Daylight Saving Time Again!

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrabbler1 I have 4 devices which I have to adjust manually, but 3 which do adjust automatically. I have 2 of those Sony Dream Machines, those little box-shaped alarm clock radios. One I have had since the 1980s, and that's the most annoying to change because the time can only be adjusted forward and there is no separate Hours button. So, in the fall, I have to move it forward 23 hours to back up an hour. The other one somehow automatically changes despite no internet connection. How does it do that? At least the clock in my car can be changed easily, compared to my previous car's clock/radio which was a major PITA.

I have one of these too and I generally like the clock. But trying to adjust it? I think I look like my grandfather trying to program a VCR in 1983.

Our 10 year old Honda is a pain to adjust, too. You have to use the preset numbers to, "use the 4 button to adjust the hour, the 5 button to adjust the minute, or the 6 button to reset the clock altogether" Really? No one can remember that.

[Time2]

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Originally Posted by scrabbler1 A few years ago, I read a book by Michael Downing titled, "Spring Forward: The annual madness of daylight saving time" after seeing Downing interviewed on C-Span back in 2006, just after his book came out. I recall in his book Downing writing about how the Eastern (USA) Time Zone crept westward because many cities and states wanted to be on the same time as New York and Washington DC for commerce purposes. This surely contributed to the added darkness those areas face these days with expanded DST.

I had to read this a few times. I would expand it this way,

"This surely contributed to the added (Morning) darkness those areas face these days with expanded DST." But they also have more hours of light in the evening.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 Our 10 year old Honda is a pain to adjust, too. You have to use the preset numbers to, "use the 4 button to adjust the hour, the 5 button to adjust the minute, or the 6 button to reset the clock altogether" Really? No one can remember that.

Heh, heh, it's in the manual! Only (what?) 200 pages long! And that's if it's in the glove box. I understand many cars are now making you go on line to get the manual. Bummer!

But, seriously, I'll admit my bias. Now that I no longer have to arise at 5AM to get to w*rk by 6:30AM - and often go home at 5PM (ugh!) I much prefer DST because I prefer my daylight to be later rather than earlier (when I'm still asleep these days.) YMMV

[scrabbler1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 I have one of these too and I generally like the clock. But trying to adjust it? I think I look like my grandfather trying to program a VCR in 1983. Our 10 year old Honda is a pain to adjust, too. You have to use the preset numbers to, "use the 4 button to adjust the hour, the 5 button to adjust the minute, or the 6 button to reset the clock altogether" Really? No one can remember that.

A year after I bought my used 1991 Geo Prism in 1992, I upgraded the radio to a tape deck/radio which also had a clock. It had a similarly convoluted way to change the time, some weird combination of pressing a button then turning the tuner or volume button. Took me most of the 15 years I owned the car to remember how to do it, after digging out the radio's user guide twice a year (at least I knew where that was) to find the instructions.

[ExFlyBoy5]

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Originally Posted by Koolau Heh, heh, it's in the manual! Only (what?) 200 pages long! And that's if it's in the glove box. I understand many cars are now making you go on line to get the manual. Bummer! But, seriously, I'll admit my bias. Now that I no longer have to arise at 5AM to get to w*rk by 6:30AM - and often go home at 5PM (ugh!) I much prefer DST because I prefer my daylight to be later rather than earlier (when I'm still asleep these days.) YMMV

Unrelated story to car user manuals: A while back we bought a car that had a similar 200+ page manual. Being a diligent student, I reviewed the book thoroughly to understand any differences that it might have over older (and with much less technology) cars. Of course, my DW laughed at me. Well...around page 110, I found a nugget of information that I KNEW would come in VERY handy soon. Well...a few days later, I get a phone call from DW asking for help with the car as she can't figure out how to open the gas door!! HA! HA! Well, with this car, you had to unlock the doors in order to also unlock the gas door. I don't know how common this was/is, but I think it's pretty ridiculous and if you didn't have the manual, you could be sitting around for a while trying to gas up your car.

[Gumby]

I have a friend who takes her car to the dealer to get the clock reset.

[Aerides]

My previous car had an auto-change for DST and back, but the car was built in 2006, bought by me in December of that year...as the law to extend DST a few weeks on each side started in 2007....so the car was coded was wrong by the time the first change occurred. No one ever mentioned a firmware patch, not that I ever asked. So for a few weeks every year, I drove around with it being completely wrong, as there didn't appear to be an easy way to override it.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 Unrelated story to car user manuals: A while back we bought a car that had a similar 200+ page manual. Being a diligent student, I reviewed the book thoroughly to understand any differences that it might have over older (and with much less technology) cars. Of course, my DW laughed at me. Well...around page 110, I found a nugget of information that I KNEW would come in VERY handy soon. Well...a few days later, I get a phone call from DW asking for help with the car as she can't figure out how to open the gas door!! HA! HA! Well, with this car, you had to unlock the doors in order to also unlock the gas door. I don't know how common this was/is, but I think it's pretty ridiculous and if you didn't have the manual, you could be sitting around for a while trying to gas up your car.

Heh, heh, we could have a whole thread on the idiosyncracies of various cars. Full disclosure: I hope never to own an "infotainment" system. Knobs and 5 buttons on an AM/FM in the dash still work for me. YMMV

[MRG]

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Originally Posted by Aerides My previous car had an auto-change for DST and back, but the car was built in 2006, bought by me in December of that year...as the law to extend DST a few weeks on each side started in 2007....so the car was coded was wrong by the time the first change occurred. No one ever mentioned a firmware patch, not that I ever asked. So for a few weeks every year, I drove around with it being completely wrong, as there didn't appear to be an easy way to override it.

Hey for $50 I can buy updated maps oomph DW'S Wrangler. Our other vehicle updates frequently.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides My previous car had an auto-change for DST and back, but the car was built in 2006, bought by me in December of that year...as the law to extend DST a few weeks on each side started in 2007....so the car was coded was wrong by the time the first change occurred. No one ever mentioned a firmware patch, not that I ever asked. So for a few weeks every year, I drove around with it being completely wrong, as there didn't appear to be an easy way to override it.

Had to disconnect the battery on the 'ol Buick a few years back. For some reason, that blew it's memory on the "region" it had in memory to adjust the compass. Even with the "book" it took me a while to figure it out. Subsequent disconnects have, thankfully, not changed anything. I'm hoping the Earth's magnetic poles don't reverse before I change cars!