How to Set an Orvis Tide Clock
The Orvis Tide Clock doesn't tell time; it tells you when high tide or low tide occurs and how many hours it is to high tide or low tide. It has one hand only, which points to the tide or the the condition of the tide--rising or falling. The Orvis Tide Clock is synchronized with the lunar cycle. This means its hand will make one full trip around the dial in 12 hours and 25 minutes. Setting the clock involves a little research and a AA battery.
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Things You'll Need
- Tide tables in any form
- AA battery
- Means of determining the correct current time
Instructions
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1
Look up the time of high tide for your location. This can be obtained from newspapers in coastal cities, from the tide tables in the Nautical Almanac or from websites like NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov.
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2
Turn the tide clock over and find the setting wheel at the center of the movement. Note that the AA battery is in an open compartment and can easily be removed by pulling outward on the bottom rim of the battery with your fingernail.
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3
Remove the AA battery from the tide clock. You need not remove the battery completely; simply pull the bottom edge of the battery out of its enclosure and away from the clock's electrical contact. Use the setting wheel on the back of the clock to move the hand clockwise, until it is pointed at the diamond shape directly below the words, "High Tide" on the face of the clock.
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When the correct current time is the same as the time given in the Nautical Almanac or other source for high tide, push the battery into the clock so that it makes contact with the electrical connection in the battery enclosure and the tide clock will start to run.
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Tips & Warnings
The tide is influenced by random factors such as abnormally strong winds blowing inshore and offshore, changes in the flow of rivers and variations in atmospheric density. These influences can change tidal times by more than an hour.
Not all locations are the same. Some places have diurnal tides, where there's one high and one low tide over the course of a day. Some locations have semi-diurnal tides, where there are two high and two low tides a day. Don't try to set the hand by pushing it around the dial from the front side of the clock; this will damage the movement.
