Time Zone - SM5

Options

The Time zone can be set as an offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) from UTC -12:00 to UTC +14:00. All time zones in use as of 2025 are available options.

Seasonal Time Changes

In parts of the world that follow daylight saving time, the UTC offset used by local convention changes. For example, the US state of Massachusetts uses two different UTC offsets depending on the time of year (see Table 1).

The SM5 will not automatically change its time zone and clock to follow daylight saving time unless you pair it with a phone or tablet that has changed to the new time zone already.

For deployments that span across a time zone change, you can set the recorder to follow either of the two conventions. As long as the internal clock agrees with the internal time zone setting, and as long as the internal latitude and longitude are accurate, the recorder can accurately predict sunrise and sunset for the entirety of the deployment.

For example, if you are planning to run a deployment near Boston from late February until April, and you are configuring the recorder at 9 AM local time, you might set the internal clock and time zone to 09:00, UTC-5:00; 10:00, UTC-4:00; or even 14:00, UTC±00:00. All three settings are accurate ways to refer to the same time.