Giving New Zealand the
Right Time
Do m 1 n10 n1 Observatory Z L Y
yuu "FO ‘some readers no doubt the most interesting time- ' signalof the day is the mellow period when the town -clock: is about to strike 6 p.m. Then, in places where men congregate to forget for a brief spell their worries and cares an announcer (who possibly would not. qualify for a siiilar position in a broadcasting station) "wends his way tht ough the jovial throngs witl his stern, though courteous, reminder of "Time, -gentles men, please!" 7 In an equally courteous manner the announcer from 2YA informs. listeners-at stated periods of: the day that "We are ‘now standing by for the observatory. timesignals.". To many listeners these. timie-signals:are a source of real.annoyance, but if a few minutes’ consideration is given'to their significance and importance, i: will- be ‘realised that they are a most important facto: inthe national broadcasting service. i In England, the time-signals from Greenwich have been ‘superimposed upon the programmes, and there haz been a-long.battle between the aesthetic and the practical, resulting at last in a victory for the aesthetic. The time-signal from Greenwich is one of the most useful things broadcast, but it has also proved, to sensitive listeners, one of the most annoying. Musiclovers frequently complained of the jarring effect of the well-known "pips" upon their enjoyment of the concert that was being broadcast at the time. Now the claims of the aesthetic are to be satisfied. Starting this month, a new system will be introduced. Except for the time-signals at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m., any timesignal which, superimposed on programmes, would have a definitely inartistic effect may be suppressed. Tf it
1S possible to put it out at the next quarter, that will be done, with an announcement making clear which quarter it is.
Even the two regular signals, at 10.30 am. and 6 p.m., may, in , exceptional circumstances and after
previous announcement, be similarly suppressed. How-
1 ever popular the "pips" may be, no one would wish to hear them superimposed, for instance, upon a speech from the King, or upon the Cenotaph service on Armistice Day. However, listeners who depend upon broadcasting for their knowledge of the exact time may be assured that the regular morning and evening signals will not be interfered with except for some very adequate cause, .\S a matter of actual fact, few listeners realise the service which these signals render. Although it is quite true that they carry no special significance for the average listener, they are of great importance to shipping and -to scientific bodies throughout the country, particularlyy to those engaged in seismological investigation. .-In New Zealand the Broadcasting Board is cooperating with certain scientific bodies in various parts ‘of the Dominion, and the morning time-signal, at 10.30, _ recently introduced .by 2YA, was to a large extent introduced for their benefit, with a view to aiding the investigation of earthquakes and their effects-a subject, of course, of major concern to the whole Dominion. The value of the signals to shipping is another factor which is not generally realised by those listeners who are apt to throw brickbats at the Broadcasting ‘Board for superimposing this service on the daily transmission. The time-signals broadcast by 2YA each day are from the Dominion Observatory, Wellington: The signals are as accurate as it is possible to make them, as the startdard clock is checked frequently by astronomical observations and by comparison with time-signals
from Paris, Nauen, Honolulu, Malabar, Annapolis, etc. These signals may, therefore, be used for chronv-meter-rating purposes.
A "kkadio Kecord"™ representative was present at the Wellington Observatory on a recent morning, when the signals were being sent.
LYTTELTON LAND-MARK.-The time ball and tower standing on the hillside at the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour. Time signals'are transmitted by the dropping of the ball at four hours, G.M.T. on Tuesdays and Fridays, The time is supplied by direct signal from Wellington. eee ee In a room which seemed filled with instruments, observations were being taken to check the time of the standard clock. Firmly mounted on a brick and cement base was an impressive brass telescope-the
same telescope that was ; used when New Zealand’s longitude was first accurately in 1883, when time-signals were obtained by the newly-laid cable. from Sydney. THEN, as 10.30 approached, more people came into an adjoining room, and everything was prepared. An ingenious machine, which automatically sends the preliminary signals, was started, and we heard them through a small loudspeaker. At the same time :: record of the signals was taken on paper in a manner vaguely reminiscent of those inexplicable instruments sometimes seen in watchmaker’s windows. This was afterwards checked to discover how accurately the signals had been sent. They are seldom more than a quarter of a second out, and are usually much more accurate than that, the reporter was told. Though the signals are used mainly within’ New Zealand and by
ships in New Zealand waters, they have been heard at considerable distances from the Dominion, the farthest ‘being over 4000 miles way. The first signal is transmitted. from the Observatory at an exact hour of Greenwich mean: time, — arid’ ‘its commencement denotes. the -be-. ginning -of th hour. The signal is repeated at the first, second, fourth and -fifth | minutes. . Each signal is approximately three seconds in duration, This.
completes one set of time-signals. AT Auckland time-signals are given by means of lights supplied from the flagstaff on the Ferry Buildings by extinguishing three electric lights at 9hr., G.M.T. (Greenwich mean time). The lights are shown vertically and are 6ft. apart, white light is uppermost, red in the centre, and green below. The green light. is shown 50 minutes, the red ten minutes, and the white five minutes before the signal. Simultaneous extinction of all the lights at 9hr., G.M.T., is the time-signal. Should the signal fail, the red light continues burning until 9hr. OSmin., G.M.T. The lights are extinguished by direct signal. from the Observatory, Wellington, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Wellington also has this type of signal from the flagstaff at the Dominion Observatory, 416ft. above high water, given by
extinguis hin g three electric lights at. 9Qhr., G.M.T. At Lyttelton time-signals . are supplied by-drop-"ping the time ball at 4hr., G:M.T. The ball is dropped by direct signal. from. the observatory .~ at Wellington. ‘The signal is made on Tuesdays and Fridays — only. « The accuracy of . the ‘time: ball at Lyttelton, how‘ever, cannot always be. relied upon, : ,
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Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 7, 25 August 1933, Page 12
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1,081Giving New Zealand the Right Time Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 7, 25 August 1933, Page 12
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