Mad question about electric clock

more likely less interference.

Got WiFi? build one of these for them.

I have to change the AA alkaline battery in my kitchen clock at least every two years, so I try and remember to do it every new years day, and then discard the old battery.

Try using AA alkaline batteries intended for running motors first and see how long it lasts.

I have a couple of analogue dial radio clocks and the Duracell Industrial (formerly named ProCell) AA alkaline batteries last around a year.

I would agree with others that the clock possibly has been positioned in a radio blind spot and maybe the radio receiver is being powered up for lengthy periods in order to eventually get the time signal.

THe batteries don't last long because of the dumb way it keeps time. It checks the signal once every 24 hours, probably around 01:15. It then winds itself forward to 00:00, pauses, then forward again to the correct time. All this winding round every night runs the battery down, they sometimes last less than a year.

Scott brought next idea :

It doesn't need much output power at such frequencies and low data rates.

GB has brought this to us :

AA Batteries in my radio LCD synched clocks last for around four or five years, mine have little trouble getting sync, so I doubt its just normal radio synching flattening them. Rather I would suggest it is poor reception causing constant attempts to sync.

DJC explained on 30/11/2018 :

I have never seen one do that, rather they pause if ahead of time, or pulse the hands forward until correct if behind true time.

You are missing my point. We have a typical battery operated non-radio clock, from Argos IIRC. It runs say 2 years on one battery. We reset it every 6 months or so, when daylight saving changes. It's accurate to a couple of minutes over the 6 months. If that's sufficient accuracy for your purposes, then swap the clock over to a non-radio one.

but, in the Home Counties, there's a lot less signal than there used tobe from Rugby. Fine in the open countryside, but not so good in the concrete urban jungle

Okay, I see what you mean. We've got more than one and I wanted to try to keep them at the same time.

In article <pts8pi$4nt$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, Harry Bloomfield snipped-for-privacy@NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk> writes

I have a similar clock but it has type C battery. Lasts ages. Only time it winds round to twelve is when you change or pull the battery.

We don't know what your expectations are. You may expect it to run for many years on one AA.

The same with mine. On a battery change each of the hands will quickly tick around to 00:00:00 and wait there for 30 to 60 minutes until it receives the transmission and then immediately moves the hands to the correct time. The one I have in my kitchen I look at on a regular basis, including in the early hours of the morning, and I've never seen it reset to 00:00:00 in the same way.

If so your clarification si mudlike in its cogency.

Mkay...

Er what? with no radio involved?

The Time from NPL is a *radio* signal broadcast from the Anthorn Radio Station near Anthorn, Cumbria, which serves as the United Kingdom's national time reference....

The transmission is (AFAIR) once a minute, and takes a whole minute. The usual procedure is to get three consecutive 'good' settings befdore updating the clock. With weak signals, that can take a while.

Is it feasible to fit a larger battery, in a separate holder? I.e. a C or D cell, holder, two bits of wire, spot of hot-melt?

I would also suggest you turn up with some bizarre tool to fix it. Angle grinder, chicken bones tied to a stick, grease gun, ... just to keep up your reputation.

Thomas Prufer

Apologies for that !!!

I chose the words 'as such' to suggest it was not a radio set, even though it works'by radio (hence 'radio controlled')..

Not 'as such'. Not a radio set as we know it.. It won't get Classic FM.

Which is why I mentioned 60kHz.

If the foregoing is not enough of a clue to tell you what this equipment is, I suggest you leave the commentary to others.

I think you have answered your own question now.