 MSF
begins time signal tests from new transmitter site
Border Television News has confirmed that the first test transmission
took place yesterday of the Time Signal Station MSF from its new transmitter
site at Anthorn in Cumbria (latitude 54° 55' N, and longitude
3° 15' W).
The test took place at 1000-1200 UTC, and follows a series of tests with
silent carrier. There will be a further test today at the same time, and
then a series of tests leading up to the start of full service at midnight
on 31 March 2007. A full test schedule is available on the MSF
website.
During these tests the Rugby signal will be off air. Users of the signal
as a frequency reference will notice a phase jump at the start and finish
of each test as well as a difference in signal strength during the tests,
and are advised not to take measurements at these times.
Radio controlled clocks may have difficulty locking to the time code
during the lower power tests, or during the tests of nominal operation
if their antenna is not well aligned with the Anthorn transmitter, but
should otherwise be unaffected.
The MSF 60 kHz standard time and frequency service is funded by the Department
of Trade and Industry (DTI) as part of its provision of time and frequency
measurement standards in the UK.
The maintenance and development of those standards is carried out by
the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), with the MSF 60 kHz signal currently
being transmitted from the Rugby Radio Station by BT Radio Engineering
Services under contract from NPL.
From the 1st April 2007 the signal will be transmitted from Anthorn by
VT Communications under contract from NPL.
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