The Atomic Timekeeping Podcast

Atomic Clock Conversion

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:04:00 +0000

How to convert a normal, analog clock into an "Atomic Clock" in just a few minutes using simple tools and parts from Klockit.com Atomic Clock Conversion Video Enjoy!

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 25 - iPad Edition

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:20:00 +0000

Following a long delay, I have produced a new episode. This time I'm talking about Apple's iPad. Like most computers, it doesn't keep time very well on its own. However, believe it or not, you can have atomic timekeeping on an iPad! You just have to know what apps to use. And that's what I want to tell you about.

(Click on any image for a larger version.)

First and foremost, if you have an iPhone, an iPod Touch or an iPad, you must get this free clock app from Emerald Time...

Apple's iTunes Store link to view and/or download this free app

Check out their web site for this explanation of their free Emerald Time App.

NEXT,

If you want to spend a mere 99 cents and get a really pretty Observatory App, also from Emerald Time, well, check this out...

Apple's iTunes Store link to view and/or download Emerald Observatory

Again, check out their official web site for more information about this app. (Please note that the Emerald Observatory is only available for the iPad.)

But wait! There's more. For another mere 99 cents you can enjoy the wonderful World Clock Pro HD. Check out these screen shots...

Here is the link to the Apple iTunes App Store listing of this beautiful app.

One of the great things about this app is that it will work with the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad. So reach deep into your piggy bank and let that 99 cents do something beautiful to your portable device.

And then there are some other, free apps to consider. For example, Here's the free version of a sunrise/sunset database. It can automatically detect where you are and then tell you the sunrise and sunset times for that location.

And here are the links to some other FREE apps that I mentioned in this episode...

The Wink Alarm Clock for iPad

The Dali Clock for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

Text Time for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

But... enough with the blog text. Be sure to download Episode 25 of my podcast right here...

Episode 25 of The Atomic Timekeeping Podcast

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 24

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0000

I'm back! This time I'll talk a little about the newest offerings I've seen at Wal-Mart but then I'll also tell you about the HD radio receiver I recently installed in my car. This thing can set itself to the "correct" time provided by broadcasters... or can it? Learn more by listening.

By the way, did you know that James Cameron has given us a new, out-of-this-world way to keep time? Read all about it here...
http://www.leapsecond.com/unclock.htm

Download my podcast episode here...
AtomicPodcast24.mp3

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 23

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0000

It's a special, video edition of the Atomic Timekeeping Podcast and, this time, I'm going to show you how to use an "Atomix" clock.

Download the episode at the link below:
AtomixDemo.m4v

...or enjoy the YouTube version...

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 22

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:00:00 +0000

You can find "Atomix" radio controlled clock movements from Klockit at this place...
http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-77__sku-AAAAH.html

...and if you want to see the movement which uses three AA batteries instead of just one, check it out here...
http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-77__sku-Atomic_Clock_Movement_Battery_Pack.html

And now, a quick illustration to show how batteries can be arranged in "parallel" or in "series."

When batteries are wired in "parallel," as in the example above, the voltage remains the same but each individual battery is drained less than if you only used one.

When batteries are wired in "series," as in the example above, the voltage of each battery adds to the entire voltage of the circuit. So three batteries together will produce three times the voltage.

Anyhow, download episode 22 of this podcast right here...
AtomicPodcast22.mp3
(Running Time 27:59)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 21

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:53:00 +0000

Sorry about missing my last couple of deadlines, but here's a new episode...

Download this podcast here...
AtomicPodcast21.mp3
(Running Time 31:33)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 20

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, I talk about the amazing gadget which was mysteriously preventing my radio controlled clocks from receiving WWVB. Hmmmm.

http://www.amazon.com/Eco-i-Lite-Power-failure-Handheld-Nightlight/dp/B001TA52CG/

Download this episode here...
Atomicpodcast20.mp3
(Running time 21:30)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 19

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:45:00 +0000

First of all, I spent a little time in this podcast talking about my new, electric lawn mower. It's this Craftsman electric mower. Then I spent the bulk of this podcast episode talking about radio controlled wrist watches. Check out some links to..

And here are three radio controlled wrist watches from my personal collection. First, the Arcron-Zeit Digital Sports Watch...

...and the next watch is my first Casio Waveceptor Watch.

And the next one is my "Tough Solar" Waveceptor watch, which I've actually had since 2006.

So, have some fun with radio controlled watches!

Download Episode 19 here...
AtomicPodcast19.mp3
(Running time 46:42)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 18

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:20:00 +0000

A few things this time around: First, if you're interested in radio controlled clock products from Skyscan, Here's a link to their company web site...
http://skyscan.info/content/index.php
That link will also contain links to contact information and product manuals for both current and discontinued products.

Meanwhile here's a nice place to look up sunrise and sunset times for your favorite U.S. cities.
http://www.sunrisesunset.com/custom_srss_calendar.asp

And here's a math quiz for you. If I say, "This hamburger costs five times more than a sandwich," how do you express that as a mathematical equation?

Let's see... if the sandwich is $1 then let's say that "n=1." Now, "five times more" would be something like this: "n + 5n," right? So then "five times more" is the same as "six times the original number."

n+5n=6n. So if the sandwich is $1 then the hamuger is $6. Not five but SIX!

Now, if I say that a used computer costs three times less than a new computer, how do you express that as a mathematical equation?. I'm not even going to try.

So, download my podcast episode here...
AtomicPodcast18.mp3
(Running Time 30:29)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 17

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:13:00 +0000

In this episode, I refer to a listener's email regarding public tours of the U.S. Naval Observatory's facility in Washington, DC. If you'd like to request a spot in an upcoming tour, here's a link with more information.

http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/tours-events/tour-information/tour-information-for-usno-washington-dc

Also, I have a follow-up to the last episode with my post-NAB report on just a couple of things I saw in Las Vegas. Here's some information on NHK's Super Hi-Vision...
http://www.nhk.or.jp/digital/en/superhivision/index.html

...and there's even a Wikipedia article about this stuff...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Hi-Vision

Download the newest episode of my podcast here...
AtomicPodcast17.mp3
(Running Time 33:20)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 16

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0000

In this episode, I'll talk a little about the upcoming National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas. And, by the time I make the next episode, I will have gone to this convention and I can give you a post-convention report.

Meanwhile, I'll show you a picture of something I saw last year at this event.

So, download my newest episode right here...
AtomicPodcast16.mp3

(Running Time 36:06)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 15

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:00:00 +0000

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.

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 14

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:30:00 +0000

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)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 13

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:36:00 +0000

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)

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 12

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:00:00 +0000

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

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:28:00 +0000

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

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:27:00 +0000

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

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:01:00 +0000

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

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:29:00 +0000

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)

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:11:00 +0000

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

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0000

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.

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 07

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:01:00 +0000

Download the new episode here...
AtomicPodcast07.mp3
(Running Time 35:13, Monophonic)

In this episode, I mentioned BRG Precision in Kansas. Here's their main web page, where you can drool over their wide selection of industrial-style systems and large-digit clocks.
http://www.brgprecision.com/

...and check out their Ebay store here...
http://stores.ebay.com/BRG-Precision

Then take a look at Klockit's radio controlled clock movement with a built-in battery pack for extended life between battery changes...
Atomic_Clock_Movement_Battery_Pack.html

Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 06

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:01:00 +0000

Welcome to episode 6. Download the episode here.

AtomicPodcast06.mp3
(Running time: 40:02, File Size: 37 mb, STEREO SOUND this time!)

In this episode, I'll tell you about some of my favorite brands of radio controlled clocks. Here are some links to the companies that I talked about in this podcast...

Oregon Scientific

LaCrosse Technology

Klockit

Casio Watches

And here's a web store that sells a lot of this stuff from a variety of manufacturers...
http://www.radiocontrolledclock.com/

Finally, I need to show you the Oregon Scientific radio controlled clock (with a time projector) that I talked about on this podcast.

October 2008 Bonus Video Podcast

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:09:00 +0000

Here's a special, bonus video podcast. Normally, I don't expect to do video podcasts. But I just couldn't resist this idea.

A Simple Radio Controlled Clock Demonstration
(Running time, 14:45. File Size, 123mb, Stereo Audio, MPEG4 video optimized for iTunes and iPod. 640x480 resolution.)

Enjoy!

Here's the lower-quality YouTube version...

...and the conclusion...

The Atomic Timekeeping Podcast Episode 05

atomicelmer@gmail.com (Greg W. Anderson) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:59:00 +0000

Welcome to episode 5, my special episode about Daylight Saving Time. Download the episode here...

AtomicPodcast05.mp3
Running time: 36:34, File Size: 16.8 mb, Monophonic.

Just a few notes:

Remember that the most proper way to refer to Daylight Saving Time is just that. It is not "Daylight Savings Time" nor "Daylight Saving's Time," although many folks probably refer to it by those variations.

For more about Daylight Saving Time, try these links...

The National Institute of Standards and Technology page about Daylight Saving Time. Short and to the point.

The Wikipedia article about Daylight Saving Time. Not as short nor to the point, but if you want a lot of information, try it out.

Another spin on Daylight Saving Time from a California government-run web site.

A Help page from Microsoft to assist Windows users to make sure their systems are ready to make the proper changes for Daylight Saving Time.

This is an activist-type web page proposing a permanent end to Daylight Saving Time. Furthermore, they have a very interesting idea about changing the Time Zone layout of the Continental United States. I'm not saying that this is the best thing to do. I just think it's interesting and I'd never heard of this idea before seeing this web site.

Remember these official show notes at http://atomicelmer.blogspot.com and you can expect at least two more episodes of the Atomic Timekeeping Podcast in November. Happy Halloween, everyone!