[Aavso-photometry] Time Sync Software

[Chuck Pullen]

Rich - there are several programs for Windows as well as instructions  
on how to configure Windows itself  to poll a NTP server periodically  
and update the clock at <http://www.oink.com/misc/timesync.html> as  
well as any number of other sites.   It is very easy to have most  
recent versions of Windows do it for you.   I would suggest that if  
you don't feel techie enough to have Windows do it for you, that you  
would have more trouble getting any of the freeware to work.

The reason your clock is plus/minus one second or so if you do it by  
hand is that most NTP software first determines the current delay  
between you and the time server then factors that delay into it's  
correction. So, just looking at the USNO clock is not very accurate.   
However, I've heard it said that one second is about all you are  
going to get as the computational load on the system when it is  
downloading and image can cause the clock to drift that much.

The one dig on the Windows NTP set up is how often it polls the time  
server.  I think the default is once a day.  So, if your computer is  
at fluctuating temperature, say it's in an outside roll off  
observatory, then you might get some drift in the time.  The web site  
above explains how to make it check more frequently.

Hope this helps.

Chuck Pullen (PCH)

On Dec 30, 2007, at 9:00 AM, aavso-photometry-request at mira.aavso.org  
wrote:
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:49:56 -0800 (PST)
> From: Richard Harvan <tkdvarstar at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Aavso-photometry] Clock Control
> To: AAVSO Photometry <aavso-photometry at mira.aavso.org>
> Message-ID: <332783.51753.qm at web58809.mail.re1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Dear All,
>        does anyone know of a time service or program that will  
> easily maintain an accurate time on personal computers?  I have  
> looked at the NTP service at the Naval Observatory website and  
> concluded it is beyond my limited computer knowledge.  Presently I  
> am manually adjusting my computer clock to the NO website service,  
> avoiding the clocks that carry warnings of delays due to internet  
> routings.  My computer time appears to be within +/- 1 second of  
> the NO time.  There must be something with better accuracy and  
> easier to iinstall and use.
>
>   Clear Skies,
>   Rich Harvan HAV
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Never miss a thing.   Make Yahoo your homepage.
>
> ------------------------------
>
>