Outdoor Living Center

Really Not Worth The Money (2008-10-21)
Hello,

I bought this just over a week ago, I really like the design of the clock is is very nice looking but that is where it all stops. I set it to my time zone ( Eastern ) as in the directions and about an hour later it started to track the radio signal, great. A few days went by and out of the blue it set itself to pacific time and the second hand stopped moving completely, I tried to reset the clock and pushed the Eastern Time Zone button again, it did synchronize again but the second hand stays on 12...oh well... It is working again without the second hand and i do like the look of it lets hope and pray it stays set for more than a few days.

La Crosse Technology WT-3122J (2008-10-20)
I've had mine since 9/06 and it has only stopped once and that's for a new battery. Nice to have a clock that keeps perfect time even when the power goes off.

Has worked for me for over two years (2008-10-19)
I had to write a review to let people know that this clock can be reset for the change to Daylight Savings Time. I own two atomic clocks--this one and the cheaper plastic silver-color Skyscan clock (got it at SmartBargains for $20). The first time the new DST went into effect, this clock was confused for about 12 hours and then reset itself to the correct time. Keep in mind that I've had this clock since before I ever heard that the date for DST was changing. The Skyscan clock didn't change for the new DST date and I waited for the original DST change date to roll around hoping that the clock's time would change then. It didn't. I just left it an hour off. If I didn't live in the EST zone, I could have changed the time zone to one zone to the East and it would have been right.

Then, the batteries went dead in both clocks. I put a new battery in each clock and then they were both hours off. I messed with the buttons on both clocks and they both stopped working altogether. I looked at the websites for both companies and the instructions at the La Crosse site were not helpful. However, the Skyscan site had instructions for resetting the clock with a picture of the controls on the back of the La Crosse clock, NOT the actual controls of the Skyscan clock. The works for both of these clocks are the same dimensions and mount the same way in the back of the clock. There must be one company making the works for all of these atomic clocks and the Skyscan clock I have has an older version because it's older than my La Crosse clock. So go to the Skyscan site for good directions.

The directions said to short out two contacts on the upper left of the back of the clock and then push a button just above the DST zone switch. Another part of the instructions suggested to leave the battery out for over 10 seconds. And yet another part of the instructions said to set the clock in a window facing Denver past one of the three reset times, only one of which, midnight, I can remember. The Skyscan clock didn't have the shortout contacts but it had the button and pushing the button and then setting the clock in a West facing window worked. The next day, the Skyscan clock was correct.

The La Crosse clock was not that simple, but only because the first time I tried this, I accidently pushed the button too far in and it got stuck inside the clock although I did dig it out. So after a night in the window facing Denver, it still wasn't working at all. But I persevered and tried again. This time I took the battery out for over 10 seconds, shorted out the two posts, and pushed the button. After a night in the Denver-facing window, the clock was correct and has been ever since.

I suspect that the reason the La Crosse reset itself for the new DST change date is that it's on a wall facing Southwest, Denver is directly West of me, and there is a window between the clock and Denver. The Skyscan clock is on a wall in a bathroom with no windows and faces Southeast.

So the moral of the story is, if the clock doesn't automatically set itself correctly, try all of the tricks above repeatedly until it does.

Wow, this so didn't work (2008-08-05)
I spent three days plus the next weekend moving this clock to different parts of my house: upstairs, front, back, in a window -- nothing. It never ever got a full/workable signal. I changed out batteries, positioned it horizontally, vertically facing west/east -- nothing. I had a previous atomic clock that worked for years till it died, so I'm thinking my house/reception (I'm in New Jersey) ought to be fine. Its this clock that clunks.

Don't bother (2008-03-21)
I bought two of these for my workplace. The company has spent more paying people for their time dealing with theses clocks than their original cost.

This clock is a piece of cr*p. Buy it if you want a week-long project of resetting it every time DST changes. Check out what their website says about this procedure: (I find it annoyingly laughable)

1. To properly Restart your analog clock
Remove the battery and press the "manual" set tab 20 times. This clears any electricity out of the clock.
2. Verify that the Alkaline Batteries are dated at least 6 years in advance.
Without proper batteries, the antenna will have a harder time picking up the signal..
3. Insert the battery into the clock. Do not touch any buttons.
The second hand should advance 6-10 seconds then stop.
4. Wait 5 minutes.
If the WWVB signal is not received, the clock hands will automatically spin to
4, 8, or 12:00 and stay there until the WWVB signal is received.
5. Place the clock in a window facing Ft. Collins , Colorado and leave overnight. The front or the back of the clock can face Colorado. (If you do not have a window facing this direction, locate the timepiece near an outside wall and point the unit in this general direction.)
6. Check the clock in the morning.
If the WWVB signal was received, the clock will be set to Pacific Time (default). At this time, press the appropriate Time Zone Button and the clock will correct itself.
7. If the clock still displays the incorrect time in the morning...
Allow the device 3-4 more nights to set correctly.
8. Please note, this clock defaults to DST being ON.
If you do not observe DST, press the small-unmarked button between the ET and CT buttons, one time to turn DST to "OFF".

The clock may show erroneous readings during the first few days. The WWVB tower in Colorado increases the signal power, which sometimes causes the clock to reset itself.

If it has not received a signal after the 5th night, please contact Customer Service.