Time Zone Converter Hub – User Guide
Welcome to the Time Zone Converter Hub. This guide will help you get started with tracking multiple time zones, finding overlapping business hours, and planning meetings across locations.
1. Getting Started
When you first load the page, your approximate location is detected via IP and added as a reference pin. You can then add more locations by searching or clicking on the map.
2. Adding Locations
Search for a city
- Type a city name in the search box (e.g., "London", "Tokyo", "New York")
- Select from the autocomplete suggestions or press Enter
- The location will appear on the map and in the location list below
Click on the map
- Click anywhere on the map to add a location at that point
- The tool will automatically look up the city name and timezone
3. Managing Locations
Each location card displays:
- Current time (with timezone abbreviation and GMT offset)
- Date
- Weather (temperature, humidity, conditions)
- Sunrise / Sunset times
- Day length and Moon phase
Actions per location
- Make Ref – Set this location as the reference (all other times will show their offset relative to this one)
- ✕ Delete – Remove this location from your list
4. The Reference Location
- The REF location (highlighted with a blue border) is your primary reference
- All other locations show their time offset (e.g., "+3h" means 3 hours ahead of REF)
- Click "Make Ref" on any location to change the reference
5. Business Hours & Meeting Planner
Each location displays a 24‑hour grid showing the local hour for each REF hour.
Understanding the grid
- Blue cells (8–17) – Business hours at the REF location
- Highlighted cell – The current hour at that location
- Selected cells – Click any cell to select/deselect it (useful for marking meeting windows)
- Shift+Click – Select a range of hours
Heatmap overlay (Meeting Planner)
Colored bars at the bottom of each cell show the best overlapping hours across all locations:
| Color | Level | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 1st choice | All locations are between 8am–5pm |
| Yellow | 2nd choice | All locations are between 6am–8pm |
| Orange | 3rd choice | All locations are between 4am–10pm |
| — (no bar) | – | Hours that don't fit any criteria |
Reset selection
- Click the reset button (⟳) at the top of the location list to clear all selected hours
6. Time Simulation Controls
Use the controls in the top‑right to shift time forward/backward:
| Button | Effect |
|---|---|
| ◀◀ | -1 Day |
| ◀ | -1 Hour |
| ▶ | +1 Hour |
| ▶▶ | +1 Day |
| ⟳ | Reset to real time |
The simulated offset label shows how much time has been shifted (e.g., "+1d +02:00:00").
7. Map Features
Map layers
- Toggle between Light and Dark map themes using the switch in the top bar
Celestial paths
- ☀️ Sun Path – Shows the Sun's subsolar path over the last 24 hours with a pulsing sun icon
- 🌙 Moon Path – Shows the Moon's submoon path with a pulsing moon icon
- Toggle each on/off using the buttons next to the search bar
HUD display
- Hover over the map to see coordinates
- The HUD panel shows the current subsolar and submoon coordinates
8. Export / Import / Clear
- 📤 Export – Save all your locations as a JSON file
- 📥 Import – Load a previously exported location list
- 🗑️ Clear All – Remove all locations from the map and list
💡 Your locations are automatically saved in your browser's local storage and will be restored when you return.
9. Keyboard Shortcuts
- Search bar – Type a city name, use ↓/↑ to navigate autocomplete suggestions, press Enter to select
- Hours grid – Click to select, Shift+Click to select a range
10. Tips
- Use the reference location to quickly see time differences at a glance
- The heatmap helps you find the best meeting window across multiple time zones
- Simulate future/past times to see how availability changes
- Export your location set to share with team members