Since 1995 I've had radio controlled "atomic clock" products in my home. Today, I have more than 100 clocks which are capable of receiving radio station WWVB and can set themselves to the correct time, right down to the second. I'm in a good location for WWVB radio reception, only about 350 miles from the transmitter site in Colorado. But I also understand that, for many others, WWVB reception is not strong or may be impossible. Perhaps your location is too far away from Colorado. Perhaps you live and/or work in a building made of concrete, steel or other materials that can hamper radio reception. Or maybe there are other devices in your building that interfere with the WWVB broadcast. So, here's an idea. What about a clock which connects to a local WiFi network and then sets itself to the right time using Internet time servers? Well, that's what this clock does. And, since WiFi isn't susceptible to the same interference as the WWVB broadcast, it can be far more useful.
I found this OCEST WiFi clock on Amazon.com for less than $40. It takes a few minutes to set it up and I was able to do that using my iPhone. But it looks like you could set it up with any smart phone or tablet... or maybe a computer that can connect to WiFi. The setup process involves connecting a smart phone to a local WiFi network created by the clock. Then use your phone to access the clock's setup page. That's where you tell the clock which WiFi network you want it to connect to in your home or office. You also tell the clock the correct password to connect to that network. Next, tell the clock which time zone you're in by selecting a GMT offset. In my case (the Mountain Time Zone in the USA) the offset would be -7 hours when we're on Standard Time and -6 hours when we're on Daylight Time. You can also configure this clock to update itself at specific times of the day or evening. Then, just save those settings and the clock will do the rest. It finds your WiFi network and sets itself.
This clock runs on two AA batteries and, according to the manual, it will go for 10 months before it needs new batteries. That seems a bit short but I'll see what really happens. I mean, it just seems like 12 months would be better.
Almost all of my radio controlled clocks which receive WWVB will automatically make adjustments for Daylight Saving Time changes. From what I can see so far, this clock doesn't do that. So I guess I'll need to go back into the WiFi setup twice a year.
