timer trouble / new product solution

[mar]

I have been having trouble with timers for Bob's lighting. Typically they get bumped and the dial rotated, but one of them skips over the turn off switch and anotheropperates on something like a 23 hour 30 minute day. Unacceptable failures on all parts.

In addition to using them on Bob's cage I have one that acts as an alarm clock where it turns on a lamp over my head so I need it to be accuratly set. I just knew that there was a better solution than the mechanical dial type timer, without me cracking open an alarm clock and putting in a relay rather than the radio switch.

Off to the net for some surfing. I ended up buying a digital timer made by Ingraham for $10 on amazon which just shipped USPS today. This is the cheap model with only one 24 hour program and one on/off cycle but it allows you to set it to the minute rather than somewhere around the half hour.

Timex also made manufactures a product like this.

More when it gets here.

[prism_wolf]

Can't wait to see how well it works. Does it have a memory backup for when the power goes out?

This is one of our problems. We have power glitches often and this knocks the timers off frequently...and the war dancing ferrets don't help the one on the floor...

Need to mount that one one of these days...Ooo...or cut out one of those pencil boxes for school kids and enclose it! Hmmm. Might work.

[mar]

Just found them at Lowes, a little more expensive than the actual unit online but cheaper than paying shipping. ~$11.50

Some have the 9 volt battery clock backup, some don't, obviously I don't expect the light to remain on.

[Tesa]

Im anxious to hear results also. I'm kinda a freak about punctuality... being able to set it to the minute sounds great to me!

btw......I love the "light on instead of an alarm clock" too! Why didn't I think of that? Thanks for the idea!!

[mar]

Apparently nobody has thought of that as I am unable to find an alarm clock that has an auxiliary power (120V 60Hz) output or even a clock built into the base of a desk lamp, heck my old coffee maker (now my mom’s) has a built in clock. This is just another product that I should patent and sell, too bad you can't patent this broad of an idea.

I expect the timer in my campus mailbox tomorrow, hope my absentee ballet is there too. I really don't want to drive to Detroit November first and back on the second it would be over 15 hours of drive time. Even if I have to drive you better believe I am casting my vote.

[WillemsMom]

Please let us know about your new timer. I'm doing everything manually now. I have a timer that fails too much of the time. I should just toss it!