How to Set Digital, Analog, & Weather Station SkyScan Atomic Clocks

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Devin McSween. Devin McSween is a wikiHow Staff Writer. With a background in psychology, she has presented her research in social psychology at a variety of conferences and has contributed to several manuscripts for publication. At wikiHow, Devin combines her love of writing and research with the goal of bringing accessible information to wikiHow readers that will help them learn and grow. She earned her BS in Psychology from the College of Charleston.

There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.

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SkyScan makes over 40 models of atomic clocks that receive the time from a radio signal sent by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The time is incredibly precise and estimated to only deviate by less than 1 second within 3,000 years. Luckily, starting your SkyScan clock is easy, whether you have a digital, analog (standard clock face), or Weather Station clock. Keep reading for simple instructions to pick up the radio signal and set the clock manually, if you need!

• On a digital clock, add 2 AA batteries and press the “Set” button on the back of the clock to select your time zone.
• Then, hit the “Set” and “+” buttons to change the hour, minute, and date. Place the clock near a window so it finds the signal.
• On an analog clock, add 1 AA battery and press and hold your time zone button on the back. Hang it up near a window and wait for it to sync with the signal.

Setting a SkyScan Digital Clock

• Place the battery door back over the compartment once you insert the batteries.
• Note: Some models may take 2 AA batteries instead. [2] X Research source
• The weather transmitter senses the temperature outside and displays it on the clock.

Insert 2 AA, 1.5-volt alkaline batteries into the clock. Open the battery compartment on the back of the clock. Then, insert the batteries into the correct compartments based on the polarity marked on the clock. [3] X Research source

• If the outdoor temperature doesn’t display, remove the transmitter batteries and then the clock batteries. Wait 10 minutes and then reinsert the transmitter batteries and then the clock batteries.
• Place the transmitter outside once the outdoor temperature is set. Put it in a dry, shaded location no more than 200 feet (61 m) away from the clock.

• PST is Pacific Standard Time, MST is Mountain Standard Time, and CST is Central Standard Time.
• Note: Some older models have a time zone switch on the back. Simply slide the switch to the correct time zone you’re in. [6] X Research source
• The digital clocks are automatically set to EST, so skip this step if you are in EST.

• Ensure the clock is at least 6 feet (2 m) away from TVs, computers, kitchen appliances, and other electronics. These devices can interfere with the signal.
• Metal and concrete structures can also interfere with the WWVB signal.
• The WWVB tower icon on the clock’s display starts flashing when it detects the signal.
• When the clock receives the signal, the WWVB tower icon becomes permanently lit.
• The WWVB signal is transmitted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Fort Collins, Colorado. [8] X Research source

• Press “Set” 2 times for daylight savings time (DST). You can turn DST off or on.
• Press “Set” 3 times for the language. You can change the language to US (English), F (French), E (Spanish), or d (German).
• Press “Set” 4 times to set the hour.
• Press “Set” 5 times to set the minute.
• Press “Set” 6 times to set the year.
• Press “Set” 7 times to set the date.
• Press “Set” 8 times to set the weekday.
• Press “Set” 9 times for 12 or 24 hour time display. You can choose to set the time in regular time (12-hour clock) or military time (24-hour clock).
• Press “Set” 10 times to set the temperature as Fahrenheit or Celsius.
• To exit manual settings mode, press the “SNZ” button on the back of the clock.
• The settings order may be slightly different for different clock models.
• Note: Your manual settings will get overridden when your clock receives the WWVB signal.

Setting a SkyScan Analog Clock

• The compartment indicates the correct way to place the battery with a “+” or “-” symbol.
• If your analog clock comes with a digital clock component on the back, insert 1 AA, 1.5-volt battery into the digital clock’s battery compartment. [11] X Research source

• The SkyScan atomic clock can only collect the correct signal from 2,000 miles (3,200 km) away, so it must be set to the correct zone to get an accurate reading.
• The clocks default to PST. If you are in PST, skip this step

• Keep the clock 6 feet (2 m) away from TVs, computers, kitchen appliances, and other electronics as they can interfere with the WWVB signal.
• Once the SkyScan clock picks up the signal from the NIST station, it will advance by eight seconds until it gets the right signal.

• Release the button when the hands are in the correct position
• Note: Once your clock receives the WWVB signal, it will override your manual settings.

Setting Up a SkyScan Weather Station Clock

Insert 2 AAA batteries into the transmitter’s battery compartment. The Weather Station clock comes with a transmitter that reads the humidity and temperature indoors and outside. Unscrew the battery door off of the transmitter and insert the batteries according to the polarity information inside the compartment. [15] X Research source

• To set the channel, slide the switch inside of the battery compartment. There is a switch for channels 1, 2, and 3.

Confirm the channel setting by pressing the “Reset” button. The “Reset” button is inside the battery compartment. Just use a small pin or needle to press the button. Put the battery cover back on and screw it into place. [17] X Research source

• Make sure to use the “+” and “-” symbols to place the batteries in the correct way.
• Put the battery cover door back on when you’re done.
• The Weather Station clock displays the time, time zone, and weather based on the information it receives from the transmitter.

Change the time zone if you’re not in Pacific Standard Time (PST). The clock’s default time zone is set to Pacific. If you are not in this time zone, press the down arrow to select Mountain (M), Central (C), or Eastern (E) time. [19] X Research source

Wait for the clock to receive the WWVB signal and sync to the time. The Weather Station clock searches for the WWVB signal at 2 am, 8 am, 2 pm, and 8 pm each day. Just keep the clock away from electronic devices and appliances to help it detect and receive the signal. [20] X Research source

• Repeatedly press and hold the “Time” button to select the next setting.
• To exit the manual settings, press the “Time” key. Or, wait 30 seconds.

• If you need to recalibrate the transmitter, press the “Reset” button.

Community Q&A

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Try pressing the clock’s “Set” button repeatedly until the “C” on the clock flashes, then click the “+” button to change it to “F.” Alternately, see if there is a button within the transmitter that enables you change the transmitter’s F/C setting.

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“LUN” may mean "set the clock to display the lunar (moon) phase." If it says “LON,” it means the time zone is set to show time in London, England, which is on Universal Coordinated Time (UTC).

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Different SkyScan clock models may have different setup directions. Consult the user manual that came with your clock or find it on SkyScan’s website.

It may take a few days for your clock to receive the WWVB radio signal, so try to be patient. During this time, the clock time might change between 2, 4, 8, 10, and 12.

If your clock isn’t receiving the radio signal, move it to a different location. If possible, set the clock face towards Fort Collins, Colorado. Or, remove the transmitter batteries and then the clock batteries, wait 10-15 minutes, then put the transmitter and clock batteries back in.

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1. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7X2tsdDdSdVJsejA/view?resourcekey=0-Wys4lVneMlc48rPNqwO_Qw
2. ↑https://skyscanatomicclocks.com/site/owners-manuals/model-88909/
3. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7X2tsdDdSdVJsejA/view
4. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7X2tsdDdSdVJsejA/view?resourcekey=0-Wys4lVneMlc48rPNqwO_Qw
5. ↑https://skyscanatomicclocks.com/site/owners-manuals/models-88900-02/
6. ↑https://skyscanatomicclocks.com/site/owners-manuals/model-88909/
7. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7X2tsdDdSdVJsejA/view?resourcekey=0-Wys4lVneMlc48rPNqwO_Qw
8. ↑https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/time-distribution/radio-station-wwvb/help-wwvb-radio-controlled
9. ↑ ​​https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7X2tsdDdSdVJsejA/view?resourcekey=0-Wys4lVneMlc48rPNqwO_Qw

1. ↑https://skyscanatomicclocks.com/site/owners-manuals/model-88302-04/
2. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7R1VReWxIVTYtckU/view?resourcekey=0-076grgSe5jLAChnLJQB2ew
3. ↑https://skyscanatomicclocks.com/site/owners-manuals/model-88302-04/
4. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7R1VReWxIVTYtckU/view
5. ↑https://skyscanatomicclocks.com/site/owners-manuals/model-88302-04/
6. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7eUlCNTJyOUMxRDg/view
7. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7eUlCNTJyOUMxRDg/view
8. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7eUlCNTJyOUMxRDg/view?resourcekey=0-TK1WVR1F7QkMgQOPul8diA
9. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7eUlCNTJyOUMxRDg/view
10. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7eUlCNTJyOUMxRDg/view
11. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7eUlCNTJyOUMxRDg/view?resourcekey=0-TK1WVR1F7QkMgQOPul8diA
12. ↑https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4iJGdLyQwf7eUlCNTJyOUMxRDg/view?resourcekey=0-TK1WVR1F7QkMgQOPul8diA

About This Article

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Devin McSween. Devin McSween is a wikiHow Staff Writer. With a background in psychology, she has presented her research in social psychology at a variety of conferences and has contributed to several manuscripts for publication. At wikiHow, Devin combines her love of writing and research with the goal of bringing accessible information to wikiHow readers that will help them learn and grow. She earned her BS in Psychology from the College of Charleston. This article has been viewed 162,650 times.

To set an analog SkyScan atomic clock, first press and hold the correct time zone button on the back. You can then set the hands manually, but they will adjust by themselves when the clock receives a signal. To set a digital SkyScan clock, press the time zone button or slide the time zone switch on the back. Then, press the plus button to cycle through time zones. If your clock has a switch for Daylight Savings Time, make sure this is on or off. Once you’ve set the time zone, you can manually set the time with the plus and set keys, but it will adjust automatically when it receives a signal. Regardless of whether your clock is analog or digital, place it by a window away from any metal or concrete structures so it can pick up a signal from the station. Your clock should receive a signal once a day, usually at 2am. For more tips, including how to set a SkyScan clock with a weather station transmitter, read on!

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