[time-nuts] [LEAPSECS] Leap second to be introduced at midnight UTC December 31 this year

[Martin Burnicki]

Tom Van Baak wrote:
> Time to mention this again...
> 
> If we adopted the LSEM (Leap Second Every Month) model then none of
> this would be a problem. The idea is not to decide *if* there will be
> leap second, but to force every month to have a leap second. The IERS
> decision is then what the *sign* of the leap second should be this
> month.

Although this approach sound good, it would cause major problems for
users of the German longwave transmitter DCF-77. The data format only
has a "leap second pending flag", which means a leap second is to be
inserted. AFAIK there is no spec to announce a negative leap second via
DCF-77.

Martin