Recently I ordered a new wristwatch; and it came today through the mail. From the picture, you can see I am not a fashionista. I prefer practicality.One of my quirks concerns time. I hate it; and I mean I HATE IT when the time on a clock that I am looking at is wrong. It's not that I am always super early or exactly on time for every event in my life - I just want the time on my watch to be as accurate as possible. Like I said - a quirk.
From the picture you can guess that the watch I bought is an atomic job. No longer do I have to sit in front of an HF radio, listening to WWV and making sure I hit that "set" button at precisely the right millisecond.
I guess this stems not only from my desire to keep an accurate log; but also from working satellites where if you're a few minutes off, you can miss the better part of a pass. This probably also has something to do with some kind of obsessive compulsive disorder - hi!
In any event it didn't cost me an arm and a leg. I got it through a discount catalog and got $10 off in addition to free shipping. What a deal!
No Rolex for W2LJ.
72 de W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Doesn't your cell phone do the same thing?
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. I have more atomic clocks than Chernobyl, and my computers all run NTP to sync them to atomic servers. I have a Timex wristwatch which is atomic synced like yours but has an analog readout, it is also solar powered which eliminates my other pet hate about clocks - changing the batteries.
ReplyDeleteI also like my transceivers to be accurate to what it says on the display. Pity Elecraft dropped the K3 external frequency reference option.
I have a similar type from Casio that also recharges itself via a small solar panel. Theoretically, it ought to keep accurate time forever with no interruptions for a battery change.
ReplyDeletePhenomenally as it is (to me), it updates itself every night with only a tiny handful of exceptions. Even managed to snag WWV for a reset while on a recent cruise near ZF2.
What'll they think of next...
Rob,
ReplyDeleteYou are 1000% correct. However, using my cellphone as a timepiece is akin to using a pocket watch. A pain in the butt! When I get deliveries at work and need to note the time; it's bothersome to reach for my cellphone, especially if my hands are full. I like to be able to look at my wrist and know that the time there is what it needs to be.
Julian & John ..... solar powered, eh? That is something I will have to keep my eyes peeled for next time.
Larry W2LJ
I use NTP to keep the computers updated as well.
ReplyDeleteThough, here in California my only atomic clock is part of a weather station, and I think it only once or twice has got a signal to set it self. Funny, I use that clock as an alarm to wake up since its battery and won't be affected by a power outage. The first time it got a signal I had the region set wrong so I was woke up a few hours early, :) (months after I bought it).
For a watch I've always bought Timex Iron Mans. They seem to lose only a couple seconds every six months or so and the batteries last a few years to where I'm ready for a new watch anyway. A handy thing is they do dual time zones, so I use local and UTC. Operating portable, hold down the button and switch to UTC time.
Jason - N6WBL