I would miss WWV not just for the time reference. For many of us, it is also an accurate frequency reference. Although today's HF gear is digital, if the reference is off, you get a very precise but wrong reading on the display. Zero beat WWV and you should read the proper frequency,if not something is wrong. At HF,any Doppler from propagation is almost negligible.
NIST proposed budget includes shutdown of WWV and WWVH
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ridgescan
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My R75 only drifted off beat twice since I bought it in 2008. The R71A did so a half dozen times since I got it in 2009. Mainly heat which I remedied on both rigs so has not happened in a long while. But WWV's reliable for this use, moreso than hams or BCs. They're always dead-on.
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Not sure I'd use that as evidence of a lock. I've seen handheld GPS receivers still say they have a lock when the position information doesn't change, as long as it still has its GPS channels still in memory.
Just out of curiosity, what chip is this using and where is the antenna located?
It's a Reyax RYN25DI with a U-Blox chip. And the light does indicate satellite lock, I've verified by monitoring the data output from the module. The LED is connected to the timepulse output, and the module won't toggle the output unless it can at least generate a 2D fix. You can't have a microsecond-accurate time output if the receiver position isn't known relative to the satellites. The antenna is a 25mm patch on the back of the scanner.
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That's just fine until the next Carrington Event occurs. It's only a question of when not if another will happen. Such an event will almost certainly destroy all satellites currently in use, not to mention disruption to the global electrical grid.
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A direct hit from a CME will probably take out terrestrial broadcast stations as well, either from power surges/outages, or damage from excessive power feeding into the transmitter from the antenna. HF and below will be more vulnerable to the latter.
I tried zero beating WWV this morning with my R75, but the signal was extremely weak on both 10 and 15 mHz. It rarely rose above my S4 noise floor, and eventually faded out entirely. Going by how much the pitch of their continuous tone changed when I switched to USB, it sounded in musical terms like roughly a semitone (for example, C sharp vs. C natural). I didn't get the chance to switch the tuning step to 1 hz and zero beat the signal properly so I could see the difference in Hertz. I'll have to wait 'til after dark and try again.
At any rate, I don't have the necessary tools to calibrate the receiver properly. Even basic things like alignment screwdrivers have to be ordered on the internet, as there are no electronic parts suppliers in my town. We used to have a Radio Shack here until the company's Canadian operations were bought out several years ago by a company owned by Bell called "The Source". They sell no parts, just consumer electronics.
I've had this receiver for twenty years, and have never opened the cabinet other than to replace the clock battery or to install the DSP module, which was still optional when I bought it.
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ridgescan
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I never got around to getting the proper plastic alignment screwdrivers needed for this. I only have a bunch of metal ones here, so I put a wrap around the handles on a few different-sized ones to keep me from coupling to the rig works well.
works well.Wouldn't the screwdriver's metal shaft pull the frequency slightly just by its proximity to the component? I've also thought of fashioning an alignment screwdriver out of a piece of plastic cable tie, you know, the kind with the notches for locking the tie in place once it has been tightened around some cables (or around a crime suspect's wrist's once he's been apprehended). I've found various uses for those handy ties; mixing and applying epoxy glue to small items is one example.I never got around to getting the proper plastic alignment screwdrivers needed for this. I only have a bunch of metal ones here, so I put a wrap around the handles on a few different-sized ones to keep me from coupling to the rig
nd5y
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Yes. Even if you aren't directly touching it. That's why they make ceramic tipped alignment tools and mini screwdrivers.
OK, WWV came back in, so I was finally able to determine that my R75 is out by 30 Hz, which is not all that much considering its age. Of course, I never did this test when it was new, so it could have already been out by a few Hz back then. By comparison, my ATS-909X has a fine tuning step of 40 Hz in SSB, and adjusting the fine tuning doesn't update the frequency readout on the LCD anyway, so I can't carry out an accurate test on that radio.
ridgescan
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True but yet it works out fine for me.
ridgescan
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You mean Zipties? Wouldn't they be too flexy? You need something more rigid to turn those pots.
Allen1972
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WWV and WWVH shutdown
Lets hope not, because I will have to depend on CHU in Canada
Lets hope not, because I will have to depend on CHU in Canada
Ah, ha! Zip ties; I never knew quite what to call them. What I had in mind would be a short piece of a tie. The shortness would make it more rigid.
Anyway, I've decided not to bother with calibration at this point, as long as most of the SSB stations sound natural without having to detune them. Even when I have to, the selectable tuning steps on the R75 are fantastic. When I got this radio 20 years ago I could not believe that a receiver with digital tuning could be tuned by a mere 1 hz. The old analog tuners with variable capacitors could do that, but you could never see the exact frequency on the tuning dial. Dial cord backlash, not to mention slipping or frayed dial cords, often made matters worse. I don't know how many dial cords I must have replaced on those old boat anchors.
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Oh, well. At least you're closer to Ottawa than I am, so you'd get a stronger signal. It's kind of ironic that a Canadian should have to struggle to hear his government's radio service in his own country. At least the CBC runs repeaters; they seem to be everywhere in Canada.
Years ago when I worked in both commercial radio and TV, I became addicted to a timepiece being accurate. Not only that, I insist on analog. I like the visual picture of the location of the hands because I could more quickly determine how much time is left before the hour or half-hour. My three home clocks and my Casio watch are "atomic" as they say, and analog. My Samsung watch has an analog face and is quasi-atomic because it gets the correct time from the phone. The screen saver on my phone is analog also.
I'm also old (I'll never see 70 again) and that may have something to do with it. And, incidentally, yes, I can read a digital timepiece.
I'm also old (I'll never see 70 again) and that may have something to do with it. And, incidentally, yes, I can read a digital timepiece.
I'm 71 myself and also prefer analog timepieces. I also detest watches that need to be opened occasionally to replace the batteries, especially watches requiring a special tool like those used by jewellers. In many cases that kind of watch also needs the waterproof seal replaced before it's closed up again. My current wristwatch is self-winding. Not as accurate as a digital one, of course, but as a retired senior, who cares about accuracy? There's not much chance of me being late for anything. I leave accuracy to my computer's clock and the digital clocks in my radios. They, of course, have gotten me used to expressing the time as "three forty five" rather than "a quarter to four", but it's still easier to relate to the position of the hands on an analog timepiece.
And by the way, I usually have to give the watch a few extra turns of its crown, since I'm not always active enough to keep it running. :lol:
WWV Shortwave Time Broadcasts May Be Slashed In 2019
WWV Shortwave Time Broadcasts May Be Slashed In 2019
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/18/08/14/2310259/wwv-shortwave-time-broadcasts-may-be-slashed-in-2019
WWV Shortwave Time Broadcasts May Be Slashed In 2019
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/18/08/14/2310259/wwv-shortwave-time-broadcasts-may-be-slashed-in-2019
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