A treat for the VLF SWL’s! Don’t worry your radio-controlled clocks and watches will not be affected
National Institute of Standards and Technology radio station WWVB will conduct a test of a phase-modulated broadcast format in an effort to improve its signal penetration. The station near Fort Collins, Colorado. will test a phase-modulated broadcast format beginning at 1800 UTC (12:00 noon MDT) on Tuesday, Aug. 21 and ending at 1800 UTC (12:00 noon MDT) on Friday, Aug. 24.
During the test period the broadcast will randomly switch between the normal WWVB broadcast and the new phase-modulated broadcast format. WWVB continuously broadcasts time and frequency signals at 60 kHz. The carrier frequency provides a stable frequency reference traceable to the national standard. WWVB is also used for high level applications such as network time synchronization and frequency calibrations.
Radio-controlled clocks and watches will not be affected by the test. However phase-locking 60 kHz timing and frequency standard receivers may lose lock during the test, but will restore during the normal broadcast period, according to WWVB broadcast manager John Lowe.
