[time-nuts] Update on my previous note regarding NBS television timing reference experiment

Gregory Muir engineering at mt.net
Thu Jan 2 18:31:02 EST 2014


I did a little digging and managed to find a paper on the original television time experiment which was authored by David Howe of NBS, now head of the Time and Frequency Metrology Group at NIST.  It can be found at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F3092613_Nationwide_Precise_Time_and_Frequency_Distribution_Utilizing_an_Active_Code_within_Network_Television_Broadcasts%2Ffile%2F9fcfd5089a1d534c56.pdf&ei=Ze_FUsrXJ-LsyQGY0oHYCw&usg=AFQjCNGw2wK-8_RYN98R_72AlRLcm2BAUA&bvm=bv.58187178,d.aWc (Google cached - whew!).

I stand corrected in my assumption that the timing signal was not related to the VITS interval in the video signal.  They actually were inserting the signal on line 1.  At the time Mr. Howe was involved in the development of the hardware that was deployed in the field for the experiment.   He stated that the received code provided unambiguous time to 12 hours, with a resolution of 1 nanosecond and long-term stability of 10 nanoseconds for 10-second averaging.

It's rather odd as to why I can't remember the sordid details off the top of my head regarding a project that took place 42 years ago....

Greg


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