Radio controlled clock

Sometimes I wonder ...

Does anybody really know what time it is?

(Care) Does anybody really care?

Source Credit: "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" by Chicago, from the album entitled "Chicago Transit Authority."

Does anybody really care about time? I do, especially now that I've reached the point in my life where the road ahead of me is shorter than the road behind me. Oh well, time marches on.

Recently I rediscovered one of two radio controlled clocks I own. Oregon Scientific, the vendor from which I bought the clocks, calls them "atomic clocks." They aren't atomic but they can receive a radio signal from the atomic clock operated by the National Institute of Standards (NIST), via radio station WWVB located in Fort Collins, Colorado USA.

The following photo shows the clock was receiving a strong signal from WWVB. This photo was taken indoors, two days after I was able sync my clock by going to the roof of the parking garage for the building where I live.

14 January 2026. Oregon Scientific RM806.

A few days later the clock was receiving a weaker signal from WWVB — too weak to sync the clock using the radio signal from WWVB.

17 January 2026. Oregon Scientific RM806.

The clock still works, but it doesn't update the time to match the exact time from NIST.

"... the RM806 Alarm Clock contains a very accurate quartz movement and will retain precise time even if a signal is missed on a rare occasion." Source Credit: Oregon Scientific RM806 User Manual, p. 7.

Looks like I'll need to revisit the roof occasionally in order to re-sync with WWVB.

Troubleshooting

When I tested the clock for the first time after "rediscovering" it, I used a couple of AAA batteries I've had on hand for quite a while. The clock worked but didn't sync to display the correct time and date, even when it was placed on a window sill for two days. I took the clock to the roof of the parking garage for the building where I live and reset the clock, but it still didn't sync.

Luis Acosta, my good friend and radio guru, suggested I use KiwiSDR to see whether the signal from WWVB can be received at my location. Turns out it can, at least it can be received at a location near mine. Notice the radio transmission is data only, no voice. [Select "USB" (Upper Sideband) and set the frequency for 59 or 60 kHz.]

KiwiSDR station located in Springfield, Virginia USA.

I don't recall seeing the low battery indicator on the clock display but I speculate the old batteries I used initially were too weak to power the radio properly.

"[BATT] Low Battery Indicator - This [BATT] icon indicates that it is time to change batteries." Source Credit: Oregon Scientific RM806 User Manual, p. 6.

So I bought a fresh set of batteries and went to the roof again. This time, the clock synced successfully after a few minutes on the roof.

Related Resources

• Radio Station WWVB | NIST
• Help with WWVB Radio Controlled Clocks | NIST
• The Official U.S. Time | NIST
• Oregon Scientific RM806 User Manual
• KiwiSDR located in Springfield, Virginia USA

Post update: Evidence indicates "Oregon Scientific" is no longer in business although there are vestigial Web pages (such as the ones linked from this blog post) that suggest otherwise. "La Crosse Technology" sells similar "atomic clocks."

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.