You are off the coast of Mexico and are taking a time tick for 1600. At approximately 1554, you hear the preparatory signal "VVVV de XDD" from the time signal station. Then you hear a series of 1 second dashes followed by a 9 second silent period and then a long 0.8 second dash. At the beginning of the long dash, your comparing watch reads 03h 59m 56s. When compared to the chronometer, the comparing watch reads 04h 01m 22s, and the chronometer reads 04h 02m 11s. What is the chronometer error?

Question

Accepted Answer

Option D: 0m 45s fast. Chronometer error is calculated by comparing GMT derived from the time signal to the chronometer reading. The comparing watch reads 03h 59m 56s against a chronometer reading of 04h 02m 11s, yielding a chronometer error of 45 seconds fast.