I have a VCR (REMEMBER THOSE KIDS?) that sets its own time. Thing is that the clock keeps getting slower, ending up at least 5 minutes slower than the rest of the clocks in my apartment, and when I did give a hoot I’d fix the time every month. The device is a Samsung VR8160.
Is this something peculiar to the device or is it probably defective?
How do self-setting clocks set themselves? Does it check for radio signals from atomic clocks?
Depends on the particulars. Most of those VCRs with a self-setting clock do so by reading an embedded time signal that some stations include. This is often a PBS station. As a result, if you don’t tune to such a station periodically, the internal clock will have to run on its own and its accuracy may not be nearly as good as other clocks (because it doesn’t HAVE to be).
And by “tune”, I mean set the VCRs tuner, not the TV, in case that wasn’t clear.
My VCR set itself based on a signal seny out by the local PBS station. Ny telephone sets it clock by a signal sent over the phone line. My “atomic” clock sets itself by a signal sent out by a satellite. There is also a time code sent through your cable TV cable. Yes, self-setting clocks need a reference signal. My guess would be the first.
VCRs depend on a time signal from the TV Cable for resetting to correct time.
A Heath Kit (remember those things?) and a small battery powered “Oregon Scientific” desk clock reset themselves by radio signals.
The Heath Kit whenever the radio frequency propagation conditions permit and the desk clock by a higher rf signal every minute or so. Boulder CO atomic clocks?
My little atomic clock and the the telly time are precisely the same. I should theink that Cable gets its time from Boulder, too.
But my computer just showed about 3 seconds behind them.
Would the fact that I’m in a basement with the possibility of blocked or partial receipt of transmissions would have my VCR’s self-setting clock drift slower and slower as the days progress through the year? Or maybe the cable company/PBS’s clock is wacked out. I set my computer’s clock via NTP and set the other clocks via that which is how I reckon there is drift.
The reason why I’m asking is the fact I’m thinking about replacing my 25 year old clock radio with an atomic clock radio and I don’t want it to have the same kind of drift.
If you have the atomic radio’s clocksensor (antenna?) above basement level, maybe you wouldn’t have a problem.
Maybe Shagnasty will step in with his sage advice.
A slight hijack here, but I think the question is similar enough to fit in this thread rather than starting a new one.
I recently purchased a clock radio similar to this one from Emerson. It says it has “SmartSet” technology. I assumed when I bought it that it used the WWV time broadcasts like an “atomic” clock, b ut that does not appear to be the case.
It literally sets itself as soon as it is plugged in. You can see the numers on the display change as it goes through year, month, day, hour and minute. The entire process takes about 3 seconds. I know it’s not using the atomic clock broadcasts because I don’t have to give it my time zone.
It does have a spot for a 9 volt battery to operate the alarm in a power failure, but I’ve never put one in.
So how does it do this? My only guess is that it is picking up some time signal from the power company sent through the electric lines.
And to dry_oatmeal, this clock radio was cheaper than any of the atomic models and it sets itself much faster. The radio part is pretty crappy, but the clock part is great.
According to this and other posts, SmartSet is just an internal clock with its own long-life battery. The “setting” is smoke and mirrors.