My AC digital clocks run fast. Cheap fix?

[Peter]

Buy radio clocks. They update to the atomic clocks in Boulder.

It's amazing how some people are so quick to hurl insults that they never bother
to carefully read the post they are replying to. How would buying all atomic
clocks solve the problem with my VCRs and DVR?

 

[daestrom]

Here, in Crete, south Greece, the local control centre of the utility
(www.dei.gr) has a special display on the control room, that tells how
accurate a 50 Hz clock would be, had it followed the mains frequency. So.
yes, utilities care for those clocks, at least in Greece.

Here in the US I've visited a regional system operator and they have a
very similar 'clock' for 60 HZ. I would assume all sysops in the US
have this concern as well.

daestrom

 

[daestrom]

Actually it's a couple of 'big connected grid's, but your point is
valid. US frequency, in the long term, is very accurate.

They drift steadily. I haven't actually taken the time to precisely
measure the amount of drift that each clock has, but after a week, each
is about 9-12 seconds fast. (My calibration standard is the time on
both my "atomic" desk clock and wrist watch, which are never more than
an infinitesimal amount different from each other.) It's a real pain
for my VCRs and DVRs when we are out of town for several weeks.
Inevitably we end up missing the end of programs we recorded near the
end of our absence. Lately I've been adding 1-2 minutes to the turn-off
time to avoid that.

Don't know if this is related, but I've noticed some networks do not
have shows start/stop exactly on the hour/half-hour anymore. Sometimes
a show runs 'long'. I've actually seen a couple of episodes claim to
run from 8:00 PM to 9:02 PM.

Go figure. I remember when you could almost set your clock by when the
first commercial break would come in. Remember 'Wild Wild West'? It
was originally four commercial breaks and they would put a still image
in each quadrant of the screen for each segment. Nowadays a show would
go under with so little commercial space.

daestrom

 

[daestrom]

You're an idiot.


Nope. At the zero crossing, and NOISE that you want to call a spike is
an order of magnitude smaller than the sine wave that is driving the
motor.

In other words... it is negligible. The coil and the rotor of the
motor are locked to the line frequency, and all but the most extreme
noise signature is not going to change the speed ANY significant amount
at all.

Read the whole thread. The OP was talking about *electronic* digital
clocks. That's what 90% of the thread is about.

One poster only mentioned that the OP should compare his *electronic,
digital* clock with an old fashioned synchronous-motor clock to
determine if the line frequency really is the culprit.

daestrom

 

[krw]

The only moving part is the rotor. The other "work" part is the coil.
There are NO electronics.

You are really a dim bulb, DimBulb. There needn't be any moving parts
in a line synchronous clock. What can you say, ALwaysWrong? You're
simply always wrong. Simply simple, in fact.

 

[krw]

You're an idiot.

You *are* AlwaysWrong. Here too.

Nope. At the zero crossing, and NOISE that you want to call a spike is
an order of magnitude smaller than the sine wave that is driving the
motor.

Wrong again, AlwaysWrong.

In other words... it is negligible. The coil and the rotor of the
motor are locked to the line frequency, and all but the most extreme
noise signature is not going to change the speed ANY significant amount
at all.

No need for a motor at all, AlwaysWrong. You really do like to be
proven to be the DimBulb you are.

 

[Pieyed Piper]

It's amazing how some people are so quick to hurl insults that they never bother
to carefully read the post they are replying to.

My response was not an insult, you retarded ditz.

How would buying all atomic
clocks solve the problem with my VCRs and DVR?

Your VCR and DVR do not rely on the AC line freq.
So, your entire post where you piss and moan about this "problem" is
moot, because there is NO problem, other than the one that resides
between your ears.

They BOTH use the same kind of clock a computer uses, which is from
your initial setting, and a 32.768 crystal oscillator.

IF the DVR uses a subscription service, THEY update your clock.

Anybody with half a brain does not rely on such a stupid source to
"gander at the time" with.

SO, asswipe... BUY the radio clock, and use it to reference the
CORRECT time. If you are having problems with your cheap, off-brand crap
electronics, use the radio clock to periodically (you do know that word,
right?) update your shit electronics' clocks.

Next time, buy a name brand. Coby sucks, big time.

Sheesh, you still have a VCR in your SHIT gear stack?

Why are we even responding to a Luddite putz?

How is that for getting the insult you claimed you already got (which
was an insult in itself), you stupid ditz?

 

[MeowSayTongue]

Go figure. I remember when you could almost set your clock by when the
first commercial break would come in. Remember 'Wild Wild West'?

Star Trek, TOS, were ALL 50 minute long episodes.

That only allows for four 2.5 minute long breaks.

Nowadays, they go to commercial before 6 minutes have passed, and some
of the "breaks" last through 6 commercials!

They also often start with "Previously on..." So they can waste away
four more minutes of new storyless content.

It really is pathetic that they can make such good shows, but nip away
at the actual airtime they give to us. It is truly sad.

 

[Capt. Cave Man]

Read the whole thread. The OP was talking about *electronic* digital
clocks. That's what 90% of the thread is about.

None of which are regulated to the AC line. Well, at least not those
he is talking about.

 

[Capt. Cave Man]

One poster only mentioned that the OP should compare his *electronic,
digital* clock with an old fashioned synchronous-motor clock to
determine if the line frequency really is the culprit.

Pretty silly. The line freq is dead on, and has been for decades!

 

[krw]

None of which are regulated to the AC line. Well, at least not those
he is talking about.

AlwaysWrong is wrong (surprise), once again.

 

[krw]

Pretty silly. The line freq is dead on, and has been for decades!

DumBulb, there is no regulations about noise on the line. Some clocks
don't like it. You don't have to prove that you're wrong again,
AlwaysWrong. We all know it.

 

[Ross Herbert]

:
::> The electric company is supposed to closely regulate the "60 cycles" so
:> all those clocks will keep perfect time.
:
:The problem has nothing to do with the 60 Hz sine wave. This problem is
:caused by additional spikes on the power lines.


More likely that the trigger pulse derived from the 60Hz mains is not as clean
as it should be. If all the clocks being affected are the same make/model
perhaps this part of the clock circuit needs attention.

 

[James Sweet]

More likely that the trigger pulse derived from the 60Hz mains is not as clean
as it should be. If all the clocks being affected are the same make/model
perhaps this part of the clock circuit needs attention.

He said it's all different makes and models, so I'd say it's pretty
clearly noise of some sort on the line.

 

[Capt. Cave Man]

AlwaysWrong is wrong (surprise), once again.

The DVR most certainly uses a PC clock scenario, and the VCR may as
well.

So YOU do not know what got incorporated into either one either, you
COMPLETELY WRONG twit!

 

[Capt. Cave Man]

DumBulb, there is no regulations about noise on the line. Some clocks
don't like it. You don't have to prove that you're wrong again,
AlwaysWrong. We all know it.

If it gets thrown off, it is NOT a successful "clock design" and
therefore does not even qualify as a clock at all. So none of you idiots
gets to call the failed designs "a clock" because NONE of them qualify.
You got that, you idiots?

Function is a prerequisite for use of the term. PROPER function.

Which is why you are completely clueless about it. You do not know
what the term function means, much less along with the modifier "proper".
The latter rings true in your case in particular.

 

[MeowSayTongue]

:
::> The electric company is supposed to closely regulate the "60 cycles" so
:> all those clocks will keep perfect time.
:
:The problem has nothing to do with the 60 Hz sine wave. This problem is
:caused by additional spikes on the power lines.


More likely that the trigger pulse derived from the 60Hz mains is not as clean
as it should be. If all the clocks being affected are the same make/model
perhaps this part of the clock circuit needs attention.

If it fails to properly function, you, nor that idiot that designed the
circuit and or the elements used in it, can use the term "clock" to
describe it.

 

[MeowSayTongue]

He said it's all different makes and models, so I'd say it's pretty
clearly noise of some sort on the line.

No matter what the joker says, it does not mean that the "clocks" in
question are line derived time references. To say they are is a flawed
logic, and falls short of proof of many things, like the line being off
frequency, or being noisy, and like the devices being tied to the line
frequency.

There has been no definitive data to make such a declaration.

Simply ASSuming that they are all line tied clocks because they are all
off, is a flawed diagnosis, based on the current data set.

Meow

 

[MeowSayTongue]

While it is true that main line power companies do keep the adjusting
frequency so that the total number of cycles is adjusted to time
standards, the clocks dependent upon that frequency often are in error.
Many years ago, I think I saw an error of one or two minutes according
to WWV. It is unlikely that there would be such large deviations these
days. There also are situations where power is not connected to the
grid. I used to go fishing at a place that ran diesel generators for
power. I am pretty sure that the operator did not try to correct for
phase drift.

Bill

Up to a certain point, the gyro mass of the rotor will cancel that.
For that type of motor, that is.

Many differences can be attributed to momentary outages as far as the
long term differential you described.

Meow

 

[bud--]

Here in the US I've visited a regional system operator and they have a
very similar 'clock' for 60 HZ. I would assume all sysops in the US
have this concern as well.

It is easy to see how a single power plant can change the frequency for
an isolated system.

How does a "regional system operator" make fine adjustments in the
frequency of an interconnected grid?