[time-nuts] WWVB funding cut (was: Re: NIST FY 2019 Budget Would Eliminate WWV and WWVH)

[Bob kb8tq]

Hi

At least based on conversations with people who have done it …. The electric bill for a 
high power transmitting setup is a bit exciting. After that, maintenance on the antennas 
cost more than one might think. It actually can be hazardous ( = I know of a friend who lost
a crew member doing it). The cost of the transmitters themselves and maintenance of the 
solid state versions …. pretty far down the page.

Bob

> On Aug 20, 2018, at 6:21 PM, Ruslan Nabioullin <rnabioullin at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> On Mon, Aug 20, 2018 at 5:51 PM, Bob kb8tq <kb8tq at n1k.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi
>> 
>> Ok, if it really does include WWVB, that gets a lot of mom and pop voters angry.
>> 
>> Bob
> 
> 
> Not that it'll make a diff, but:
> https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/maintain-funding-nist-stations-wwv-wwvh
> .  At least there's still CHU.
> 
> By the way, it shouldn't be too difficult nor costly to launch a
> private HF timing service with a format compatible with that of
> WWV/CHU (to avoid having to write decoders)---professional commercial
> and military (not amateur radio hobbyist stuff) multi-kW MF/HF
> transmitters are scrapped all the time, rather than being repurposed
> for productive use, and it need not be 24/7 (e.g., an HF timing
> service in Russia operates for part of the day).  I would've done it,
> but I'm focused on microwave instead (I own a microwave transmitter
> for interstellar METI use---15 kW output at waveguide flange), and am
> relocating out of the US (to Ireland).
> 
> GPS, both the space and ground segments, has better be bulletproof (or
> rather, antisatellite weapon-, NEMP-, space storm-, jamming-,
> spoofing-, and telecommand cracking-proof), and/or eLoran better be
> developed and deployed.  At least nowadays there exist three
> fully-functional constellations of GNSSs of diverse political
> ownership, though non-GPS receivers are virtually nonexistent on the
> surplus market, and new ones will likely cost a number of k USD.
> 
> -Ruslan
> 
> -- 
> Ruslan Nabioullin
> Wittgenstein Laboratories
> rnabioullin at gmail.com
> (508) 523-8535
> 50 Louise Dr.
> Hollis, NH 03049
> 
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