C. Crane loves radio and are here to make sure you’re informed when something might impact radio in a negative way. The NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) has proposed cutting their radio stations (WWV, WWVH, and WWVB) from their budget next year. This is the only reliable source of shortwave to see how band conditions are. This would equate to all three stations being closed down. We’ve heard from our friends in the field that shortwave radio listeners are gutted by the idea of losing WWV and WWVH–both stations are staple references for listeners and hams alike. The loss of WWVB would mean that all of the atomic clock-synchronized time pieces out there in North America (clocks, watches, weather stations, etc.) would stop synchronizing and automatically changing from DST to standard time. We’ve heard conflicting reports as to whether WWVB would be impacted or not.
Our good friend and radio advocate Thomas Witherspoon was recently interviewed by NPR as to what impact this would have and why it matters. You can listen to the full interview here: https://www.npr.org/2018/08/25/641835302/what-closing-a-government-radio-station-would-mean-for-your-clocks. Continue Reading
