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The Wave Ceptor series (stylized as WAVE CEPTOR or WaveCeptor) is a line of radio-controlled watches by
Casio Multi-Band 6 watches can tune to any of the six signals of the low frequency radio time signals. Some of the Casio G-Shock line of watches have Multi-Band 6 technology. The earlier Multi-Band 5 system could not receive the signal of the Chinese time signal transmitter.
Description of radio watch technologyCasio websiteManuals
for Casio watches {{Casio Casio watches
The Wave Ceptor series (stylized as WAVE CEPTOR or WaveCeptor) is a line of radio-controlled watches by Casio
is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturing corporation headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Its products include calculators, mobile phones, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and analogue and digital watches. I ...
. Wave Ceptor watches synchronise with radio time signal
A time signal is a visible, audible, mechanical, or electronic signal used as a reference to determine the time of day.
Church bells or voices announcing hours of prayer gave way to automatically operated chimes on public clocks; however, ...
s broadcast by various government time services around the world. These signals transmit the time measured by atomic clock
An atomic clock is a clock that measures time by monitoring the resonant frequency of atoms. It is based on atoms having different energy levels. Electron states in an atom are associated with different energy levels, and in transitions betw ...
s accurate to one second in millions of years. By synchronizing daily with the signals, the Wave Ceptor watches achieve high accuracy, using a quartz crystal
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
to keep time in the interim. Some radio watches, including some Wave Ceptors, are solar-powered
Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic ef ...
, supported by a rechargeable battery. The watch displays may be fully digital, analog, or analog-digital. Hybrid Wave Ceptor models support GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
satellite reception of both time and location, in addition to broadcast signals.
Radio-controlled watches require no setting of time, date, or daylight saving time
Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typical ...
adjustments, as they attempt automatic synchronization several times every night. Without synchronisation, Wave Ceptors, like other commercial quartz timepieces, are typically accurate to ± 15 seconds per month; daily synchronization ensures 500 ms accuracy.
Most Wave Ceptor watches have a signal strength indicator which shows if the time signal is strong enough to correct the time set. The number of transmitters to which the watches can tune, vary according to watch model; most watches can tune to any one of several time signal broadcasts around the world. In Europe, the claimed reception range is approximately 1,500 kilometres.
Locations
Casio watches synchronise toradio time signal
A time signal is a visible, audible, mechanical, or electronic signal used as a reference to determine the time of day.
Church bells or voices announcing hours of prayer gave way to automatically operated chimes on public clocks; however, audi ...
s from one or more of six low frequency
Low frequency (LF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies (RF) in the range of 30–300 kHz. Since its wavelengths range from 10–1 km, respectively, it is also known as the kilometre band or kilometre wave.
LF radio waves e ...
time signal transmitters. The 60kHz signals from different transmitters are not compatible with each other; a watch designed for WWVB only cannot receive MSF.
Japan
Watches can receive signals from two JJY transmitters:
The 40kHz signal from Mount Otakadoya, near Fukushima
may refer to:
Japan
* Fukushima Prefecture, Japanese prefecture
**Fukushima, Fukushima, capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
*** Fukushima University, national university in Japan
*** Fukushima Station (Fukushima) in Fukushima, Fukushim ...
(''Ohtakadoyayama'').
The 60kHz signal from the Haganeyama Transmitter
Haganeyama Transmitter (はがね山標準電波送信所, ') is an LF-time signal transmitter at Fuji-cho, Saga-city, Saga-ken, Japan used for transmitting the time signal JJY on 60 kHz. The Haganeyama site is one of two JJY transmitters, anot ...
at Mount Hagane (''Haganeyama'').
China
Watches receive the 68kHz signal from BPC at Shangqiu
Shangqiu (), alternately romanized as Shangkiu, is a city in eastern Henan province, Central China. It borders Kaifeng to the northwest, Zhoukou to the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Anhui to the northeast and southeast respectiv ...
.
United States
Watches receive the 60kHz signal from WWVB at Fort Collins
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facer ...
.
United Kingdom
Watches receive the 60kHz MSF at Anthorn
Anthorn (pronounced ) is a village in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it is situated on the south side of the Solway Firth, on the Wampool estuary, about west of Carlisle. It is the location of the Anthorn radio station, broad ...
.
Germany
Watches receive the 77.5kHz DCF77 at Mainflingen.
As an example, Casio Wave Ceptors using modules 3353 and 3354, such as the WVA-440, can tune to signals from both DCF77 (Germany) and MSF (UK). The two submodels use the same electronics module, but with a soldered jumper selecting preferential tuning first to DCF77, or to MSF. This is default behaviour after a factory reset; the user can choose to use either one of the two transmitters with either module, although this limits use when travelling within Europe.Casio: Service manual and parts list, ref. no. S/M-860, for modules QW-3353 and QW-3354, May 2004
Multi-Band 6
Casio Multi-Band 6 watches can tune to any of the six signals of the low frequency radio time signals. Some of the Casio G-Shock line of watches have Multi-Band 6 technology. The earlier Multi-Band 5 system could not receive the signal of the Chinese time signal transmitter.
Other radio watches
Japanese manufacturersSeiko
, commonly known as Seiko ( , ), is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, semiconductors, jewelry, and optical products. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced one of the first quartz watches and the ...
and Citizen Watch
is an electronics company primarily known for its watches and is the core company of a Japanese global corporate group based in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan. In addition to Citizen brand watches, it is the parent of American watch company Bulo ...
, and German manufacturer Junghans, also make radio-controlled watches.
See also
*Atomic clock
An atomic clock is a clock that measures time by monitoring the resonant frequency of atoms. It is based on atoms having different energy levels. Electron states in an atom are associated with different energy levels, and in transitions betw ...
* Radio clock
A radio clock or radio-controlled clock (RCC), and often (incorrectly) referred to as an atomic clock is a type of quartz clock or watch that is automatically synchronized to a time code transmitted by a radio transmitter connected to a time s ...
References
External links
*Description of radio watch technology
for Casio watches {{Casio Casio watches