GoKawiilMaker builds analog Daylight Clock with manual time and location controls
A hobbyist built an ambient 'Daylight Clock,' a 24-hour analog display that lights the circumference to show the current daylight span based on a set latitude and longitude. A companion control box lets users step through weeks to see seasonal daylight shifts, override brightness, select latitude via a slider aligned to an Equal Earth map, and toggle 'relative longitude' to simulate the west, center, or east edge of a time zone. The creator credits a friend's earlier daylight-aware clock project as the inspiration.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The project illustrates, in physical form, how arbitrary time zone boundaries can shift real daylight experience by an hour or more depending on where someone lives within a zone. The builder suggests the device may have been an unconscious way to visualize a long-held frustration about living on the eastern edge of the US Eastern Time Zone, where early sunsets are more pronounced. It's a niche maker project, but it shows growing interest in physical, ambient displays of environmental data like sunlight and time.
- The clock visually represents daylight hours based on configurable latitude/longitude rather than a fixed location.
- A separate control box allows simulating different weeks, time-zone positions, and latitudes to compare daylight patterns.
- The project was inspired by a friend's existing daylight-aware clock design.
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B — DIY ambient builds like this Daylight Clock often run on a Raspberry Pi for handling the time/location calculations and driving the LED ring. It's a fantastic, flexible brain for makers wanting to build their own smart clocks, light displays, or control boxes. Great way to dive into hands-on electronics projects just like this one.
See Raspberry Pi 4 Model B on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: hannahilea.com, 2026-11-09
Published there as: “Here comes the sun[light]:An ambient Daylight Clock with time and space controls”
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