[time-nuts] HBG swiss time transmitter shutdown

[Dan Mills]

On Thu, 2011-10-13 at 02:11 +0200, Magnus Danielson wrote:

> I have wondered if not amateurs could set up small frequency broadcasts 
> of their own. Say a 10 W transmitter or something.

It's called a beacon and at least the UK license does allow them (25W
maximum) and there are a great many out there (mostly used for
propagation studies and the like). 
Transmitter frequency stability will vary all over the shop, from non
ovenised microprocessor grade quartz, all the way up to GPS/Rb
disciplined Wenzel sprinter OCXO.      

I don't know of any carrying time standard transmissions, but that does
not mean they do not exist. 

To be of real use however a time standard transmission needs to be
reliably receivable over a wide area, with known accuracy and that is
not easy. Having a standard as the carrier generator for a longwave
station was ideal as it added little to nothing to the cost of running a
very high power transmitter, and made the carrier useful instead of just
being a waste of power. 

Regards, Dan.