[time-nuts] Precision Standard Time Model OEM-10 WWV Receiver

[Gregory Beat]

“Digging deep” into the Internet mines.  I found out who “David S.” was.  This Usenet conversation occurred with introduction of the PST OEM-10 receiver in autumn of 1986.  The PST OEM-10 had a MSRP of $450, as noted in Info World magazine, News Briefs, page 16, November 3 1986 issue.
Rex Brown was Vice President of Marketing.
https://books.google.com/books?id=jzwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=precision+standard+time+OEM-10&source=bl&ots=i15YkkNpwh&sig=y6Cy3hubdpJUFuVYrK35YCerqIk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMuubXnKzcAhXH6IMKHcIhCQEQ6AEwA3oECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=precision%20standard%20time%20OEM-10&f=false
==
Usenet : net.misc
Clock keeps correct time by listening to the radio (WWV/WWVH)
9/7/1986

David Schachter
I'm sorry; the system I'm on doesn't know about net.newprod so I'm putting the new product announcement in the two newgroups that are pertinent.  (See preceding article.)
 
My company makes a product that may solve the hassles of shifting Daylight Savings Time start/stop dates.  The Precision Clock/Time Receiver, Model OEM-10 receives shortwave radio broadcasts from the U.S. National Bureau of Standards containing the time and date.  These broadcasts, on radio stations WWV and WWVH, are converted by the clock into a format suitable for use by computer systems and output through an RS-232 port.  The N.B.S. transmissions include a bit which is twitched twice a year, to indicate the start and stop of Daylight Savings time and the clock has a switch to let you control whether the bit is accepted or ignored.  (The clock has other switches to let you control other aspects of its behavior.)  

Anyway, before this turns into a sales pitch, let me give you the address and phone number where you can get more information, if you want:
Precision Standard Time, Inc.
2585 Scott Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
+1 (408) 980-8001
(If you wonder, I'm the same David who used to work for Daisy Systems.)
I am an employee of Precision Standard Time, Inc. and have a financial interest in the firm.  Uh, if you want to reply to this, perhaps net.unix-wizards is more appropriate than net.misc.

===

Bob Devine noted the same issues stated by Brooke Clarke, on his web page.  This was Mr. Schachter’s response:

Mr. Devine raises two points regarding WWV/WWVH radio clocks.  

First Point is that some states do not follow the national Daylight Savings Time guidelines and thus the WWV/WWVH broadcast will not work correctly with Daylight Savings Time.  He is correct.  

Automatic DST correction by the clock can be defeated with a switch or through the serial port.  Of course this reduces the usefulness of the clock.  Question: are there enough localities with their own DST rules that the PSTI clock should allow some user programmability of the DST rules, perhaps letting the user enter start and stop dates over the serial port?

Second Point is the low signal strength on the East Coast.  This is not a problem, at least with the PSTI clock.  We have several units working on the East Coast.  The signal strength on the East Coast is certainly lower than nearer the transmitter (hey, that's not always the case with shortwave radio!) but our receiver is very sensitive, and is designed to receive just the five WWV/WWVH frequencies.  A specialized receiver such as this can be more sensitive than a generalized receiver, says the RF analog design guy.  It
sounds reasonable .... / David Schachter.

==
> On Jul 19, 2018, at 5:40 PM, Greg Beat <w9gb at icloud.com> wrote:
> 
> Precision Standard Time Model OEM-10 WWV Receiver (circa 1986) has appeared on eBay.
> eBay auction # 132698350395 (Panhandle Surplus LLC, Texas)
> Reseller accepting offers (“Make Offer” active).
> 
> Brooke Clarke, N6GCE has a write-up on the related PST model 1020 receiver/display.
> Supposedly a “David S.” wrote the software.
> http://prc68.com/l/PST1020.shtml
> 
> greg, w9gb
> Sent from iPad Air