How to use the online alarm clock
As you hand the canal bridge duty over to the next operator at 6:43 am, set a clear alarm for the moment they need to prepare for the approaching barge. The 17 minutes before 7:00 am leave enough time to explain the controls, confirm the vessel’s direction and pass on any local instructions without rushing the changeover.
A handover needs an alarm tone that suits both the setting and the person taking charge. A softer sound may be suitable inside a quiet control cabin, while a persistent tone is less likely to disappear beneath radio traffic, machinery or conversation. Check the volume with your colleague before relying on it. Keep the browser running and the computer awake, because otherwise the alarm will not sound and the barge could reach the bridge before the warning is heard.
Canal-side sound can change quickly around this early hour as road traffic builds, birds become louder and nearby crews begin work. Place the speaker away from an open window and closer to the operator’s position, then listen from where they will actually stand. If the cabin grows noisier towards 7:00 am, choose the firmer tone and leave radios at a level that still allows the alarm to cut through.
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 6:43 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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