ARRL

Register Account

Login Help

Forum Home - Rules - Help - Login - Forgot Password
Members can access, post and reply to the forums below. Before you do, please first read the RULES.

Free UTC desktop clock?

Aug 3rd 2011, 17:13

W1VT

Super Moderator

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
A member writes in :

I've been looking online for a free program that will install a digital UTC clock on my desktop. I tried Alpha Clock but it doesn't even seem to allow for a time zone setting. The problem is I keep on forgetting is it plus 8hrs or minus 8hrs for CA time? Do you adjust for DST or not adjust for DST? Etc.
Aug 3rd 2011, 20:20

w1rfi

Super Moderator

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
If Alpha Clock is a UTC clock, it would not have a provision for time-zone setting, as UTC is a fixed time zone. UTC does not change with various local daylight-savings time changes.

If you are using a Windows operating system, you should be able to configure your clock settings to UTC and to not change with daylight-savings time. Go to your control panel, click on the date and time icon, then select GMT as your time zone. On my office machine, this removed the optional check box to automatically adjust my clock for daylight-savings time.

Here in the Eastern time zone, we are 5 hours behind UTC in standard time and 4 hours behind in daylight savings time. Pacific standard time is 8 hours ahead of UTC and your daylight savings time is 7 hours ahead of UTC. Right now, it is 1600 local time here in EDT, so is is 2000 UTC. You are at 1300 local time, so adding 7 hours to your time will give yuo 2000 UTC. When daylight-savings time is over, if you add 8 hours to your clock, you will have the time in UTC.

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Lab
Technical forums moderator
Aug 4th 2011, 16:20

AC4RD

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
This isn't "desktop," but you might find it worth considering. I'm doing a lot of HF from the car and wanted a UTC clock for logging--to minimize the chance of an error converting local to GMT while I'm also trying to work a station AND keep from being in an accident. :-)

I bought a Casio watch for about $23; it's digital, solar powered, and sets itself every night from WWVB. And it has "dual time zones"--which means I can have local time on a small segment of the display, and GMT (London time) in the big display. It's always accurate, won't ever need a battery, and inexpensive. I took the band off mine, and stuck it to my dashboard with a tiny bit of coax-seal. :-) I've got GMT, accurate and exact, in front of me any time I'm in the car. You could do the same thing with one of these watches and your keyboard or the edge of your monitor, if that sounds like a reasonable solution.

Good luck! --ken ac4rd
Aug 5th 2011, 17:35

AA7AN

Joined: Jun 12th 2011, 00:15
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Hi
I guess Ill aid my 2 Penney
I use DS clock I like it .Its small and is fully customizable it's free or you can buy for more features it will give you local time and date as well as utc time and date give it a try it mite work for you
73s AA7AN
Aug 11th 2011, 16:49

aa6e

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I wrote a program to display local and UTC time on the desktop: http://aa6e.net/wiki/PyHamClock. It has Nixie/Panaplex styling.

73 Martin AA6E
ARRL Technical Advisor
Aug 20th 2011, 23:49

AC5JW

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
You can try the UTC Clock function on Clox 2000, available at URL http://www.mirage1.u-net.com/clox.htm

Alternatively, you can set an Internet Bookmark to a webpage from www.timeanddate.com that only shows UTC. But, it may only register AM/PM and not be a 24-hour clock if you are hoping for that.

73 Raleigh AC5JW
Jul 12th 2013, 11:19

w2eus

Joined: Aug 3rd 2010, 01:37
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Look at www.timeanddate.com. I made an igHome(iGoogle alternative) gadget for my home page from there.

73
Rich W2EUS
Aug 25th 2019, 07:37

n2bmn138@att.net

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I am returning back to ham radio after many years so now I need a UTC clock...to use with logbook....
Aug 29th 2019, 18:59

WA8NVW

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
If you are planning to use a computer to control your rig, encode and decode various digital modes, and log your contacts, I highly recommend that you set your computer's clock to primarily display UTC in 24 hour format. That ensures you have the correct date and time in your logs.
Recent versions of Windows allow you to show multiple other time zones in the task bar, all labeled and synchronized to an internet time source.

Back to Top

EXPLORE ARRL

Instragram     Facebook     Twitter     YouTube     LinkedIn