[time-nuts] New WWVB format...

Tom Van Baak tvb at LeapSecond.com
Wed Sep 26 17:13:22 UTC 2012


For those of you who don't dare click on encrypted Yahoo URL's, the original NIST link is:

http://www.nist.gov/pml/div688/grp40/upload/NIST-Enhanced-WWVB-Broadcast-Format-sept-2012-Radio-Station-staff.pdf

Burt,

My reading of the document(s) is that the new format will in fact allow WWVB to be used as a frequency standard with even greater precision then before, though not with unmodified legacy WWVB carrier receivers. My hope is that one of you will produce a clever reference design for such a T&F receiver make it available to the group. It sounds like a very fun DSP project; one that we can all learn from. Bonus points for making it an open-source Arduino shield. Making it work with both DCF77 and WWVB would also be a plus.

If nothing else, a well-documented hack for existing Spectracom and HP WWVB receivers would be welcome. A third idea is a translator that receives the new carrier format and re-transmits the old carrier format; that way no mods need to be made to legacy WWVB receivers at all, regardless of age. It would be similar to the way the G2G (GPS to GOES) translator worked. Extra credit for adding back the 45 degree hourly phase shift.

/tvb

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Burt I. Weiner" <biwa at att.net>
To: <time-nuts at febo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 8:49 AM
Subject: [time-nuts] New WWVB format...


> I'm sure most of this group has seen the information put out by NIST 
> regarding the changes to the WWVB format.  But, for those who may not 
> yet have seen this, here's a link to it:
> 
> http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/cBhjUH41xVccWM9P8EU4JqzmFNevFgDUFkRcgfLyry1Rn3HqMV5iDqYDgsd2pM1-Vq3nhF9WERTjVF_WmRjAezjU9CCrAda_8RqV/NIST-Enhanced-WWVB-Broadcast-Format.pdf
> 
> The results of this change will apparently no longer allow WWVB to be 
> used as a high accuracy frequency standard signal.  This does not 
> seem to be much of an issue considering the availability of the GPS 
> signals all over the world.
> 
> I use GPS as my frequency reference for my "Off-Air" broadcast 
> frequency measurement service.  Some broadcast stations also use GPS 
> as a reference for their transmitters.  I'm sometimes asked why I use 
> GPS as a reference when it is not recognized by NIST as the U.S. 
> Frequency Standard?  Other than explaining the capabilities of GPS as 
> a reference, I don't have a real answer for their specific 
> question.  I have publications from NIST showing the accuracies 
> obtainable using GPS, but it still does not appear to be an 
> "Official" U.S. Frequency Standard.  So, I guess my question is, when 
> will NIST officially recognize GPS as, at least an alternate, U.S. 
> Frequency Standard?  Have I missed something?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Burt, K6OQK
> 
> Burt I. Weiner Associates
> Broadcast Technical Services
> Glendale, California  U.S.A.
> biwa at att.net
> www.biwa.cc
> K6OQK 






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