What time is it?

[Unimatic1140]

I've noticed lately that you cannot find WWV streaming on the internet anymore apparently because "signals are often delayed as they stream over the internet". But the last time I checked my windows computers were all within less than 1/2 second of being correct to the WWV beep.

When I was a kid I always listed to WWV being broadcasted on short wave radio from Fort Collins, CO.

 

[kb0nes]

WWV

As an amateur radio operator I have had long history with WWV. In the pre-internet days it was how I always set my clocks for timing. Some exchanges are timed to within seconds and tracking amateur satellites needed a good time standard also. WWV is also used as a common frequency standard reference.

I looked into the history of WWV a number of years ago and learned that when I was born the station was actually located on the USDA land in Greenbelt, MD not far from Beltsville. I managed to get the original Lat/Long of the station from the NIST folks and while in the area for the last Beltsville Wash-In I went to see if the original building was still there. The location where the building was appears to be part of the Goddard Space Flight complex now. Photo shows the Greenbelt WWV building which was used till 1966 when they relocated to Colorado.

For those that listen to the time standard signal on shortwave, 5 & 10Mhz most commonly, it's interesting to listen for both WWV and WWVH. WWVH is the station in Hawaii. Right before the top of the minute, if you hear a female voice announce the time, that is the Hawaiian station.

There was a funding scare for NIST in 2019 when there was a suggestion that WWV/WWVH/WWVB would be shut down. Luckily funding was preserved, I have a hunch the loss of the WWVB signal that syncs all our 'atomic' clocks may have been the saving grace.

 

[tolivac]

The WWV signal that syncs clock comes from a different transmitter plant.At one time there was a proposal to locate the transmitter at the VOA Black Jack transmitter plant-where I am at now.It was installed somewhere else the location escapes my mind right now.The WWV signals serve as frequency standards for equipment calibration besides time standards.5Mhz,10Mhz carrier frequencies.