Arg, why 9 minutes?

platypus · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:31

Why are all bloomin' alarm clocks snooze functions set to 9 minutes? Drives me mad!

wedgie · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:31

Why not?

gjrc · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:32

mine isnt...

Tru · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:33

What would you prefer?

Sirrel Squirrel · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:34

It is an odd number, apparently something to do with the algorithm they use

daveyj27 · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:35

Both of mine are 5 minutes.

MNuTz · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:36

my mobile alarm is 8 mins, and the two digitals i had where 5 mins and 6 mins.

Ukadder · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:37

Both of mine are 5mins as well.

ElRazur · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:39

Mobile phone snooze are 5minutes each and it increases on 5mins succesion thereafter (on SE anyway).

mark66 · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:39

By setting the snooze time to 9 minutes, modern digital alarm clocks only needs to watch the last digit of the time. So, if you hit snooze at 6:45, the alarm goes off again when the last digit hits 4 - at 7:54. They couldn't make the snooze period 10 minutes, or the alarm would go off right away - or the clock would take more circuitry.

Historically speaking, there's another element to the answer. Clock experts say when snooze alarms were invented, the gears in alarm clocks were standardized. The snooze gear was introduced into the existing mix and its teeth had to mesh with the other gears' teeth. The engineers had to choose between a gear that made the snooze period nine-plus minutes or 10-plus minutes. Because of the gear configuration, 10 minutes on the nose was not an option.

Link

platypus · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:45

ElRazur said:
Mobile phone snooze are 5minutes each and it increases on 5mins succesion thereafter (on SE anyway).

Both of my girlfriends SE phones are 9 minutes, her alarm clock is 9 minutes, my alarm clock is 9 minutes..

Gah!

platypus · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:47

Wowzer.

4p · 15 Mar 2007 at 09:49

LOL funny that

Got pee'd off with that this morning

Damn sony erricsons

Dave M · 15 Mar 2007 at 10:11

My clock radio is 8 minutes, my mobile is 10 minutes, my travel clock is 5 minutes.

Not standardised in my house.

Windle · 15 Mar 2007 at 10:13

ElRazur said:
Mobile phone snooze are 5minutes each and it increases on 5mins succesion thereafter (on SE anyway).

Wrong my SE w810i is 9mins.

tom_nieto · 15 Mar 2007 at 10:15

My clock radio is 10 mins. Suits me perfectly!

Sirrel Squirrel · 15 Mar 2007 at 10:20

Aye my K800 is 9 minutes and every SE I had before that was 9 minutes too!

Mat · 15 Mar 2007 at 10:58

I just get up when the alarm goes off.

trojan698 · 15 Mar 2007 at 11:06

You must own a SE?

G|mp · 15 Mar 2007 at 11:08

Me and the Mrs both have k800i's and its a pain in the arse tbh