# I wanted a clock that never needed setting. Things escalated.

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/i-wanted-a-clock-that-never-needed-setting-things-escalated/
- Published: 2026-07-23T11:00:50+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-23T12:49:24+00:00
- Original publisher: Ars Technica
- Original article: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/i-wanted-a-clock-that-never-needed-setting-things-escalated/
- Topics: Software

## Key points

- Writer couldn't find a self-setting red LED clock, so built one.
- Used a Raspberry Pi with Wi-Fi/NTP for automatic time-setting.
- Soldered an Adafruit seven-segment display and shared project files publicly.

## Summary

An Ars Technica writer, dissatisfied with cheap seven-segment LED clocks that require manual resetting after power cuts or clock changes, set out to find a self-setting alternative with a red display and no privacy-invasive companion apps. Unable to find a commercial product meeting all his requirements, he decided to build his own using a Raspberry Pi, turning a simple bedside clock into an extended DIY electronics project.

He chose a Raspberry Pi (using both a Zero W and Zero 2 W) over an Arduino for its Debian-based OS, built-in Wi-Fi and NTP support for automatic time-setting, and familiar Linux remote management tools. For the display, he used Adafruit's 1.2-inch seven-segment LED modules paired with an HT16K33 controller "backpack" board, which he had to solder himself for the first time, buying a beginner soldering kit and magnifying lens for the task. He has published the full bill of materials, software and 3D-printer files for the case in a public repository for others to replicate.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.