TDF time signal

TDF time code transmitter
The 350 m high low frequency antennas of TDF time signal in Allouis
Location	Allouis longwave transmitter, Allouis, France
Coordinates	47°10′10″N 2°12′17″E / 47.1695°N 2.2046°E / 47.1695; 2.2046Coordinates: 47°10′10″N 2°12′17″E / 47.1695°N 2.2046°E / 47.1695; 2.2046
Elevation	129 m (423 ft)
Operator	TéléDiffusion de France on behalf of the LNE–SYRTE
Frequency	162 kHz
Power	1,500 kW (1,000 kW at night 00-06h)
Began operation	July 1980
Official range	3,500 km (2,175 mi)

TéléDiffusion de France broadcast the TDF time signal, controlled by LNE–SYRTE, from the Allouis longwave transmitter at 162 kHz, with a power of 2 MW.

It was also known as FI or France Inter because the signal was formerly best known for broadcasting the France Inter AM signal. This signal ceased at the end of 2016, but the transmitter remains in use for its time signal and other digital signals.

In 1980, the first atomic clock was installed to regulate the carrier frequency. The current time signal is generated by an extremely accurate caesium fountain atomic clock and phase-modulated on the 162 kHz carrier in a way that is inaudible when listening to the France Inter signal using a normal AM receivers. It requires a more complex receiver than the popular DCF77 service, but the much more powerful transmitter (22 to 40 times DCF77's 50 kW) gives it a much greater range of 3,500 km.

The signal is almost continuous but there is a regularly scheduled interruption for maintenance every Tuesday. This used to be from 01:03 to 05:00, but with the cessation of audio signals, it has been moved to 08:00 to 12:00.

The signal was formerly 2,000 kW, but has been reduced to 1,500 kW, and tests are in progress of a further reduction to 1,100 kW for cost savings.

TéléDiffusion de France (TDF) uses an amplitude modulated longwave transmitter station. Time signals are transmitted by phase-modulating the carrier by ±1 radian in 0.1 s every second except the 59th second of each minute. This modulation pattern is repeated to indicate a binary one.

The binary encoding of date and time data during seconds 15 through 59 is identical to that of DCF77; the numbers of the minute, hour, day of the month, day of the week, month and year are transmitted each minute from the 21st to the 58th second, in accordance with the French legal time scale. The time transmitted is the local time of the upcoming minute.