Bricon Ets Signal

bigjamie · July 3, 2013

HAS ENYONE BEEN TOLD THE BRICON ETS SYSTEM WILL BE OFF FOR THREE WEEKS I CALLED MARK PALMER AND HE SAID IT WILL BE ON THE MORRA EVENING BUT WILL BE OFF DURING WORKING HRS I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HIM

greenlands · July 3, 2013

"Interruption to MSF Time Signal

Please note that the MSF 60 kHz time and frequency signal broadcast from Anthorn Radio Station will be continuously off-air for maintenance work from Monday 1 July, 08:00 BST to Friday 5 July, 18:00 BST.

The only way to set the clock is using GPS.if it can not be set manually.??

July 3, 2013

Took this off another site. A bit more information for you. We had a nightmare at centre marking today. All benzing had to send theirs rubbered. Tauris went through manually set Unikon master. No problem with Bricon as we have a gps for it.

NPL Radio Mast - Closed For Maintenance

Guys don't be caught out this week. The NPL radio signal mast is closed all week both all day and all night. Therefore there is no way of getting a fresh time signal with a radio clock. See the message below taken from their website

Essential maintenance work - signal off-air

Please note that the MSF 60 kHz time and frequency signal broadcast from Anthorn Radio Station will be continuously off-air for maintenance work from:

Monday 1 July, 08:00 BST to Friday 5 July, 18:00 BST

- service off-air continuously

Then it will be off during the day from:

Saturday 6 July to Thursday 18 July, between 08:00 BST and 18:00 BST

- service off-air each day (but will be back on air overnight)

We were OK because we also have the GPS Satelite receiver and so could proceed with this but many clubs only have the radio signal clock and this will not pick up a fresh signal until the mast is back working. My advice all be it unofficial would be that if your ETS only uses the radio signal clock then do not re-set it this week, use the time that is set in the radio clock from last weekend, then you will be able to sync your clocks and proceed. Failing that get yourself a GPS clock before marking this week. Unikon will be able to Manually set their clocks while the mast is closed.

July 4, 2013

Thanks for posting that advice. Bo'ness had a mini-taste of it on Wednesday afternoon, we use a Unikon club system with in-built radio clock and set the time manually, without problems until it came to just 2 Bricon clocks first using Unives cables, and later on the Bricon club system itself, we just could not get past 'sync clocks' using either system, and the birds went away rubbered. Today we mark for Ypres, and it will be far busier than yesterday with more Bricon users and probably Tipes users too.

Any further advice on what our problem is and how to get round it greatly appreciated.

greenlands · July 4, 2013

IB.

Hi mate, Bricon can be set using a GPS receiver rather than the radio clock,if you contact Mark Palmer he should be able to advise you of the nearest club to you using GPS.

http://www.bricon.be/uk/uk_distributors.htm

Lindsay

July 4, 2013

IB.
Hi mate, Bricon can be set using a GPS receiver rather than the radio clock,if you contact Mark Palmer he should be able to advise you of the nearest club to you using GPS.

http://www.bricon.be/uk/uk_distributors.htm

Lindsay

Thanks Lindsay. Contacted Mark and his reply:-

Hello Ian

Notification of the radio-signal interruption was given in the British Homing World - 14th June 2013 page 5.

The Bricon system has two possible methods of obtaining the time synchronisation ... Radio-clock or GPS.

The radio-clock picks up the time from radio waves transmitted from a mast in Cumbria.

GPS receivers take the time from the primary time source of microwave signals from satellites.

Routine maintenance is currently taking place on the RADIO MAST in Cumbia.

This radio mast is off air continuously between Monday 1st July 2013 (08:00) and Friday 5th July 2013 (18:00) during which time no radio signal can be received.

Furthermore NPL (the mast operators) states that from Saturday 6th July until Thursday 18th July the radio signal will be turned off during working hours 08:00 and 18:00, and then turned back on each evening to give full operation of the signal outside of normal working hours.

During the continuous off air period (1st to 5th July) it will not be possible to basket or read off with a Speedy clock, unless it is carried out on a Bricon Club-Master using a GPS receiver to obtain its time synchronisation.

Where possible clubs with a radio-clock should attempt to synchronise the time on its Bricon Club-Master using the GPS receiver of a nearby club. Please feel free to contact Bricon UK if you require the details of a club near to you that has a GPS receiver - there are plenty around.

During the daytime maintenance period (6th to 18th July), the advice for clubs with a Bricon radio-clock is as follows

Ensure that the batteries (2 x AAA) have been changed this season.

Have the Bricon radio-clock available in an open position (such as in a window) overnight so that it is ready to receive the signal.

Shortly after midnight, the radio-clock will carry out an automatic search for the radio signal. If the signal is operating it will find the signal, correct the time on its display and validate that the signal has been received by showing a small black mast on its display.

Once the black mast is showing on its display it will remain there for the rest of the day and the radio-clock is then good to use to synchronise a Bricon Club-Master at any time throughout that day, even if the radio mast is later turned off for daytime maintenance.

Do not ....

Do not keep the radio-clock is a metal box or cabinet, or in a very enclosed area as the signal will not reach the radio-clock.

Do not carry out a reset of the radio-clock if the small black mast and the time is showing on the display, as this will force an attempt to re-synchronise, which will fail if the mast has been turned off once again.

__________________________________________________________________________________

In conclusion, Bricon clubs should have no problems using their radio-clock to synchronise its master for a race basketed after 18:00 this coming Friday or any date thereafter if they follow the advice above.

Clubs using the Bricon GPS receiver (the Blue Mouse) are not affected by the maintenance to the radio mast.

******************************

To ensure strict security, the Speedy clock always insists on receiving a validated time signal.

[color-red]The Unikon system would also not be able to receive the radio time signal whilst the signal is turned off, and although Unikon may circumvent the need for the time signal by manually setting the time, this is simpky not good enough for the Speedy clock.[/color]

Please contact me on 0121 358 1267 and I will check the database to see if there are any clubs in your locality that have a GPS receiver.

Best regards

Mark