Frequently Asked Questions

Tag RC-8300

What is the correct Timezone/Time Zone setting for my location:

Here is a list of Time Zones:

Hours from GMT Time Zone Cities
-12 IDLW: International Date Line West
-11 NT: Nome Nome, AK
-10 AHST: Alaska-Hawaii Standard
CAT: Central Alaska
HST: Hawaii Standard
Honolulu, HI
-9 YST:  Yukon Standard Yukon Territory
-8 PST: Pacific Standard Los Angeles, CA, USA
-7 MST: Mountain Standard Denver, CO, USA
-6 CST: Central Standard Chicago, IL, USA
-5 EST: Eastern Standard New York, NY, USA
-4 AST: Atlantic Standard Caracas
-3 São Paulo, Brazil
-2 AT: Azores Azores, Cape Verde Islands
-1 WAT: West Africa
0 GMT: Greenwich Mean
WET: Western European
London, England
1 CET: Central European Paris, France
2 EET: Eastern European Athens, Greece
3 BT: Baghdad Moscow, Russia
4 Abu Dhabi, UAE
5 Tashkent
6 Astana
7 Bangkok
8 CCT: China Coast Bejing
9 JST: Japan Standard Tokyo
10 GST: Guam Standard Sydney
11 Magadan
12 IDLE: International Date Line East
NZST: New Zealand Standard
Wellington, New Zealand

Note: There are no half settings. Example: If your time zone is 5.5 then you would select a whole number such as 5 or 6.

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If the Radio Controlled Clock does not set on your clock or weather station:

  • Make sure Daylight Savings Time (DST) is set properly. All states except Hawaii and Arizona observe Daylight Savings Time. If you observe DST, make sure this setting is turned ON. The default is OFF (except for the RC-8427)
  • Be patient. Wait at least one week. The RCC is a shortwave signal originating near Fort Collins, Colorado, and travels thousands of miles by bouncing off the ionosphere. The signal is better at night due to solar interference during the daytime. The farther you are from Colorado, the weaker the signal. Urban environments can also effect the signal strength.
  • Locate the console or clock at night near a window or outer wall, and away from other radiating sources, like wireless routers or TVs. This will insure the best reception possible.
  • Test and replace the batteries in the console, if required. Low batteries are often the cause for weak reception.
  • Check your Time Zone Setting. Make sure your time zone is set properly in the display console settings. All times zones in the USA are negative. It is very common for the customer to enter 6 instead of -6 for example.Here is a list of Time Zones:
    Hours from GMT Time Zone Cities
    -12 IDLW: International Date Line West
    -11 NT: Nome Nome, AK
    -10 AHST: Alaska-Hawaii Standard
    CAT: Central Alaska
    HST: Hawaii Standard
    Honolulu, HI
    -9 YST:  Yukon Standard Yukon Territory
    -8 PST: Pacific Standard Los Angeles, CA, USA
    -7 MST: Mountain Standard Denver, CO, USA
    -6 CST: Central Standard Chicago, IL, USA
    -5 EST: Eastern Standard New York, NY, USA
    -4 AST: Atlantic Standard Caracas
    -3 São Paulo, Brazil
    -2 AT: Azores Azores, Cape Verde Islands
    -1 WAT: West Africa
    0 GMT: Greenwich Mean
    WET: Western European
    London, England
    1 CET: Central European Paris, France
    2 EET: Eastern European Athens, Greece
    3 BT: Baghdad Moscow, Russia
    4 Abu Dhabi, UAE
    5 Tashkent
    6 Astana
    7 Bangkok
    8 CCT: China Coast Bejing
    9 JST: Japan Standard Tokyo
    10 GST: Guam Standard Sydney
    11 Magadan
    12 IDLE: International Date Line East
    NZST: New Zealand Standard
    Wellington, New Zealand
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With the models listed below, the clock attempts to synchronize to the radio controlled time at the following times:

2:00 am,  8:00 am, 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm.

The Radio Controlled Clock (RCC) is a shortwave signal originating near Fort Collins, Colorado, and travels thousands of miles by bouncing off the ionosphere. The signal is better at night due to solar interference during the daytime. The farther you are from Colorado, the weaker the signal. Urban environments can also effect the signal strength.

Thus, you may only receive the signal once a night, or once every few days, which is sufficient for keeping accurate time.

If the RCC synchronization only occurs at night (say 2:00 am), you may not be aware, because the synchronization may fail at 2:00 pm due to solar and other interference.

One option is to be viewing the clock between 2:00 am and 8:00 am to see if the clock set at night.

If your clock is keeping accurate time but does not synchronize 100% of the time, this is normal.

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To restore the console to factory default, press the reset button (#11) on the back of the console.

 

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To change the language setting (which effects the weekday), you must enter the Time and Date Set mode.

The language setting is the second to last clock setting:

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