Small clock for use during observing?

[jonathan]

I'd like a small clock, probably with a red display to keep my night vision, that I can take outside and have sitting on a bench or in my pocket. This will keep UTC as I always get confused whether we are on it or not so that I can set the mount / goto correctly. A watch, pocket watch, or small portable battery powered clock, not something that I need to plug in to 12v or 240v as I'd have to keep setting the thing and that defeats the whole point of it. I frequently forget to take my watch with me, then I need to go back inside and ruin my night eyes to get one, not to mention set the security light off again, etc. Also, my watch's glowing hands rely on it being exposed to sunlight, which doesn't happen if it isn't sitting on a windowsill (not practical), and I can't see the precise time anyway because the dial is not luminous.

Any suggestions? I have been perusing the watches on Amazon and not really seen anything to inspire me.

[scuffer]

eBay is your friend , search red led watch , loads , here's one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Red-LED-Digital-Watch-Lava-Style-mens-sports-watch-N1-B-/120604838954?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item1c149bcc2a#ht_2807wt_802

[Capricorn]

Look for a travel clock on Amazon, there are several small ones.

[laser_jock99]

You really need a radio control clock for accurate time keeping (setting your GOTO etc.)

I got one of these

http://www.maplin.co...rm-clock-624773

from Maplins for use in the observatory. The blue illumination is momentary and fairly dim- doesn't spoil the night vision.

UTC- just need to remember this "BST IS ONE HOUR IN ADVANCE OF GMT" (or UTC).

[Simms]

Saying that - as long as you have good polar alignment then being ~30 seconds out isn't really going to make much difference once you have done a good star alignment. I normally just round up the time to the nearest minute when setting my Synscan controller and once I have run the star alignment it seems to correct for the few seconds perfectly - I can go a whole evening and hit the target pretty much everytime - never had any bother. I daresay the perfectionists will have something to say about this though!

You really need a radio control clock for accurate time keeping (setting your GOTO etc.)

I got one of these

http://www.maplin.co...rm-clock-624773

from Maplins for use in the observatory. The blue illumination is momentary and fairly dim- doesn't spoil the night vision.

[laser_jock99]

Saying that - as long as you have good polar alignment then being ~30 seconds out isn't really going to make much difference once you have done a good star alignment. I normally just round up the time to the nearest minute when setting my Synscan controller and once I have run the star alignment it seems to correct for the few seconds perfectly - I can go a whole evening and hit the target pretty much everytime - never had any bother. I daresay the perfectionists will have something to say about this though!

Accurate timimg is important for 'events' such as transits, lunar occultations, satelite passes, etc. I also like to keep a radio control clock handy to record events such bright fireballs, UFO's etc!

[cathalferris]

I'm surprised that the watch hands are not visible in the dark when you are dark-adapted. My analogue watches that have the glow-in-the-dark paint on the hands, are readable even after a week of no light and once they've been exposed to bedroom-levels of light are easily visible when I'm dark adapted.