Time Signals

signals transmitted by radio and television at certain times of the day and used to determine the time on atomic and astronomical scales. In the USSR, time signals transmitted by broadcast radio stations and used to set clocks consist of six short signals. The beginning of the last signal coincides with the beginning of the hour. Time signals for scientific and technical purposes are transmitted by special radio stations and by television in accordance with officially approved schedules and programs; in the USSR they are approved by the Interdepartmental Commission of the Unified Time Service of the Gosstandart (State Standard Administration) of the USSR. Since 1972, the time signals of the USSR have been transmitted on an internationally coordinated scale of atomic time. The coordination of this scale with the scale of Greenwich time is achieved by having all transmitting stations simultaneously shift the minute signal by 1 sec, usually at the end of the year.

Coded approximate values for differences between Greenwich time and coordinated time are transmitted together with the time signals.