Time to Set Your Clocks Ahead - Unless They Do It Themselves
Every spring the clocks go forward
in most North American states and provinces on the first Sunday of April
and the last Sunday of October they fall back one hour. "Spring Forward,
Fall Back." Be prepared. Spring 2005 it's on Sunday April 3rd at 2:00am
your clock should be reset to 3:00am and for fall 2005 it's October 30th
at 2:00 am, your clocks should be reset to 1:00am.
(ARA 2002) - This is your
semi-annual reminder that the daylight saving time change will occur
Sunday April 7 at 2 a.m. At that hour you should advance your clock by one
hour to read 3 a.m.
If you had a clock that automatically changed for daylight saving time you
wouldn't need this reminder. And you wouldn't lose time trying to figure
out what time it is and then setting all the clocks in the house.
Fortunately, such clocks do exist.
You can't exactly beat Mother Nature or Father Time, but now you can keep
pace with them a little more easily with clocks that automatically update
for Daylight Saving Time and desktop weather stations that give you
weather reports for your area.
Frequently referred to as "atomic clocks" or
"radio-controlled" clocks, these timepieces operate like any ordinary
quartz clock. Thanks to the addition of a small radio receiver and a
microchip, these clocks synchronize every day via a radio signal to the
official U.S. atomic clock maintained by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colo., and they automatically
"spring forward" and "fall back" for daylight saving time changes. So,
they don't lose time and you save time.
Two products from Chaney Instrument Company incorporate this technology
in devices that make life simpler. The company's line of Atomix clocks
makes having the right time in your kitchen or bedroom easier and more
reliable than ever before. While some Atomix clocks have sleek, modern
designs, including digital alarms with metallic cases, the brand also
offers a complete line of traditional dial wall clocks that conceal
their technologically advanced capabilities. Ranging from $25 to $50,
these clocks do the work for you at an affordable price.
To make your life even more predictable during the spring and summer
months, try an at-home weather station. The Acu-Rite Weather and Atomic
Time Station combines radio-controlled atomic time with an in-home
temperature monitoring system. This savvy little device gives you the
day, date and precise time in hours, minutes and seconds as well as the
temperature for up to three remote locations. So, in addition to knowing
the outdoor temperature, you also can monitor temperatures in the attic
and basement. The monitor also displays the temperature of the area
around the sensor itself and includes a temperature trend indicator. The
basic set includes a desktop monitor and one remote sensor that can be
placed up to 100 feet away from the monitor for about $24. Additional
sensors are sold separately.
Atomix products are available at Wal-Mart, ShopKo and Restoration
Hardware. Acu-Rite weather stations are available at mass merchants and
at a variety of hardware stores. The model with atomic time will be
available in time for Father's Day. For more information on Atomix and
Acu-Rite products go to www.chaneyinstrument.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
Sidebar:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is an official agency
of the U.S. Department of Commerce, whose earliest work in the area of
time and frequency took place in the early 1900s with a very stable
pendulum clock. The first atomic clock was developed in 1949. The agency
began broadcasting the time and frequency standard via radio in 1923 to
meet the growing need for standards in the broadcast industry. Precise
time synchronization has many uses that affect our everyday life.
Absolute synchronization is necessary for high speed communication
systems, synchronizing television feeds, calculating bank transfers, and
transmitting everything from e-mail to sonar signals in a submarine.
Power companies use precise time to regulate power system grids and
reduce power losses.
Scientific organizations such as NASA depend on reliable and consistent
time measurement for projects such as interplanetary space travel.
Fractional disparities in times between a space probe and tracking
stations on Earth can dramatically affect the position of spacecraft.
Precise time measurements are also essential to radio navigation systems
like the U.S. Government's Global Positioning System (GPS). By
synchronizing the satellite clocks within nanoseconds of each other, it
is possible for a receiver on Earth to identify its position within a
few meters.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Atomix is a trademark of Chaney Instrument Company, maker
of quality timepieces and thermometers since 1943. For interviews or
product reviews, contact Bridget Haggerty, Marketing Communications
Manager, Chaney Instrument Company, at (800) 777-0565, Ext. 212, or
bhaggerty@primex-inc.com.
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