HFU HF Underground
General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: ChrisSmolinski on August 20, 2018, 1352 UTC
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I think writing your Congresscritter might be better, especially if they serve on the appropriate committee(s). But here's the link: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/maintain-funding-nist-stations-wwv-wwvh
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I signed, then tweeted this out to encourage others to sign. Thank you for posting the link.
Curt / W9SPY
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I signed it, for what it's worth. It's only $6 million dollars and it's a national treasure, of sorts.
A beacon of normalcy in an uncertain world.
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It's important to note that WWVB is apparently also on this chopping block. I hope that that proves to be a poison pill. Most "atomic" clocks you can buy sync to that, not GPS satellites, and you can't just force everyone to change that. When they switched over to HDTV nine years ago, they sent vouchers for anyone who needed a converter box for an older television set. You can't really do something like that with your digital clock.
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It's important to note that WWVB is apparently also on this chopping block. I hope that that proves to be a poison pill. Most "atomic" clocks you can buy sync to that, not GPS satellites, and you can't just force everyone to change that. When they switched over to HDTV nine years ago, they sent vouchers for anyone who needed a converter box for an older television set. You can't really do something like that with your digital clock.
Yeah, WWVB is actually an extremely useful service. We have one of these clocks, and I would like it to continue to work, as would the millions of other users. As noted before, this is a White House budget, which Congress completely ignores. They don't even use it as a starting point and mark it up. If you are really concerned, write your Congressman, especially if they sit on the appropriate committees.
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According to Wikipedia, a 2011 estimate put the number of clocks and other devices using the WWVB 60 kHz time signal at "over 50 million".
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According to Wikipedia, a 2011 estimate put the number of clocks and other devices using the WWVB 60 kHz time signal at "over 50 million".
The clock industry will likely make sure at least WWVB stays on the air. It's more difficult to justify WWV/WWVH.
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Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2018 12:25:58 -0400
From: Richard Cuff <rdcuff@gmail.com>
To: Discussion list for the Winter SWL Fest <swlfest@hard-core-dx.com>
Subject: [Swlfest] NIST / WWVx update - some additional digging
NIST / WWVx update: I posted this over in the NASWA and SWL Fest FB
groups, and I'm reposting here since I know we don't have 100% overlap.
Apologies in advance for its length. Apologies if you're seeing this for a
second time.
First, Conversations with others who have experience working with NIST and
the time & frequency stations mentioned that this same thing happened last
year -- the NIST budget for Fiscal 2017-18 as submitted did not include
funding for the stations. Once the NIST budget was approved, funds were
shuffled around and the stations remained on the air. All of this happened
"under the radar" last year -- apparently no one in the hobby noticed.
It's important to note that there are plenty of industrial and scientific
users of the time & frequency stations other than us hobbyists and those
who own "atomic watches" and "atomic clocks", and the loss of the stations
would significantly affect these other users. Outside the hobby community,
the general feeling now in 2018 is that the same thing will happen this
time -- funds will be shifted as needed to keep WWV / WWVH / WWVB on the
air.
But, one can never be sure, and it would still make sense to send letters /
faxes / phone calls of support to members of Congress, NIST leadership, and
other relevant agencies.
Secondly, I did some digging and, indeed, this process (though not
specifically mentioning WWV etc) happened last year too.
Google led me to the American Academy of Science and the American Institute
of Physics website, which each have tracked Federal spending and the
budgetary process for NIST.
For FY 2018 (which began in September 2017), here's how things shook out.
Note that the time stations reside in NIST's Science and Technology
Research Services (STRS) segment:
FY 2017 actual, NIST STRS: $621 Million
FY 2018 budget, NIST STRS: $536 Million
FY 2018 omnibus (as passed by House / Senate), NIST STRS: $647 Million,
reflecting a 20.8% increase over the requested budget.
Overall, the FY 2018 omnibus for NIST was $1,055 Million, fully 61.8%
higher than the budget of $652 Million.
The FY 2019 process has been through a similar round of Congressional input
already -- this happened in May and June -- and a comparison of the numbers
actually shows that Congress has added back funding for FY 2019 that
matches what they approved for FY 2018:
Note specifically that STRS line item for FY 19 nearly matches what was
approved for FY 18 -- $720 Million for the House, $725 Million for the
Senate. (Why those numbers differ from the $647 Million number I haven't
checked yet). While the two versions of Appropriations haven't yet been
reconciled, it's worth noting that the NIST STRS line item is about the
same in both.
So it would appear that, as long as there are no major surprises, the
stations should be safe...and I would add that letters of support to AAAS
and the AIP would be worth sending too.
Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA
Relevant URLs:
AAAS:
https://www.aaas.org/news/nist-fy-2018-omnibus-manufacturing-and-labs-funding-safeguarded
AIP:
https://www.aip.org/fyi/federal-science-budget-tracker#tabs-section-nist
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If the American politicians are like those we have here in Australia then a petition will be useless and largely ignored by them, we experienced that here with the VNG Lyndhurst Time Signals years back and then again with the Radio Australia recently.
Unless it's a big vote grabber for them you may as well talk to a brick wall... ;D
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An audio tour done by the old Radio Netherlands' show Media Network crew in 1999 about WWV (past, present & future) posted here:
http://www.radio4all.net/files/kperron@gmail.com/3101-1-Vintage_Media_Network_September_7_2018.mp3
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Breaking!
http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/2019/02/late-breaking-news-wwv-lives-on.html
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Huzzah for WWV and President Trump!