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Time from NPL (MSF)
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==The 'MSF signal' and the 'Rugby clock'== From the time signal's inauguration in 1950 until 1 April 2007 it was transmitted from [[Rugby Radio Station]] near [[Rugby, Warwickshire]].<ref name="faqs">{{cite web|title=NPL T&F: FAQs|publisher=National Physical Laboratory, UK|access-date=23 January 2008|url=http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/time-frequency/time/faqs/|archive-date=6 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606074756/http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/time-frequency/time/faqs/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="moved" /> The transmitter's original location meant that the clock was referred to as "the Rugby clock".<ref>{{cite web | title = ARM+FPGA based Rugby clock | publisher = Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge | access-date = 6 April 2007 | url = http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/2005/ECADArch/lab6.html | archive-date = 2 June 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070602171616/http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/2005/ECADArch/lab6.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Following its relocation in 2007 to Cumbria, the NPL now formally calls the signal "The Time from NPL".<ref name="moved" /> The Rugby transmitter's [[callsign]] was MSF, where 'M' is one of the [[ITU prefix]]es allocated to the United Kingdom, and the letters 'SF' were allocated for no documented reason. This resulted in the common terminology "the MSF signal", which is still used by the NPL.<ref name="faqs" /> The official history of the service says that "Rugby was given an additional commitment for the transmission of reference ''Modulated Standard Frequencies''", but no actual explanation is given for the call sign "MSF".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/r/rugby_radio/indexr69.shtml |title=The Official History of Rugby Radio Station |access-date=2005-01-05 |archive-date=2004-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214065326/http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/r/rugby_radio/indexr69.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the NPL it seems the call sign was chosen so that it could be memorized as "Master Standard Frequency" but MSF was not intended to be an abbreviation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/time-frequency/time/faqs/what-does-msf-stand-for-(faq-time) |title=NPL FAQ "What does MSF stand for?" |access-date=2014-01-20 |archive-date=2014-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422133514/http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/time-frequency/time/faqs/what-does-msf-stand-for-(faq-time) |url-status=live }}</ref>
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