4 ms·

I don't understand why in the age of dirt cheap Espressif modules people keep doing DIY clocks with micros that don't have WiFi for S/NTP. It's the same with a

I don't understand why in the age of dirt cheap Espressif modules people keep doing DIY clocks with micros that don't have WiFi for S/NTP. It's the same with a lot of the expensive nixie clocks. At least throw in an RTC! At the other end of the (colourfulness) spectrum the Ulanzi TC-001 and the awtrix-light firmware makes for a great visually fun clock that can also do notifications and various other stuff.

nicolaslem 3y ago
For keeping time I would pick DCF77 and its worldwide equivalent over WiFi. IoT gadgets that don't have a flexible input mechanism require setting up the network via convoluted steps. Also every device with WiFi has an expiry date attached to it: at some point standards evolve, encryption schemes get phased out... Not worth it for a clock in my opinion. DCF77 on the other hand requires no configuration, can be expected to work basically forever and will never be part of a botnet.
- fanf2 3y ago
  There isn’t a (single) worldwide equivalent of DCF77, because the radio signals have limited propagation and they are tied to a specific time zone. If you are in North America there isn’t a signal per timezone, so you have to configure your clock’s offset. For me in Cambridge there isn’t very good reception of MSF during the day, so I have to wait for night time if I want to reset my radio clocks.
  - speps 3y ago
    Have you tried this DCF77 Emulator app? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.houryo.dcf77emulator https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.houryo.dcf7... Haven't taken the time to do it myself but it was from HN that I learned about it.
- blutack 3y ago
  Good point - are there any low cost or at least widely available integrated IC receivers? There's the MAS6180C but that doesn't seem to be commonly available at any of the big distributors. GPS works, but then your clock needs to be near a window and needs some way of being updated for local tzinfo changes.

nicolaslem 3y ago

For keeping time I would pick DCF77 and its worldwide equivalent over WiFi. IoT gadgets that don't have a flexible input mechanism require setting up the network via convoluted steps. Also every device with WiFi has an expiry date attached to it: at some point standards evolve, encryption schemes get phased out... Not worth it for a clock in my opinion. DCF77 on the other hand requires no configuration, can be expected to work basically forever and will never be part of a botnet.

fanf2 3y ago
There isn’t a (single) worldwide equivalent of DCF77, because the radio signals have limited propagation and they are tied to a specific time zone. If you are in North America there isn’t a signal per timezone, so you have to configure your clock’s offset. For me in Cambridge there isn’t very good reception of MSF during the day, so I have to wait for night time if I want to reset my radio clocks.
- speps 3y ago
  Have you tried this DCF77 Emulator app? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.houryo.dcf77emulator https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.houryo.dcf7... Haven't taken the time to do it myself but it was from HN that I learned about it.
blutack 3y ago
Good point - are there any low cost or at least widely available integrated IC receivers? There's the MAS6180C but that doesn't seem to be commonly available at any of the big distributors. GPS works, but then your clock needs to be near a window and needs some way of being updated for local tzinfo changes.