Some Data concerning the Coverage of the Five-Megacycle Standard Frequency Transmission

Beginning in January, 1931, the Bureau of Standards has transmitted a standard frequency of 5000 kilocycles per second each Tuesday for two hours during the day and two hours at night. These transmissions have for their purpose the furnishing of an accurately known frequency to the public. They are used especially for calibrating the frequency standards of the field offices of the Federal Radio Commission and engineering and testing laboratories. At the request of the Bureau reports were sent in showing how satisfactorily the transmissions were received at many places in the United States. A study of about 2900 reports was made, covering a period of about two years during which a 1-kilowatt transmitting set was used. This transmitter has since been replaced by a more powerful one. The weekly reports indicated that at some time during the weekly transmission periods, satisfactory reception was obtained at all localities reporting, except when prevented by electrical storms or electrical interference.