I recently purchased the Foxie CardClock and have been enjoying the various hardware and software features the designer chose to include. The Choice to include both a clock ring as well as an LED matrix allows for a number of possibilities beyond the just a "simple" clock face and digits. Going with RGB LEDS allows not only for a choice of color pallet, but also some additional actions such as "shimmering" digits, and the potential for many other eye-catching approaches if one so desires (the source code is available for those so inclined.)

As the product description says "it's the little things..." and I believe these extra design choices really made this clock a step above others. The choice to allow for both a local time set as well as WiFi is a welcome change from some that only allow for a phone or WiFi programming choice (convenient, but also potentially restrictive.) I can use this clock in a standalone mode, and the PCF8563 RTC and supercap will allow for the occasional power disruption or moving the clock to another venue. To be sure, I like the WiFi aspect with auto NTP correct, but having full local control and time setting allows that extra flexibility of use. Having a dimming circuit with software "max/min" levels was another nice touch.

Some might say the RGB height of 5 pixels could make the digits too "granular", but I found that I had no trouble, and the matrix really does lend itself to many other possibilities (binary clock, and future software tweaks). I have not fully tested many of the WiFi features beyond a basic connection, but updating via WiFi is always welcome.

All in all, I'm quite pleased with the Foxie CardClock and look forward to Will's next creation.

Mark

This is a great little project to build into a clock. It had everything in the kit to assemble (with custom built helpers!) I was able to solder and stain the wood to a beautiful product in a short afternoon. The directions to flash the clock bios were straight forward and got it all running quickly. Great buy! You need this clock!

My clock looks beautiful and Im really happy with my purchase. I would say that it actually looks a bit better in person (It's hard to photograph.) In person the currently lit number is more distinct and its easier to read. Shipping was very prompt, everything showed up in good condition. I ordered a pre-soldered one so I can't say to much about the complete build experience but the documentation looks pretty good and I appreciate that everything is open source. The digits where easy to put on though a little difficult to get (and keep) straight. Sometimes my digits work their way upwards. I really like the wood top panel.

It might be nice to have some sort of alternate use for the seconds counter (or to be able to disable/zero them.) I don't want to count it as a criticism because its a personal thing but sometimes its a bit distracting in my peripheral vision.

Overall I think this is a fantastic project.

Oh man, this is a fantastic product! I found this kit mentioned on Hackaday a few months ago & bought it as a Father's Day gift a number of months ago. My father built a simple nixie-tube-based, tabletop timekeeper/stopwatch back in the late 70's but due to the ever increasing rarity of nixie tubes, along with the heat and maintenance required, it has been retired, only to collect dust on his shelf. To this day, however, he reminisces over their unique construction and function. I've been looking out for a more modern implementation, but most modern nixie products or look-a-likes are far too expensive (and gaudy)... This, on the other hand, is perfect! With cool-running, low-power, brightness-controllable LEDs in a very affordable package, the clock is just as fun and 100x as practical as any nixie tube clock. The kit was straightforward and fun to put together. The instructions were thorough and clear. There was enough work involved to feel proud when I was done but it also wasn't even close to overwhelming. I enthusiastically put it together in a couple hours... Most of the time was spent removing the backing from the acrylic lettering. Its a great kit to work on solo or with family/kids. The end result is unique and attractive enough to put into an office/semi-professional setting (especially with the wood accents) while still clearly looking like a kit.

As others have mentioned, there were some tolerance issues with the acrylic numbers and the positioners (some were too tight while others were too loose), but Foxie Products pointed this out to me as a known issue before I bought it and offered to replace any offending parts that I encountered. It sounds like this is solved on newer kits, but, to be fair, the small imperfections add to the homemade value of this kit. Everything (except the PCB) is handmade by Foxie Products as far as I know. Speaking of Foxie Products, the man behind the curtain is truly a top-notch guy. He went out of his way to answer any questions I had (including some questions outside the scope the project itself) and made it clear that if I had ANY issues, he'd be there. The passion he has for this project shows in many forms.

Anyway, long story short, my dad now has it up on his desk, running 24/7, and keeping time. He absolutely adores his Foxie Clock, and it not only was entertaining for me to put together but solidified my position as world's best son! Can't get much better than that! Looking forward to future products from you. :)

This is really pretty cool! Huge props to Foxie Products! It looks like there's a fair bit of thought put into this kit. It's a bit smaller than I thought it would be, but after assembling it, it's a very nice size and I think smaller acrylic numbers also make for brighter numbers; so a good balance of form and function. The PCB is nicely laid out, the 3D printed case fits nicely and looks good, stabilizers for the digits are printed in a flexible plastic (outstanding move), and the stained wood top is a nice final touch. My wife wants me to buy a laser cutter just so she can peel stickers off plastic, so another huge win. We found they could be peeled with fingernails.

A few future things I'd really like to see and may be brave enough to try on my own - an LDR to dim and brighten the digits based on ambient lighting and a temperature sensor with a readout either in the seconds column, or flashed by itself, or temperature corresponding to color (as ideas). My wife wants her own if she can get it in military time (I might be able to do it myself, may need help). A four-digit version would be pretty slick, too.