Time Travel

[DominicBest]

I was walking through my kitchen last night and I noticed that my Roberts Radio was displaying the time, something it doesn’t normally do. My first reaction was to think, that’s later than I thought it was. I checked the time and I was right the time shown was just over an hour out. I had a closer look and noticed the date as well, that was even further out, it claimed that it was 29th August 1948. I’ve no idea why the clock display was active, I used to have to set it manually although in theory it should be able to pick the time on its own. The trouble is that every time it gets unplugged the time needed to be reset so I stopped doing it years ago. I suppose I will never get to the bottom of the mystery; Why did the time display start again and why did it decide it was 1948?

[Hotrodder]

I also have a Roberts. No matter how many times I set it to local time it just doesn't agree. The internal charger has never been up to much and I have bought several sets of replacement batteries but to no avail. Once I unplug it to take it into another room it forgets all the settings. Oh, and the wifi range is pitiful. Rubbish really.

[Sparkle]

Same here my Roberts always shows UK time - I use the alarm daily as a wake up but have to remember to reset it an hour early or later when the clocks go back and forward

[Hotrodder]

Somewhere in the Settings menu there might be an option to keep time updated via internet or to override to whatever you want. I suppose it depends what options are available in each model of radio. Roberts support don't seem interested to help with my now discontinued product. The problem remains, they just don't retain settings the user selects.

[L Austin France]

Same here my Roberts always shows UK time - I use the alarm daily as a wake up but have to remember to reset it an hour early or later when the clocks go back and forward

Maybe it's reliant on radio signals from the UK rather than mainland Europe.
Our weather station has a clock & calendar which sets itself automatically to Paris time (GMT +2) & is always spot on.
Something else we had (can't remember what) was controlled by a UK signal & couldn't be altered.

[DominicBest]

The instructions say that the radio can pick up a time signal from local FM stations but it’s never done that. I’ve got a satellite digital clock in the same room so don’t need a second readout. I used to set the time manually but every time the radio was unplugged it needed redoing. It’s actually a portable radio and I bought it so I could use it in different rooms. It’s strange because it actually always runs on the batteries even when it’s plugged in. The rechargeable batteries then recharge when the radio is switched off. Using it is even more complicated since the BBC changed the frequencies it uses as I can only listen to BBC stations through my phone or iPad plugged into the auxiliary port. On the positive side it’s a lovely radio to listen to, probably the best sound from any radio I’ve ever owned.
It’s still 1948 in my house.

[beejay]

Most radios using a national time signal can be reset to compensate for location. The UK time signal moved from Herstmonceux to Cumbria some years ago and can only be received in northern and western Europe.

If the radio relies on a broadcast signal on the radio it usually has to be a station that transmits a time signal and not all do. Some mains radios maintain the time via the frequency of the supply which can vary slighly upsetting the time accuracy.

[DominicBest]

Most radios using a national time signal can be reset to compensate for location. The UK time signal moved from Herstmonceux to Cumbria some years ago and can only be received in northern and western Europe.

If the radio relies on a broadcast signal on the radio it usually has to be a station that transmits a time signal and not all do. Some mains radios maintain the time via the frequency of the supply which can vary slighly upsetting the time accuracy.

Making its 76 years out? As I pointed out my radio should pick up time stamps from local FM stations, it never has.

[ajm]

It's not just your radio. We got home yesterdagy from visiting a friend at 1845h. Today as we went out the car clock still said 1845. It's quiet where we live but tine does not actually stand still. Too much technology