Can't Tell The Time And Gps Wnro

We (the human race) seem to be unable to create devices that can keep an accurate track of the time any more. I'm not talking atomic clocks here, just good old fashioned, "it's 5 minutes to 5, the pub'll be open soon" or "10 past 8, the bus is late again".

I have an old watch with an analog face that's pretty good if the battery doesn't run out, and many years ago I had a Vauxhall Vectra with a clock that followed (I believe) a radio signal, and it always showed the right time. Clocks go forward/back - no worries, it just set itself to the right time. Went to France on holiday, and as I drove off the ferry, the clock in my Vectra was showing French time.

Neither of my bike clocks keep time. The Tiger 800 is ok for a rough idea of whether it is morning or afternoon (providing I remember if I should add or subtract 12 minutes - or whatever today's error is - from what it says), but I've no idea what week the beemer is on, ever. And yes, I do set them to the correct time occasionally, but next ride, they've both wandered off into the future, or become bogged down in the past.

My Ford Focus remains stubbornly focussed (pun intended) on two minutes into the future. According to its clock, the BBC news always starts at 2 minutes past the hour. I set it correctly, and next news bulletin is 2 minutes late again! How does it do that?

BUT TODAY, I get an email from TomTom telling me that due to the GPS WNRO (whatever the f*%# that is), my TomTom Rider has been unable to tell me the correct time, or when I will arrive at my destination, since 6th April. I now know WNRO is week number rollover, whereby the GPS system in the sky, starts counting seconds from zero again every 19.7 years because 19.7 years worth of seconds is all it can count up to. Except my TomTom Rider didn't know about this, so no longer knows which decade it's on!!!! AAAAARRRRGGGG. I just want to know roughly what time it is without having to stop and take my glove off to look at my old watch. Is that too much to ask?

 

Yeh, it's not a big issue for me, especially since I retired. It's been a minor niggle that well into a ride out, I can't tell what time it is unless I've checked the discrepancy beforehand, and done a bit of mental time arithmetic. It was just the FFS email from TomTom this morning telling me my satnav can't tell the time any more.

I thought the chaps on this fine forum won't mind if I have a little rant

 

I think what really triggered my rant was that TomTom say in their email that they are "working to see if a fix is possible" for my model of satnav, and would I like to "upgrade to a new satnav for 20% discount".

No I blooming wouldn't want to upgrade to a new one. I hardly ever use it anyway - only abroad or going to specific addresses in big towns and cities. Otherwise I find my own way, thank you. Just fix it please.