How to use the online alarm clock
As you hand over the job of opening the gate to the garden beds, a 5:00 am alarm gives the next person a clear starting point. Agree beforehand who has the keys, which gate needs opening and whether anything must be moved from the entrance. That makes the alarm a cue for a known task rather than an unexplained sound at an unusually early hour.
The gate may be near a shed, running vehicle or other background noise, so set the alarm volume high enough to remain distinct without assuming maximum volume will carry everywhere. A brief sound check from the place where the person will wait can reveal whether the chosen tone is masked. The browser page must remain open and the phone or computer awake: if either is closed down or allowed to sleep, no signal will sound and the gate could stay locked.
Whoever takes the garden-bed handover may have a quieter journey at 5:00 am, but quiet roads can still include overnight closures, diversions and slower unlit lanes. The planned departure should allow a small margin for the route, parking and the walk to the entrance, especially if the plot is away from a main road. Keeping the keys and a torch together also avoids losing time after arrival.
Common questions
Will it still be right when the clocks change?
Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.
Can I use this on a phone?
It works in a mobile browser, but phones lock the screen and suspend background tabs far more readily than a laptop does, which can stop the alarm sounding. For anything important, a desktop or a plugged-in laptop is the steadier option.
Does the alarm still work if I close the tab?
No. Everything runs inside this page, so closing the tab — or quitting the browser altogether — ends the countdown there and then. Leaving it open in the background is all it asks, and switching to another tab makes no difference.
What happens if my laptop goes to sleep before 5:00 am?
The tab sleeps along with it and the alarm will not sound on time, if at all. If you are relying on it, change the power settings so the machine stays awake, or keep a phone alarm running as well.
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