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NOTHING IS MORE PRECISELY MEASURED THAN TIME!
And nothing keeps track of time more precisely and trouble free than La Crosse Technology radio
controlled clocks.
Since the beginning of time, man has been fascinated with the measurement of time and has
devised more accurate machines to trap and measure time. Today, time is precisely measured in the
United States by the most accurate clock in North America, the Atomic Clock of the US National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Time and Frequency Division in Boulder, Colorado. A team of
atomic physicists continually measures every second of every day to an accuracy of ten billionths of a
second per day. These physicists have created an international standard, measuring a second as
9,192,631,770 vibrations of a Cesium 133 atom in a vacuum. This atomic clock regulates the WWVB
radio transmitter located in Fort Collins, Colorado, where the exact time signal is continuously
broadcast throughout the United States at 60 kHz to take advantage of stable long wave radio paths
found in that frequency range. Radio waves at these low frequencies use the earth and the
ionosphere as a wave-guide and follow the curvature of the earth for long distances.
The built in antenna system will receive the WWVB signal anywhere in North America within 2000
miles of Fort Collins where long-wave radio reception is undisturbed. A microprocessor activates the
receiver and processes the time signal from Fort Collins overnight.
Through the radio signals, La Crosse Technology radio controlled clocks always keep precise
time. The changeover from standard time to daylight saving time, and vice versa, takes place
automatically with the same precision.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
To set up your clock simply install one fresh AA, LR6 ALKALINE battery. Due to the nature of long
wave radio signals it is normally not possible to receive a signal during the day so it is best to install
the battery late in the evening. Select your time zone by pressing one of the four time zone buttons
PT-Pacific Time, MT-Mountain Time, CT-Central Time, ET-Eastern Time. The time zone buttons may
be pressed any time after installing the batteries. If multiple buttons are pressed the clock will set to
the time zone selected last. If no time zone is selected the clock will default to Pacific Time. Another
time zone can be selected during or after the clock has set itself. Your clock can only set itself to one
of the four time zones stated above. For time zones outside of PT, MT, CT or ET you must manually
set the time using the Manual Time set button on the back of the movement.
Once the battery is installed the clock will begin searching for a signal. For the initial setting it is
recommended to stand the clock in an upright position near a window. Within five minutes the clock
will either receive the WWVB signal and set itself to the exact time, or it will determine that the signal
is not receivable at its current location and time of day. If a signal is not receivable it will fast-forward
the hands to the 4, 8, or 12 o’clock position and search for WWVB each hour until a signal is
received. If the time is manually set the clock will continue to periodically search for a signal and
automatically reset the hands when the signal is received.
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