I noticed that my alarm clock which relies on the British MSF signal wasn't showing the reception signal earlier this week. I had bought a new cordless phone last weekend so disconnected that in case it was interfering. No joy. Tried a new battery, ditto. Took the clock outside and hit the button to force a connection, guess what?
If you are suffering the same problem this is evidently the cause from a web search tonight:-
The service is expected to be off-air continuously until the evening of Tuesday 3 April, then to be off-air during the daytime only on Wednesday 4 April to Friday 6 April, and normal operation restored from the Friday evening.
Link,
http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technol...es/msf-outages (http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technol...es/msf-outages)
And I was worried about the pasty tax!
Don't Panic...
Too late!!! :smiley-laughing:
I have tried to attach a link to a photo with a billboard showing;-
'Beer shortages soon - please panic buy' but can't seem to work out how to :thumbsdown:
Don't try and frighten me if you look at my recent posting you'll see that I've got 6 beer vans delivering to me and I've just left Wetherspoons 100 yds away and they seem to have enough stock to see me through tomorrow :thumbsup: (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-eatdrink009.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
I've got one of those Casio Ediface watches as worn by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Weber from the Red Bull F1 team.It too is radio controlled,however,it hasn't stopped or owt so I wouldn't have known.
The watch itself is absolutely fantastic,weighs a ton,looks great and expensive,which it is at £250 ish.I bought it for myself for my 40th birthday nearly three years ago.Its never off my wrist.It also has a solar panel on its face so it never needs a battery replacement and keeps impeccible time,although this will be down to it resetting itself every hour,between 1 and 5 in the morning
Although it probably won't do this till tuesday now.
Oh well,we'll see how it keeps time for now.
Pete
:Class37: :NGaugersRule:
Quote from: EddieA on March 30, 2012, 07:59:01 PM
Don't Panic...
Too late!!! :smiley-laughing:
I have tried to attach a link to a photo with a billboard showing;-
'Beer shortages soon - please panic buy' but can't seem to work out how to :thumbsdown:
This one?
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n9/moodyblue2/beer.jpg)
When these clock/watch movements started to become available in the UK I was still a working horologist and saw the problems that could spring up with it if the UK handled it wrongly.
The UK transmitter to control them started up it had limited range and no alternative back up transmitter. Its always had maintenance problems and that means its often 'off air'
I believe that many of the 'big name' watch and modern clock brands receive signals from a European transmitter which has back up always available and is transmitter via satellite which gives fantastic coverage of the earths surface.
I will try and find out the 'trades' views on the UK system is today but last time I heard was about 6/7 years ago and it was not very complimentary
It s funny you should mention this Jon,I've just had it off my wrist for a minute,and on the back it says Multi Band 6 Wave Ceptor.
I think the wave ceptor thing is something that Casio made up to make it sound a bit more impressive than it is,but the multi band 6 is most likely what you're referring to.
Still,damn impressive things they are and in the size of a wrist watch.
One day we'll be seeing n gauge loco's with sound.
Oops we already are.
Pete
:Class37: :NGaugersRule:
Still - at least you have time on your hands
Yup - the taxis here
A GPS receiver can also put out an accurate time signal.
I was working in Lisbon, Portugal a couple of years ago and my oppo bought out with him a new alarm clock that he was enthusing about. Normally he never got down to breakfast before we left for work, except for one morning when he was there first. Apparently his wonderful alarm clock switched away from Rugby during the night and locked on to a German signal. Portugal is on GMT, Germany is GMT+1
I had a waveceptor watch in the UK. It received Rugby and Frankfurt. When i moved to the US i found it does not register the Denver signal. My new Citizen receives all known signals, so wherever i travel now it is supposed to work.
Hopefully all your UK timepieces keep time well enough while the system is down. Or you might be more than a few millionths of a second late everywhere! :smiley-laughing:
I wondered why my clock never altered itself when summertime came,managed to alter it okay.
I've had it some years now and have lost the instructions,it's always a gamble if it works after I put a new battery in.
Allan
Yup, it seems that it is only the UK transmitter that is down just now so if you have a modern device that can lock onto signals from other Countries you should be OK.
But if you are a dinosaur like me it is interesting how accurate some old radio clocks are when they don't get a regular update!
The bumph says that my timepiece (some 7 years old) has 'an quartz device to keep your clock accurate even when it cannot receive the radio update'. As of today, after a few days of no signal, it is now some 10 seconds out...???
Not a problem as I only use it as an alarm clock. Also it only cost around a tenner.
At least I know now that it is not faulty so just have to wait for the signal to come back.
(Also I have enough beer, and petrol, to see me through the next week. Going to stock up on pasties (cold) tomorrow) :wave:
Quote from: EddieA on March 31, 2012, 07:50:07 PM
The bumph says that my timepiece (some 7 years old) has 'an quartz device to keep your clock accurate even when it cannot receive the radio update'. As of today, after a few days of no signal, it is now some 10 seconds out...???
Not a problem as I only use it as an alarm clock. Also it only cost around a tenner.
A 'stable quartz crystal' should be accurate to maybe a second a month ......or even better....... but it would 'cost you' so if you only paid a tenner for the clock complete I guess that the crystal isn`t as stable as it was and is now 'aging'.
Even so it might take months/a year or so to age to a point where it become completely unstable and unreliable but I suspect the crystal reliability is going to some extent.
Not bad for a tenners initial outlay tho :)
Quote from: jonclox on March 30, 2012, 08:52:19 PM
When these clock/watch movements started to become available in the UK I was still a working horologist and saw the problems that could spring up with it if the UK handled it wrongly.
The UK transmitter to control them started up it had limited range and no alternative back up transmitter. Its always had maintenance problems and that means its often 'off air'
Now I read that Rugby no longer exists. :o
See below for more updated infomation than I knew ??? ...........................
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_from_NPL (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_from_NPL)
I have a radio controlled clock that I bought about 5 years ago from Argos for £7.50, it's currently showing the correct time and has done so all weekend!
I had heard Rugby was going, but didnt know when, and wasnt aware it had gone already. A little bit of history gone. Has the ring of masts by the M6 been taken down?
Typical that its a brand new one that is down for maintenance with no back up!
Quote from: SymonC on April 01, 2012, 12:09:00 PM
I have a radio controlled clock that I bought about 5 years ago from Argos for £7.50, it's currently showing the correct time and has done so all weekend!
I knew I shouldn't have gone to Lidl's! :smiley-laughing:
Actually for a tenner I wasn't expecting that much and am chuffed it has lasted this long. Once the signal comes back all should be well again although a few seconds out doesn't worry me.
I realised this yesterday after writing to Acctim and then thinking...I wonder... I did a Google search and found some info. Should have checked here first.
My clock is showing a happy little satellite dish symbol tonight and is on the correct time so it looks like the UK signal is back.
Also, and I told you I was a dinosaur!, I have had a phone call from my clock repairer today to say that he has got my original 1950/60's(?) Teasmade back to working order. His only comment was 'do you have cats?' as evidently the mechanism was clogged up with moggy hair...(Guilty as charged!)
So I can now wake up, on time to the second, to the sounds of gurgling noises, and I don't mean from SWMBO(!), and enjoy a cup of tea without having to pad through to the kitchen.
Perhaps this should be in the Happy Thread :smiley-laughing: