I've used timers (plug a device into it, such as a lamp, radio, etc.) for years and have an Intermatic DT7 7 day programmable with 8 on and 8 off settings. Any setting can be daily, Sa & Su, M-F, or any specific day of the week and any hour/minute. It's all I need except that the buttons are no longer reliable. You have to press them sometimes 20 times or more (and hard!) before you get a response. I sprayed control cleaner in there and it got better for a while but it's nasty again. I paid around $18 for it (Intermatic DT7) over 10 years ago, believe I found it in a large hardware store. It has a 9v battery so it remembers all settings in the event you unplug it or the power goes out.
When I do internet searches I get a ton of hits and the prices are wildly variable (under $20 up to the hundreds of dollars). Amazon sells a lot and the reviews are helpful, and I could just go for another $18 device and hope it works and keeps on working.
Looking on Amazon.com there's Hydrofarm TM01715D 7-Day Digital Program Timer, which looks OK except that the backup battery is probably not easily replaceable, which concerns me. The Intermatic DT7 I have uses a single AA.
A real nice feature would be: Plugs into a PC via USB and has software so you can program it from your PC. I'm sure that's not difficult but I am not aware of any that do that. What's your experience?
Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net