Review on La Crosse Technology UltrAtomic Analog Stainless Steel Wall Clock - 14 Inch, Model 404-1235UA-SS by Ryan Hart

my wife hates aesthetics but i love watches. Function follows form. In my opinion, the primary purpose of a watch is to reliably tell accurate time, which is what the La Crosse 404-1235UA watch does. One of the things I love about this watch is the robust electromechanical movement mechanism. Many large analog clocks are powered by a single AA battery and will lose time if the battery voltage drops slightly from a new voltage near 1.6V (the new alkaline battery's nominal voltage under load is 1.5V but is higher when open is). ) to the midpoint of 1.4s, which is still good enough for a flashlight but not enough for a large analogue clock. This clock uses 2 larger capacity C size batteries in series so the voltage is doubled (1.5 x 2 = 3 volts) and you can additionally add another pair in parallel for more amp hours (bigger tank at same pressure) . Setup was easy. . I live on the Pacific coast at the base of a mountain range that is interfering with our line to the radio station in Colorado. The watch's default time zone is Pacific Time, so I didn't have to change any of the default settings. Just put in new batteries and hang the clock on the inside wall below instead of near the windows. With the battery connected, the movement ran until 4 p.m. About 5 minutes later (after the clock was hung on the wall) it reset the correct time within a second from another La Crosse RCC (radio controlled clock) I have nearby. I have a few comments on some of the previous reviews (I read all 6 before purchasing). My watch, purchased from Revain in October 2016, does not have the battery door or wall clearance issue mentioned in other reviews. The batteries fit snugly and the clock hugs the wall snugly. Maybe La Crosse updated the design? I agree with the precise and descriptive comments about audible "ticks" so you wouldn't want them in your bedroom, but ticks are minor and not a problem in our dining room. I have had RCC for several hours in the past. The new ones seem to be more reliable than the models I tried in the 90's. I think the LCD models have the advantage of not requiring a power-hungry mechanical drive, but I had to replace a prominently placed round analog clock. I did a little research and discovered a new phase modulation (NIST). Technology, also known as PM or BPSK Binary Phase Shift Keying) that NIST began broadcasting in 2012. As far as I know PM (or PSK) is somewhat comparable to RS-485 and RS-232. The phase reversal results in a "differential" signal that is more reliable than simple amplitude modulation (AM). PSK is currently used in many binary radio standards such as Bluetooth and wireless LAN. Sounds good but unfortunately after much searching on the internet this is the only watch I found for sale. Luckily, the La Crosse 404-1235UA is well built and appears to be reliable. Update August 2018, about 2 years after my original purchase on 10/2016: My La Crosse 404-1235UA still works perfectly. Out of curiosity, I checked the battery voltage. After 22 months of operation, the voltage of each of the 4 Rayovac C batteries is 1.40 volts. I also bought a second watch about a year ago and after 13 months of use their Duracell Procell batteries are reading 1.48 volts. The reason I am updating my comments is that one of my smaller analog watches in this review has stopped working) and since the La Crosse 404-1235UA watch (I now have 2) was the best watch I have ever owned had i wanted to get something similar but smaller. I thought that the market was now being dominated by a new, more reliable phase modulation signal (PM or BPSK) versus the old pulse width modulation (PWM based on an amplitude modulation (AM) signal), but La Crosse 404 Watches - The 1235UAs are still the only device that I can find (at retail price) that advertises the newer PM signaling. The newer PM/BPSK format was broadcast in 2012. As well as my newer La Crosse 404-1235UA watch, I also have a La-Crosse digital watch that has been working fine for about 5 years and uses an older PWM I believe. /AM alarm. I think the transmit power was increased when the system was refurbished in 1999, which might explain why newer watches are more reliable than the ones I tried in the 1990s, but everything I've read suggests that it is The newer PM/PBSK transmission protocol is significantly more reliable than PWM/AM signaling, and the La Crosse 404-1235UA's mechanical drive mechanism is significantly more reliable than lower-powered alternatives. In October 2016 I paid $61.76 + sales tax for my first 404-1235UA. I paid $57.97 plus tax in July 2017 and today (20/08/2018) Revain is down to $45.89 which seems like a good deal. As mentioned above, I think a digital watch that doesn't need to physically power a mechanical movement can run reliably with less power, but I'm still looking for a well-rounded analog watch that's as reliable as the La Crosse 404-1235UA, but with a smaller footprint. the size.