Beta (time signal)

Beta is a time signal service in the VLF range in Russia, operated by the Russian Navy.[1] It is controlled by All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Physical-Engineering and Radiotechnical Metrology.[2] There are 6 transmitter stations, which take turns transmitting time signals and other communications.

Each transmitter has 1 or 2 scheduled sessions per day lasting 31–41 minutes, depending on transmitter, total 8 sessions in 24 hours. Beginning on the hour is 15–20 minutes of 25.0 kHz, including morse code station identification and time code. This is followed by 3- or 4-minute intervals of 25.1, 25.5, 23.0 and 20.5 kHz of unmodulated carrier precisely phase-locked to UTC(SU) time scale. No time code is sent during the last quarter of an hour.[2]

  1. ^ C3 Systems of the CIS Navy Archived October 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b Эталонные сигналы частоты и времени [Standard Time and Frequency Signals] (PDF) (in Russian), retrieved 2020-05-10. Official signal specification.