Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The ultimate HAM radio wristwatch

Last summer I let my little daughter Anneli play with my indestructible Casio G-Shock watch. Well, after 12 years it seemed it could not manage the extreme pressures my little harmonic managed to make on the watch. After a bump on the floor the display didn't anything anymore and changing the battery didn't help at all. I decided I need another watch. My first real watch was a Casio G-Shock, it did hold for 15 years under extreme situations (mechanic job, oil, dirt, iron particles etc.), the second watch again was a G-Shock and as you just read it last for 12 years actually also under extreme situations. So, I purchased a G-Shock again last summer. In my eyes the perfect HAM radio watch. Main reason I bought this one, it was reasonable priced, it is solar powered and the watch has a radio receiver for time signals (DCF77). It even has kind of a signal meter built in, just incredible. When receiving it shows signal strength L1, L2 or L3 so unfortunate it doesn't show S1-9 ;-). I made a small video showing this, sorry for the bad quality but it's difficult to film a inverted display and mirror effect glass. The watch synchronizes at night, and always has the exact atomic time. Ideal watch for use when portable, without internet or GPS. Of course it has a lot of other features as well, most are less important for our hobby but very interesting. Some of them are moon data display, tide graph display and world time function (48 cities + UTC). With other words I think this is the ultimate HAM radio wristwatch. Eh, Casio give me some bucks for this nice review :-)




Afgelopen zomer liet ik Anneli spelen met mijn onverwoestbare Casio G-Shock horloge spelen. Nou, na 12 jaar onder zware omstandigheden kon het horloge helaas niet tegen het extreme geweld van mijn QRPieter. Na een val op de keukenvloer was er geen display meer, een nieuwe batterij gaf helaas geen oplossing voor het probleem. Ik besloot dat het tijd was voor een nieuw horloge. Mijn eerste echte horloge na een aantal HEMA probeersels was een Casio G-Shock die het onder zeer zware omstandigheden (sleutelen, olie, ijzervijlsel, vuil etc.) wel 15 jaar uithield. Het 2e horloge was weer een een G-Shock en hield het dus 12 jaar uit onder dezelfde zware omstandigheden. De keuze viel daarom natuurlijk weer op een G-Shock en kocht deze afgelopen zomer. In mijn ogen het perfecte radioamateur horloge. De belangrijkste reden dat ik juist deze kocht was dat hij redelijk in prijs was, met zonnecellen gevoed en dit horloge heeft een DCF77 tijd radio ontvanger. Het heeft zelfs een signaal meter dat de signaalsterkte aangeeft van L1 - L3, jammer genoeg geen S1-9 ;-). Ik heb er een kort filmpje van gemaakt, sorry voor de slechte kwaliteit maar het is erg moeilijk om een wit op zwart (geïnverteerd) display en spiegeleffect te filmen.  Dit horloge synchroniseert de tijd 's nachts en heeft in feite altijd de atoom tijd, ideaal voor als je portable zit zonder internet of GPS. Natuurlijk kan het ding nog meer, sommige dingen zijn minder belangrijk voor radioamateurs maar wel interessant. Andere mogelijkheden zijn maanstand, het getij en wereld tijden voor 48 grote steden + UTC tijd. Met andere woorden het ultieme amateurradio horloge. Ehhh, Casio geef me maar een paar centen voor deze reclame :-).

 

8 comments:

John AE5X said...

Bas, I have had a similar watch for 3 years now and I think you will like yours. I've never had to replace a battery due to the solar cell and it gets a time sync every night.

I guess we are now solar powered!

Congrats on your new VLF "rig".

KL8DX said...

Hum, very cool! I also like those watches! You know you have something sturdy when you got one on. I have one myself but have not worn it for awhile. I also find, since we have to change our time twice a year, it was a bit cumbersome to adjust the time. Maybe this one would do it automagically?! Either way, a cool watch! I wonder how well the solar would work here in the winter with so little daylight. :)

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hi John, indeed a VLF rig....and even a 6 band. At least the from DCF77 signal on 77 KHz is fine. And solar powered indeed! 73, Bas

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hi Phil, we also have to change the time twice a year. Always in the weekends of the CQWW and CQ WPX contests (easy to remember). The first time I encountered the watch had it's sync too late. But just pressing the receive button and wait for about 2 minutes and it was done automagically. The watch also has a charge monitor indicator (L, M and H). Till now I only had a M charge once, I then charged it by holding the watch in sunlight for about a hour. Since then I only have a H(igh) on the charge monitor. Now, I know in Alaska there is almost no sun in the winter. I don't know how it would hold over there. Btw, the watch can stand -20 Celsius, not less important in Alaska. 73, Bas

Unknown said...

I have a solar powered radio controlled Casio watch as well. It's called the Wave Ceptor. Perfect for /P WSPR.

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hello Julian, indeed the Wave Ceptor is the non G-Shock version and of course cheaper. In fact I think Casio is the best, but you can buy chinese "LF" receiver watches as cheap as 19,99 USD. 73, Bas

Ricardo - CT2GQV said...

I got depressed by your post :) Remembered my Casio PRG80T (http://www.pmwf.com/Watches/Casio%202/PRG80TFront1.htm) that I lost this summer while scuba diving on a day better for surfing! One time I "calibrated" the watch in the Greenwich observatory and after one year it was only 10s behind, mine didn't had the DCF receiver but had the solar power which is great, you forget completely about changing batteries.

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Sorry to hear that Ricardo, it's a nice watch. Looks like my second G-Shock watch. Though mine was 1 minute behind every month. That's why I desperately wanted a DCF watch. 73, Bas