Decode WWV

[crazy_19]

Hi guys,

looking for a program that will set my PC's (windows 7) clock according to WWV's time code. Thought I had a program like this in the past but have been web searching all evening with no success.

 

[mmckenna]

NIST Internet time service

You can also just point your PC's clock at one of these time servers:
NIST Internet Time Service

 

[SCPD]

Yeah you don't need a program when it's already built into Windows.

 

[n5ims]

Hi guys,

looking for a program that will set my PC's (windows 7) clock according to WWV's time code. Thought I had a program like this in the past but have been web searching all evening with no success.

I agree that the best route would be to point your computer to the NIST time server as explained above. Easy, quick, and accurate. Most likely the software you used to have simply did this for you.

Now if you want to do it by radio, you'll need some hardware and software to receive the 60 kHz signal and decode what they send out. Often you won't get updates until its dark (although if you're close you may get them at other times). You'll also be off by the amount of time it takes the signal to reach you and be processed by your software (the time server above checks for this and compensates since the internet is a bi-directional transmission, but WWVB is only one way so this isn't possible), not much but something you should be aware of.

The information you should need to get started is on this page NIST Radio Station WWVB

 

[crazy_19]

Further Explained...

Sorry perhaps I should have explained more. I'd like to use the HF signal to set the clock on a friends PC which has no internet to use NTP.

 

[mmckenna]

GNSS Signal Management - Spectracom - timing, positioning, navigation, simulation and signal test is the expensive way to do it. They make, or at least made, some systems that used WWVB and/or WWV. We use some of their stuff at work, but use GPS as the signal source.
For pulling something off the air and syncing a PC clock, I'm not aware of any inexpensive option. Might be able to find something used off e-Bay. You'll need something that will take the WWV signal, decode it and spit out something that a PC will understand. Easiest off the shelf solution is going to use something like NTP, but your buddy will need a basic data network to support all that.

This guy has been on e-Bay for a while now: Handar 541A Datalogger Data Transmitter WWV Reciever Weather Proof Enclosure | eBay
It's a WWV receiver, but interfacing that to a PC is going to take some work.

Maybe if you give us a better description about why your buddy needs to super accurate clock on his PC if he isn't connected to the internet, we could help more.

 

[N0IU]

I know this is OT now, but I recently discovered that my PC was failing to connect with time.windows.com of any of the other built-in time servers.

For those of you that do have in Internet connection and are looking for an alternative to sync your PC's clock, I found Karen's Time Sync: Karen's Time Sync. Once installed, you can sync to any one of a number of time servers around the world. Actually, you don't need to keep it installed once you find a server your PC likes. All you have to do is add that server to the list of servers in your clock settings.

 

[Thunderknight]

GPS is probably the cheaper way to go than WWV.

How about Building a Raspberry-Pi Stratum-1 NTP Server

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah, I agree, GPS is going to be easier, cheaper and more reliable.
We have a couple of NTP servers at work. All are GPS except one that pulls time off the CDMA cellular network. Can't figure out why our network guys insist on using that one, they just replaced it, too.

 

[Dpritch]

WWV Decoding

I believe that the Clock program which comes packaged with Multipsk will decode WWV and set your PC clock. I have used it and it works well, but you will need to probably change to different WWV frequencies if you plan to try and set the PC several times during the day. I have a Heathkit GC-1000 (that I built in 1983) which tunes to the strongest available WWV signal and then syncs its display. Good luck,

Dave
W9QL

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah, but if you really need precision clocked time like that, this isn't the way to do it. PC clocks are known to drift, but not by so much they need to be reset several times a day. If the slight error they incur daily is an issue, something like a rubidium clock, or clocking off GPS is much more handy.

I didn't know about the Multipsk software doing that. I'd like to play with that some day...

 

[SCPD]

Time sync w/WWV, using MultiPSK "Clock" app:
WWV Time Date Data Decode - YouTube