they work fine here in Central Maryland. Buy a movement, a face, some hands, make a box and hang on wall. If significant other doesn't like it suprise a relitive with a Holiday gift.

Now is it "Spring forward and seize it, Fall back in fear" or "Spring back in shock, Fall forward on your face"??

Oh well, I'll just set the rest of the clocks in the house to whatever my "Atomic Wristwatch" sez...

We have an original Synchronome central impulse clock system at work. Synchronome used to be a very famous clockmakers in this country, and the company I work for used to be Synchronome at one point, hence why we have the system in our little 1000sq.ft unit! Anyways, this time of year is a real pain for me, because the only way to turn back an impuse clock system by an hour is to shut it off for an hour. It only goes forward in half minute increments, and the wear&tear on the movements would be too much to pulse them forwards really quickly, not to mention the fact that they`d all go out of sync. The fastest they can go is one pulse per 2 seconds so it`s easier and quieter just to turn it off. Last year I was so busy during the off-period that I forgot to turn it back on at the right time and had to pulse it all forwards three hours! takes long enough pulsing forwards an hour in the spring.

Master-clock systems were/are great, but it`s no wonder they fell out of favor over the years....

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

I remember the clocks in my elementary school were all somehow tied to a "master clock" in the principal's office. If I remember correctly, they were Seth-Thomas brand, and the hands would whirl around pretty quickly when the master clock in the office was set to a different time; such as after a power failure. So all the clocks in the classrooms would all read the same time as the master clock in the office.

They still use master clocks...they're just digital /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Empath,

I never suspected that you were a clockaholic. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Brightnorm

[ QUOTE ]
doubleganger said:
[ QUOTE ]
js said:
I found these:
GERMAN EUROSHAFT QUARTZ CLOCK MOVEMENTS


[/ QUOTE ]

A name that inspires confidence

BN

Hmmmm ... I only have 14 clocks in this 900 sq. ft. apartment, and three of those will autoset to the proper time. That means only 11 clocks to set and 5 wristwatches ...

I have never gone out of my way to buy clocks...

But between VCRs, Clock Radios, Pagers, Cell Phones etc...

It's still a bit of a job twice a year!

[ QUOTE ]
brightnorm said:
Empath,
I never suspected that you were a clockaholic. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Brightnorm

[/ QUOTE ]
At least I've never been accused of having that addiction, but I have been labled a "clockbug" by friends and neighbors when they see some of my 150 or so watches and clocks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
-How about "horoholic" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My elementary school had slave clocks in the classrooms driven by a master clock in the principal's office too. It was built in the early 1900s by IBM. The master was a temperature compensated pendulum clock and it was a thing of beauty. It was in a hardwood case on the wall with a glass door. About four feet high and two feet wide, if I remember correctly.

The power used to go off for a few minutes or more every time there was a thunderstorm. On the fiftyninth minute of each hour the slaves would catch up with the master. The minute hand would jump ahead one minute each second until it caught up. You could hear the buzz of the relay when it pulled in and you could hear the click when it released and the minute hand jumped.

This would so distract the students that the teacher would have to turn around and watch the clock too.

I like those cheap plastic clock movements. They keep excellent time in my experience. I dropped one on the floor once. The case cracked and a bunch of nylon gears spilled out. I managed to put the gears back where they belonged. I closed the case and secured it with scotch tape. It worked as good as new. Try that with your Rolex!

It hung on my wall for many years and I don't know if I ever had to set it. It would run a bit fast in the winter and gain as much as two minutes. But the next summer it would run slow and lose the two minutes.

Can I just say here (again) that I simply hate the whole concept of DST? This is one of those things, that get me all wound up (intended) for some reason. Just set the stupid time to the best compromise for the year, and LEAVE IT THERE! I see no advantage in making it lighter in the evening every summer and then lighter in the morning for winter. If your livelihood depends on daylight, then you just adjust your sleep and wake times appropriately.

I wonder how much productivity is lost because of screwed up time twice a year? And like Empath, I have LOTS of clocks. They're everywhere these days. I'd probably have less to complain about if they were all Atomically/radio set... but knowing me, I'd still complain.

[/rant]

I'm with you Darell. But it seems most people want to be told what to do by the powers that be, so I don't see DST going away until the revolution. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Speaking of lost productivity, I wonder how many battles have been lost because the lieutenant told the sargeant to charge up that hill at 0400 hours, etc.

And speaking of stupid, where I used to work everyone had to sign in and out at the guard's desk using "military" time. So most everyone had to ask the guard what the hell time it was in 24 hour time. Not only hundreds of engineers but dozens and dozens of quasi-legal immigrants on the cleaning staff at night that couldn't speak english. And this was the world's second largest defense contractor.

Sometimes you only have to walk in the front door to tell how badly managed a company is.

I concur with Darell. DST is a PITA! Frankly, I would be happier still if the world went to GMT/CUT!

Larry

There! I'm finally done, I think. Everything changed except 13 atomic clocks, the computer, and the cell phone. The computer will adjust itself, and the cell provider sends the time to the phone.

I'n no expert on clocks; I just have a bunch. As far as wall clocks go, I think most all of them nowadays are quartz, except for the really fine ones, which keep time by pendulums and mechanical gears. It's interesting that the cheap 4.99 special from walmart keeps better time than the $2000 grandfather clocks with precision craftsmanship. Of course your reason for having a fine crafted clock involves more than just wanting to tell time.

Quartz timing has actually changed the face of clockmaking. In the past if you were to acquire a used clock, you could almost count on it needing a great deal of expensive or time-consuming work. Today, you could buy a clock at Goodwill, a yard sale or a second hand shop, and it's likely it'll perform as good as new.

What's puzzling about wall clocks is that the manufacturers seem to think having a second hand is desirable. The quartz timing system is great; you might get accuracy as good as one or two seconds a month. But, with a second hand, one or two seconds a month isn't good enough. What appears imperfect with a second hand, appears perfect without. When I get a new wall clock, unless it's value in mint condition needs to be maintained, I remove the second hand. Even if it loses or gains 5 seconds a month, it'll be a year before I'd notice the minute.

I forgot all about the clock in the TV, and the one in the cellular telephone... oops!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
Might as well change the one on the TV now, and wait till tomorrow to see if the cell phone changed by itself.