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Oct 25, 1998

Next Sunday 25 Oct 98 daylight savings time ends (set clock back one hour). I plan to do a time measurement check. A reminder: The purpose of this project is to determine the long term accuracy of your LCD digital time pieces. The reasons to do this: For possible early measurement of the earth beginning to slow as the 12th. approaches; to provide a known stable time measuring piece for use after the pole shift; and to get us used to not being reliant on an atomic clock standard.

I now have a spread sheet that calculates the results. I need more volunteer test clocks. The calculation is based on determining the change over time in the amount of difference between our time pieces and an atomic clock standard. If you have any kind of battery operated (not plugged into electricity) LCD (liquid crystal display) digital watch, travel alarm, or mantel clock that displays seconds it will work. It matters not the price of the unit. Some times the cheapest units are more accurate. For those who wish to test the long term accuracy of your LCD time pieces please follow the following procedure:

  1. Determine which software you are going to use and download the software to update your computers clock see the April 15, 1998 instructions.
  2. Compare each of your time pieces to standard time and write down how much it is off before resetting the time. This step can be skipped the first time you do this for any given time piece. B = time offset before resetting the time. (note use "+" for clock time readings that are faster than or ahead of the standard atomic time, use "-" minus for time readings that are behind the standard atomic time)
  3. After the time is reset on each time piece, check it with your standard and write down the offset. A = time offset after setting the time. (note use "+" for faster than or ahead of the standard atomic time, use "-" minus for behind the standard atomic time)
  4. Fill in the following table:
    Provide the following information for each time piece you wish to use:
    Date & Time measurement was made: _________________
Time piece description: _______________
Time offset before resetting (B): ________________
Time offset after resetting (A): ________________
time standard used: _____________________

Example filled out:
Date & Time measurement was made: _25 Oct 98_10:31 AM
Time piece description: _MikeL Casio #3 sports watch__
Time offset before resetting (B): _ +35 sec__
Time offset after resetting (A): _-2 sec __
Time standard used: _ PC Software retrieving USNO Atomic time__

Variations on the following line:
Time offset before resetting (B): _ N/A battery went dead __
Time offset before resetting (B): _ N/A first time __
  5. Send the information directly to me or keep it for yourself.
  6. The formula to determine drift per day is: 
(LCD time piece delta from standard) = (Ap-Bc)/D 
where D = number of days between measurements.
Ap = previous after setting measurement time
Bc = current before setting measurement time

Note: The longer the period of time we keep track of, the more trust we will have for that time piece. Target for at least one year of drift data for each LCD time piece before we get close to the pole shift. It is the change in this time drift per each 3 month period that will tell us the planet is slowing down. If one resets the time piece or the battery runs out before the next measurement on 3 Jan 99, then simply rerecord the steps 1-5 above and send me the readings.

For benefits of having an accurate time reference see Benefits page. For a pole shift time standard used as a stable datum or as a stable anchor through troubled times see the Stable Anchor page. This over time will sooner or latter show direct evidence of a slowing planet. The more time pieces we use the more accurate the results will be. I encourage your participation. The next time measurement will take place in 3 Jan 99. I have been sending one notification of this project every 3 months.

Offered by Mike.

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