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In this article 8 sections
A La Crosse atomic clock is supposed to set itself, and most nights it does. But a new clock needs its time zone and daylight saving setting, a clock in a basement may never hear the signal, and sometimes you simply want the right time now instead of tomorrow morning. Here is how to set five common La Crosse atomic wall clocks by hand, straight from their manuals, and how to fix a clock that is off by an hour or more.
Short answer: open the settings menu (hold or press SET, depending on the model; hold the °F/°C button on the BBB86088), step through the items with + and −, and confirm each one. Set your time zone and daylight saving time first: a clock that is off by whole hours almost always has one of those wrong. Then set the hour and minutes. On the BBB86088 and 513-1918S you can switch the atomic signal off if it keeps failing, so your manual time stays put.
Editorial Research
- Written by
- Lena Thornton, Weather Station Analyst & CWOP Contributor
- Based on
- La Crosse Technology manuals and setup sheets for the BBB86088v3, BBB86088v2, 513-1918S, WT-8005U and WS-8418U-IT
- Research last verified
- October 29, 2026
First: Find Your Model Number
The model number is printed on the back of the clock or in the battery compartment (our tip). La Crosse menus differ per model, so check it before you start pressing buttons. Some models below are retired, but their manuals still apply to clocks people own.
How to Set the Time, Model by Model
| Model | Open the menu | Change and confirm | Menu order | Search for the signal by hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBB86088v3 | Hold °F/°C until the display changes | + or − to change, °F/°C to confirm, SNOOZE to exit | Language, beep, atomic on/off, DST on/off, time zone, 12/24 hour, hour, minute, year, month, date | Hold − (MINUS) |
| BBB86088v2 (retired) | Hold °F/°C for 3 seconds | + or − to change, °F/°C to confirm, SNOOZE to exit | Language, beep, atomic on/off, DST on/off, time zone, 12/24 hour, hour, minutes, year, month, date | Hold − (MINUS) for 3 seconds |
| 513-1918S | Hold SET | + or − to change, SET to confirm | Language, beep, atomic on/off, daylight saving time, time zone, hour, minutes, year, month, date, °F/°C | Press + (PLUS) to start or stop a search |
| WT-8005U | Press SET | ▲ or ▼ to change, SET to confirm | 12/24 hour, hour, minutes, year, month, date, daylight saving indicator; time zone with the ZONE button | Press the WWVB SEARCH button |
| WS-8418U-IT (retired) | Press SET | + to change, SET to confirm | Time zone, daylight saving indicator, language, hour, minutes, year, month, date, weekday, 12/24 hour, °F/°C | Not in the manual; it searches by itself at night |
Source: the La Crosse manual or setup sheet of each model. "Retired" means La Crosse lists the model as retired on its website. The weekday sets itself once the date is right on the BBB86088v3 and 513-1918S, according to their manuals.
Clock Off by Whole Hours? Check These Two Settings
- Off by exactly 1 hour or a whole number of hours: NIST says this probably has to do with the time zone setting; the daylight saving setting can also cause a 1-hour error (our addition). On the 513-1918S you choose between DST AUTO ON (changes in spring and fall), DST OFF (stays on standard time all year) and DST ON (stays on daylight time all year). Its manual says DST OFF is for areas that do not move their clocks forward in spring.
- The time zone: NIST notes that WWVB broadcasts UTC, not local time, so every clock converts it to the zone you select. The BBB86088v3 and 513-1918S list 7 zones: Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii. The WT-8005U has only Pacific, Mountain, Central and Eastern (the ZONE button). The WS-8418U-IT offers GMT 0 to ±12 hours, with the North American zones from Atlantic to Hawaii.
Setting the Time When There Is No Signal
If your clock never receives the signal, for example in a metal building, you can still use it as a normal clock:
- BBB86088 and 513-1918S: set "Atomic" to OFF in the settings menu, then set the hour and minutes. With atomic off, the BBB86088v3 setup sheet and the 513-1918S manual say the menu jumps straight to the time settings.
- WT-8005U and WS-8418U-IT: set the hour and minutes in the menu. The clock keeps searching at night; the WT-8005U and WS-8418U-IT manuals say it searches for 1 hour between midnight and 6 a.m. until it receives the signal, and a received signal will set the time again (our reading).
Before giving up on the signal, try a better spot for a few nights: NIST advises keeping the clock 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) from TVs, computer monitors and appliances, and near a window in metal buildings. Our page on atomic wall clocks with temperature lists all of NIST's placement tips.
How to Tell the Signal Was Received
All five manuals show a tower or WWVB icon that flashes while the clock is searching. Four of them (all but the WT-8005U manual) add that it stays solid once the signal is received. On the WS-8418U-IT, a solid icon means the signal was received in the past 24 hours. A clock that searched all night and still flashes in the morning did not get the signal (our reading).
Still Not Right?
- Fresh batteries: NIST says low batteries can cause a variety of problems in radio controlled clocks, and the La Crosse manuals ask for fresh alkaline batteries and not to mix old and new.
- Full restart: for a missing outdoor reading, the BBB86088v3 setup sheet describes taking the batteries out, pressing any button 20 times and putting fresh batteries back in, sensor first. A restart also makes the clock search for the time signal again (the v3 sheet says it searches when powered on).
- A La Crosse weather station instead of a clock? The buttons differ; see how to reset a La Crosse weather station, which covers the time signal on La Crosse stations.
La Crosse Atomic Clock FAQ
How do I set a La Crosse atomic clock manually?
Open the settings menu (hold SET on the 513-1918S, press SET on the WT-8005U and WS-8418U-IT, hold °F/°C on the BBB86088), set the time zone and daylight saving time, then the hour and minutes, confirming each step. On the BBB86088 and 513-1918S you can switch the atomic signal off first.
Why is my La Crosse atomic clock one hour off?
NIST says an error of exactly one hour usually has to do with the time zone setting; the daylight saving time setting is the other usual suspect. Check both in the settings menu; on the 513-1918S choose DST AUTO ON for normal spring and fall changes, or DST OFF where clocks do not change.
How do I make my La Crosse clock search for the atomic signal?
On the BBB86088 hold the − button, on the 513-1918S press +, and on the WT-8005U press WWVB SEARCH. The tower icon flashes while it searches.
How long does a La Crosse atomic clock take to set itself?
It searches at night. The BBB86088v3 searches when powered on and at 7:00 to 11:00 UTC, the 513-1918S at 7:00 to 11:00 UTC; the WT-8005U and WS-8418U-IT search for 1 hour between midnight and 6 a.m. until they receive the signal. Give a new clock at least one night.
Sources
- La Crosse Technology: BBB86088v3 setup sheet
- La Crosse Technology: BBB86088v2 manual (La Crosse document, hosted by Home Depot)
- La Crosse Technology: 513-1918S manual (La Crosse document, hosted by Home Depot)
- La Crosse Technology: WT-8005U manual
- La Crosse Technology: WS-8418U-IT manual (La Crosse document, hosted by Home Depot)
- NIST Special Publication 960-14: WWVB Radio Controlled Clocks (2009)
