Radio-Controlled Clock Behaving Oddly

[zcacogp]

Chaps,

Does anyone here know anything about radio-controlled clocks? You know - the ones that set themselves from a radio signal from Rugby (or somewhere) and therefore always keep perfect time.

We have an analogue one in our kitchen, and it has recently started whizzing forward 12 hours for no apparent reason. You would notice that it was making the rapid clicking noise that it does when setting itself, and stop at the right time.

This morning we noticed it had stopped - it was showing the wrong time. Suspecting it was a case of a flat battery, I put a new one in, and it whizzed forward to 12.00 (both hands upwards) and stopped there. And it's been like that since about 8.15am today. It hasn't set itself to the right time.

Does anyone know anything about these clocks and whether this is a common occurrence? We've had it for around 10 years now and it's never done it before (that we are aware of.)


Oli.

[tank slapper]

You could have a local noise source that is preventing it from receiving the signal, or the receiver itself may have failed. You haven't installed powerline networking recently have you?

[zcacogp]

Interesting idea but no - no change in anything locally. It's worked fine in the current position for the last 6 years.


Oli.

[marshalla]

NPL do take the transmitter offline for maintenance sometimes : http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/time-frequ...

We're not in a planned outage period, but maybe they've had to take it down for unplanned maintenance ?

[jeremyc]

Is there a signal indicator anywhere in the clock? That would let you know whether losing the signal is the issue, or there is some other problem.

Failing that, RTFM.

[TIGERSIX]

Move it to another room would be a good idea

[tank slapper]

The transmitter is operational, I just checked it here: http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

[zcacogp]

Guys,

Good responses - thank you. I'll try moving it to another room but fear something has packed up ...

TS - thanks for checking the transmitter. I'll take your word for it that that website tells you it is working - it meant nothing to me!


Oli.

[jeremyc]

zcacogp said:

TS - thanks for checking the transmitter. I'll take your word for it that that website tells you it is working - it meant nothing to me!

My clock still has full lock on the signal and is updating fine, so the transmitter is working.

[zcacogp]

Thanks. To answer your earlier questions, no, there is no signal indicator on the clock and TFM has long since been filed in the round bin in the corner! (I can't remember that it said anything much more than 'Put batteries into it' - there are no other knobs or dials to twiddle. The beauty is in the simplicity!)


Oli.

[zcacogp]

Right, well it's been in another room at the other end of the house for a couple of hours now and still thinks the time is midnight (or midday).

I suspect it's borked.


Oli.

[jeremyc]

zcacogp said:

I suspect it's borked.

Make & model?

[Ydnaroo]

Hi. I bought one of these the other week and had a similar problem. In the end, I realised that the clock movement and the buttons on the back were proud of the outer case and because I'd arranged a firm fitment to the wall, the buttons on the back were being pressed as I fitted it and adjusted it on the wall. On this clock the buttons carry out a reset and also set manual time instead of automatic. Something like this might be your problem.

[zcacogp]

jeremyc said:

Make & model?

On the mechanism (i.e. not the face and hands), all it says is "U.T.S. MSF RADIO CONTROL German Design".

Not very helpful.

Ydnaroo - no, not that simple but thanks anyway. I didn't know they were that cheap now! (This one was about £80, 10 years ago.) Maybe I need to stop fussing and just buy a new one.


Thanks,


Oli.

[FlossyThePig]

A few years ago my father gave me a Junghans Mega clock when radio control was rare and expensive. It goes a bit screwy when the battery is running out.

Depending on the actual clock you can get radio controlled clock movements for a few pounds.

[jeremyc]

zcacogp said:

On the mechanism (i.e. not the face and hands), all it says is "U.T.S. MSF RADIO CONTROL German Design".

I suspect it is one of these.

The (PDF) user guide is (probably) here. Check the FAQs at the end.

[Who me ?]

First thing is to check/change battery. If the battery is suspect, it could upset the clock .

[gtfourman]

That's weird! Got 2 Junghans clocks (one is actually called Eurochron but its the same thing).
That stopped last week. I put a new battery in and it reset to 12. But didn`t adjust to the right time later!!!! So I decided to take the battery out of my other one to ensure the time signal was working- Junghans Mega circa 1992. That was a mistake because that reset to 12 but didn`t set right either! Worse now because I pressed the manual reset button and now that reset to 12 again but now pauses every 3 seconds. So now got 2 useless clocks!! Help! No internet info about lack of signal from transmitter. Assuming that pause is showing it hasn`t yet got a proper signal. Hope it starts working again.Wish I hadn`t touched the Junghans!! Let us know if your starts working again. Regards, Mike

[buggalugs]

I have a radio controlled clock, if no signal used to just keep normal time though not reset. The only time it used to reset was when the battery was v. low and an alarm was set, the power needed by the alarm going off was enough for it to loose the time, until it picked up a signal and set it's self right again, which would end up being it's daily routine until I changed the battery.

[size13]

I've got one that was 4 hours out last week, changed the battery yesterday and it's sat at 12 too! Must be the russians!