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Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

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101–110 of 202 posts

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#101
If your budget is a bit more, and you want to hear a massive clunk every 30 seconds rather than a soft tick and you want to drive 2' (60cm) hands, then you might want this: https://waitingtrain.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-large-gents-turr...

The smaller ones look the same but are less beefy.

I used one to make this clock:

https://www.secretbatcave.co.uk/projects/electromechanical-c...

Which instead of using a well disciplined time source, uses a tuning fork and 74xx logic to drive it

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#102
On this topic. Do WiFi signals contain time (unencrypted)? If so why does my oven not pull time from the air and needs adjustment every 2 months? If not, why are APs not defacto time beacons for all sorts of non-smart appliances (and clocks)?

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#103
I’ve wanted to do this because there’s a zillion cool clocks out there that use a similar movement. I’d also wanted to make it battery powered which means doing NTP update only once per day (or less). Doubt that is realistic, tho.

Maybe embed Hall sensors and detect when the hands are in a certain position and when all three line up wake the ESP32, do an NTP update, tick it forward to where it should be, then go to sleep. Probably still use too much power, especially the Halls.

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#104
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's really neat. TIL. So the way this works seems to be this: It's an SRAM and an EEPROM in one little package along with a controller that talks with each, with a little capacitor (this clock uses 4.7uf) placed nearby. The SRAM part does all of the normal SRAM stuff: It doesn't wear out from reading/writing, and as long as it has power it retains the data it holds. The EEPROM does all the normal EEPROM stuff: It…

What's the purpose of using an LLM to write a comment here?

Upvoted because this stinks to high hell of an LLM response. Half the GPs comments seem to be in a similar vein. It’s such a shame but you can’t fight the trolls so don’t take it to heart.

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#105

I’ve wanted to do this because there’s a zillion cool clocks out there that use a similar movement. I’d also wanted to make it battery powered which means doing NTP update only once per day (or less). Doubt that is realistic, tho. Maybe embed Hall sensors and detect when the hands are in a certain position and when all three line up wake the ESP32, do an NTP update, tick it forward to where it should be, then go to s…

Use reed switches behind the clock face and magnets on the (presumably) different length hands instead of hall sensors. NTP sync once per day is more than adequate for household timekeeping - it might drift a few seconds here and there, but that’s fine for most people?

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#106
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Hey, someone on the Internet used decent diction! Obviously, this means I must accuse them of being a bot!" (Hey Dang. Can we get a ban button? There's a few people here that are impossible to conduct rational discourse with. My sanity would improve if they were simply gone from my view.)

You could create a browser user script to do it locally.

That's not a terrible idea.

An extra UI element or two should be enough. Maybe with sticky options for collapse-by-default or hide-by-default at the top of each HN comment section.

And the list of usernames can be stored and edited in the purveyor's HN bio (in plain text, like a monster), so that it works automatically across devices.

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#108

On this topic. Do WiFi signals contain time (unencrypted)? If so why does my oven not pull time from the air and needs adjustment every 2 months? If not, why are APs not defacto time beacons for all sorts of non-smart appliances (and clocks)?

I worked with CFG80211/MAC80211 on an old Linux kernel years ago. I don’t think time of day is in any packet.

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#109

I’ve wanted to do this because there’s a zillion cool clocks out there that use a similar movement. I’d also wanted to make it battery powered which means doing NTP update only once per day (or less). Doubt that is realistic, tho. Maybe embed Hall sensors and detect when the hands are in a certain position and when all three line up wake the ESP32, do an NTP update, tick it forward to where it should be, then go to s…

Use reed switches behind the clock face and magnets on the (presumably) different length hands instead of hall sensors. NTP sync once per day is more than adequate for household timekeeping - it might drift a few seconds here and there, but that’s fine for most people?

Yeah, reeds make more sense. I’d stagger them so that when the hour is at 12, minute at 3, second is at 6, all three reeds (wired in series) wake the microcontroller.

Re: Converting a $3.88 analog clock from Walmart into a ESP8266-based Wi-Fi clock

#110
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the purpose of using an LLM to write a comment here?

"Hey, someone on the Internet used decent diction! Obviously, this means I must accuse them of being a bot!" (Hey Dang. Can we get a ban button? There's a few people here that are impossible to conduct rational discourse with. My sanity would improve if they were simply gone from my view.)

You've edited the response since you posted it. I think there's a difference between diction and the standard output of ChatGPT et al.
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