Synchronous / POE clock

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Scott3

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#315161 18-Jun-2024 12:54

Have a wall open soon, so could run ethernet to the back of the clock location fairly easily.

Is there such a think as a cheap POE clock. Appealing to have a clock for my child's room that is always exactly on time and never needs batteries changed.

My internet searching is only turning up stuff around the $400 mark, which is getting a bit steep for the application.

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#3250388 18-Jun-2024 12:59

$400 for an ethernet powered clock!? I'm in the wrong business.

Afraid I dont know of a product itself - but this would be the type of project I'd look to build myself. Either with a Raspberry Pi or, more likely, an ESP32 or similar.

mentalinc

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#3250391 18-Jun-2024 13:11

ESP32 and a cheap LED 8 block display thing?

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djtOtago

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#3250394 18-Jun-2024 13:18

If LED it would also need to be dimmable. If more traditional with hands it would need to be silent.

Scott3

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#3250406 18-Jun-2024 13:38

nzkc:

$400 for an ethernet powered clock!? I'm in the wrong business.

Afraid I dont know of a product itself - but this would be the type of project I'd look to build myself. Either with a Raspberry Pi or, more likely, an ESP32 or similar.

I'm guessing the cost (many of the NZ suppliers just have price on application) is indicative of the low volumes of these sold. Nothing particularly hard conceptually about it.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004707527069.html

I'm guessing most adults just use their phones to tell the time, and buy the ~$30 battery wall clocks for their kids if they need.

An the likes of universities pay through the nose for the niche solution of a synchronized, wired wall clock.

Don't really have the desire to build a clock. While I would like to forever eliminate the chore of clock setting / battery changing, running the wire is about the limit of the effort I am willing to put into this.

nztim

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#3250426 18-Jun-2024 14:56

Scott3:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004707527069.html

That is super cool, but for $400 I will fix the time myself twice a year

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tieke

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#3250493 18-Jun-2024 16:25

Another possible reason why no-one is putting much effort into this small market segment is that it is already covered in UK, Europe, Americas, Japan or China by the time-accurate consumer-priced wall clocks that use broadcasted atomic clock signals.

I was going to suggest investigating a local WWVB transmitter project such as this one and then buying a $40 analogue atomic wall clock, then I remembered that @DizzyD has posted about this already :)

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SirHumphreyAppleby

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#3250499 18-Jun-2024 16:37

I have also looked for such a thing, without much luck. A GPS clock would be better from a security point of view... that NTP clock could easily contain malware.

ESP32 DIY is probably worth considering.

tieke

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#3250524 18-Jun-2024 17:42

Silicon Chip sell the full kit for a GPS-synchronised Analog Clock Driver here for AUD$69 including shipping - see here for more details.

Talkiet

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#3250533 18-Jun-2024 18:21

I built one :-) But no it's not cheap

It's POE powered and has a GPS disciplined clock (it's not just passing on the GPS time - it's using the GPS to set and the PPS to continuously discipline the internal clock. Oh it's also an NTP server.

While it's not cheap and no I won't make you one, I do have a few spare boards I could let go and share the code + 3d model for the case. I CNCed this one out of Jarrah but it 3dprints just fine as well.

I also need to replace the OLED screen and write a more aggressive algorithm to wear-level the pixels :-)

Cheers - N

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lxsw20

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#3250535 18-Jun-2024 18:31

I've used the wall poe clocks in places like factories where they don't want people having excuses why they are late back from break. Not seen a cheap option personally.

elpenguino

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#3250619 18-Jun-2024 20:37

GPS might battle to work inside.

For NZ, I've always thought an option would be to include an RF receiver and use the pips from national radio.

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#3250635 18-Jun-2024 21:22

mentalinc:

ESP32 and a cheap LED 8 block display thing?

There are quite a few NTP wifi options on alixpress to choose from that are USB powered. Just be aware that the idea of daylight saving time and timezones is hard for Chinese people to understand and they will often not work going to UTC +13 because they think it stops at 12

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tieke

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#3250875 19-Jun-2024 16:48

elpenguino:

For NZ, I've always thought an option would be to include an RF receiver and use the pips from national radio.

I built a board to do this over 30 years ago (relatively straightforward due to the set number, duration and pitch of the pips) and remember there were quite a few systems existing in remote areas that used the pips to keep everything in synch, which is one of the reasons why National Radio presenters and programs made sure to leave clear air around the pips back then. I assume the change to more reliable remote timekeeping options is one of the reasons why it became more acceptable to now have audio sometimes play over the pips.