iPod Classic Alarm Clock Bug?

After raving about how good the AI is of the new iPod classic, I have to say there is one area that sux!

Quite simply... the alarm doesnt work. It goes off at all random and wrong times, not when its supposed to.

I have tried;

* Restoring/formatting the ipod and resyncing.

* Checking the computers time, date and timezone (which the iPod syncs with)

* Deleting all timezones in the ipod and creating a new one for sydney (which is where i live).

* Deleting all alarms and making new ones (with the correct time AM/PM set).

The time in the title and in "clocks" shows up the right time, but the alarm just doesnt go at the right time.

I have my iPod docked in a speaker dock (it has no alarm features, just plain speakers and charger), so battery life is not an issue.

I never had this problem with my 5th gen iPod. why ohh why apple hav u tried to fix something thats not broken only to screw it over???

anyone else have the same problem???

I googled, and it seems im not the only one, tho no solutions just yet?

#480585

Dont worry...

i dont have this problem, but knowing Apple, as soon as people complain, there will be a firmware/software update to fix it...

until then, is there a ratio of time set to actual going off? (example: you set it for 6:00 AM, and it goes off a 8:00 AM, set for 4:00 goes off at 6:00, etc.)

if so, then you can just remember the ratio, and set it for x hrs advance/behind...

#480629

yeah trouble is... the time is all over the place, its not just one hour late, sometimes its 4 hrs, sometimes its 8...

complain people! put the pressure on Apple! hehehehe

#480733

I didn't know you lived down under (or should I say up there?).

I haven't had a chance to mess about with the alarm on my iPod Classic. I suspect there will be a another firmware update soon.

80 or 160? I got the 160.

#480742

80. :/

yep im from Newcastle way (north of Sydney)

#480777

I'm going to test this today. I'll get back to you if this is reproducible on mine.

A few questions, if I may;

When did you buy it? Do you have firmware 1.0.2 (the latest)?

#481084

latest firmware; 1.0.2 (i think thats the latest)

... I did some experimentation myself. It turns out my alarm goes off at the right time when its not being charged 90% of the time.

Like, when its docked in the speaker dock (charging) it always goes off at funny times. But I dont get it, its just speakers and power, why would that screw with an alarm clock? the speakers dont even have an FM radio/alarm feature!

But disreguard that for now. The alarm still isnt 100% accurate docked or undocked. hmm...

I bought it bout a month after it came out... so.... umm...august? september? ish.

#481158

problem not yet resolved (bump- help!)... but i've found whenever my iPod is docked in the charger, it displays the incorrect time!... whenever i take it off the dock the time goes back to being right...

anyone else have this problem?

#482307

|| How long ago did you get it? - I see. Well, keep reading... || Is it under warranty? Get a new one!

I got a Best Buy warranty with my Touch, so if anything goes wrong, if THEY (Best Buy) can't fix it, they give me a new one. Its better than Apple's Limited warranty, and better than Apple Care. (So if I smash my Touch, I get a new one, no questions asked.) (Maybe I should do it so I can get a new one without that chip in it from when it fell.... *looks side to side* )

But yea, see if you can get a new one. My friend at school has a Classic and his time, alarms, time zones, all that, is fine.

EDIT - Actually, do you really need the alarm clock? I mean, come on. Who actually uses that besides you? I'd be shocked to see if more than 5 people do.

#482368

I do use it... I mean, waking up to your own music is divine, and they play crap on the radio- so theres no point getting an fm alarm clock.

Im gonna give apple a ring and hound them.

#482378

I've been testing it. Mine seems to be operating fine. in that regard. I should mention, however, I don't have a dock (yet).

I actually have found the alarm clock quite useful. I recommend hounding Apple. My iPod behaves fine with Vista, and has the correct time, whether connected to the PC or not...

Also, update your firmware to 1.0.3, if you haven't already...It may or may not fix the problems you have...

#482433

I'm having the same problem, I woke up an hour later yesterday.

Same thing as Levi, when docked in my speakers the alarm goes crazy the only workaround I've found is to set the date, time and playlist manually each night.

I'll try firmware 1.0.3 and see what it does.

#482460

I'm having the same problem, I woke up an hour later yesterday.

Same thing as Levi, when docked in my speakers the alarm goes crazy the only workaround I've found is to set the date, time and playlist manually each night.

I'll try firmware 1.0.3 and see what it does.

im pretty sure mine os 1.0.3 ... interestingly enough, i've just sat down and set it several times, and its 70% hit and miss... yet sometimes it just works... like wtf?

#482483

I have the same problem. Was on the phone with Apple for an hour (first with their first line of defense, then resetting to factory settings, etc, then with their iPod expert). They weren't able to reproduce the problem...this is in part because the alarm works when I have the ear buds plugged in (which I never use), but not with any other speaker/headphone combination. She told me she was sending it to engineering and gave me her direct number. She also suggested going to an Apple store to the genius bar.

I went to the genius bar, they were able to reproduce the problem, and gave me a new ipod. But the alarm still doesn't work. I called Melissa and gave her the update.

So hopefully, they're working on this. It's a serious problem because one of my iPod's main functions is to wake me up in the morning.

Whey did they have to fiddle with something that worked perfectly well before? Makes me sick that I gave up my old iPod for this one.

#482643

I'm with you there!...

The annoying thing is, when I went into the store It worked perfectly (damnit). But yeah, i daresay it would have happened with the next iPod i was given.

I think the problem lies with a new dock connection and certain speakers. Video is now outputted through the dock connector opposed to the headphone jack- so apple has definately made changes there.

I think the speakers somehow screw/shortcircuit the ipod causing an incorrect time (my wild theory). But the annoying thing is, it doesnt always happen.

Who else out there has a new iPod classic? does the alarm work properly with your speaker dock?

what brand/make are your speakers?

#482650

February 20th and using the v1.1.1 update on iPod Classic 160GB. Still doesn't work!

Just set alarm for a few minutes from current time and nothing happens! That's a simple test. I tried it on every iPod on display at the local apple store and none work.

Geniuses (is that name a pun?) in the store have never even used the alarm on an iPod before. Didn't know how to set it.

Just a question... why would I want to switch from Windows to a Mac if they can't even get an alarm clock right on a consumer device and could care less about our calls and requests to fix it? Imagine buying a Sony product and a major feature just doesn't work. Or, you buy a car and the odometer doesn't work. LOL

#492077

mmm yep.

I've noticed its still not working.

I'm about to buy myself a new speaker dock- a XtremeMac Tango. For the sound (very nice sounding BTW, and a good price tag), not because my old ones arent working with the alarm.

I'm hoping tho, this might solve the problem. I'm thinking that cheap Speaker docks might interupt the alarm signal through the dock connector somehow.

Apple have redesigned the dock connection, i mean, even thier own iPod Camera connector no longer works!!!

From my observations- the iPod alarm works when not connected in a dock, through headphones and the like, so long as the battery doesnt run flat.

Am I right?

#492082