Effect of External Conditions on the Phase of Radio Signals

Abstract

THE emissions at 16 kc./s. from the Post Office GBR transmitter at Rugby are in the form of interrupted continuous waves and are used for purposes which include the international co-ordination of standards of frequency and time and studies of propagation^1–3 by comparing the phase of the received signals with that of a local reference source. The relative observed phase of the carrier wave will change, due to changes in the rates of the controlling reference oscillators, to varying radio propagation and to phase changes in the transmitter. Some investigations have been made of the latter by comparing the phases of the aerial current and the carrier source.