Late in the summer of 2005 my alarm clock broke. It was very sad because I had been using that same alarm clock for four years without any problem. I could still use it, and it was used until the end of this summer. The problem was the only way to change the alarm time was to stuff a pen into the back of it an wiggle it around a lot until the clock decided to change to the correct time.
At the end of camp this year when we were cleaning house on the rock I found a broken alarm clock. As usual with shampoo and broken alarm clocks, no one claimed it as their own and it got dumped into my stuff. The face was broken and a button was missing but I used it for a few days as my clock became even less cooperative.
Today Girish and I went to Value Village to see what stuff we could scare up. He really didn’t see anything that caught his fancy but I saw a few things which cried out to be worked on. The first was an old portable radio which really wanted to house a CD player. I decided that it would be a bit much work and moved on. Next I saw some old alarm clocks and joysticks. Now there’s a project just waiting to happen. I had seen a similar project in Make using a Nintendo light gun, so I figured a joystick would be just as good.
I started work on it when I got home with Girish looking curiously over my shoulder. I managed to get it finished and working in relatively short order. It has one small quirk that I haven’t been able to figure out, but for the most point it works perfectly. When you press the button on the controller it has the same effect as pressing the snooze button. You can set the clock time and the alarm time by simply moving the joystick back and forth. From now on the gloomy feeling of having to set my alarm clock for early in the morning will be partially offset by the fun of playing with the joystick to set the time.
10 Comments on “My New Alarm Clock”
You can track this conversation through its atom feed.
This is my blog, the place where I can post anything I want on the internet. Typical posts include stories, photographs and humorous things I've found elsewhere.
it is unsafe to ever underestimate sean
Posted on November 30, 2009 at 11:40 pm.
Have you considered putting this on Hackaday?
Posted on November 30, 2009 at 11:40 pm.
I could put this on Hackaday, but I am wary of doing so because the idea is not entirely original.
Also; my server (a former desktop computer) would be completely incapable of handling the increased traffic. I think it on would degenerate into a puddle of molten slag given a few thousand extra hits.
Posted on November 30, 2009 at 11:40 pm.
I’ve got to say Sean I’m quite impressed that you were able to make this thing. High Five!
Posted on November 30, 2009 at 11:41 pm.
Joystick controlled alarm clock - Hack a Day says:
[...] the break. If you really want to overload his poor little server, you’ll find the link to his site here, instead of at the beginning of the [...]
Posted on December 1, 2009 at 12:02 pm.
you’ve been hackaday’d … a few thousand hits… ha… molten puddle of magma commence!
Posted on December 1, 2009 at 1:26 pm.
I should say that since this was written (almost three years ago), I’ve upgraded my server a bit so it is more stable.
Besides, I’m only receiving around a hundred hits per hour which isn’t bad at all.
Posted on December 1, 2009 at 1:38 pm.
This is win! XP I want to make one! =3
Posted on December 1, 2009 at 5:33 pm.
This is pretty sweet. Do you still use it? I’m a tad confused about the right angled arrows; if you go left-up, would it not change the clock before it changes the alarm? I’m probably also just unfamiliar with that particular joystick.
Posted on December 1, 2009 at 7:56 pm.
I ended up gifting the clock to Heather and Leif a couple years ago and kept another one I had made for myself.
The crazy arrows are something I never could figure out. The only way to change the alarm hour was by adding a hour to the clock first. I’m not sure if that was a joystick quirk or a combination clock and joystick quirk, but I tried to fix it and couldn’t.
Posted on December 1, 2009 at 8:04 pm.