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WWVB Station Library
This page contains a list of publications (available in PDF format) containing information about NIST radio station WWVB. Although some of these publications contain information that is now obsolete, all contain some unique information that is not available elsewhere, and are made available here as reference material. Guides to the NIST time and frequency services that contain information about WWVB are listed first. The remaining publications are listed in reverse chronological order.
| Title and Description | Authors | Place of Publication |
|---|---|---|
| NIST Time and Frequency Services, 2002 edition An illustrated, comprehensive overview that describes NIST Radio Stations WWVB, WWV, and WWVH work, and how you can use them. Chapter 2 is completely devoted to WWVB. 80 pages. |
M. Lombardi | NIST Special Publication 432, 2002 |
| 1991 Guide to NIST Time and Frequency Services, 38 pages 1979 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 23 pages 1976 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 23 pages 1974 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 20 pages 1973 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 20 pages 1972 Guide to NBS Frequency and Time Services, 18 pages 1971 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 17 pages 1970 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 18 pages 1969 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 18 pages 1968 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 17 pages 1967 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 14 pages 1966 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 14 pages 1965 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 12 pages Guides to the NIST (formerly NBS) Time and Frequency Broadcast Services have been published many times since WWV originally went on the air in 1923. All guides since the 1965 guide (the first to include WWVB) are made available here for historical reference. |
Beehler, Lombardi S. L. Howe S. L. Howe P. Viezbicke P. Viezbicke P. Viezbicke NBS NBS NBS NBS NBS NBS NBS |
NIST Spec. Publ. 432 NIST Spec. Publ. 432 NBS Spec. Publ. 432 NBS Spec. Publ. 236 NBS Spec. Publ. 236 NBS Spec. Publ. 236 NBS Spec. Publ. 236 NBS Spec. Publ. 236 NBS Spec. Publ. 236 NBS Spec. Publ. 236 NBS Misc. Publ. 236 NBS Misc. Publ. 236 NBS Misc. Publ. 236 |
| How Accurate is a Radio Controlled Clock? A detailed discussion of the accuracy of WWVB radio controlled clocks. It reviews the factors that limit the accuracy of a radio-controlled clock, including how accurate the radio station signal is, how long it takes the signal to reach the clock, how accurately the clock synchronizes with the signal, and how accurately the clock keeps time between synchronizations. 4 pages. |
M. Lombardi | The Horological Journal, March 2010 |
|
WWVB Time Signal Broadcast: A Enhanced Broadcast Format and Multi-Mode Receiver A description of the new enhanced BPSK-based WWVB broadcast and its benefits over the legacy AM/PWM-Based broadcast Format |
Yingsi Liang, |
IEEE Communications Magazine, May 2014 |
|
A more in-depth explanation of WWVB PWN-based broadcast format |
John Lowe, |
43rd Annual PTTI systems and applications meeting |
|
WWVB: A Half Century of Delivering Accurate Frequency and Time By Radio Provides a history of WWVB |
Michael A. Lombardi Glenn K. Nelson |
Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Volume 119, 2014 |
|
We Help Move Time Through The Air Commentary: Managers of WWVB explore options to improve the service further |
John Lowe | RadioWorld Vol. 35 No. 8 March 23, 2011 |
| WWVB Radio Controlled Clocks: Recommended Practices for Manufacturers and Consumers A NIST Recommended Practice Guide written to provide guidance to both manufacturers and consumers of radio controlled clocks. Through voluntary compliance with the recommended practices listed in this guide, manufacturers can benefit by continuing to develop more reliable and usable radio controlled products, increasing both consumer confidence and sales. Consumers can benefit by using this guide to help them select and purchase radio controlled clock products, to learn how the products work, and to help troubleshoot reception problems. 64 pages. |
M. Lombardi, A. Novick, J. Lowe, M. Deutch, G. Nelson, D. Sutton, W. Yates, D. Hanson | NIST Special Publication 960-14, August 2009 |
| Increasing the Modulation Depth of the WWVB Time Code to Improve the Performance of Radio Controlled Clocks An analysis of why the WWVB modulation depth was increase from 10 dB to 17 dB in January 2006. 7 pages. |
J. Lowe and K. Allen | Proceedings of the IEEE Frequency Control Symposium, June 2006 |
| Radio Controlled Wristwatches A look at radio controlled wristwatches, including those that synchronize to WWVB. 4 pages. |
M. Lombardi | The Horological Journal, May 2006 |
| Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? A review article about the world's time signal broadcast stations, including WWV, WWVH, and WWVB. 8 pages. |
M. Lombardi | Popular Communications, February 2006 |
| NIST Time and Frequency Radio Stations: WWV, WWVH, and WWVB A comprehensive look at the NIST time and frequency broadcast stations, written in support of the NIST quality system. 161 pages. |
G. Nelson, M. Lombardi, D. Okayama | NIST Special Publication 250-67, January 2005 |
| NIST Time and Frequency Broadcasts from Radio Stations WWVB, WWV, and WWVH Conference paper about the NIST time and frequency broadcast stations. 14 pages. |
M. Deutch, E. Farrow, J. Lowe, G. Nelson, D. Okayama, D. Patterson, D. Sutton, W. Yates | Proceedings of the NCSL International Conference, Washington, D. C., August 2001 |
| WWVB Improvements: New Power from an Old Timer A detailed look at the 1999 station power upgrade. 15 pages. |
M. Deutch, W. Hanson, G. Nelson, C. Snider, D. Sutton, W. Yates, P. Hansen, B. Hopkins | Proceedings of the Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) Meeting, 1999 |
| Time and Frequency Users Manual A comprehensive guide to time and frequency measurements and applications. Chapter 6 is devoted to LF and VLF calibrations and includes information about using WWVB. 164 pages. |
G. Kamas, M. Lombardi | NIST Special Publication 559, 1990 |
| Standard Time and Frequency: Its Generation, Control, and Dissemination by the National Bureau of Standards A technical description of the NIST (then NBS) radio stations published in 1974. 23 pages. |
J. Milton | NBS Technical Note 656, 1974 |
| Time and Frequency Dissemination: An Overview of Principles and Techniques A detailed discussion of how the propagation characteristics of radio signals limits their uncertainty for time and frequency measurements. The text includes a section on LF broadcasts. 81 pages. |
B. Blair | Chapter 10 from NBS Monograph 140, 1974 |
| Standard Time and Frequency: Its Generation, Control, and Dissemination from the National Bureau of Standards Time and Frequency Division The precursor to NBS Technical Note 656 (above). 28 pages. |
J. Milton | NBS Technical Note 379-1, 1972 |
| WWVB/WWVL Field Studies A detailed report about WWVB field strength measurements, written in 1969 when the station's power level was approximately 25% of what it is today. 131 pages. |
J. Milton | NBS Report 9725, 1969 |
| Reception of Low Frequency Time Signals An interesting article about identifying the WWVB on-time marker and making precise time measurements. Discusses the problem of cycle ambiguity. 9 pages. |
D. Andrews, C. Chaslain, J. DePrins | Frequency, 1968 |
| WWVB Adds Time Code to Broadcast An article announcing the WWVB time code in 1966. 2 pages. |
NBS | NBS Technical News Bulletin, 1966 |
| New Facilities Dedicated for WWVB and WWVL An early article about the construction of the WWVB facilities near Fort Collins, Colorado. 3 pages. |
NBS | NBS Technical News Bulletin, 1963 |
| Low Frequency Standards Transmissions An early paper about radio station KK2XE1, the predecessor to WWVB. 12 pages. |
W. George | Proceedings of Frequency Control Symposium, 1957 |
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NIST Radio
Created May 10, 2010, Updated April 10, 2024