[time-nuts] Radio clock fails to leap

[Tom Van Baak]

> My low-end Radio Shack 'atomic clock' did not handle the leap second.

Scott,

I'm not sure if any of the low-cost radio clocks handle leap
seconds correctly. Clearly the analog clocks can't (there is
no way to show the 61st second with clock hands). But even
the digital ones that could, don't.

It's not a matter of reception. The WWVB leap second warning
bit is set weeks or months before the event so the clocks have
plenty of chances to know that there is an extra second at the
end of the month. My guess is it's a matter of firmware or just
a low-cost design marketing/engineering decision. If someone
from a RC clock company is on the list, now is a good time to
explain the reasoning for not handling leap seconds. Or, perhaps
someone from NIST, who has contact with all those folks, can
give us some insight.

Half of them don't even do daylight savng time correctly so it
may be a bit much to ask that they handle leap seconds.

WWVB receivers made by Spectracom and Ultralink do the
right thing; but these aren't around anymore.

/tvb