Swissbarry Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Two questions, and I'd be grateful for any help. First, I have this really clever clock radio which sits beside my bed and re-sets itself automatically to exactly match GMT. This means that here in France my clock is always 1 hour early. I know that all all I have to do is remember this and add an hour on each time I look at it, but first thing on a morning this is a challenging mathematical feat for me. Can anything be done?Secondly, once I do wake up I would like to listen to Radio 4 for a few hours, but because I receive UK radio stations via my satellite dish and digibox, this entails getting out of bed, going into the other room, switching on the TV, choosing the channel, falling over the cat, and returning to listen to the news on a small extension speaker. And remember, I've already had a stressful time with the damned clock! Is there any way I can operate the TV in the lounge from my bedroom?God, but life's hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Firstly if you are in france where is the problem in adding an hour to the time shown,why do you need UK time?Secondly,buy a plug with a timer on it, dear boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedon Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 2 Solutions:- First one is to set up mirrors so you can bounce the signal off the remote control thereby enabling you to switch on the TV from bed.The other is to ask your wife to switch on the TV on her way to the kitchen to make the tea. If you explain to her about her need to set up the mirrors for you she will see how much more simple it would be for her just to switch it on herself.weedon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissbarry Posted February 22, 2005 Author Share Posted February 22, 2005 [quote]Firstly if you are in france where is the problem in adding an hour to the time shown,why do you need UK time? Secondly,buy a plug with a timer on it, dear boy.[/quote]I mustn't have explained myself. I don't need UK time; the problem is, my clock insists on giving me UK time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard-R Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Not that hard to wire a second Sky feed to the bedroom and a lot of T.V.'s have timers for on/off. So set up a T.V. in the bedroom for an alarm clock. Main T.V. needs to be on the same channel i think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissbarry Posted February 22, 2005 Author Share Posted February 22, 2005 [quote]2 Solutions:- First one is to set up mirrors so you can bounce the signal off the remote control thereby enabling you to switch on the TV from bed. The other is to ask your wife to switch on the TV ...[/quote]Brilliant, Weedon. Thanks a bunch. One small problem. Have you ever met my wife? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesLauriers Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Sky sell a device which plugs into the back of the sky box and then uses standard sat cable to extend to another room where you have an infrared receiver. This with an extra Sky remote control would allow you to switch on the Sky box and receive the radio channel you want without getting out of bed.Total cost has to be around £35 or less. http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/accessories2.htm PS I think you can still buy teasmaids!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Presumably your clock uses the atomic time signal from Rugby. If so there is nothing you can do to reset it. Why not buy a 5€ travelling battery clock and sit it in front of the other display?As for the Radio 4 issue the TVLink that was suggested will work but I think that a wireless video sender would be more useful as the TVLink won't turn your TV on. Get yourself a mini hifi with line in (may be called EXT or AUX) RCA sockets and you can connect the left and right audio outputs from the video sender directly to these. Powered PC speakers would do fine also. That way you will get radio as God intended it: played through a hifi and not a TV. You will be able to change channels from the bedroom also and even if you don't want the hifi connection you can turn both the TV and the sat receiver on from the bedroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Many of these Radio controlled clocks can receive their signals both from Rugby or Frankfurt in Germany. In order to have the correct time in France you need to recieve the Frankfurt signal, it may well be worth reading the instructions to see how to change transmitters for your timepiece. I have a number of these devices and on one as an alternative you can continue to receive from Rugby and just change the time zone.Baz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 My cheap and cheerful auto-set clock(£4) from lidl Uk has a little switch that lets you select european or uk time, might be worth a look for a mysterious little slider somewhere round the back. PS I would have thought that the Real Genuine Swiss Barry would have a nice little cuckoo clock ticking away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwynydd Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 but because I receive UK radio stations via my satellite dish and digibox, this entails getting out of bed, going into the other room, switching on the TV, choosing the channel, falling over the cat, and returning to listen to the news on a small extension speaker. Can't you just leave the digibox tuned to Radio4 before you go to bed? All you have to do then is switch on your speaker in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissbarry Posted February 23, 2005 Author Share Posted February 23, 2005 So many helpful people. Thank you all. However:Rdler - Wouldn't this entail buying a second TV, and even then would it work without the main TV in the lounge being switched on?Les Lauriers - difficult to run a cable such a long distance - nowhere to conceal it with tiled floors. Ang again, wouldn't the main TV have to be turned on? I suggested to my wife that I might get a Goblin Teasmaid, and I can't tell you how upset she was. It was like the time I said I'd get a concubine, and she said I'd have to feed it myself.Mazan - I suspect your solution is a brilliant one, but you haven't quite managed to get down to my level of ignorance of all things technical. Please stay with me though: I eventually managed to learn how to tie my shoelaces, didn't I, so there may be hope. What is a wireless video sender, and where might I get one. What is the French for "I'm looking for a wireless video sender, pal"? I already have some speakers which run off batteries and pick up a signal from a little box thing that I have plugged into the digibox, but to do this the digibox and TV have to be turned on. What sort of hi-fi? Don't give up on me.Baz - it's a Roberts radio and doesn't seem to have this facility.BJSLIV - what sort of name is that? Why can't you be called a normal name like Fred or Alice or Austrianclive? And when I put it to my wife that I might look for a little slider round the back, I can't tell you how upset she was. Following on from the concubine and the Goblin Teasmaid, I think it was all too much for her. And I am the Real Genuine Swissbarry, dammit. Do you want to see my lederhosen? Or my enormous Toblerone?Gwynydd - again, I would have to leave the TV and digibox switched on all night, wouldn't I? And what sort of name is that? For heaven's sake, get yourself some vowels.Seriously though, thank you all. Between us I'm sure we can work this out and help stamp out ignorance and save my cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 What is a wireless video sender, and where might I get one. What is the French for "I'm looking for a wireless video sender, pal"? I already have some speakers which run off batteries and pick up a signal from a little box thing that I have plugged into the digibox, but to do this the digibox and TV have to be turned on. What sort of hi-fi? Don't give up on me.In French it's a "transmetteur video sans fil". Most large supermarkets and DIY stores have them. They cost from about 30€ though you get what you pay for. You only need a cheap one for audio. Make sure you buy one with "renvoi telecommande". Only the very cheap ones don't have this.You get two boxes.If you only want audio then buy two double RCA to RCA (phono to phono) cables as well. Connect the transmitter unit to the digibox using one pair of RCA leads. Connect the receiver unit to the hifi (or speakers) using the other pair of RCA leads. For use with speakers you may need a dual RCA to mini-jack adaptor. I wouldn't use speakers, especially battery ones.If you want video then follow the instructions.Any small hifi unit will do but it MUST have line in (EXT or AUX) sockets. Not all do. You can easily spot the two red and white RCA sockets on the back of those which do. The Sky box has two identical sockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Many of these Radio controlled clocks can receive their signals both from Rugby or Frankfurt in Germany.Interesting. I've never seen one that does both though of course as the technology is identical it would make sense for manufacturers to only make one model that can handle both. Sometimes such things use a special sequence of buttons to switch from one mode to another. They don't always print this in the handbook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwynydd Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Gwynydd - again, I would have to leave the TV and digibox switched on all night, wouldn't I? Just the digibox, not the TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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