MSF-controlled Time Switch?

[KevinE]

Just wondering if such a thing exists. A din-rail or panel mounted industrial time clock programmer with MSF reception. The location does not have any form of internet, BTW

[musht]

Just wondering if such a thing exists. A din-rail or panel mounted industrial time clock programmer with MSF reception. The location does not have any form of internet, BTW

 

GPS time switches are about , this one is aimed at twilight switching

 

http://www.gpslightlock.com/

[Jivemaster]

http://www.clockscupolasandweathervanes.co.uk/clock-controll-systems

 

Can you take anything from the plethora of MSF alarm clocks, Use the alarm contacts to trigger a sync pulse every 12 hours.

[richardash1981]

Just wondering if such a thing exists. A din-rail or panel mounted industrial time clock programmer with MSF reception. The location does not have any form of internet, BTW

It seems quite a few people have worked out how to pick the signal up with an receiver board and decode on either an Ardunio or a Raspberry Pi. Both seem over-kill but are capable of driving a relay ...

[KevinE]

Really need something industrial and off the shelf

[musht]

Eaton have some with GPS buried in their catalogue.

 

DCF German time signal receiving time switches seem to be more popular than MSF, my Lidl weather stations pick up DCF time signal no problems

 

https://www.hugo-mueller.de/en/products/save-time/digital-time-switches/#c-digital-yearly-timer

[KevinE]

thanks musht, the mueller ones look good, I've come across the brand (think RS did some at one time) but never seen those. :)

[timsabre]

At one time I installed a load of MSF master clocks in equipment rooms at railway stations, we had terrible trouble getting them to receive the MSF signal apparently due to interference from surrounding equipment. Large external antennas had to be fitted in a lot of cases. I note the DCF receiver for those mueller ones is an external module which sends the time to the dinrail part as serial data, I guess this would be the reason, but just beware that you do need an external part to be mounted outside the building.

[Andrew C]

^^^ This. Someone decided all the classrooms here would be equipped with radio clocks. I could have told him if he'd asked "They DON'T work here".

Maybe the wireless network, maybe being in a valley, maybe distance from the transmitter, whatever. Half need to be manually prodded to update BST, and some just refuse to sync. Not just one batch / brand either.

 

[cedd]

Also worth pointing out that NPL switch off the MSF at Anthorn for a good week or 2 every year for maintenance. We have a few very time-critical systems here at the day job and have a pretty clever master clock that uses GPS with MSF as a backup for just this reason. Obviously they'll auto run, but if your application is very critical then it's something to be aware of.

For those interested we have a Time & Frequency Solutions M21 system giving out serial time and NTP. We've then got a stand alone backup NTP server with its' own GPS antenna.

[KevinE]

yes MSF here is hit and miss. At my house the clocks update perfectly. But in my Auntie's bedroom, who lives in Stoke, the bedroom clock has to be brought into the kitchen before it will update summer/winter, much to her confusion.

 

This is for a hospital application that is not particularly critical other than there's no-one who would ever take responsibility to check that a normal quartz timer is actually showing the correct time. Anyone who's been an NHS contractor will probably understand.

[themadhippy]

. Anyone who's been an NHS contractor will probably understand.

As an ex nhs electrician I do take offense,thanks to that kind of attitude by contractors ive personally seen the resulting loss of life.stick in a normal time clock and add it to the list of clocks that need changing every 6 months,the works guys wont mind,its done overtime after all.

[Jivemaster]

http://www.clockscupolasandweathervanes.co.uk/clock-controll-systems

 

A selection of electronic boxes designed to manage timing and DST clock shifts in public clocks, Some are MSF, some are in clear face IP boxes.

 

What may be harder is determining the signal availability of MSF and GPS in the relevant plant room.

[Paul TC]

other than there's no-one who would ever take responsibility to check that a normal quartz timer is actually showing the correct time.

 

If looking at GPS, even these devices may have issues in the future.

 

See US gov memo on GPS time.

 

Some systems that are running past their "sell by date" could be impacted in April 2019.

[KevinE]

thanks to that kind of attitude by contractors ive personally seen the resulting loss of life

 

This isn't a life support application, but facilities management. Please don't criticise my stating of the facts. The NHS staff who are using the equipment in question are not the owners of the equipment and are not responsible for it.

 

The hospital in question already has perfectly good electricians but the building is run by a PFI partner. As such, half the equipment is NHS property and the other half is owned by the private partner.

 

The NHS maintenance staff are highly unionised at this site and won't touch anything without an NHS sticker on it. They call it 'demarcation'.

 

It's a bloody nightmare.