4
POTENTIAL SOURCES of INTERFERENCE
With all Meteotime weather stations, we should take measures to provide best
possible radio reception. DCF is a long wave station with a broad reach (ap-
proximately 1500 km). However, as with a long wave radio station, interference
may occur which is often caused by the following influences:
• In buildings with lots of concrete, metal parts, and the electrical equipment you
may get reception problems (for example, in shopping centers and at exhibi-
tions).
• Electronic equipment such as TVs, computers, household machines, etc., or
transformers, power lines, radio transmitters, and trains are potential sources
of interference.
• Atmospheric influences might affect the radio waves.
• The distance from the station, and also the geographic conditions (mountains,
etc.) also affect the reception. Due to their great distance from the station,
areas like Southern Italy or Northern Scandinavia are critical.
•
So-called (dead-spots) which make reception impossible can appear everywhere
• There is less interference in rural area than in heavily built-up urban ones.
• On principle at night the sources of interference are less active, consequently
reception is
better than during the day.
• Weak batteries in the device will lower the quality of reception.
DATA TRANSFER
METEOTIME sends the data during precisely defined time slots in accordance
with UTC. (UTC, i.e. for Central Europe during the winter UTC+1, during the
summer UTC+2; for Great Britain and Portugal during the winter UTC, during the
summer UTC+1)
Transmission times (UTC) Forecast for
10:00 p.m. – 03:59 a.m. the current day (TODAY)
04:00 a.m. – 09:59 a.m. the next day (TOMORROW)
In the event that the reception during the above time slots is completely or at
times interfered with or has broken down, these forecasts, or parts of them, will
be missing.
