Abstract
SOME slight modifications have recently been made in the radio transmissions of standard frequencies broadcast by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards from station WWV. A new radio frequency at 2·5 Mc./sec. now operates from 23.00 until 13.00 U.T.; and the time signals have been modified by the omission of the pulse on the 59th second of every minute. The service now comprises standard radio frequencies of 2·5, 5, 10 and 15 Mc./sec., at least three of which are available at any time; standard audio frequencies of 440 and 4,000 c./sec. broadcast on these carriers; and interruptions of these broadcasts which constitute accurate time signals synchronized with the basic time service of the U.S. Naval Observatory. The time signals, which are available throughout the 24 hours, consist of pulses of 0·005 sec. duration at intervals of 1 sec. on all the carrier frequencies, and of 1-min. interruptions of the modulating frequencies every 5 min. The seconds pulses are heard as faint ticks which provide useful standards of short time intervals for physical measurements as well as serving their main function as accurate time signals. On the 59th second of every minute the pulse is omitted.
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Standard Frequency Broadcasts. Nature 154, 298 (1944). https://doi.org/10.1038/154298b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/154298b0