[time-nuts] Fwd: [hpsdr] SDR experiment for the solar eclipse

[Tom Van Baak]

> We were originally going to put a 5071A-locked beacon on three ham 
> bands, but decided WWV and CHU would be better sources, and logistics 
> were turning into a problem: I'm going to be doing my wideband recording 
> from a cottage in northern Michigan.  But I'm still a time-nut, so the 
> receiver will be GPSDO-controlled, and there will be a stratum 1 NTP 
> server in the cottage to provide timestamps. :-)
> 
> John

Hi John,

My favorite write-up about atomic clocks and eclipses (a null result) is at:

http://www2.mpq.mpg.de/~haensch/oldStuff/eclipse/eclipse.html

There you will find a good summary, thorough methodology, and many plots for the 1999 eclipse. Plus they posted all the raw data (H-maser, cesium, rubidium), a time-nuts dream. There is no model for why an eclipse should affect time at the atomic (quantum) level so a null result is fine. If nothing else, it sets an upper bound on measurement precision or a lower bound on clock anomalies, if they exist.

Much more dramatic is what an eclipse might do to the ionosphere, as this may affect both GPS and HF radio. So I'm very please to see the ham community milking this rare opportunity for all it's worth.

/tvb