I see few reasons to keep those on air, and I am rather confident that those proposing closing them see even fewer. If those shortwave stations are mentioned prominently, it may convince some people who are unfamiliar with both that those signals are all that NIST’s radio budget serves. In addition, I would focus the largest part of any discussion on WWVB, rather than WWV or WWVH. If attention is divided between the real policy and this suggestion, the part of the fight that will really decide NIST’s budget may be lost. Why shouldn’t this be fought? Mostly because it would weaken a fight against the real policy if it should come up in congress. Essentially, this budget is the executive branch telling congress “Here’s what we’re thinking”.

There is value in considering how much political strength this budget has–virtually none. If you feel strongly about keeping the atomic clock signal on the air, I urge you to contact your local representatives,and sign this White House petition. Something that belongs to all of us, and that we all rely upon to help us keep accurate time, may soon be taken away. While there may be (arguably lesser) alternatives to this station’s time-setting provision, such as those provided by the Navy and the Internet, we will be without the one we rely upon most for accuracy. Until a shutdown happens, we won’t know how many of the millions of devices that we rely upon will be affected. They’re just an overlooked part of our lives that help keep us ticking––quite literally. These devices are so embedded in our lives here in North America, we scarcely notice them, and many consumers likely assume they’re set by the Internet. They’ll continue to operate, albeit without a self-setting function…thus eventually leading, in the words of Thomas the tank engine’s ubiquitous station master, Sir Topham Hatt, to “confusion and delays.”Īnd, unfortunately, should the closure occur, there may not even be any public announcement to that effect. If the budget is passed as proposed, after WWVB is closed your atomic clock synchronized devices will no longer be accurate, nor will they automatically be able to toggle the time between Standard to Daylight Savings Time. This budget was not approved by Sir Topham Hatt! Regular readers of the SWLing Post are already aware that the NIST Fiscal Year 2019 Presidential Budget Request includes a call to shutdown WWVB and two shortwave radio NIST time stations, WWV and WWVH. Collins, Colorado, operated by PML’s Time and Frequency Division.Īccording to the latest estimates, there are at least 50 million radio-controlled clocks in operation (and another few million wristwatches) all receiving accurate time from WWVB’s 60 kHz broadcast-and approximately a million new commercial radio-controlled products are sold each year. WWVB receivers are embedded in so many consumer appliances from cameras to irrigation controllers, these devices depend upon the very accurate timing the station imparts.įor huge numbers of people in North America who spend their days in schools, offices, stores, factories and public facilities, the time of their lives comes from clocks controlled by a single radio station that few people have ever heard: WWVB in Ft. Translation: How accurate is this time signal? Crazily, insanely accurate.Īnd that’s a good thing, as so many of the things we rely on all the time (and often take for granted) rely on it. WWVB provides a continuous 60 kHz carrier wave that, among other things, is employed by self-setting “atomic” clocks used by consumers and industry. WWVB is a time station operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which derives its time from a system of atomic clocks with frequency uncertainty of less than 1 part in 1012. Here’s the issue: WWVB, the atomic clock time signal station that synchronizes time devices, may be shut down next year if a presidential budget request passes as proposed. And all of these sync to a radio station you use more than any other, yet likely have never heard of: NIST Time Signal Station WWVB in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Indeed, a large portion of wall clocks, alarm clocks, and watches, not to mention weather stations, cameras, and potentially a number of other devices, have a built-in receiver that self-calibrates. Many of us own self-setting clocks known as “atomic” clocks.

In fact, although I’m a tech geek of a sort, I don’t even know how many of my standard, everyday devices––devices I rely on every day––fall into this category…But I may find out soon. Do you have a self-setting “atomic” clock or watch?

Radio controlled clock problems