Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 12

Warning! This episode contains audio test tones. I'll explain why I'm playing the test tones but, in the meantime, make sure you're not listening to this episode at high volume settings. If it's too loud, those test tones might be a little bit too surprising to your ears.

So, yes, I'm talking about audio in this episode and how it relates to "Time Frequency." Time Frequency is one of the four major things that are measured by those top-level scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. (It'll make more sense if you just listen to the episode.)

Also in this episode, I share a very nice email from Alan in the UK. Here's a link to his blog.
http://www.masterclock.co.uk/

So, that's all for now. Enjoy the podcast!

Download Episode 12 here...
AtomicPodcast12.mp3
(Running Time 27:25)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 11

In this episode, I talk about my experiences with digitial "Weather Station" products.

Download the episode here...
AtomicPodcast11.mp3
(Running Time 32:36)

If you're interested in purchasing some kind of electronic weather station of your own, here are some links to check out. You can get them from Oregon Scientific...

Check this Oregon Scientific Link.

... or LaCrosse Technology

Check this LaCrosse Technology Link.

And you can get these products from Amazon and other retailers. Take a look at some of these links

Something from Amazon

Something from AmbientWeather.com

Something from WeatherShack.com

Something from Klockit's eWeather-Station.com

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 10

On a personal level, it has been a very busy couple of weeks. So I'm posting just a brief podcast this time around. It's a quick follow-up to the last episode. Now that we've all experienced a Leap Second together, I'll add just a few more thoughts about it. Also, I'll play the audio of what happened on WWV when the Leap Second was added at the end of 2008.

Download the episode here...
AtomicPodcast10.mp3
(Running time 11:29)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 09

It's time to talk about the Leap Second. Yes, there's a Leap Second in just a few hours from now (as I post this podcast). What's a Leap Second? Why do we have them? Do we really need them?

Download Episode 09 right here...
AtomicPodcast09.mp3
(Running time 21:15 with STEREO sound!)

Also, check out these links for a more nitty-gritty discussion of these issues.

Markus Kuhn's essay on the Leap Second

The NIST entry on Leap Years and Leap Seconds

Another summary of these issues from TimeandDate.com

The home page of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service... the folks in charge of determining when Leap Seconds happen.

Yet Another Bonus Video for December 2008

Here's a second "bonus video" podcast for December 2008. This time you'll see three almost-identical Oregon Scientific "atomic" projection alarm clocks setting themselves to the correct time automatically. Can three clocks be perfectly synchronized? You be the judge.

Download the video here...
OregonProjectors.m4v

...or enjoy the widescreen YouTube version.

Another Podcast Bonus Video (December 2008)

Download this new video here...
MegaClocks.m4v

It's a concise demonstration of how two Junghans Mega Clocks set themselves to the right time using WWVB. Here's the YouTube version...

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 08

Download episode 8 right here.
AtomicPodcast08.mp3
(Running time 25:47, monophonic)

In this episode, I'll tell you about the Geochron and its official, digital version, the World Watch software for Windows systems. There are other versions of this, including something you can briefly view at www.time.gov. But I have the most experience with World Watch, so I spend a lot of time talking about this.

Also, I mention a little something about astronomy again. It's a term you may have heard and it's "Analemma." Here's a web site devoted to this astronomical phenomenon... http://www.analemma.com/Pages/framesPage.html

So sit back and enjoy a little "talking shop" when it comes to really nifty timepieces.