June 23, 2004

Miracle and Wonder

We live in a marvelous time, friends. Thirty minutes ago I walked into Rite Aid to buy toothpaste. Fifteen minutes later I walked out with some toothepaste . . . and a digital alarm clock that sets itself to the NIST Atomic Clock in Boulder Colorodo! It was pretty cheap, and it has a thermometer to boot. I'm told that the NIST radio signal "is at its maximum strength from 12:00 am to 3:00 am . . . In most cases the clock will not receive and update its time until this time." I hope it works. Stay tuned!

Update: It worked! I had to take it to the back porch, though.

Posted by cradle at June 23, 2004 09:34 PM
Comments

Wow. So, NIST set your clock for you, using waves that propogate through the air? This is outlandish. First of all, are you sure these waves are safe and will not lead to death or injury? Secondly, do you trust these people to set your clock to the right time for you? What if they mean to work mischief? Thirdly, what if they set your alarm to PM instead of AM some day?

Posted by: at June 24, 2004 07:52 AM

Soon you'll find yourself more tired as you realize you've been working 12 hrs per day and sleeping just 4 hrs per night, as the agents of darkness laugh at you for your obedience to the clock that they control!

Or something like that...

Posted by: Pete Prodoehl at June 24, 2004 10:56 AM

Hot Damn! Your clock has a thermometer?

Posted by: Bob S at June 24, 2004 06:12 PM

So do you have to go to the back porch to make sure it's good?

Posted by: kan at June 24, 2004 06:31 PM

David here, reporting from my 67.3 °F room.

I think that, yes, the next time I want to synchronize the clock to WWVB, I'll need to take it outside. I'm still experimenting, though.

Posted by: David at June 24, 2004 07:59 PM

I love WWV! When I was a kid, I listened to it for hours.

beep-klunk-beep-klunk-beep-klunk-beep-klunk-beep-klunk-beep-klunk
klunk-klunk-klunk-kluk-klunk-klunk
At the the tone, Four hours, elevent minutes, coordinated universal time.
Aaaaaaaahhh-Uuuuuhhhhh-klunk-uuuuhhh-klunk-uuuuuhhh-klunk-uuuhhhh-klunk

http://www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/stations/wwv.au

Posted by: T* at June 28, 2004 10:21 PM
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