Q:  How do these clocks work?
A: In addition to a regular quartz motor, Atomix clocks contain an antenna and a microchip.  The antenna receives the official time signal from the US Government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and the microchip translates the time signal and adjusts the time display to the correct time.

Q:  What is the time signal that these timepieces receive?
A:  Atomix ™ clocks receive a 60-kilohertz, low frequency AM radio signal from the WWVB radio station that is maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).  The NIST is the official timekeeper for the US and is located in Boulder, Colorado.  Its WWVB station is located nearby in Ft. Collins. The NIST and its sister agency, the US Naval Observatory, participate with an international coalition of agencies to determine official world time, called Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).  Both of these agencies establish time through the use of atomic clocks with Greenwich as the 0 meridian.  The NIST “distributes” this official time via high frequency short-wave and low frequency AM radio signals, satellite transmission, Internet, and via telephone.  Atomix timepieces make this technology accessible to everyday consumers.

Q:  How does this time relate to Greenwich Mean Time?
A:  Greenwich Mean Time and Coordinated Universal Time are roughly the same.  As explained above, world time, or UTC, is determined through an averaging of several atomic clocks from around the world.  Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is a 24-hour astronomical time system based on the local time at Greenwich, England.  UTC is considered to be more accurate when fractions of a second are not important.

Q:  Will the clocks work anywhere?
A:  Atomix clocks will work anywhere that they receive the WWVB signal from the NIST.  The signal is broadcast to reach across the continental US and into parts of Canada and Mexico. 

• There are some environments and weather conditions that may influence the reception of the AM signal.  Just as with an AM radio, the clock can be positioned for optimal reception.  For instance, it is best to position the clock away from metal studs and toward the direction of the tower in Colorado.  Since these timepieces contain highly accurate quartz movements, they will function with very high levels of accuracy between signal receptions.
• See product instructions at www.atomixtime.com/products/atomixinstru.htm for more details on how to set up Atomix clocks and to see how Atomix will function as a regular quartz clock without having to receive the signal.

Q:  Is it true that these timepieces change all by themselves for Daylight savings?
A:  An Atomix timepiece will automatically adjust for daylight savings time when it receives the signal from the NIST’s WWVB station.

• This change may not occur precisely at 2 am on the date of the time change.  The change will occur when the timepiece gets a clear signal.
• The feature that allows the daylight savings switch to occur can be turned off on all of the clocks.

Q:  What will I see at 2 am when the time changes in the spring and fall?
A:  When it receives the signal from the NIST, the display on an Atomix timepiece will automatically change.  In the spring the timepiece will advance an hour.  Since the hands do not actually move backward, the timepiece will move forward eleven hours in the fall to reflect the correct time.  In either case, you will see the hands spin on an analog clock and the numbers advance with speed on a digital clock (see above for more DST detail).

Q:  How often do these timepieces search for the correct time?
A:  Atomix clocks are programmed to search for the signal every day.

• Initially the clock will search for a signal once per hour until it is able to decode the correct time and set.  Once the clock has initially set, it will search for the signal from 5 to 7 times per day to maintain accuracy.

• The signal from the WWVB is best during the early morning hours when there is the least amount of interference from other sources.

Q:  Can I set my clock to the time any other place in the world?
A:  For analog (dial) clocks:  You can set your clock to any world time by manually turning the clock’s hour hand to show the time that you want to see.  The minute and second hands automatically adjust to reflect the official time to the second. 

• Go to: www.atomixtime.com/products/atomixinstru.html for detailed instructions.

Q:  What will happen when I physically move from time zone to time zone?
A:  Atomix clocks need to be manually changed between time zones, but doing so is super easy and you maintain extreme accuracy even as you change.

• Go to: www.atomixtime.com/products/atomixinstru.html for detailed instructions.

Q:  Can I set the clock so that it will always be exactly five minutes fast?
A:  Atomix analog wall clocks can be set to however many minutes ahead you would like.  After the clock has received the signal, turn the gray wheel to advance the hands to your desired time difference.  The clock will then maintain that difference precisely.