Kokua Line: Why are clocks running 6 minutes fast?
Question : Is anybody else noticing their clocks running faster and faster ? Mine are about six minutes ahead. Not on my cellphone but on my oven, microwave, etc. What is happening ?
Answer : Fluctuations in Hawaiian Electric's power frequency caused the problem, which readers asked about and which a Hawaiian Electric spokesperson says now has been fixed ; reset your clocks and they should run normally. The problem affected clocks that rely on the power grid to keep time.
'Typical plug-in clocks, including clocks on ovens, alarms, and microwaves, use the electrical system frequency to track time. Even a slight deviation in this frequency can affect the time on plug-in clocks, causing it to speed up or slow down. These fluctuations don't affect reliability but they can occasionally cause enough of a deviation to be noticeable on plug-in clocks, as has been the case recently on Oahu. We have replaced the equipment used to compensate for these fluctuations, so any affected clocks should operate normally. The clocks in many devices, such as mobile phones, computers and tablets, use quartz crystals or time synchronizing systems such as satellites as a time reference and should not have been affected. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank customers for their patience, ' Darren Pai, spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric, said in an email Tuesday.
Electric clocks use the alternating current of the power grid like a metronome, which means the clocks run slower or faster than they should depending on the frequency fluctuation. Changes in demand for electricity may cause the fluctuation, which electrical utilities must control.
Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission requires in General Order 7 that 'the standard frequency for alternating current distribution systems shall be 60 cycles per second. The frequency shall be maintained within limits which will permit the satisfactory operation of customers' clocks connected to the system.'
You are one of several readers who noticed their oven, microwave or bedside clocks running fast ; some also said their DVRs were affected. The discrepancy increased over time (by about 20 seconds a day, according to one reader ) to the point that affected clocks were running about six minutes fast when we emailed Pai on Monday.
Don 't miss out on what 's happening !
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE !
Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.
He responded the next day, explaining the source of the problem and assuring that it was fixed—plug-in clocks should not continue to drift faster after being reset.
Q : Does the city even have toll roads ? I got a text that I know is a scam but it seems like an especially dumb one ; still, people should know about it.
A : 'The text message is fraudulent as the City and County of Honolulu has no toll roads and the DMV does not collect toll fees, ' Honolulu's Division of Motor Vehicles said in a news release last week, alerting the public to this scam.
The fraudulent text says the recipient has an unpaid toll bill and must pay it to avoid a fine and keep their license. Anyone who receives this text should block the sender immediately and delete the text without responding to it, the city says ; don't click on any links in the text.
Mahalo Like many other people, I haven't had a lot of good things to say about the federal government lately but I want to thank the U.S. Department of State. My passport was due to expire this month and I took advantage of the online renewal option. My wife took an iPhone photo of me and I filled out the form. I received my passport book and card in 12 days and they sent emails to me at every step in the process. I wish all of our interactions with our government could be that prompt and satisfying.—Jim Petersen, Mililani------------Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813 ; call 808-529-4773 ; or email.------------
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
7 hours ago
- New York Times
Rosenthal: Blame the bullpen for the A's struggles, but also blame their situation
On May 13, the Athletics won the opener of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium 11-1. The next night, in a game started by Cy Young contender Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning 4-3. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, they collapsed. Not just that night. For the next three weeks. Advertisement The Dodgers' five-run eighth sent the A's into a 1-20 nosedive resulting almost entirely from the failures of their bullpen. That's the baseball explanation, at least. But for owner John Fisher's vagabond franchise, wandering from Oakland to West Sacramento to the supposed promised land of Las Vegas, it's not the entire story. Not when the A's are 9-22 at Sutter Health Park, the second-worst home record in the majors, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies' 6-22 mark. And not when they're stuck at their minor-league facility through at least 2027, unlike the Tampa Bay Rays, who are playing in a minor-league park only because of a natural disaster, and only this season. 'It's certainly daunting when you zoom out and look at it,' said the A's All-Star closer, Mason Miller. 'But a blessing of being a ballplayer is you get to show up today. Today is what matters. Nothing tomorrow is guaranteed. That, at least, is how I approach it.' It is the right and only way to approach it. But that doesn't make playing at Sutter Health Park easier. The clubhouses are located in the outfield, instead of being connected to the dugout. And even after approximately $11 million in renovations, the A's reality is undeniable — they are playing in a Triple-A facility, and sharing it with the San Francisco Giants' top affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats. The Rays, 20-19 at home after a 9-16 start, found a way to adjust to their own unusual conditions at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The A's, for whatever reasons, have been less successful. Their $67 million free agent, right-hander Luis Severino, is the symbol of the team's difficult transition. Severino's ERA is 6.99 at home, 0.87 on the road. 'The circumstances are what they are. We can't change those,' said A's manager Mark Kotsay, a former major-league outfielder. 'We have to find a way to embrace and make this our home like we did in Oakland. Advertisement 'It's two different ballparks, but I can remember as a visiting player coming to Oakland always feeling uncomfortable, always feeling, 'Wow, I don't have a cage to hit in, I don't have this, I don't have that.' But on the home side, you use that as an advantage.' Miller noted the wind at Sutter Health can be problematic, changing the trajectories of fly balls at different points of the day. The A's lead the majors with 96 home runs allowed, 55 at home. But as Miller said, 'The other team is pitching in the same environment. We don't really have an excuse to fall back on.' Especially when the recent failures of the bullpen extend to the road, where the A's have lost 11 straight games. Through May 13, the A's 'pen ranked 27th in the majors with a 5.04 ERA and 24th with a .750 opponents' OPS — not good. But their numbers in the 19 games before the past two were astonishingly bad. An ERA of 8.19 (Colorado was next worst at 5.27). An opponents' OPS of .966 (Colorado was next worst at .852). The last two nights, Kotsay has used openers, trying to build the confidence of struggling relievers by inserting them at the start of a game rather than in a late-inning, high-leverage situation. The A's grew concerned about their middle-inning relief early in the season, realizing if they fell behind, they would struggle to keep games close. Injuries to veteran relievers José Leclerc and T.J. McFarland left the 'pen with too little experience. And the back-end types who enjoyed early success — Grant Holman and Justin Sterner, Tyler Ferguson and Miller — all began to slump, seemingly at once. Holman and Sterner are in their first full seasons, Ferguson and Miller their second. 'It's not easy to come as a minor-league reliever and have immediate impact or success in the big leagues, and continued success,' Kotsay said. 'You look at a lot of the relievers, they obviously go up and down early in their careers before they establish themselves. Relying on those types of arms is tough.' Miller, 26, is the most established and accomplished of the group, but his 10.38 ERA in May included a blown save at home against Philadelphia on May 24, when he allowed a game-tying, ninth-inning homer by Max Kepler. The A's went on to lose in 11 innings 9-6. MAX KEPLER! — Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 25, 2025 'At least from a bullpen perspective, when we do have a chance to win a game, we're squeezing a little bit too tight,' Miller said. 'Everybody knows about the streak of games we've lost. It's, 'Hey, let end it tonight.' We've played a lot of good teams, too. And our mistakes have been magnified, for sure.' Advertisement One person with the club was only half-joking Wednesday that the only way for the A's to win a game right now might be by a score of 20-18. But with first baseman Nick Kurtz and third baseman Miguel Andújar on the injured list, even the A's offense, featuring the American League Rookie of the Month for May, shortstop Jacob Wilson, is diminished. To think, the A's on May 5 were 20-16, one game behind Seattle in the AL West. Wilson and first baseman Tyler Soderstrom, two former first-round picks, were thriving. The team's top pitching prospect, Gunnar Hoglund, had just made his major-league debut. Kurtz's debut would come at the end of the month. The relatively fast start, following last year's 32-32 record after the All-Star Game, provides a measure of reassurance — 'Out of the gates, we played well,' Kotsay said. 'That wasn't that long ago, really.' McFarland, who produced eight straight scoreless appearances before suffering a left adductor strain, is on a rehabilitation assignment. But Leclerc, a $10 million free-agent addition, is not expected to return from a lat strain until the second half. Nothing sabotages a team like a bad bullpen. And the A's, facing the prospect of at least 243 'home' games over three seasons at Sutter Health Park, were always going to be in something of a precarious state. The Rays can rationalize their situation, knowing they will play only one season in Tampa. The A's needed to succeed at home early to build confidence and reduce the chances of their conditions becoming a distraction. Instead, they lost their first four games at Sutter Health and six of their first seven. Not to mention 13 of their last 15. The A's position-player group is the third-youngest in the league. Their pitching staff is the 12th youngest. A number of players surely are happy to be in the majors, even if they're playing in a minor-league park. They won't complain publicly, at least not yet. Neither will Kotsay and his coaches. No one wants to come off as entitled. Still, Kotsay is in the most difficult position of any manager, and not just because his bullpen is a mess. Advertisement The first year at Sutter Health figured to be tolerable for the players and staff, as long as the team showed improvement. The second year projected as perhaps the most difficult, with the move to Las Vegas still a good bit away. And in the third year, if indeed that is the last year, the team could have adopted the same mindset as the Rays — deal with it, and we'll be out of here soon. The A's meltdown makes everything more challenging. If the meltdown was solely the product of bad baseball, that would be one thing. But it's also the product of a team put in a terrible position by its owner and league, a team being asked to play at a disadvantage and act as if everything is normal. 'We're just continually trying to show up and work each day and get back to that team we were at the start of the year,' Miller said. 'It's not like we didn't show that it was possible.' Oh, it's possible. But the margin of error was always going to be thin. If the A's fail to regain their equilibrium, no one should be surprised if their frustrations mount. And maybe even boil over. (Photo of Mason Miller, A's manager Mark Kotsay and other A's players: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Twins Announce Unfortunate Carlos Correa News Before Athletics Game
Twins Announce Unfortunate Carlos Correa News Before Athletics Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Twins enter Wednesday night's game against the Athletics with a 33-27 record that ranks second in the American League Central division. Six games back of the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota owns a half-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians who won the division last season. Advertisement One of the reasons for Minnesota's success this season has been the health of its best players. In previous years, all three of Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis have missed significant time. While Lewis has spent time on the injured list this season, both Correa and Buxton have remained healthier than in previous years. Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (4)Brett Davis-Imagn Images Appearing in 52 of Minnesota's 60 games this season, Correa owns a .665 OPS that is well down from his .905 mark when he was an All-Star last season. That said, the three-time All-Star is still a needed presence in the Twins' lineup, as his defense at shortstop has been among MLB's best since his debut in 2015. Initially slotted to play short and bat fourth in Wednesday's contest, Correa was scratched with back tightness. The Twins announced this unfortunate news in a post on X. Advertisement "Updated lineup: Brooks Lee will play SS tonight," the team wrote. "Carlos Correa has been scratched with back tightness." While Lee is an exciting switch-hitting infielder, he has yet to find his footing at the Major League level. In 358 plate appearances since debuting last season, the 24-year-old has just a 70 OPS+ that rate well-below league average. For now, Minnesota will hope the Correa issue is not too serious, but it will hold him out on Wednesday night. Related: Paul Skenes' Reaction After Leaving Astros Game Turns Heads Related: Tigers Announce Unfortunate Kerry Carpenter News Before White Sox Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's Behavior Toward Aliyah Boston After Missed Layup Catches Attention
The Indiana Fever are hosting the Chicago Sky on Saturday afternoon. This is the 2025 WNBA season opener for both teams. Beginning their second professional campaigns, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese again headline their respective teams. Clark electrified fans early in this contest with a deep 3-point shot on her first field goal attempt of the season. She also threw some incredible passes that her teammates were unable to finish, notably one to 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston. Advertisement Missing an easy shot at the rim, Boston blew Clark's assist, but the Fever point guard was quick to lift her up after the play. Clark's behavior caught the attention of WNBA fans who appreciated her leadership in this moment. "Shot out to Caitlin Clark consulting with Aaliyah Boston telling her it's fine heads up and next play! Growth from Clark," said one. "Caitlin calming Aliyah down," noted another. "She settles and finishes those, they're feasting off that exact play all season." "my abcc 🥺," said another. "Caitlin being the voice of reason for Aliyah 😭," one added. Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston (7) and guard Caitlin Clark (22).© David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports Boston and Clark were a dynamic duo last season. The 6-foot-5 center averaged 14.0 points and 8.9 rebounds en route to her second straight All-Star appearance. While she struggled early last season, Boston really came on down the stretch to help Indiana make its first postseason appearance since 2016. Advertisement Showing her leadership, Clark lifted up her teammate despite the early struggles against Chicago. Fans appreciated the gesture from Indiana's star point guard. Related: WNBA Facing Accusation Over Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky Decision Related: Chicago Sky Fans Upset Over Hailey Van Lith News Before Indiana Fever Game
