Anyone interested in electronic watches knows Casio brands such as G-SHOCK, Edifice, ProTrek. But not everyone is aware of the direction of the Wave Ceptor. These two words, the first of which is English, and the second is rather Latin, are most adequately translated as "wave receiver". It is clear that this means radio waves. For, again, anyone who is interested in electronic watches knows about the presence in the Casio watch catalog of a considerable number of high-tech models equipped, in fact, with a radio receiver. Receiving a signal of the exact time at the right wavelength - and these receivers are tuned to the right waves - the watch then makes the appropriate adjustments to its readings, thus becoming almost absolutely accurate. This process is called radio sync.
A little about the basics
Today there are six radio stations in the world that transmit precise time signals from atomic clocks. Such a clock works on cesium-133, its error does not exceed one second in 30 million years. The mentioned radio stations are located in Meinflingen (Germany), Anthorn (Great Britain), Fort Collins (USA), Fukuoka and Fukushima (Japan), Shangqiu (China). The maximum range of the American station is 3000 km, the Chinese and both European stations are 1500 km, and the Japanese stations are 1000 km each.
A glance at the accompanying maps suggests that collectively some fraction of the planet's habitable surface is covered. True, there are also enough "dead zones": these are, for example, two whole continents - Africa and Australia (we do not consider Antarctica, so be it), the rather large peninsula of Alaska, most of the territory of Russia. And somewhere the signal can be received poorly: the effective range is considered to be twice - three times less than the maximum.
Nevertheless, the presence of these stations and the Multi Band 6 technology, which converts signals into adjusting the clock readings, is already great, and there is a strong hope that the six in the name of the technology will be replaced by the seven, eight, etc., eventually covering the entire globe.
Some practical guidelines
Don't rely on automatic correction, disable it and switch to manual mode. Choose night time and cloudy weather. It is advisable to climb as high as possible - for example, to the last floor of a high-rise building. It is better to keep all electronics, including mobile phones away from the watch. Disable automatic summer / winter time conversion. Place the watch on a flat surface and point it at 12 to the west.
Now turn on auto calibration (instructions for using your watch model will help you). Wait. After a few minutes, the display should show a notification that the calibration has taken place. If the wait is delayed, you can try to put a sufficiently long metal band under the watch - for example, an elongated tape of a tape measure, it will act as an additional antenna.
Well, if you live, for example, in the Far East, then aim for hours not to the west, but towards Japan, namely Fukushima (orient yourself on the map).
Further - several samples of Casio Wave Ceptor watches - that is, with radio control.
WV-59E-1A
This is the simplest thing you can imagine in this category. The model belongs to the Collection line. Rectangular case (48,3 x 39 mm, thickness 12,5 mm), sandwich configuration (middle part - plastic, top and bottom - steel), inscriptions Wave Ceptor and Multi Band 5. Yes, yes, not 6, but 5: the model was created in those years when the Chinese station did not exist yet! Strictly digital display, in the lower right corner is a reception indicator. Other features are common to Casio: automatic calendar, world clock, stopwatch, countdown timer, alarm. Acrylic glass, plastic bracelet, water resistance 50 m, weight 40 g.
WV-200E-1A
Also Multi Band 5, also steel and plastic, only the case is round (diameter 47,7 mm, thickness 15,2 mm), but the glass is already mineral, water resistance 200 m, watch weight 58 g. The functionality is the same as in the previous model , the display is also purely digital, but there is an LED backlight.
WVA-105HDE-1A
A little more complicated, although not much. It's nice that all 6 stations are already accepted. The case is made of plastic and steel (diameter 41,4 mm, thickness 13,3 mm), steel bracelet with a triple folding clasp. Unfortunately, the glass is again acrylic. Water resistance 50 m. Indication is analog-digital (hurray, there are arrows!), Backlight is LED, functions are unchanged. More weight (due to the bracelet) - 88 g.
WVA-M640TD-1A
But this is noticeably more modern - and much more expensive. Multi Band 6, yes, but the functions are basically the same, except that there are 5 alarm clocks. However, Casio Wave Ceptor (aka Radio Controlled) has no ultimate functionality at all, in contrast to other collections (in which, by the way, this very radio synchronization is increasingly common). But there are 5 alarms, and the stopwatch accuracy is 0,01 sec., And the analog-digital dial backlight is double (LEDs and Neobrite). And - the main thing - the solar battery is the power source. Case diameter 43,5 mm, thickness 12,3 mm, water resistance 50 m. Acrylic glass. But in the company with plastic it is not steel that works, but titanium! And the bracelet is also titanium. So the weight of the watch is small - 90 g. The price, of course, is higher than that of the previous ones.
WVA-M650D-1A
Not much different from the previous model (in the steel incarnation of the latter). The stopwatch has been lengthened (here it is designed for as much as 24 hours), the water resistance has increased (up to 100 m), and the automatic activation of electroluminescence has appeared when the wrist is turned. The thickness of the case also increased (up to 14,5 mm) and, slightly, the weight of the watch (now 95 g).
