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How Atomic Talking Watches & Atomic Talking Clocks Work

Atomic Talking Watches

As people get older, they tend to become visually impaired and need low vision aids such as talking watches. But if you think about it for about 10 seconds, you will quickly realize … if it is difficult to "see" a normal watch, it will also be difficult to "set" the time and date on the watch. Thus, you might want a talking watch that sets itself automatically. In other words, you need an "Atomic" talking watch or clock.

An atomic watch offers several benefits in addition to setting the day and date itself. For example, they are battery-powered, so you don't have to wind them. You can set the time standard by which country you are currently visiting. Atomic talking watches or clocks adjust automatically for daylight savings, and all the atomic talking watches I have seen include an alarm feature. Furthermore, atomic talking watches by Riezen even include a free audio cassette with instructions on how to use your atomic talking watch for the visually impaired … their customers typically can't read the tiny print on most instruction sheets.

HOW ATOMIC TALKING WATCHES WORK:

Atomic watches and clocks include a tiny antenna and receiver inside that receives a radio signal transmitted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) out of Fort Collins, Colorado.

The signal is broadcast from the radio station WWVB at 1 bit per second data rate on a 60 kHz radio frequency with 50 kW transmit power. The signal originates from an atomic clock residing in Boulder, Colorado at NIST which is accurate to 1 second in 60 million years. With 50 kW of transmit power at this radio frequency, the signal covers a radius of approximately 2,000 miles making the signal receivable throughout the continental United States and much of Canada and Central America.

DO YOU HAVE TO ADJUST FOR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS OR LEAP YEARS?

Incidentally, the time code is sent using Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) format containing minutes, hours, day of the year, and the year as well as daylight savings time and leap year information. Thus, you don't need to adjust your atomic talking watch for daylight savings times or leap years. However, you will need to tell it your current time zone (e.g., east coast U.S.).

DO ATOMIC TALKING WATCHES WORK OVERSEAS?

If you travel overseas, the U.S. time signal will not reach your watch. However, there are atomic time radio signals transmitted from other countries as well. Not all atomic talking watches or clocks will pick and interpret these non-U.S. time signals. If this is important to you, be sure to check on this before you buy.

Of course, most visually impaired or low vision people who really need a talking watch do not need to know "how" an atomic talking watch works; they just need to know that it does work and more importantly, they don't have to bother setting the time or date or adjust it for daylight savings or leap years. Furthermore, most don't travel overseas and all atomic talking watches use batteries, so the visually impaired don't even have to remember to wind the watch; they just need to know which button to push to hear the time.

Atomic Talking Watches

About the Author

There are, of course, many other important factors you should consider before purchasing an atomic talking watch or an atomic talking clock. To explore these factors and to watch a Free Video where you can actually hear a talking watch, click here now:  http://www.autopilot101.com/jewelry/talkingwatches.htm<br /><br />Written by Dr. Bryan Stoker.<br />

for some reason the clock, internal lights and the cd player just stopped working. why?

i have a 89 ford laser, and today the cd player, clock and internal lights just stopped working. i dont know what to do, or how to fix it. but i don't want to have to go to a mechanic because they cost too much and i have had a lot of bad experiences with them.

does anyone have any idea what to do, or how to fix it?

Check the fuses. If you read the owners manual they might tell you where the radio fuse is located so you don't have to pull them all.

I already work around the clock!

Tags: battery clock workings, clock workings, cuckoo clock workings, grandfather clock workings, propeller clock working

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 12:53 am and is filed under collectibles clocks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.