# A broken digital clock is still right 14 times a day, apparently **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 6, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638 "2012-01-06T17:17:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/1 "2012-01-06T17:17:56Z")
The digital clock in my kitchen went crazy and it took me weeks to figure out what was going on. It was nearly always accurate, but sometimes it was an hour off. And not a consistent hour either; sometimes it was exactly one hour fast and sometimes it was exactly one hour slow. Caused all kinds of shenanigans and was a hell of a mystery. How on Earth does an electronic device do that? In the 3 o’clock hour, I’d glance up at it and it’d be fine. Matched my watch. I’d wander through the kitchen again in the 4 o’clock hour and it was right. Same with the 5 o’clock hour. But then I’d be making dinner at 6:15 and I’d see that the clock claimed it was an hour earlier. What the hell, I’d think, why am I so hungry if it’s only… oh wait. Hm. Later though, I’d be doing dishes and note that it correctly read 7:30. Well, maybe I imagined the earlier problem? Maybe it’s got some kind of self-correcting algorithm? No, that’s impossible, it’s a cheap microwave clock. Maybe I’m crazy? And yet, soon thereafter, I’d check it and it would be claiming it was the 9 o’clock hour when it was still the 8 o’clock hour. Now that can’t be right, I’d think, I KNOW it was correct just a few minutes ago. Let me go check all the other clocks in my house. Hm. Is it “secret daylight saving time” and this clock is the only one who knows about it? I never sat and watched this thing go through a whole day; all of these observations came on different days so I never really gave it more than passing thought. Still, it had me wondering in the back of my mind if I was going crazy or if I lived in some kind of time-hole where everything got routinely twisted around. I didn’t figure out what was going wrong until just after midnight one night, and when I did, I laughed my butt off. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/2 "2012-01-06T17:21:43Z")
I desperately want to know the answer. What was it? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/3 "2012-01-06T17:22:03Z")
One segment burned out? ETA: Like the lower left one on the 7 segment hour display? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/4 "2012-01-06T17:23:17Z")
The bottom left part of the 8 isn’t working And that’s what I get for working out the problem in my head to make sure my guess correctly matches the clues. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/5 "2012-01-06T17:31:22Z")
What does it say at 2:00, 10:00, and 12:00? ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/6 "2012-01-06T17:38:50Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What does it say at 2:00, 10:00, and 12:00? That’s part of why it’s right only 14 times per day. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/7 "2012-01-06T17:49:02Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > That’s part of why it’s right only 14 times per day. Ah, got it. From now on stick with [analog](http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=backwards+clock&hl=en&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1016&bih=563&wrapid=tlif132587207201110&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4384955191893069777&sa=X&ei=zDMHT6TXMe7D0AH19pC5Ag&ved=0CJMBEPICMAE#). ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/8 "2012-01-07T15:53:17Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Ah, got it. > > From now on stick with [analog](http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=backwards+clock&hl=en&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1016&bih=563&wrapid=tlif132587207201110&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4384955191893069777&sa=X&ei=zDMHT6TXMe7D0AH19pC5Ag&ved=0CJMBEPICMAE#). But…but… 🙂 -D/a ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/9 "2012-01-07T16:24:49Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > But…but… Sorry pal. Pack your bags and go. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/10 "2012-01-08T04:46:37Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > Sorry pal. Pack your bags and go. I always knew it would come to this someday. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-broken-digital-clock-is-still-right-14-times-a-day-apparently/608638/11 "2012-01-09T15:17:06Z")
You guys crack me up.