Those of you who know me, know that I fall into the category of a Frequency Nut (someone obsessed with the ability to measure frequency accurately – think microHertz), as well as a Time Nut (likewise obsessed with accurate time).
As a Time Nut, my life has gotten a bit easier, as many clocks set themselves automatically these days. The first to do so used WWV HF signals, which were fraught with all sorts of propagation issues, then they progressed to WWVB (the so called “Atomic Clocks”) which worked pretty well at night. Finally clocks using the NTP internet time protocol started showing up on the market, often at obscene prices ($300 to $3000).
I just received a fairly inexpensive ($50) LED wall clock that I ordered from Amazon, billed as a “WiFi Clock”. Sure enough it uses NTP services. After following the instructions to set up my local WiFi credentials and time zone, it set the clock and has been in lock step with network time ever since.
The clock itself measures about 16 inches wide and 6 inches tall. Despite having good lighting in my shack, I have the clock set to the lowest brightness setting, and I can read it just fine, without glasses, ten feet away.
I hate to spend other peoples money by recommending things, but this was simply a first for me. They are currently $55 less a $5 coupon on Amazon. The company name is Xrexs: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09YD84R3N?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
You can run it on local time, in either 12 or 24 hour mode. By changing the time zone and disabling DST you can have it run UTC as well. The month/date display alternates with a temperature display (I wish I could disable that, but haven’t found a way yet).
