quote:

Originally posted by Jim Shugart:
NIST is the official time standard for the USA.

(Stoic-one beat me by a second.)

Just watched it change minutes with my phone in my hand. Both changed minutes at the same time or at least to close for my eyes to see a difference.

quote:

Originally posted by BadDogPSD:
Once upon a time, you could dial P O P C O R N from your rotary phone to get the current time... I also remember listening to my dad's shortwave radio tuned to a station that gave constant time updates. Fun stuff!

I don't know about POPCORN but I remember numbers you could call for both the time and weather. WE61212 was the weather but doesn't work anymore. That was before you had to include area codes.

(

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
What difference, at this time, does it make?

I set my DSLR to exact time (within one second) so that it synchronizes properly with the GPS data I record as I move around taking photos. At highway speeds, one second off equates to about 100 feet error in location, and I try to stay close to that level of accuracy. I confess that I synchronize the camera time with that of my laptop computer, which uses some Internet standard, set to sync up every time I turn the computer on. So far it's been accurate enough. (I just checked--it uses NIST.)

It should still be possible to tune in WWV (Wheeling, West Virginia) and WWVH (Hawaii) short wave stations. Those are the official USA Bureau of Standards time information broadcasters.

flashguy

 
WWV is your best radio source. GPS with the right feature (pulse per second) is better, as it comes from the atomic clocks on the GPS satellites. But we are differentiating between milliseconds and microseconds. If you cannot hook up to either, then using the network time protocol (NTP) on your computer will give you millisecond accuracy with Internet time servers.
 
The key with NTP is to let it run (keep your computer on). It will constantly groom the computer clock to make it close to UTC. Every time you restart it has to start over in bringing the clock into compliance.
 

Just get "clock boy" to build you a suitcase bom........errrrr, clock! I'm sure it'll be dead-on balls accurate!

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by stoic-one:
<snip>
2. There can be some propagation delay pushing the time sync through a cellular network.
<snip>

There is indeed some delay in the cellular and wired networks. But it's not nearly as much as "about a minute or so" that Bronica Bill mentions. More on the order of milliseconds.

Sufficiently enough that I once used an Endrun appliance with a CDMA antenna as a stratum 1 source.

Worked fine. Cheap, too.

Back in the 1960s I was assigned to a USAF facility beyond Hawaii that launched rockets on a course to intercept (nearly) satellites. I was responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of the station timing system and the requirement was to always be within 5 milliseconds of correct UT2 time. We used receptions from WWVH as our source and had to account for the transmission delay for the roughly 800 miles signal distance. Near the end of the project, the Navy had installed a rubidium atomic clock in the LORAN C station nearby and we used that as our standard. Due to limitations of the guidance system, we had a launch "window" of only 2 seconds for liftoff; the time synchronization standard was to insure the upper stage got close enough to the satellite to do its job. (This project has been declassified for many years now.)

flashguy

Lots of interesting time chatter while I was at my daughter's graduation tonight! Will have to look into some of this tomorrow sometime when I get a moment. Suppose to take her to test drive a car I found today, so it's going to be hectic... will try to look into these options tomorrow (actually later today now) though!

Thanks for all of the interesting info!!!

I like this site best ... https://time.is/ ... compare it to your Waveceptor and you'll see it is for most all intents and purposes, exact. The site automatically checks your computer time accuracy too (mobile or desktop and there's even apps and widgets available) And there are other neat features to that site if you click around.

I use that site when calibrating automatic/manual wristwatches but I also have three radio controlled Casio Waveceptors. My favorite being one from their Lineage line. Titanium, sapphire crystal, less than 10mm thick, solar powered AND radio controlled. So light and comfortable I seriously forget I'm wearing it. Mine is the European version but the only difference between it and the one for the American market is the crystal or at least their description of it. Well that and the last 3 letters of the model number. Mine is LCW-M170TD-1AER and yes it works in the U.S. The other much older and less expensive Waveceptors are too clunky for me. Those two live in a box in the closet. Two radio controlled La Crosse wall clocks ... living room, bedroom.

Just checked everything and discovered something interesting... First of all, last time I checked, the hobby room clock WAS in sync with my watch, now it is not. It is in sync with the cell phones and computer. Secondly, all devices are in sync with each other to the second... AND the DIGITAL portion of my Waveceptor watch!!! It is only the analog dial display that is running fast, and I didn't discover that discrepancy until this morning because I never look at the digital time display on it!

Now to find the manual for it, or to download another one for the movement module number, and figure out what is going on and why they aren't synced up like they used to be!

At least part of the mystery is solved; thanks for the help!

Although I've not experienced it, apparently it's not uncommon for the analog part of a Waveceptor to become out of sync with the digital part. I do recall something in the manual explaining how to get them back in sync but never had to do so. I'll look for it and if I find it, will post instructions if I can ...

EDIT: Here ya go ...

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
I'm retired and don't much give a shit. I don't even own a watch. Or cell phone. They discontinued that when I left. But like Crocodile Dundee, I look outside and see if its day light or dark. If its dark and I'm awake, I need a drink. If its daylight, I need to look for a drink. All this time stress isn't killing me. My rule of thumb (the thickness of a branch that's proper for beating one's wife) is if I need to be somewhere, someone with a lot more stress will tell me.

With all this time to spend doing nothing, you might like to review your version of the origin of the 'rule of thumb'. Your quote is from the koran, as I'm sure you know.

The REAL 'rule of thumb' comes from medieval England/Wales, and concerns the bracing height of the bowstring above the belly of the bow. The clenched fist is laid on the belly of the bow with the thumb sticking straight up in the typical 'thumbs-up' position. The bow-string is adjusted until it just touches the tip of the thumb. The Old English word for this measurement is 'fistmele', often encountered where longbows are the subject of discussion.

Thought you'd like to get it right.

Best

tac, 200 miles or more from Manchester, and very thankful for it.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
Although I've not experienced it, apparently it's not uncommon for the analog part of a Waveceptor to become out of sync with the digital part. I do recall something in the manual explaining how to get them back in sync but never had to do so. I'll look for it and if I find it, will post instructions if I can ...

EDIT: Here ya go ...

Unfortunately that's for a different "module" number than my Waveceptor has... that model only has 3 buttons and uses a bit different sequence of events to set things than mine does. Thanks for the try though!!!

Well then, here's the instructions for adjusting the home position from my older four button one.
If it doesn't work for you, download the manual for your model and look for Adjusting the Home Position. Good luck ...

Okay, just for the record, I have the instructions for setting mine... Module #5052 (downloaded from the web a few hours ago). It is an analog/digital model with 4 buttons. For whatever reason the analog has not been tracking with the digital when the digital time has been updated; even when I set the digital time manually!

When I get a moment I'm going to change my "home city" and see if the analog tracks as it should... hopefully that will offer the "reset" I'm looking for to get things back on track. If it doesn't, then my watch isn't working correctly any more...

After you do what you say you're going to do and before you conclude the watch isn't working correctly ... try.adjusting.the.home.position. AT LEAST verify it. Easy

The home position has nothing whatsoever to do with your geographical selection. It is in regard to the watch hands positioning on the watch face regardless of home city.

I'm betting your watch is likely working correctly but with so many buttons and settings, you've just stumbled around and gotten something out of sync. Again, good luck !!!

UPDATE: Changed the "home city" and the analog did not update... at first.

So, I started over with the flowchart in the instructions with time setting and played with things again (setting stuff and using features of this watch is simply too complicated, unless you use them frequently enough to start getting the hang of it and remember it... which I do not). Was able to get into the basic time setting mode for the digital portion, but didn't make any changes there as it was already correct, but did change the location again to NYC, and lo and behold, the analog hands swept forward to update and match the new time perfectly this time! I also noticed that for some weird reason the automatic DST adjust was turned off, so I turned it back on, then changed the time back to Central Time (CHI), and the hands swept backward to local DST like they should.

Hopefully this now has the timekeeping module synced back up as it should, and thanks to you guys I have a reliable source of "correct" time to look at to verify it is tracking properly from now on. Thanks to all for your help!!! This watch has long been one of my favorites due to being solar powered (no batteries to change... ever) and always correct, so I was rather dismayed that it may be failing on me!

Cheers!

GOOD !!! The three button ones are a little simpler and they make it a bit more difficult to drill down to the watch setup settings but they too are simpler once you get there. I only go to the manual when going beyond simple time keeping, stop watch or timer which are easy to get to. Some love the four button Waveceptors and hate the three buttons ones ... not me LOL. The three buttons ones are more like set it, forget it and do what it does.

Oh ... and the buttons on my three button one are noticeably more resistant to engaging ... even accidentally, which hasn't happened but did from time to time (no pun intended) with my others. I own a bunch of watches. Some high end but this Waveceptor is my go to for everyday use. It's great !!!

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
<<snip>>
I'm betting your watch is likely working correctly but with so many buttons and settings, you've just stumbled around and gotten something out of sync. Again, good luck !!!

Yep... I wear this watch ALL the time for stuff I don't want to subject my "nice" watch to, so those buttons get pushed inadvertently by my arm/wrist as I bend, tug, twist, and otherwise commit mayhem to mechanical objects such as cars, riding mowers, houses, guns, etc. There is no telling WHAT kind of mode I had gotten the watch into, and obviously had somehow gotten it where the analog no longer tracked the digital!

I didn't understand what you meant by "home position", but now I do! I thought, as you assumed I thought, that it was geographical location. Now I get it! It just took me stumbling through it "hands-on" (pun intended) to figure out what you meant!

Thanks for your help and patience!!!

I regret using the phrase "stumble around" when I meant "accidentally". But I knew from personal experience it was possible to stumble (/fumble) around and mess something up or get something out of sync LOL ... even inadvertently or something like that.

Maybe I like the three button best, partially because there is one less button that does a bunch of stuff. Wish they would make it even simpler. I seldom use the watch for anything other than timekeeping and only use the other functions occasionally just because they are there and I haven't used them, not because I actually need to use those functions. I guess I could use the stop watch to see how long it takes me to change a sparkplug in an evil lawn maintenance device HA !!! ... okay so now I have a project this afternoon ... Thanks