Seiko's Pager Watch Tells You More Than Time

It seems the more phone numbers a person has, the harder it is to reach him or her.

Call the office number and you're likely to hear: "Hi, I'm not in right now, but if you'll leave a message. . . . "

Try the home line and it's: "Sorry, we can't come to the phone, but if you'll leave a message. . . ."

Dial the cellular phone: "We're sorry, the cellular customer you have called is unavailable. . . . "

Or the pager: "Sorry, I didn't get the message. I didn't have the pager on."

As vital as each call seems, in most cases it can wait. But what about the times a spouse urgently needs to talk to you, or a child is sick at school, or there's an emergency at home or the office?

The answer to that glaring need, and more, is the Seiko Receptor MessageWatch, a radio on the wrist. Of all the ways there are to reach someone, the Receptor is the handiest. It doesn't offer the range or versatility of cell phones or pagers, but it gets word fast to the person you're trying to reach (assuming they're within receiving range).

DICK TRACY WOULD BE PROUD

The Receptor is a receive-only Dick Tracy watch. Its radio mechanism scans for data packets sent via Seattle-area FM towers. Its face can display messages - a return phone number, CALL HOME, CALL OFFICE or 10 codes - as well as sports scores, the morning ski report, weather data, winning Lotto numbers and the Dow's closing average.

Because it's a watch, and always "on," you don't have to worry about missing a message. A series of beeps sound when a message comes in. The display automatically switches from the time and date to the message. A caller can mark the message "Urgent," and a "U" will flash on the display.

It's possible to miss a message if you're in a poor-reception area. The Seiko signal makes 21 "passes" - three attempts from each of seven radio stations - before giving up. But the message stays in the system. Messages are numbered, so you can find out if you missed a message by scrolling through. If there's a gap in the sequence, you can call and receive the message by voice phone.

Compared with pagers and cell phones, the Receptor's range is pretty limited: an oval area from Everett to Olympia, taking in Kitsap County and extending well east of Issaquah. It's expanding all the time, and Seiko plans eventually to have a nationwide network. The company also plans to add more services, including alphanumeric readouts (similar to pager messaging) and rush hour traffic reports.

Receptor messages can take as much as a couple of minutes to reach the watch, but most times are fairly prompt, within 30 seconds.

AS EASY AS VOICE MAIL

The system is remarkably easy to use: You dial the watch's phone number and are ushered through the alternatives by a computerized operator. No PIN numbers, no dialing codes. It's as straightforward as voice mail.

Codes come in handy for special cases. You might assign Code 1 to your baby sitter. She could beep you when the kids are in bed and asleep. Code 2 might go to your middle schooler, to beep you when he or she arrives safely home from school. Code 3 to your home's security alarm company, to let you know if there's a break-in. And so on.

The current Receptor watch is 40 percent smaller than the original, somewhat bulky model, and contains a display light, an alarm and a "Dual" option to keep track of home time when you're on the road. It uses three chips instead of the earlier model's six, but is more powerful.

The battery life is almost two years, compared with the initial version's nine months. The watch comes in five styles, three plastic and two metal, ranging in cost from $129 to $199. The service costs $12.50 a month.

As an FM receiver the Receptor emits electromagnetic radiation. An FCC test found the radiation virtually unmeasurable. Unlike a pager, the Receptor "sleeps" most of the time, waking up every two minutes to sample the airwaves for a message. This cycling limits the radiation output.

The only trick to using the watch is fastening the band. Using the metal clip, required to make the band an FM antenna, takes some practice. After a couple of weeks it becomes second nature.

User Friendly appears Sundays in the Personal Technology section of The Seattle Times. Paul Andrews is a member of The Times' staff.