[ntp:questions] New 60 KHz WWVB Time Format

Michael Sinatra michael at rancid.berkeley.edu
Wed Jan 16 22:25:59 UTC 2013


On 1/16/13 6:36 AM, Thomas Laus wrote:
> I have not seen this information posted to this newsgroup.  The US
> NIST radio station WWVB will be changing it's transmission format.  The
> information can be found at:
> 
> http://www.nist.gov/pml/div688/grp40/wwvb.cfm
> 
> The old format is still being sent twice a day until the end of
> January 2013, but the station will only transmit the new phase
> modulated time code after this month.  It is supposed to be compatible
> with the existing 'Atomic' clocks, but I have some of the original
> ones that were made in China that are no longer syncing.

Heh:

"A few radio controlled clocks that used information from the carrier –
specifically the Spectracom NetClock and receivers manufactured by True
Time during the 1970s and 1980s – will no longer be able to read the
time code and will also be obsolete. To allow users of these receivers
to migrate to new products, the plan for implementing the new modulation
protocol includes a transition period that will extend until at least
January 31, 2013."

UC Berkeley's Spectracom 8170 (NetClock) is just about to celebrate its
30th birthday.  While other reference clocks are now being used to
provide stratum-1 service for the campus, it was always nice to have The
Reference Clock That Would Not Die as a backup.  It's a shame that it
won't work anymore through no fault of its own, but I suppose that's the
price of progress.

michael



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