14-year-old Texas boy arrested for bringing homemade clock

[Sam]

Yep, but it won't be on the cord.

Leaving this now. CP can expand on it, or not, as he chooses.

12V AC/DC Converter:

timthumb.jpg

Not exactly the same but (to my untrained eye), the same kind of AC/DC converter.

[Sam]

Well, REALLY old school bedside alarm clocks used to have a 9 volt battery to keep the memory alive in the event of a power failure, so you wouldn't miss work if the electricity went out in the middle of the night. That's because the components used a lot of power, and needed that kind of backup.

Stuff we use today will have a CMOS battery or some smaller battery, because memory consumption is much lower.

The alarm clock by my bed is less than five years old and has a 9V battery backup. I can't imagine that a CMOS battery is going to keep a speaker/radio going for very long/loud.

[Cow Poke]

This is where you recognize that you're being puerile toward a 14 year-old's engineering project and realize just how ... filtering ... asinine that is.

I'd say "Yeah, cool idea," having seen enough torn-apart and half-reassembled electronics to recognize and appreciate a functioning clock.

So, HONESTLY, you wouldn't have even the tiniest concern, in this day and age, that it might be mistaken for something that could cause some....



See, Sam, this is where I think you get SO committed to defending your view that you give up all reason and show how incredibly disingenuous you can be. I don't believe for ONE SECOND that you're stupid enough to say "yeah, cool idea", knowing the kind of world we live in. You'd do that to your own kid? HONEST?

This is where others will say something about how you're just as dumb as JimL, and I disagree because I think you're a really smart guy, then you pull this crap.

SERIOUSLY, you'd be totally OK with your kid taking that project in a backpack to school?

[Cow Poke]

The alarm clock by my bed is less than five years old and has a 9V battery backup. I can't imagine that a CMOS battery is going to keep a speaker/radio going for very long/loud.

I guess I'm way more green than you, you energy hog!

[Sam]

So, HONESTLY, you wouldn't have even the tiniest concern, in this day and age, that it might be mistaken for something that could cause some....



See, Sam, this is where I think you get SO committed to defending your view that you give up all reason and show how incredibly disingenuous you can be. I don't believe for ONE SECOND that you're stupid enough to say "yeah, cool idea", knowing the kind of world we live in. You'd do that to your own kid? HONEST?

This is where others will say something about how you're just as dumb as JimL, and I disagree because I think you're a really smart guy, then you pull this crap.

SERIOUSLY, you'd be totally OK with your kid taking that project in a backpack to school?

Yes. Because it's clearly a clock. And I'd hope that all my kid's teachers have the common sense, if not the expertise, to recognize the components of a clock. I'd still be fine with the school exercising reasonable caution; if they were concerned, they've got my number. "Hey ... we just want to make sure that this is a clock and not a bomb." / "Yeah, it's a clock. He made it during creative time and wanted to show his teacher." / "Oh, OK, cool. Just ... maybe call ahead of time next time and let us know?" / "Sure; will do."

It's almost like the police don't have to be called down for a "hoax bomb" at all.

[Sam]

I guess I'm way more green than you, you energy hog!

I make up for it by not setting the alarm all that often ...

[Cow Poke]

... "Oh, OK, cool. Just ... maybe call ahead of time next time and let us know?"

The fact that you'd have to be TOLD that says a lot about your judgment.

[Teallaura]

12V AC/DC Converter:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9870[/ATTACH]

Not exactly the same but (to my untrained eye), the same kind of AC/DC converter.

But isn't this what he described?

download.jpg

[One Bad Pig]

Well, REALLY old school bedside alarm clocks used to have a 9 volt battery to keep the memory alive in the event of a power failure, so you wouldn't miss work if the electricity went out in the middle of the night. That's because the components used a lot of power, and needed that kind of backup.

Stuff we use today will have a CMOS battery or some smaller battery, because memory consumption is much lower.

Actually, the alarm clock I bought about 5 years ago has a 9-volt battery backup - and it's a relatively fancy one with two alarm settings (wake to alarm, radio, or CD) and a nap radio function.

[Cow Poke]

I make up for it by not setting the alarm all that often ...

So..... It's ok to buy energy hog appliances if you don't use them as much.

(I'm kidding, Sam --- and I'm going to assume you are too, on this, anyway )

[RumTumTugger]

Is it really so necessary to act that immature?

I honestly wouldn't think anything of it. I've gone to schools with solid rocket fuel to shoe my brothers class. It's really not such a scary world when you stop seeing terrorism everywhere.

but the schools knew you were bringing it didn't they SoR you did not just show up with it. with out letting them know you were bringing it. no one knew the kid was bringing his clock in he just showed up with it one day.

[Cow Poke]

Actually, the alarm clock I bought about 5 years ago has a 9-volt battery backup - and it's a relatively fancy one with two alarm settings (wake to alarm, radio, or CD) and a nap radio function.

I use my iphone. I have ZILLIONS of alarm settings, time zones, wake to music, etc...

[One Bad Pig]

I use my iphone. I have ZILLIONS of alarm settings, time zones, wake to music, etc...

Who needs an iphone? My old cell phone makes calls just fine - and I recharge it about once a month.

[Cow Poke]

Who needs an iphone? My old cell phone makes calls just fine - and I recharge it about once a month.

I got forced into it against my will by my IT department. I have, I hate to admit, been assimilated.

[Sam]

The fact that you'd have to be TOLD that says a lot about your judgment.

I've known most of my kid's school teachers and administrators on a fairly decent level. I can't see any of them having a problem with this. Out of an abundance of caution, I'd understand that request.

Of course, that's not the tack that this school took. They called the police and the kid got arrested.