GPS date trouble on MasterClock
LA6WNA
Posts: 138
Ran into for me until today, a unknown problem. I`m working in a maintenance team as a technichian and today they where calling for me from one of Our schools. Their master clock went one hour late. My first thought was that there was something wrong With the summer/Winter time cangeover, as we`re going for wintertime next weekend. The clock is a Microquartz sigma.
The time and date is corrected by GPS. My first observation was that the clock date was showing March 8. 2099. Tried to manually correct the time and date, but the GPS updated it back to March 8. 2099 imediately. Then I went into the setup menu and disabeled the GPS receiver. Afther this I was able to set the clock manually, and it ran at the right time. STRANGE... I thought.
So, afther 5 minutes With Google, I found something interessting. The variable that holds the week number, is only 10 bits in some receivers. This means they make a "rollover" afther 1024 weeks. Found a online time calculator and tried to calculate the time from March 8. 1999, as I suspect the factory default time to be this date. EXACTLY MATCH. 1024 weeks. So, is the life of the auto GPS update for this clock over?
Called the dealer, and found they`ve had more Calls about this phenomenon today. They did not have any quick-fix, so they said they would contact the factory of the SIGMA clock.
Now I`m waiting for a Call from them to tell me how to fix this thing. Looking forward to see the solution, cause this was a compleat New experience to me. You guys may laugh and say; you should have knew this… Just thought I would share todays experience With you anyway.
One more thing: How the heck do I get rid of this autocorrecture when I`m writing post at the forum? Seems like upper case letters are thrown into my text everywhere... :coffee:
The time and date is corrected by GPS. My first observation was that the clock date was showing March 8. 2099. Tried to manually correct the time and date, but the GPS updated it back to March 8. 2099 imediately. Then I went into the setup menu and disabeled the GPS receiver. Afther this I was able to set the clock manually, and it ran at the right time. STRANGE... I thought.
So, afther 5 minutes With Google, I found something interessting. The variable that holds the week number, is only 10 bits in some receivers. This means they make a "rollover" afther 1024 weeks. Found a online time calculator and tried to calculate the time from March 8. 1999, as I suspect the factory default time to be this date. EXACTLY MATCH. 1024 weeks. So, is the life of the auto GPS update for this clock over?
Called the dealer, and found they`ve had more Calls about this phenomenon today. They did not have any quick-fix, so they said they would contact the factory of the SIGMA clock.
Now I`m waiting for a Call from them to tell me how to fix this thing. Looking forward to see the solution, cause this was a compleat New experience to me. You guys may laugh and say; you should have knew this… Just thought I would share todays experience With you anyway.
One more thing: How the heck do I get rid of this autocorrecture when I`m writing post at the forum? Seems like upper case letters are thrown into my text everywhere... :coffee:
Comments
My first experience was in 1976 when users on a mini all over Australia called in with a problem that they could not enter the correct date. There was no internal clock, so the date was entered manually each day. The bug... software didn't allow for 29 days in February... 1976 was a leap year so the program had to be 'patched'.
Of course,most remember the milenium problem, or Y2K for 2000. Many older computers held the year as 2 digits. Lots of money was spent, and also wasted, making sure everything was Y2K compliant. Biggest fiasco, a flag making business was contacted (automatic letter sent to all suppliers) asking to confirm their flags were Y2K compliant.
Lots of programs start from a base date. IIRC Windows starts in 1980. *nix will roll-over in a few years.
So, I am not surprised about what you found. It's a good way for manufacturers to force an upgrade