Can atomic clock in Houston receive NIST signal?

WWVB at 60Khz is a ground wave over the coverage area. That's why a VLF frequency was chosen for the broadcast. Typically, frequencies below 1 MHz are not reflected by the ionosphere. Propagation is best at night because the D-Layer of the ionosphere is heavily ionized during daytime hours by the sun, and causes heavy absorption of the radio energy. Since the sun's effects are minimal at nighttime, the broadcast signal is least absorbed, increasing signal strength over the area of coverage.

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net  (Just substitute the appropriate characters in 
the address)

Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill at the same time!!

Yes, that's right.

--
John Miller, N4VU
email domain: n4vu.com; username: jsm(@)
Surplus (For sale or trade):
Tektronix 465B oscilloscope

VLF

1 MHz

because

by the

sun's

absorbed,

characters in

I am not really aware of the technical details but I did read that "The LF signal propagates by groundwave, following the curvature of the earth; the HF signal propagates by skywave, and bounces off the ionosphere. All signals travel at the speed of light." from

Which I must honestly say confuses me even more...How come there is mention of two signals? Does that mean the information is simulcasted?

(This clock has taken up more of my time than I'd have expected...)

I live in Houston and bought one of the cheap "Atomic Clocks" at the drugstore. It took several days but it did finally sync. It seems to do better when placed by a window. Turning off your cell phone and bluetooth equipment shouldn't be necessary since they operate at much higher frequencies than the 60 KHz NIST signal unless they are right next to each other. The biggest sources of interference for the NIST signals is likely to be the power supplies in your computer and TV so locate the clock as far away from them as possible.

The sync normally takes place in the wee hours of the morning when the radio propagation characteristics of the atmosphere are more favorable so be patient.

Good luck.

--
James T. White

Well sorta but not to the same receivers. The shortwave crowd still uses the HF band transmissions to calibrate their receivers, I suppose.

--
A Voice Of Freedom in the
United States of America

You'll find the answer in the link you posted. In the left panel, click on 'WWV' and 'WWVB'.

--
John Miller
email domain: n4vu.com; username: jsm(@)
Surplus (For sale or trade):
Tektronix 465B oscilloscope
New Fellowes leather brief/notebook case

Nice big chunk of ferrite's good.

How the hell do they get antennas that work inside those radiocode wrist watches? Do they craftily use the strap?

--
Then there's duct tape ... 
              (Garrison Keillor)

No, it doesn't. At 60KHz, propagation is almost entirely ground wave, which is why they picked that frequency to do the job, since you don't get the phase distortion associated with ionospheric propagation.

--
Then there's duct tape ... 
              (Garrison Keillor)

I don't know, but wouldn't surprise me.

Me, I wear a $20 Timex, that I sync to NIST about once-a-month. Usually out no more than 4 seconds.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.      Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Pick up the phone and dial 303-499-7111! :)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The time signal is not simulcast on ground wave and sky wave. The ground wave and sky wave are phenomena based mainly upon transmitted frequency. Since the VLF broadcast of 60 KHz is far below the frequencies that are affected by the D-Layer of the ionosphere, its propagation is almost entirely by ground wave. It isn't reflected back to earth by the ionosphere. The HF broadcasts of WWV and WWVH are reflected by the ionosphere and, although there is a ground wave present in the HF broadcasts, the sky wave is predominant. The signal that is reflected by the ionosphere is called the "sky wave". That's why LF and VLF broadcasts have significantly shorter range than HF broadcasts. Amateur radio broadcasts in the HF bands can be heard around the world because of the signals bouncing between the ionosphere and the ground. Since the 60 KHz signal is not reflected by the ionosphere, it doesn't enjoy the wide coverage of the HF broadcasts.

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net  (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in 
the address)

Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill at the same time!!

That's the frustrating thing, I have an atomic watch and it never fails to synch right, but that Atomix clock in my room will unsynch all the time and I can only keep it in one place in the room for it to work most of the time, I can't even hang it on the wall where I want it.

--
A Voice Of Freedom in the
United States of America

Return it.

I have a $17 Sams' Club atomic clock that stays in synch, and it's battery operated.

Mike Smith

I wear a $120 Bulova. 15 seconds slow since November. I sync it about once in six months.

About the same accuracy for six times the price :-)

--
Then there's duct tape ... 
              (Garrison Keillor)

I have a $9.95 walmart watch/stopwatch. It's dead-on accurate.

I wear it about 4 times a year.

Mike Smith

9:35am Pacific Standard Time, Clock has successfully (finally) synchronized as denoted by a solid tower icon on the clock. Checked with online NIST time down to the second the time is exact. Los Angeles had clear skies today for the first time in over 2 weeks I don't know if that means anything but just thought I'd note the fact. Also, the unit was not moved or changed in any way from the way I left it.

What do you wear the rest of the time? ;-)

--
Then there's duct tape ... 
              (Garrison Keillor)

I can't, I bought it 2 years ago, and it's been a pain ever since. I just won't buy Atomix ever again, especially since they ignored my request for help with it. It may have been a bad model and if they supported it, they could have gone under. Let them go under, I won't buy an Atomix product ever again.

--
A Voice Of Freedom in the
United States of America

Clock-wise... nothing, but I do have a cell phone in my pocket... :-P

Mike Smith