Frequently Asked Questions

Temperature reads too high (or inaccurate) when placed in the sun or close to a radiant heat source, like a house, building or structure.

1. Place the sensor inside next to the indoor console sensor. Wait about 1 hour for stabilization. The sensors should agree within the accuracy specifications. Most RTD (resistive thermal device) sensors are accurate within +/- 2 degF. Thus, the sensors should agree within 4 degF.
2. Mercury or red spirit thermometers are very accurate. Inside your house, place a red spirit thermometer next to the digital thermometer. The thermometers should agree within 2 degF.
3. If the sensor is separate, place the sensor in a shaded area on the north side of the structure to avoid direct and radiant heat.
4. Temperature sensors that do not have radiation shields will absorb solar energy and read higher than the ambient temperature. To prevent this problem, purchase a solar radiation shield from Ambient Weather.
5. We have a one year warranty and a 30 day return policy. For details, please visit: www.AmbientWeather.com/rma.html
6. While at the website, enter the part number of the transmitter in the Search by Keyword to locate the product.

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

Here is a list of Time Zones:

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.

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

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.

To rotate or reverse the projection on your clock, press the Rotate button  on the top or back of your clock (depending on the model):

If you own an older Model RC-8427, there is an added step. You must press the SNOOZE/LIGHT key first, let go, and then press the REVERSE key.

The projection brightness or size cannot be adjusted.

The farther away the projection is from the wall or ceiling, the larger and dimmer the projection gets.

There are three settings that affect the radio controlled time – Time Zone, Daylight Savings Time, and Time Offset. All three must be correct for your radio controlled time to set properly.

Reference the table below.

1. Time Zone. Set to the location where you live.
2. 00H or Time Offset. This will remain at 00H unless you live outside the USA.
3. Daylight Savings Time. Set to ON, unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii, where DST is not observed:

Product Manual
https://ambientweather.com/mwdownloads/download/link/id/1096/

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.com/amrc8465.html

Product Manual
https://ambientweather.com/mwdownloads/download/link/id/1096/

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.com/amrc8465.html

The clock receives the RCC signal four times a day (2:00am, 8:00am, 2:00pm and 8:00pm) for 6 minutes.

During this time, the segment color will turn to green.  The reason the console characters turn green is it results in the least interference because of the low power requirements to display the color green.

At the end of the 6 minutes, the color will return to whatever was selected.

Product Manual
https://ambientweather.com/mwdownloads/download/link/id/1096/

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.com/amrc8465.html

1. Make sure the clock is plugged into AC power.  The projector is on momentarily if disconnected from AC Power.
2. Make sure the AC adapter is not plugged into a switched outlet.
3. If the problem persists, we have a one year warranty. To replace under warranty, please visit:

   www.AmbientWeather.com/rma.html

Product Manual
https://ambientweather.com/mwdownloads/download/link/id/1096/

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.com/amrc8465.html

To change the back light color based on the temperature, press the TEMP button (#8) on the back of the display:

If the temperature still does not change after pressing the TEMP button,  restore the console to factory default by pressing the RESET button (#13).

Product Manual
https://ambientweather.com/mwdownloads/download/link/id/1096/

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.com/amrc8465.html

Press the MANUAL button (#9, below) on the back of the display, and the backlight color will change
automatically; Press the MANUAL button again, and the backlight color will stop at the color you prefer.

Product Manual
https://ambientweather.com/mwdownloads/download/link/id/1096/

Product Page
https://www.ambientweather.com/amrc8465.html