[BC Don]

Sorry, I'm new to here. I tried searching through FAQs but didn't find what I wanted.

I'm out of my local Time Zone. Is there a way for my BB to show the local time (GMT-5) instead of what my Time Zone is set for (GMT-7) automatically or do I have to go in and change my Time Zone to GMT-5 (to match where I physically am)?

Next question, when I sync to my PC, do the TZs have to be the same?

Thanks.

[Dodge DeBoulet]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 8703e (VZW): BlackBerry8703e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

You have to set your device's time zone to the local time zone. This is an issue that has been much discussed, so judicious use of the forum search feature would have revealed that tidbit for you in short order.

[LunkHead]

Edit: I guess it was moved (???) Also listed in 8700 forum

See above for the answer

[Soapm]

You may find it screws with calendar appt when you change the time on your BB. Especially if your puter (Outlook) is in one timezone and your BB is in another and they want to sync.

[Nickster248]

I wish the BB would simply show Network time like the phones do. That simplifies things in my view.

[jibi]

But normal phones typically don't have a calendar that actively synchronizes with another source. Needless to say, RIM could introduce a non-BES option in the OS that would allow your handheld to update as time zones are changed, or possibly a Calendar Time Zone that stays permanent no matter where you are.

[Soapm]

Originally Posted by jibi

But normal phones typically don't have a calendar that actively synchronizes with another source. Needless to say, RIM could introduce a non-BES option in the OS that would allow your handheld to update as time zones are changed, or possibly a Calendar Time Zone that stays permanent no matter where you are.

I agree, it needs both Home and Current time zone settings.

[zrs70]

Originally Posted by jibi

But normal phones typically don't have a calendar that actively synchronizes with another source. Needless to say, RIM could introduce a non-BES option in the OS that would allow your handheld to update as time zones are changed, or possibly a Calendar Time Zone that stays permanent no matter where you are.

The Palm Treo updates the time zone very nicely. It is a setback with BB.

[mas90guru]

I just returned from a trip to Alaska where I had to do the time zone shuffle manually. I found that the clock doesn't set to the system time automatically. It seems to use the GMT off the system time and whatever your time zone is selected as.

As others have pointed out - the problem with changing time zones is that all your appointments get shifted when you change BACK to the regular time zone.

The cure is fairly simple.

There should be an option to show the local time and also retain your home time within the BB.

I also don't see why the device could not have an option for whether you want to make appointments in your local time zone despite displaying the zone you are traveling in.

Very odd that a business device with such a widespread following doesn't allow these relatively simple features.

[CanuckBB]

I usually just change the time. It's simple and fast.

A lot of us here are techs, we do tend to over analyze problems and always try to find a tech solution.

KISS

[Pizzle]

Originally Posted by mas90guru

Very odd that a business device with such a widespread following doesn't allow these relatively simple features.

On the contrary. It changes for exactly that reason. If I have a Noon ET conf call, but travel to the West Coast, and change the time, it moves my appt back to 9am PT. If it leaves it at Noon, I miss the call by 3 hours.

It keeps things relative on purpose. That way, when if someone sends you an Outlook invite, it will show up properly, as well.

[CanuckBB]

It's one of those features that both works, and doesn't.

When sending a meeting request to people across time zones, it works great because everybody sees it at the right time for them.

When dealing with meetings across TZ, and you are travelling, it works great because you always see the time relative to your TZ.

However, and this is my way of doing things, I travel a fair bit and the overwhelming majority of my meetings are local. If I'm going to be on the West coast next week and schedule a meeting for 0900, I'll enter it as 0900 because it is easier to see my day without the mental gymnastic of converting TZ. When I get to my destination, I change the TIME not the TZ.

Add to that the inability to specifiy TZ on a calendar event in Outlook.

I guess what calendaring programs need is a flag to specify that a meeting time is 'hard' time, do not change it regardless of TZ. In the absense of that, we are left with complaining about the TZ processing.

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Originally Posted by CanuckBB

It's one of those features that both works, and doesn't.

When sending a meeting request to people across time zones, it works great because everybody sees it at the right time for them.

When dealing with meetings across TZ, and you are travelling, it works great because you always see the time relative to your TZ.

However, and this is my way of doing things, I travel a fair bit and the overwhelming majority of my meetings are local. If I'm going to be on the West coast next week and schedule a meeting for 0900, I'll enter it as 0900 because it is easier to see my day without the mental gymnastic of converting TZ. When I get to my destination, I change the TIME not the TZ.

Add to that the inability to specifiy TZ on a calendar event in Outlook.

I guess what calendaring programs need is a flag to specify that a meeting time is 'hard' time, do not change it regardless of TZ. In the absense of that, we are left with complaining about the TZ processing.

Best outline of this issue that has been given in the many times this subject has come up.

I use the time zones and change time zone setting when I travel. If I don't want to do the math when reviewing future appointments I just change the time zone setting to shift the appontments to the time zone I'll be in. This way the appointment start times are always correct according to the time showing on the BB regardless of what time zone the BB is set to. Seems ideal to me, but that's me.