DIGITAL WORD CLOCK FROM a CHEAP PHOTO FRAME

Intro: DIGITAL WORD CLOCK FROM a CHEAP PHOTO FRAME

I've taken 2 great ideas and put them together.

I wanted a super cool 'Word Clock' as seen here:
https://www.instructables.com/id/A-Word-Clock/

But I don't have those resources redily available.

But I do have a cheap photo frame and a little time. So I used this idea:
http://www.cibomahto.com/2009/12/word-clock-from-cheapo-photo-frame/

I put them together to make this Digital Word Photo Frame Clock. (See pic)

Though it is REALLY COOL to have a real/physical word clock (and I may yet make one when resources allow) this is a GREAT substitute!

STEP 1: Setup

I've included my PDF of the 144 slides that make up 12 hours (no AM/PM indicator). You will need to "save as" .jpg and number appropriately to allow proper sequencing by the clock you are using.

This is the largest opportunity for variation. I've seen a zillion clock faces and I like so many of them. Use the image of the clock you like and photoshop the correct time onto it.

STEP 2: Make It Go!

I'm using a Mustec model PF-A720BM photo frame that was regifted to me by my sister (free!).

Though I don't reccomend this model as it looses about 1 minute every hour.  If you have the time and ability do as Mahto instructed (http://www.cibomahto.com/2009/12/word-clock-from-cheapo-photo-frame/) and build a lil circuit to advance the frame to the next photo.

I set the clock to advance to the next photo every 5 minutes, your mileage may vary but this is the menu that changes that setting for me. I just reset the clock every morning by advancing a few frames.

My favorite part is that should I tire of it, I can make a new clock face!

If you develop a cool clock face, let me know!

Comments

[sdodson5]

My frame was actually too fast so I had to add an extra pic every hour and a half and it works pretty well. I might have to sync every month but I'm still trying to fine tune it. You can get the pics at dpfwordclock.com

[mikesa84]

If you still have that thing, try having it update every minute, and just having each picture in the thing 5 times, excepting the last one, which would be in 4 times, it would equal 719 pictures instead of 144.

[flopp]

Regarding the inaccuracy: One could use a time switch to turn the clock off and on again once a day, let's say at midnight. Depending on the DPF model, it will then start the slideshow beginning with the first picture.

[FamilyGuy2006]

Good idea, but that won't work with this modle picture frame. Upon recovery of power, it goes to the setup screen and waits for me to press the button sequence to get things going again. But good thinking!

[nerys]

there is a pretty good chance the issue is not that the clock is not accurate but that is probable takes it a few seconds to "load" a picture and it likely does not COUNT those seconds as part of the sequence

so for example lets say you "run" the sequence at 08:00:00

but it does not actually "FINISH" loading the image until 08:00:01

NOW it starts counting 5 minutes. you just lost 1 second already.

so at 08:05:01 it gets to 5 minutes but takes one second to LOAD the picture so it does not start the next 5 minute count until 08:05:02 just lost another second now 2 second behind.

see? not sure how to fix that. if you lost even HALF a second per "image change" your losing 144 seconds per day or nearly 2.5 minutes or about what your losing.

not sure how to fix that. you can REDUCE this by using a larger interval but its cumulative so it will catch up no matter how long the interval. the lowest you could go and still be useful would be 15 minutes I would think which is still 96 seconds per day. at 1 second lost each shift.

[nerys]

also it would look a lot nicer if you scales your image to be the native resolution of the picture frame and ALSO your images are WAY WAY too big.

the larger the image the more "horsepower" and therefore TIME it takes the frame to go from image to image.

find out what the native resolution of your frame is and USE THAT SIZE. this way the frame does not have to perform any interpolation on the image to display it (faster display less delay between frames less lag in the clock)

[FamilyGuy2006]

Nerys, You make a tremendous amount of sense. When I get a chance I will resize the graphics to the native size of the screen. It got so bad with loosing time that I just set it to change every 5 seconds and stopped using it as a clock and just considered it desk art.

I'm also considering going back to artful pictures that feature either numbers or significant daily events. Such as a picture of a sandwich to represent noon, and a picture of someone giving a peace sign for 2 oclock etc.

But going to native sizing will certainly help the time loss between images. Thanks for the idea.

[nerys]

No problem. I like my victums happy :-) hehe

I hope it works if it does its something I am going to try :-)

[archeion]

great job! Just as an FYI, I did notice that the ten minutes to eight slide has the Y illuminated to say eighty instead.

[FamilyGuy2006]

Haha, wow very observant! Good catch. Everyone is always looking for a little extra time in their day, Looks like I found a few extra days in my day ;)

[bazery]

this is a great idea. can you email them to me too?

[cam1128]

how do you save it as a jpg. file, sounds dumb but i cant figure it out

[Quest for Questions]

 Unfortunately, I don't have the pro membership. Where could I find these 144 slide ?

[FamilyGuy2006]

Awe man! You have to be Pro to DL? That cant be right.

It's a small file. Send me an e-mail with the address you would like me to mail it to.

[cam1128]

can you send it to [e-mail], plz

[ac7ss]

A good idea, too bad the slideshow function is not as accurate, but you can use a fuzzy time (half past / O'clock) and it won't matter as much.

[FamilyGuy2006]

I'm seriously considering that. I had random photos with the time in the corner previously. The were on 1/2 hr intervals, and that was good enough for all day or 2 days without adjustment. For this 5 minute interval I just about need to make the adjustment 2wice a day. Fortunately I have an analog clock just 2 feet away from this picture frame clock.