Casio G-Shock time sync radio • Hacker News Board

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#41

Post by gregsadetsky » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:12 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #20

Related thread with local transmitters of time signal: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27769403 https://github.com/hzeller/txtempus (A DCF77, WWVB, JJY and MSF clock LF-band signal transmitter using the Raspberry Pi) ios and mac app: https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/49109/pips-a-radio-time-s... (time sync over rf is super cool; I would be super interested if anyone has links to field surveys of time signal ava…

Thanks for those references! I wanted to see what an SDR radio time signal detector would look like, and looking for "DCF77 sdr python" pointed me in the right direction -> [0] and [1]

A bit unrelated question: there are many web SDRs that let you listen to radio frequencies/stations such as [2]. Are there web / Emscripten SDR decoders that run in-browser? i.e. a full browser listening + decoding experience? For example, decoding a DCF77 time signal, or even just morse code?

[0] https://www.nist.gov/time-distribution/radio-station-wwv/wwv...

[1] https://github.com/henningM1r/gr_DCF77_Receiver/tree/main/py...

[2] http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#42

Post by rwmj » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:14 PM UTC

mewse-hn wrote: post #38

rwmj wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oceanus S100 is absolutely brilliant. Solar powered, radio time sync, titanium (so incredibly lightweight), waterproof, and looks like a dress watch. The only downside is they are only sold in Japan so you have to import them.

There's a Lineage LCW-M100TSE that should be a bit cheaper - titanium, sapphire crystal, radio sync. Also JDM though.

The ani-digital display is not as elegant (IMHO of course!)

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#43

Post by topynate » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:14 PM UTC

I spend most of the time out of range, but the technology is simple and robust enough that you can use headphones or a phone speaker as a very, very short-range transmitter. You hardly need to sync every day, either. I've had most success with https://einoko.github.io/DCF77.js/

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#44

Post by creeble » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:15 PM UTC

chriscjcj wrote: post #32

nonethewiser wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And daylight savings?

The time code transmitted by WWVB includes two bits to express the state of Daylight Saving Time. 0 = Standard Time 1 = DST Ending 2 = DST in effect 3 = DST Beginning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWVB#/media/File:WWVB_time_cod... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWVB

which also means that it is one more bit to set on the receiver (in addition to time zone).

I have many clocks with WWVB time. Many miss signals and become off, one even gets an error once in a while and has the time many hours off. Not all decoders are the same apparently.

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#45

Post by jader201 » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:16 PM UTC

bayindirh wrote: post #34

graypegg wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does feel like something that’s easy to cut from a bill of materials though, nothing else in the microwave relies on the time being accurate. Probably not expensive to implement, but if you’re building a lot of them, I imagine the ~4cents per unit (maybe more, just guessing) adds up fast.

My professor is a materials/mechanical engineer and in contact with many auto companies. He told me of the following dialogue: Prof: Why did you stopped adding passenger side handles? How much one cost? CarGuy: Around €1.50 Prof: That's not much? CarGuy: A new car leaves the factory every 60 seconds. Prof: Oh. For the lazy, that's €2,160/Day, €64,800/Month, €777,600/year.

I guess, but still, these seemingly large numbers are still a minute percentage (e.g. probably 0.00001%) of overall costs/revenue that are relatively way, way more.

I would understand manufacturing pain, and the ROI just doesn't justify it. But saying that it's solely to do with costs doesn't line up, IMO.

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#46

Post by jowood » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:17 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #20

Related thread with local transmitters of time signal: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27769403 https://github.com/hzeller/txtempus (A DCF77, WWVB, JJY and MSF clock LF-band signal transmitter using the Raspberry Pi) ios and mac app: https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/49109/pips-a-radio-time-s... (time sync over rf is super cool; I would be super interested if anyone has links to field surveys of time signal ava…

Android app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.houryo.dcf7...

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#47

Post by creeble » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:18 PM UTC

1MachineElf wrote: post #21

I inherited one of these Casio Waveceptor watches from my father. It routinely will set itself to a totally random time far into the past/future. I've wondered if maybe contemporary wireless devices interfere with the time sync radio. Another possible factor is the watch itself is ~20 years old.

It's not totally uncommon. I have a Waveceptor and several other clocks that use WWVB.

One works perfectly, most of the others are usually good, one gets off a couple of times a year (so therefore useless), and my Waveceptor has gone nuts maybe a couple of times.

It seems to be all about signal strength (and a little bit about battery strength).

I see at least one of those watches has GPS reception.

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#48

Post by TrianguloY » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:21 PM UTC

I have an alarm clock with this system (or I think it's this, it's from Oregon Scientific) and it has this "automatic clock sync" feature.

I have it disabled. Once it was set to a random time, and I lost an important meeting because the alarm didn't ring at the correct time. The usual time doesn't deviate more than a second or so every few years, when I need to change the batteries and set it again so it's useless.

This automatic feature would be perfect if it acted as a "press this button to setup" or at startup, but the issue is that the messages are sent very sporadically so you either need to wait almost a full day for it to sync (clocks are not always listening, so it needs to coincide the "push" and the "listen") or set it manually.

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#49

Post by bayindirh » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:21 PM UTC

jader201 wrote: post #45

bayindirh wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My professor is a materials/mechanical engineer and in contact with many auto companies. He told me of the following dialogue: Prof: Why did you stopped adding passenger side handles? How much one cost? CarGuy: Around €1.50 Prof: That's not much? CarGuy: A new car leaves the factory every 60 seconds. Prof: Oh. For the lazy, that's €2,160/Day, €64,800/Month, €777,600/year.

I guess, but still, these seemingly large numbers are still a minute percentage (e.g. probably 0.00001%) of overall costs/revenue that are relatively way, way more. I would understand manufacturing pain, and the ROI just doesn't justify it. But saying that it's solely to do with costs doesn't line up, IMO.

For auto industry, that's big money. VW creates small inserts and adds them to their motor covers for Seat and Skoda. If you pry that logo, there's a molded VW logo on that plastic engine noise cover.

Stellantis shares tons of parts and software. Peugeot 2008 and Opel Mokka is essentially the same car. They share the same shifter, electronics and software stack sans the skin applied to displays and LCD geometry. Even 3008 has the same hardware with the same software. Heck, even the "lane hold" button is exactly the same one in all three cars. Same for parking brake switch, down to the blinking pattern of indicator LED. I bet all three use the same 8 gear auto gearbox, with different ratio sets, too.

After Fiat bought Chrysler, they started to use the same steering wheel in Dodge Charger and Fiat Tipo. Newer Fiats come with Mopar brakes and fluid subsystems (steering, cooling, etc.)

Key fobs are even funnier. In practice, every company uses the same key fob. A Lamborghini has the same fob with a VW Polo, sans the logo. Same for Stellantis group cars.

When you start to notice "chassis sharing" in commercial market vehicles, it stops being funny and starts to become ridiculous.

Re: Casio G-Shock time sync radio

#50

Post by gm3dmo » Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 8:21 PM UTC

Casio are the best watches I've ever owned. Radio sync on a watch is awesome for creating "drop the mic" moments showing how far out the clocks are on a multi-million dollar machine in a datacenter despite how much the big consultancy thinks they are synced to UTP via "atomic clocks".