Thanks very much for the replies so far.  I should have been more clear.  I am looking for the first radio controlled clock
that received a digital time code from a radio transmitter.  Not a telegraphic time code (those date back to around
1920), not a IRIG system, not a slave/master clock system (those date back to the beginning of electric clocks), but
a digital time code broadcast by radio.

As far as I know, the first digital time code broadcast by radio was the 36-bit NASA code on WWV which began in 1960.

By the definition above, the first true radio controlled clock I know of was the Develco 3391 (around 1968 or 69). It
received the time code from WWVB on 60 kHz.  BTW - WWVB certainly wasn't ideal, but it was widely used by the power
industry in the pre-GPS days.  It was also widely used to time seismic events.

Would be interested to know of anything earlier that meets the criteria of the above definition.  Would also be
interested in hearing from anyone who has seen or owns a Develco, and could send a picture.

Thanks!

Mike

Hi

The power people have a tough time with RF based timing. Their equipment
makes picking up anything below VHF difficult at the "point of use". Their
traditional solutions were more wire line oriented. GPS was the first RF
system to really get them interested. There's a FCS paper on it from the
80's(?).

Closer to the original topic. The IRIG stuff dates to 1956 according to
Wikipedia. There were similar setups running around when IRIG was being
worked on. The whole reason for doing it was the proliferation of
incompatible gear. There must be mid 1950's gear around that did one sort of
time code or another.

If your definition of time code is loose enough, the electro mechanical
master / slave clock could be considered a time code transmitter and
receiver. That puts you back past 1900. Pretty loose definition though.

Bob

Hi

I have to guess that if they were transmitting it in 1960, somebody else was
receiving it in 1960. No money to fund it otherwise. Likely with a two box
system, but pretty quickly a single box.

I suspect that if you dig into it, NASA (or whom ever) was doing range time
via RF in the mid 1950's. Same two box one box transition likely took place.
I doubt they used a whole lot of them.

I assume only single box solutions count.

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On
Behalf Of michaelalombardi@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 12:47 PM
To: time-nuts@febo.com
Subject: [time-nuts] Looking for info about first true radio controlled
clock

Thanks very much for the replies so far.  I should have been more clear.  I
am looking for the first radio controlled clock
that received a digital time code from a radio transmitter.  Not a
telegraphic time code (those date back to around
1920), not a IRIG system, not a slave/master clock system (those date back
to the beginning of electric clocks), but
a digital time code broadcast by radio.

As far as I know, the first digital time code broadcast by radio was the
36-bit NASA code on WWV which began in 1960.

By the definition above, the first true radio controlled clock I know of was
the Develco 3391 (around 1968 or 69). It
received the time code from WWVB on 60 kHz.  BTW - WWVB certainly wasn't
ideal, but it was widely used by the power
industry in the pre-GPS days.  It was also widely used to time seismic
events.

Would be interested to know of anything earlier that meets the criteria of
the above definition.  Would also be
interested in hearing from anyone who has seen or owns a Develco, and could
send a picture.

Thanks!

Mike

Hi

The power people have a tough time with RF based timing. Their equipment
makes picking up anything below VHF difficult at the "point of use". Their
traditional solutions were more wire line oriented. GPS was the first RF
system to really get them interested. There's a FCS paper on it from the
80's(?).

Closer to the original topic. The IRIG stuff dates to 1956 according to
Wikipedia. There were similar setups running around when IRIG was being
worked on. The whole reason for doing it was the proliferation of
incompatible gear. There must be mid 1950's gear around that did one sort of

time code or another.

If your definition of time code is loose enough, the electro mechanical
master / slave clock could be considered a time code transmitter and
receiver. That puts you back past 1900. Pretty loose definition though.

Bob

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