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Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Thu 22 Oct 2009 9:38 am
by Repairman77
Hi, I wonder if anyone knows why the Radio Controlled console display on the EasyWeather shows exactly 1 minute fast.
I wonder if it is deliberate in order to time stamp the stored data or something like that. Does seem strange?
The replacement console and the faulty one I had to return both did this so assume it's something in the hardware or software that is causing it.
Thanks,
Mike.
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 1:07 am
by philcdav
hi.
i wonder what your comparing the time with to see it fast?
unless the display time is edited to add 1 minute to the DCF time in Cumulus it should read DCF standard time which is currently +1 hour over UK time.
a quick check here will give you a reference
http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/
Regards - Phil
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 10:46 am
by Repairman77
Hi Phil,
I am comparing it to three other Radio Controlled clocks that I have here, and it is the display on the console which is showing exactly 1 minute fast. Very strange. It did update today OK to GMT from BST OK and runs OK all the while.
The original console which had to be replaced showed 1 minute fast as well, so I assume all consoles show this error?
Mike.
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 11:17 am
by keithatrochdale
Mine is also a min fast.

Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 11:32 am
by Repairman77
keithatrochdale wrote:Mine is also a min fast.

I wouldn't mind betting that they all are.
Would be nice to know why though.
Perhaps it is something to do with collecting data and time-stamping it after all?
Mike.
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 1:05 pm
by dane
I wouldn't mind betting that they all are
You lost your bet
My Watson W-8681 is exactly in step with the GMT time signal quoted above (given the short delay caused by its page update)

Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 3:04 pm
by Repairman77
dane wrote:I wouldn't mind betting that they all are
You lost your bet
My Watson W-8681 is exactly in step with the GMT time signal quoted above (given the short delay caused by its page update)

I was referring to the WH1080 series. Your one would have different hardware/software Dane as it's a different make.
Mike.
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 3:26 pm
by dane
Same hardware etc. as the WH1080. Just a different label on the outside

Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 3:36 pm
by Repairman77
dane wrote:Same hardware etc. as the WH1080. Just a different label on the outside

Perhaps it's the hardware/software that has been updated wrongly then.
When did you buy yours Dane? Mine is only a couple of weeks old.
Mike.
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 4:03 pm
by dane
I bought my station in Aug-Sep 2008.
Haven't had the courage to take anything apart, so can't tell if it is exactly the same hardware/firmware. But it definitely behaves like a Fine Offset WH1080 (but with EasyWeather and Cumulus).
Ib
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Sun 25 Oct 2009 4:37 pm
by Repairman77
dane wrote:I bought my station in Aug-Sep 2008.
Haven't had the courage to take anything apart, so can't tell if it is exactly the same hardware/firmware. But it definitely behaves like a Fine Offset WH1080 (but with EasyWeather and Cumulus).
Ib
OK Dane; it's not unusual for software/hardware updates on these type of things.
They don't always result in an improvement.
If any others are reading this thread and have WH1080s it would be interesting to know when they bought them and if they have the same problem.
Mike.
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Mon 26 Oct 2009 9:39 am
by grumpazoid
Hi All.
First post here. I have just received and set up my WH1080 this weekend. Yes the clock is exactly 1 minute fast on the display.
I am guessing that this is the time used when the pc has been off and then pulls data into cumulus making it 1 minute out? If I leave my PC on then I think Cumulus uses time from the PC.
Great piece of software.
Thanks
Rupert
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Mon 26 Oct 2009 9:51 am
by steve
grumpazoid wrote:I am guessing that this is the time used when the pc has been off and then pulls data into cumulus making it 1 minute out? If I leave my PC on then I think Cumulus uses time from the PC.
For Fine Offset stations, Cumulus ignores the station clock, always. The logger entries aren't timestamped, they just contain a 'number of minutes since last save', and Cumulus has to work its way back through the entries calculating the timestamps based on those figures. So there will be a possible discrepancy of up to a minute in the timestamps of data read from the logger, depending on when you start Cumulus up relative to the actual time the station logged the entry.
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Mon 26 Oct 2009 11:15 am
by Repairman77
Steve,
I reckon it's just a error in the console hardware or software that nobody noticed when programming it.
Mike.
Re: Radio controlled clock shows time 1 minute fast
Posted: Mon 26 Oct 2009 8:37 pm
by grumpazoid
steve wrote:
For Fine Offset stations, Cumulus ignores the station clock, always.
Great news. Thanks.