How to Set the Time on a Lorell Radio-Controlled Clock

To set a Lorell radio-controlled clock, install a fresh battery, select your local time zone if the clock has a selector, and leave it near a window to receive the radio time signal. Automatic setting is not immediate, and reception is often better overnight. The steps below cover setup, incorrect time, and the manual-setting option without assuming that every Lorell model uses the same buttons.

How a Lorell Radio-Controlled Clock Works

A radio-controlled clock receives a time signal and uses it to correct its own timekeeping. In the continental United States, compatible clocks receive WWVB, the time-signal station operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, in Colorado.

The broadcast supplies a time reference, not your location. Your clock must apply the appropriate time-zone setting to show local time. This is why a clock can receive the signal successfully yet display the wrong hour.

Between successful receptions, the clock runs on its quartz movement. “Atomic clock” describes the reference it synchronizes with; it does not mean the clock on your wall contains an atomic timekeeping mechanism.

Before pressing buttons, read the model number and control labels on the back. Do not assume that a button sequence for another brand applies to yours.

How to Set a Lorell Radio-Controlled Clock Automatically

Step 1: Identify the Model and Install the Battery

1. Take the clock down and locate its model number, usually on the rear label or near the battery compartment.
2. Remove the old battery if you are replacing it.
3. Install a fresh battery with its positive and negative ends matching the compartment markings. For the Lorell LLR60990, use one AA battery.
4. Check that the battery is seated securely against the contacts.

Use the battery requirement printed on your clock if it is a different model. A battery that still moves the hands is not necessarily a good starting point for troubleshooting reception, so begin with fresh power rather than repeatedly resetting an uncertain battery.

Match any time-zone selector to your location using the abbreviations below; the labels and available controls depend on the movement.

Your Local Time Zone	Common Selector Labels
Pacific	PT or PST
Mountain	MT or MST
Central	CT or CST
Eastern	ET or EST

Step 2: Select Your Local Time Zone

1. Look for a time-zone switch or clearly labeled time-zone buttons on the back.
2. Select the labeled option.
3. Allow the movement to respond rather than repeatedly pressing other controls.

Use the labels actually printed on your clock. An unlabeled button may serve a different function.

Step 3: Put the Clock Where It Can Receive the Signal

1. Stand or support the clock upright near a window.
2. Choose a location away from televisions, computers, and other electrical equipment that can interfere with reception.
3. Leave it in that position while it attempts to synchronize.

A clock deep inside a large building may have more difficulty receiving WWVB than one near an exterior window. If your intended wall location is surrounded by electronics or far from windows, use a better reception location for initial setup.

Step 4: Allow Time for Synchronization

1. Wait more than one minute after powering the clock. Initial synchronization sometimes takes 5 minutes or longer, depending on the signal, according to NIST.
2. If the clock does not set during the day, leave it powered overnight.
3. If it still has not set, give it another chance to synchronize.

An unsuccessful daytime setup does not necessarily mean the clock needs manual correction.

WWVB reception can vary with conditions at the transmitter and receiving location. Many radio-controlled clocks attempt reception around midnight or in the early morning.

Avoid repeatedly removing the battery while waiting. That restarts the clock rather than giving its automatic reception process an uninterrupted opportunity to work.

Step 5: Finish Setup and Leave the Clock Powered

1. Once the hands settle into normal operation, compare the displayed time with a trusted local-time reference, such as a phone set to update its time and time zone automatically.
2. Check the hour as well as the minutes. Correct minutes with the wrong hour usually indicate a settings issue.
3. Replace the battery cover if fitted, and hang the clock securely in its intended location.
4. Leave the battery installed.

Lorell’s LLR60990 corrects its time each day when reception is available. Keeping it powered allows those later corrections; automatic setting is not just a one-time installation feature.

Why Your Lorell Clock Is Showing the Wrong Time

The size and pattern of the error help separate a settings problem from a reception problem. Check those before assuming the movement has failed.

The Clock Is Off by Whole Hours

If the minutes are right but the hour is wrong, start with the labeled controls. NIST identifies a configuration issue as the likely cause of a clock being off by one or more hours.

Use the labeled time-zone control to select the correct local time zone, allow the hands to finish adjusting, and compare the display again. Moving the hands manually is not a lasting solution: a later radio update can restore the wrong hour.

An error of exactly one hour can also involve daylight-saving time. If your movement has a DST control, its setting should match whether your location observes the seasonal change.

The Clock Is Gradually Losing or Gaining Time

A growing error suggests that the clock may no longer be receiving WWVB. Without reception, it is functioning as an ordinary quartz clock rather than receiving radio corrections.

Most quartz clocks keep time to within 1 second per day or better, but some can be off by several seconds per day, according to NIST. The exact unsynchronized accuracy depends on the movement; confirm it in the manufacturer’s accuracy specifications for your clock model.

Move the clock to a better reception location and allow it time to synchronize. Compare it with a trusted time reference the following morning. If the error disappears after relocation but returns at the usual wall location, reception at that location is the likely problem.

A time difference that keeps increasing is more informative than a single incorrect reading. Do not assume the clock remains synchronized merely because it set itself successfully in the past.

The Clock Does Not Start or Keeps Stopping

Check power before trying to solve a radio problem:

1. Confirm that the battery polarity matches the compartment markings.
2. Make sure the battery is firmly seated and the contacts are visibly unobstructed.
3. Replace a questionable battery with a fresh battery of the required type.
4. Allow the clock to complete its startup and reception attempt.

Initial hand behavior varies by movement, so an unfamiliar hand position alone is not a reliable failure diagnosis. Avoid forcing the hands during troubleshooting.

If the movement still does not run after fresh power and its normal startup process, use the exact model number to obtain model-specific support or arrange repair or replacement. Better radio reception cannot fix a movement that is not operating.

How to Check Reception and Keep the Clock Accurate

Most radio-controlled clocks decode WWVB once per day; some do so more frequently, such as every 6 hours, according to NIST.

After setup, make these checks:

• Check it in its final location. Successful reception during setup does not guarantee equally good reception on another wall.
• After a reception opportunity, confirm that the display is correct.
• Watch for a growing error. Continued drift can indicate that automatic correction has stopped.
• Keep its reception environment stable. Changes to the surroundings can make a previously suitable location less reliable.

A correct display after manual setting does not prove that the clock is receiving WWVB.

An analog clock without a reception indicator may not provide a direct confirmation of its last successful update.

If the clock becomes accurate after relocation but drifts in its usual position, the usual position is unsuitable. Once it remains correct in a suitable location, let automatic correction do its job.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Change the Time on a Lorell Clock Manually?

Use the rear manual time-set control, if your Lorell movement has one, to advance the hands to the correct local time. The required presses or hold depend on the movement, so use the operation specified for your exact model rather than assuming a universal button-hold duration. End the adjustment when the hands show the correct time, confirm that normal timekeeping resumes, and rehang the clock. A later radio update may replace the manual setting, so the time-zone selection must still be correct.

Do I Need to Change My Lorell Clock for Daylight Saving Time?

You should not manually make the seasonal change on a Lorell LLR60990, because that model automatically adjusts for daylight-saving time. If it misses the change, check reception and any available DST setting rather than immediately advancing or reversing the hands. If another Lorell model has a DST control, set it to match whether your location observes daylight-saving time.

Will a Lorell Radio-Controlled Clock Set Itself Outside the United States?

Do not assume it will: Lorell’s LLR60990 is designed to work in the continental United States. Before expecting automatic setting elsewhere, verify that your particular model supports the local time-signal system and the required time zone. A WWVB-compatible clock does not automatically work with another country’s radio time service simply because both systems are radio-controlled. If compatible reception is unavailable, a model with manual setting can still be used as a quartz clock.