The Atomic Timekeeping Podcast

This time, it's a special video podcast. And I wanted to tell you about a style of clock which I've enjoyed for the past 30 years... the Ball Clock!

Download my video podcast episode here...
PodcastEpisode15

...or watch the YouTube version right here on this browser.

Just a little note... I was going to ramble on for a couple more minutes in my narration of this video. But then I realized that there's a 10-minute limit for YouTube videos and I wanted to make this a YouTube-friendly production. So I cut out a few superfluous details. For example, when I was a teenager I actually conditioned myself to sleep through the night with one of these noisy ball clocks running all night long in my bedroom. I wonder if I could do that again now. Hmmm.Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

This time, I'll talk about how difficult it is to set your own, personal, real atomic clock to "the correct time." Taking "lag time" into account, this could be a real problem. For most of us, a "radio controlled" clock is good enough but for some people, nothing is sufficient short of owning a real atomic clock. Some of these people call themselves "Time Nuts," and here are some links that will lead you to them...

http://www.leapsecond.com/

A link to the Time-Nuts mailing list sign-up page

Someone's idea of a "real" atomic clock wristwatch

How to turn a family campout into a practical demonstration of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

Meanwhile, feel free to download my newest podcast episode right here...
AtomicPodcast14.mp3
(Running time 29:17)Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

Believe it or not, it's almost time to go back to Daylight Saving Time here in the United States. (I'm getting tired of Daylight Saving Time.) Apart from my annual whining about the month of February in general (which just isn't my favorite month), I do have a few useful things to share in this podcast episode. And, for those of you who are interested, please watch three, one-hour shows about the scientific concepts of "time" on "The Science Channel" on the evening of Sunday, March 1, 2009. Check your local listings for Earth Time, Cosmic Time and a program called What Time Is It?.

Also in this podcast episode, I wonder why an AM/FM "Clock Radio" alarm clock with atomic timekeeping is either rare, expensive or unreliable. But here are a few links you can try...

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/sangean-rcr-3-digital-atomic-clock-radio.aspx

http://wize.com/clock-radios/t45312-atomic

http://www.radiocontrolledclock.com/stsmmuclwiam.html

http://www.radiocontrolledclock.com/saatra.html


Download my podcast episode here...
AtomicPodcast13.mp3
(Running Time 34:37)Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

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)Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

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.comSubscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

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)Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

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.Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

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.

Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

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...

Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes

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.Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes