3 ms·

Same here. I wish there was an easy way around it (that doesn't require me to play sysadmin in my spare time).

by amelius 11mo ago

jaggederest 11mo ago
In the 80s my uncle had digital clocks that used an antenna to tune into the atomic clock time signal that (was/is?) broadcast nationwide. I've long wished that it was incorporated into stoves, microwaves, essentially everything that isn't an internet device (yet... sigh) Sadly I think the actual antenna and hardware were relatively large since it's a long wave signal, but maybe with SDR it'll all fit on the head of a pin these days.
- jasonwatkinspdx 11mo ago
  > Sadly I think the actual antenna and hardware were relatively large since it's a long wave signal, but maybe with SDR it'll all fit on the head of a pin these days. Unfortunately there's no real way to cheat physics as far as shrinking a wavelength goes. With RF antennas about the best you can do is a major dimension 1/10th the frequency of interest.
  - namibj 11mo ago
    There are many DCF77 receivers in Germany that are contained in a square box that's barely large enough for a AA battery; the rest of the square contains the motor/gears and the electronics/receiver (incl. a ferrite loopstick antenna). The wavelength is around 3.8km...
    - jasonwatkinspdx 11mo ago
      Yeah, that's because it's receiving an extremely narrowband signal accumulated over a long window so it can suffer the trash efficiency I'm talking about.
- raron 11mo ago
  > atomic clock time signal that (was/is?) broadcast nationwide Probably DCF77 or WWVB. > I think the actual antenna and hardware were relatively large since it's a long wave signal Casio has some normal sized wristwatches that synchronizes to DCF77, it would definitely fit into a stove, microwave, or basically anything.
  - jaggederest 11mo ago
    I believe it was a longwave broadcast so probably WWVB which would apparently imply a 60mm antenna, but it was a standard old school "GE digital clock radio" form factor so size wasn't at a premium.

Same here. I wish there was an easy way around it (that doesn't require me to play sysadmin in my spare time).

by amelius 11mo ago

Same here. I wish there was an easy way around it (that doesn't require me to play sysadmin in my spare time).

In the 80s my uncle had digital clocks that used an antenna to tune into the atomic clock time signal that (was/is?) broadcast nationwide. I've long wished that it was incorporated into stoves, microwaves, essentially everything that isn't an internet device (yet... sigh) Sadly I think the actual antenna and hardware were relatively large since it's a long wave signal, but maybe with SDR it'll all fit on the head of a pin these days.

jasonwatkinspdx 11mo ago
> Sadly I think the actual antenna and hardware were relatively large since it's a long wave signal, but maybe with SDR it'll all fit on the head of a pin these days. Unfortunately there's no real way to cheat physics as far as shrinking a wavelength goes. With RF antennas about the best you can do is a major dimension 1/10th the frequency of interest.
- namibj 11mo ago
  There are many DCF77 receivers in Germany that are contained in a square box that's barely large enough for a AA battery; the rest of the square contains the motor/gears and the electronics/receiver (incl. a ferrite loopstick antenna). The wavelength is around 3.8km...
  - jasonwatkinspdx 11mo ago
    Yeah, that's because it's receiving an extremely narrowband signal accumulated over a long window so it can suffer the trash efficiency I'm talking about.
raron 11mo ago
> atomic clock time signal that (was/is?) broadcast nationwide Probably DCF77 or WWVB. > I think the actual antenna and hardware were relatively large since it's a long wave signal Casio has some normal sized wristwatches that synchronizes to DCF77, it would definitely fit into a stove, microwave, or basically anything.
- jaggederest 11mo ago
  I believe it was a longwave broadcast so probably WWVB which would apparently imply a 60mm antenna, but it was a standard old school "GE digital clock radio" form factor so size wasn't at a premium.