Re: DST and My Computers

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"EdwardATeller" <sorry_no_email@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1173624555.702764.262350@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sorry if this has been covered already, but I am looking for a way to
> deal with this DST issue.  I thought I'd be able to simply synchronize
> my computer clock with the NIST time servers after the switch over and
> all would be well.  Today I found out that won't work.  Only one of my
> 5 computers has an OS that can be patched, so I am left with 4 Windows
> OS's that will need manual adjustments unless I can figure something
> out.

I was surprised to find out that I had to manually change my time zone one
to the right to get Dimension4 to report the correct local time on a Win98
system.  Out of *all* the devices in my house that keep time, only my
LaCrosse LED projection clock with a built-in radio to detect time signals
correctly reports the local time.   My two other automagically setting
clocks (one Emerson, another WalMart something or other) didn't make the
jump but they have never been able to receive the time signal correctly
although the LaCrosse clearly does.

The autosets on my VCR's and DVD recorders didn't change although the cable
system seems to know the correct time.  Now comes the joy of resetting
watches, cameras, voice recorders, PCs, car clocks, house clocks, medical
equipment, etc.  I've begun a database of devices so I can use it as a
checklist and also store some of the more unusual setting methods ("tap 3
times then hold then press mode and set together with reset while adjusting
display and whistling Dixie" sort of nonsense) in one place.  It's a
nuisance, to be sure, but it's probably a good idea to devote the time to
resynching clocks, inspecting and replacing batteries, etc.

 I read somewhere that over $2 billion has been spent on patching to
accommodate the new DST start and end dates.  I wonder how much energy it
will save?

> Syncing to GMT on the internet, and then running a variable offset
> that is triggered by the calendar would work nicely.  I suppose I
> could write a perl script that does this, and then use task scheduler
> to run it once a day. Maybe I could sync to the patched computer on my
> network and not have to worry about the extra offset and calendar
> logic.  Is there a way to remotely sense an XP SP2 computer's system
> time?

http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/

Should do what you want to do.  I've been running it for a least 5 years on
Win98 and it's been invisibly efficient.  Says it works under XP but I can't
vouch for that.  Also acts as network time server to synch other clocks
(haven't got that to work for me, though, but I expect it's a firewall and
protocol issue I am unwillingly to run to ground).

--
Bobby G.