Datebk contains a advanced time zone management features; see DatebkSixManualPage:77 or DatebkFiveManualPage:67 or DatebkFourManualPage:58 for full instructions. Datebk does not yet use the recent, and less advanced time zone field in the Calendar application in PalmOne devices (refer to TimeZoneFieldFromCalendar for details).
In some cases, you might not want to use Datebk's time zone features, even if you are in a different time zone:
— In pimlicodatebk@yahoogroups.com, "skooff" <sherylking@g…> wrote:
> I am about to take a trip which will put me in a vastly different time zone. What's the best way to deal with this?
There are a number of ways you can handle this… I personally look for the "easiest" solution, which generally means to ignore time zone altogether (unless absolutely necessary).
In Datebk, I have the time zone preferences set as follows: "Current Zone" "Home Time Zone"; "Create Zone" "Home Time Zone"; "Home Zone" "All Time Zones".
By and large, nearly every appointment I have is in the same time zone I'm in – meaning there's no differential I need to account for. Occasionally I'll have teleconferences (for example) that are scheduled for 5 pm PST; being that I'm in EST, that equates to 8 pm my time. In those cases, I can assign a time zone to the appointment. I have to change my preference settings for it to show up correctly in my calendar, so it's not perfect; in actuality, I simply make the time adjustments myself and be done with it; they are so few and far between that it's not really worth it to me to worry about it.
As for the remainder of my appointments, my calendar is essentially the same – REGARDLESS of what time zone I'm in – so Breakfast scheduled at 8:30 am is Breakfast at 8:30 am wherever I am. I use a program called CityTime that handles changing time zone pretty nicely. I go into the program, bring up the Command Bar (/), and tap the Airplane icon; it pops up a dialog saying I'm "Moving" from "XYZ TimeZone" to "ABC TimeZone" (where I choose which time zone those are). I tap OK and it automatically adjusts my Palm clock (and time zone setting) to reflect whatever time zone I chose.
If I need to meet a client (or show up to a conference) at 8 am in that time zone, I simply enter an appointment for 8 am; I don't care that it's in the "new" time zone as I'm already IN that time zone. I could set the time zone for that specific appointment and/or track whatever time zone I'm in with Datebk, but it's not worth it to me: two months or five years after the appointment, how much difference is it going to make [historically] if it was 8 am EST or 8 am PST? Answer: none. I simply care about what time it will be ON THAT DAY, wherever I am. Since I'm in the same time zone as the appointment, I just create the event as I would any other at home – for the time it's actually scheduled.
I could also use a more creative setup and have Datebk keep sync with the PalmOS time zone; that way I wouldn't have to figure out any time differentials for those few occasions it's otherwise necessary, but it's not a big deal to me. (Plus, due to the way Datebk stores special tags, if it kept time zone information "in sync" with the PalmOS?, EVERY apointment in Datebk would have those special tags – once edited in Datebk, anyway. If I leave the default settings and let my Category settings handle the distinction for that appointment, then no special tags are necessary. We're talking really nit-picking here – to conserve on space – but there IS that difference; granted, most users wouldn't notice a difference or even care if there was one – certainly not any users otherwise concerned with tracking time zone.)
Anyway, I'm rambling… Point is – the EASIEST way is probably going to be to simply change the time zone in your PalmOS preferences (via whatever method you prefer, as Datebk can handle that for you, too). Then when you get back home, just change it back and everything will be exactly as you expect. :)