[LEAPSECS] UT1 offset

[Hal Murray]

>>> ..... Please keep DUT1 less than 100 seconds.
>> They /really/ dont want to ever see a leapsecond or leapminute, do they ?
> I'd love for them to have 6 digits for the offset..  9999.99.

Why try to make that field big enough?  Why not just drop it?

Who uses DUT1 via radio?  Who will be using it 50 years from now?

Is it needed for anything other than navigation and astronomy?  I assume 
astronomers will have a network connection.  Do ships listen to WWV or similar 
to get DUT1?

How many ships are big enough to need DUT1 for navigation yet small enough 
that they don't have GPS?


Another option would be to drop the high digits.  Fill them in with firmware 
the same way that software now fixes GPS WNRO glitches.  (That would take an 
extra line of code if you have to go both forward and backward.)  2 digits of 
seconds would be good for 50 old-leaps either way.  Or you could make it 75 
one way and 25 the other...

---------

I poked >Who uses DUT1?< into Google.

It found:
  https://www.ucolick.org/~sla/navyls/0907.html
  Who uses DUT1?
  From: Tom Van Baak <tvb_at_LEAPSECOND.COM>
  Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:18:42 -0700

The by-thread index doesn't show that thread.  Google found Steve Allen's 
reply.
  https://www.ucolick.org/~sla/navyls/0900.html
  Re: Who uses DUT1?
  From: Steve Allen <sla_at_UCOLICK.ORG>
  Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 23:31:52 -0700
Both are in the by-date index.

Steve discussed astronomy and navigation.


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