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WWV/WWVH Station Library

This page contains a list of publications (available in PDF format) containing information about NIST radio stations WWV and WWVH. Since WWV has been on the air since 1923, a large body of literature exists. Although some of these publications contain information that is now obsolete, all contain some unique information that is not available elsewhere, and are made available here as reference material. General reference publications are listed first. The remaining publications are listed in reverse chronological order.

Title and Description Authors Place of Publication
2002 Guide to NIST Time and Frequency Services

An illustrated, comprehensive overview that describes NIST Radio Stations WWVB, WWV, and WWVH work, and how you can use them. Chapter 3 is completely devoted to WWV and WWVH. 80 pages.
M. Lombardi NIST Spec. Publ. 432, 2002
1991 Guide to NIST Time and Frequency Services, 38 pages
1979 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 23 pages
1976 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 23 pages
1974 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 20 pages
1973 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 20 pages
1972 Guide to NBS Frequency and Time Services, 18 pages
1971 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 17 pages
1970 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 18 pages
1969 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 18 pages
1968 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 17 pages
1967 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 14 pages
1966 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 14 pages
1965 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 12 pages
1960 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 8 pages
1956 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 15 pages
1952 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services (not available)
1950 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 2 pages
1948 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 7 pages
1947 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 6 pages
1937 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 31 pages
1935 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 26 pages
1935 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 22 pages
1934 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 20 pages
1932 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 18 pages
1931 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 10 pages
1930 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 9 pages
1923 Guide to NBS Time and Frequency Services, 5 pages

Guides to the NIST (formerly NBS) Time and Frequency Broadcast Services have been published many times since WWV originally went on the air in 1923. Since 1976, four guides have been published as Special Publication 432. From 1960 until 1974, eleven guides were published as NBS Special Publication (or Misc. Publication) 236. Prior to 1960, NBS issued the guides as "Letter Circulars". A collection of these guides has been made available here as a historical reference.
Beehler, Lombardi
S. L. Howe
S. L. Howe
P. Viezbicke
P. Viezbicke
P. Viezbicke
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
NBS
H. J. Walls
NIST Spec. Publ. 432
NIST Spec. Publ. 432
NBS Spec. Publ. 432
NBS Spec. Publ. 236
NBS Spec. Publ. 236
NBS Spec. Publ. 236
NBS Spec. Publ. 236
NBS Spec. Publ. 236
NBS Spec. Publ. 236
NBS Spec. Publ. 236
NBS Misc. Publ. 236
NBS Misc. Publ. 236
NBS Misc. Publ. 236
NBS Misc. Publ. 236
NBS Lett. Circ. 1023
NBS Lett. Circ. 1009
NBS Lett. Circ. 974
NBS Lett. Circ. 886
NBS Lett. Circ. 875
NBS Lett. Circ. 498
NBS Lett. Circ. 453
NBS Lett. Circ. 437
NBS Lett. Circ. 404
NBS Lett. Circ. 335
NBS Lett. Circ. 314
NBS Lett. Circ. 280
NBS Lett. Circ. 92

Citizen Scientists Conduct Distributed Doppler Measurement for Ionospheric Remote Sensing

Technical article describing how Doppler shift measurements of the standard frequency and time signals of WWV and WWVH are collected by citizen scientists and then utilized by professional researchers to study the ionosphere.  5 pages.

K. Collins, A. Montare, N. Frissell, and D. Kazdan IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, 2021

Ham Radio Creates a Planet-Sized Space Weather Sensor Network

Article describing how citizen scientists and professional researchers utilize the standard frequency broadcasts of WWV and WWVH as space weather beacons. 4 pages.

K. Collins, D. Kazdan, and N. Frissell QST, pp. 55-58, August 2021

Using WSJT-X to Graph Radio Frequency Stability

How-to article describing how to use WWV and WWVH to check frequency offset and drift rate of the internal oscillator in amateur radio transceivers. 3 pages.

M. Foerster

QST, pp. 30-32, August 2021

WWV/WWVH Stand Ready to Fight Global Chaos

Trade press article about the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) messages broadcast on WWV/WWVH.  1 page.

J. Careless Radio World, p. 8, August 19, 2020

Why WWV and WWVH Still Matter

Trade press article about the continued relevance and importance of WWV and WWVH in 2020, after 100 years of operation. 2 pages.

J. Careless Radio World, pp. 12-13, June 24, 2020

A Century of WWV

WWV was established on October 1, 1919. This paper explores the history of the station, beginning with its origins as an experiment during the early days of radio, and continuing to its 100th anniversary as a standard frequency and time broadcast station known to listeners worldwide. 31 pages.

G. Nelson J. Res. Natl. Inst. Stan. Vol. 124, September 2019
Stopwatch and Timer Calibrations

A NIST recommended practice guide about stopwatch and timer calibrations that discusses the use of WWV and WWVH as a time interval reference. 66 pages.
J. Gust, R. Graham, M. Lombardi NIST Special Publication 960-12, 2009
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

A review article about the world's time signal broadcast stations, including WWV, WWVH, and WWVB. 8 pages.
M. Lombardi Popular Communications, February 2006
NIST Time and Frequency Radio Stations: WWV, WWVH, and WWVB

A comprehensive look at the NIST time and frequency broadcast stations, written in support of the NIST quality system. 161 pages.
G. Nelson, M. Lombardi, D. Okayama NIST Special Publication 250-67, January 2005
NIST Time and Frequency Broadcasts from Radio Stations WWVB, WWV, and WWVH

Conference paper about the NIST time and frequency broadcast stations. 14 pages.
M. Deutch, E. Farrow, J. Lowe, G. Nelson, D. Okayama, D. Patterson, D. Sutton, and W. Yates Proceedings of the NCSL International Conference, 2001
Low Signal Strength a Problem Receiving WWV? Try an All-Wave Antenna from 1936!*

Discusses a WWV antenna for areas where low signal strength is a problem. 7 pages.
D. Braudaway Proceedings of the NCSL International Conference, 1999
Time and Frequency Users Manual

A comprehensive guide to time and frequency measurements and applications. Chapter 5 is devoted to HF calibrations using WWV/WWVH. 164 pages.
G. Kamas, M. Lombardi NIST Special Publication 559, 1990
Yagi Antenna Design

A guide to Yagi antenna design. Includes information about designing Yagi antennas for HF reception. 30 pages.
P. Viezbicke NBS Technical Note 688, 1976
The National Measurement System for Time and Frequency

Includes interesting historical information about time and frequency measurement requirements, and the role and history of WWV. 74 pages.
A. Risley NBS Special Publication 445-1, 1976
Calibration of Police Radar Instruments

Describes the use of WWV in the calibration of police radar instruments. 6 pages.
D. Allan, F. Brzoticky Excerpted from NBS Special Publication 442, pp. 42-47, 1976
The Use of National Bureau of Standards High Frequency Broadcasts for Time and Frequency Calibrations.

Published in 1975, but still perhaps the best source of information about using HF broadcasts for time and frequency calibrations. 49 pages.
N. Hironka, C. Trembath NBS Technical Note 668, 1975
Report on the 1975 Survey of Users of the Services of Radio Stations WWV and WWVH

Results from the 1975 user survey. 93 pages.
J. Barnes, R. Beehler NBS Technical Note 674, 1975
Standard Time and Frequency: Its Generation, Control, and Dissemination by the National Bureau of Standards

A technical description of the NIST (then NBS) radio stations published in 1974. 23 pages.
J. Milton NBS Technical Note 656, 1974
Time and Frequency Dissemination: An Overview of Principles and Techniques

A detailed discussion of how the propagation characteristics of radio signals limits their uncertainty for time and frequency measurements. The text includes a section on HF broadcasts. 81 pages.
B. Blair Chapter 10 from NBS Monograph 140, 1974
Golden Anniversary of WWV

A short article about the 50th anniversary of WWV in 1973. 3 pages.
NBS NBS Technical News Bulletin, pp. 140-142, June 1973
The Use and Limitations of HF Standard Broadcasts for Time and Frequency Comparison

A still relevant discussion of HF measurement techniques, and factors that limit the measurement uncertainty. 10 pages.
J. Stanley Proceedings of the Precise Time and Time Interval Conference (PTTI), pp. 249-258, 1972
Standard Time and Frequency: Its Generation, Control, and Dissemination from the National Bureau of Standards Time and Frequency Division

The precursor to NBS Technical Note 656 (above). 28 pages.
J. Milton NBS Technical Note 379-1, 1972
NBS Frequency-Time Broadcast Station WWV, Fort Collins, Colorado

A detailed technical overview of WWV published in 1971. 33 pages.
P. Viezbicke NBS Technical Note 611, 1971
New Signals from an Old Timer ... WWV

Short magazine article about changes made to WWV in the early seventies. 3 pages.
L. Fey Broadcast Engineering, July 1971
WWV Moves to Colorado

Magazine article describing the 1966 move of WWV from Greenbelt, Maryland to its current site near Fort Collins, Colorado. 11 pages.
Y. Beers QST, January-February 1967
Precise Time Synchronization of Widely Separated Clocks

A detailed study containing valuable information regarding how HF radio propagation delays are estimated. 72 pages.
A. H. Morgan NBS Technical Note 22, 1959
Standard Musical Pitch

Interesting early article about the 440 Hz musical tone standard broadcast by WWV and WWVH. 2 pages.
NBS NBS Technical News Bulletin, pp. 120-121, August 1957
Measuring Time and Frequency in Hawaii

An interesting historical reference about how signals received from WWV were once used to help control the frequency of WWVH. 4 pages.
V. E. Heaton Tele-Tech, March 1951
Adjustment of High-Precision Frequency and Time Standards

An interesting historical reference about frequency and time calibrations made with WWV and WWVH, written before the introduction of atomic oscillators. 11 pages.
J. M. Shaull Proceedings of the I.R.E., January 1950
Experimental Standard-Frequency Transmitting Station WWVH

Report describing the origins of WWVH. 23 pages.
G. Lester NBS CRPL Preprint 50-6, August 1949

WWV Broadcast from New Facility

This historical reference from August 1943 is the first known description of the newly-built WWV station facility in Beltsville, MD. 2 pages.

NBS Previously Unpublished

News Release: Status of WWV Broadcast, March 1941

Historical reference. A news release describing changes to the WWV broadcast as a result of a fire in November 1940 that destroyed the main transmitter building. 2 pages.

Department of Commerce Department of Commerce, March 1941
The Standard-Frequency Set at WWV

Of great historical interest, this is one of the first articles about the introduction of WWV, and its importance to the early radio broadcasters. 4 pages.
H. Walls QST, pp. 9-12, October 1924

 

* Written by non-NIST author, used with permission.

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Created September 24, 2009, Updated April 10, 2024