Big digital clock

Brian Bolly

Junior
Jan 11, 2011
429
28
28
Baltimore, MD
Looking for a big stand-alone digital clock display. Ideally it would have a seconds display, but I may be able escape with a really nice (big) alarm clock style display in a pinch if everything with the :SS display is too expensive.

The Leitch/Harris broadcast options are nice, but a little out of the budget for this project. Trying to keep it under $200.
 
Re: Big digital clock

More for keeping track of time on stage than anything. I've found one or two consumer devices that might work, but since the minimum viewing distance is going to be 20+ feet away, bigger/brighter is better, and at least 2-3" for the numbers would be nice.
 
Re: Big digital clock

I have one from LaCrosse (link below) that's a consumer grade device and been running in my vacation place for about 4 years. It's been subject to pretty demanding variations in temperature and humidity and so far so good. It eats 3 AA cells about every two years and sets itself off of WWVB, so the time is always dead nuts on. I got it for free from a friend's office that was moving but I think street price is < $200. -F

515-1316 Jumbo Digits Atomic Digital Clock with Large 7" Time Display by La Crosse Technology - Tomorrow's Weather Today
 
Re: Big digital clock

This needs to be a backlit solution so it can be seen on dark stages. No computers either - just a clock.

Frank, I can't tell from the description - do you know if the model you suggested is backlit?

Jordan, any idea if Krontek has US distribution?
 
Re: Big digital clock

Frank, I can't tell from the description - do you know if the model you suggested is backlit?

Sad to say, the one I have, which is not exactly the model I gave the link to, is not backlit. The limitation would be battery power. Also, it occured to me that the radio self-setting feature might not work deep in a concrete building. --Frank
 
Re: Big digital clock

This needs to be a backlit solution so it can be seen on dark stages. No computers either - just a clock.

Frank, I can't tell from the description - do you know if the model you suggested is backlit?

Jordan, any idea if Krontek has US distribution?

Have you seen those neato projection alarm clocks? :)

That being said, there's a reason larger festival stages etc just have a big white-faced analog clock either side. Runs on batteries and can be lit using something like a clip-on note light if needed.
 
Re: Big digital clock

Tim, I think you found the solution. There's a couple clocks on there that are certainly large enough, and under $130 - exactly what I was looking for.

I think that's the same company we bought a couple large clocks from a few years ago. We used them for remote broadcast, and the GPS syncing was very useful for getting them on the correct time. Unfortunately, the build quality didn't stand up to them being moved around and set up over and over. If they were installed once and left alone, I don't see a problem with them though.

Lately, I've been using an iPad ap for a broadcast clock. Atomic Clock by Gorgi Timing has hours and minutes displayed digitally, but a circle of dots displaying the seconds (similar to a second hand) which the announcers are comfortable with.

GTD
 
Re: Big digital clock

At work we bought one of those kits:
http://www.velleman.eu/downloads/0/illustrated/illustrated_assembly_manual_k8089_rev1.pdf

It's great, I could see it over 30m from stage at a hall I was in. I did a festival with it on the side and when of the bands came back just before another festival they said "where's the clock ? We're never playing again without a clock on stage". So I went and got it, put it up on the infill speakers (that were stacked on the Left subwookfer stack)

And it comes in a kit and you have to solder it yourself! Does it get any better ?

We just bought two more of those at work, and I'm thinking of getting my own. Even thinking of building a wooden box around it and put a thread in it so I can put it on a mic stand.