[SBE] EAS, UTC, and DST (Was: Re: Time standardization idea)

[Thomas Shanks]

EAS already uses UTC.  It's in the "duck fart" FSK code.  The local time and offset are NOT transmitted.  Only UTC is transmitted.  The device translates this to local time so that the information displayed/read on air is correct.  The protocol is specified in the CFRs.  You should read it.

There is an important point to be made here.  If your EAS machine does NOT understand the new DST dates, it will display the incorrect time on the screen during the weeks that now are in DST but used not to be.  DO NOT CORRECT THE TIME ON THE SCREEN DURING THESE WEEKS.  If you do, you will mess up the UTC time that is actually stored inside the machine and used for verifying that received EAS alerts are valid.  If you do this, no tests or alerts will be retransmitted (unless they are valid for over an hour), and your weekly tests will be transmitted incorrectly.  Your EAS machine will be as good as dead until you undo your error.

I am in the middle of writing a set of computer scripts (for linux/unix/mac machines) to read the ZCZC-codes off the serial port and provide instant alerts and weekly activity reports to the station management (via email) and to the logs.  If you want in on this, please send me an email and we can work out something.


Thomas Shanks CBRE
Chief Engineer
WREK Atlanta, Georgia Tech Student Radio


-----Original Message-----
From: "k7cr" <k7cr at blarg.net>

Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:23:38 
To: sbe member discussion mail list<sbe at sbe.org>
Subject: Re: [SBE] Time standardization idea


Adding to the problem is the issue of daylight time and last years
changes that have required manual changes to many items.

Thanks Ray for the interesting observation about the FCC.

I agree that getting folks to read clocks is another issue.

cf

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David R. Wilson" <david at wwns.com>
To: "sbe member discussion mail list" <sbe at sbe.org>
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 3:49 PM
Subject: Re: [SBE] Time standardization idea



> The only fly in the ointment is operators that have to read the time.

>

> I would much rather go with UTC.  It makes life much easier.  In a

> previous job the crew I worked with finished changing all the clocks

> about 5 months after the time change.  It was a major pain finding all

> of the clocks that needed to be modified.

>

> Dave

>

>

> On Fri, 2009-03-20 at 15:39 -0700, k7cr wrote:

>> You have to wonder why this was not done long ago.

>> Love it !

>>

>> Clay Freinwald

>> ----- Original Message ----- 

>> From: "Chris Murray" <crmurray at clearwire.net>

>> To: "'sbe member discussion mail list'" <sbe at sbe.org>

>> Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 8:00 AM

>> Subject: Re: [SBE] Time standardization idea

>>

>>

>> >

>> > I love the idea.

>> > In fact it would be a no brainer to put a clock at the control point of

>> > the

>> > station or near the EAS decoder set to UTC time. It would help train

>> > operators of the amount of shift.

>> >

>> > Chris Murray

>> > -----Original Message-----

>> > From: sbe-bounces at sbe.org [mailto:sbe-bounces at sbe.org] On Behalf Of 

>> > Cowboy

>> > Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 7:32 AM

>> > To: rzeigler at krvn.com; sbe member discussion mail list

>> > Subject: Re: [SBE] Time standardization idea

>> >

>> > On Friday 20 March 2009 10:24 am, R. V. Zeigler wrote:

>> >>  What do others on the list think of the idea of the FCC standardizing

>> >>  all times to UTC? All licensed power/pattern changes would be in UTC 

>> >> and

>> >>  EAS messaging could be standardized to UTC. We only change the 

>> >> operator

>> >>  interface to reflect local time, but the equipment would be time zone

>> >>  and DST agnostic in it's actual operation. Off the top of my head it

>> >>  seems like this could be a remedy to a number of problems.

>> >>  Rod Zeigler

>> >

>> > Personally, I see no problem with the standard being the current 

>> > standard

>> > time.

>> > UTC , standard time, I fail to see a significant difference in 

>> > practice.

>> > DST, now THAT's a problem no matter how you slice it, and more

>> > a waste of time in my opinion.

>> >

>> > -- 

>> > Cowboy

>> >

>> > http://cowboys.homeip.net

>> >

>> > Each honest calling, each walk of life, has its own elite, its own

>> > aristocracy

>> > based on excellence of performance.  -- James Bryant Conant

>> >

>> > _______________________________________________

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>> >

>>

>> _______________________________________________

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> _______________________________________________

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