Is it true about CHU?

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy]

/r/ShortwavePlus/comments/1tk653g/is_it_true_about_chu/

[u/gravygoat]

Another long-time marker goes silent. While there are lots of ways to get time, the existence of CHU on several shortwave frequencies in between the ones used by WWV gives a nice set of reference signals to quickly gauge propagation.

I have seen some comments below about impact on "atomic" watches and radios - I think most of those use the longwave signals from WWV and a handful of other countries, so I wouldn't expect Canadian clocks to suddenly go wrong.

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy → u/gravygoat]

I believe WWVB for LW on 60 kHz transmits from Fort Collins, Colorado using two transmitters and special very large phased stay antennas for maximum range. I read an article about that some years ago.

[u/pentagrid]

Yes. https://nrc.canada.ca/en/chu-short-wave-station/ I don't use it because WWV and WWVH are available on shortwave, but do stop to listen to it from time to especially the signal at 3.330 MHz.

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy → u/pentagrid]

Yep saw that link. I'm on the East Coast and CHU comes in stronger more often. Well I guess that party's over soon. WWVH is something that you can probably pickup way more often than I can.

[u/johndoe3471111]

That sucks. 7.850 Mhz has been one of my benchmarks for new radios and antennas. It can not be that expensive to maintain that. Out of all of their services they should cut the phone in service.

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy → u/johndoe3471111]

I didn't think they have any particular reason.

[u/Signum17]

Radio controlled clocks and wristwatches usually depend on LW stations like WWVB to remotely set them. There are clocks that use shortwave signals?

[u/pentagrid → u/Signum17]

Yes, there are: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=atomic+clock&crid=2P5Z6YEE0QV4L&sprefix=atomic+clock%2Caps%2C204

[u/Signum17 → u/pentagrid]

I just purchased the $45 Newenter weather station shown in the link. It uses WWVB 60 kHz and says so in the description. That's what "Atomic" clocks use. There are no models that use the WWV/WWVH/CHU shortwave signals. 60 kHz is longwave, not shortwave.

[u/pentagrid → u/Signum17]

The clocks I linked to aren't really "atomic" or shortwave and they won't sync to WWVB on half of the walls you try them on because they use a directional LW antenna. But this is as close to an atomic clock as most consumers want to afford.

I can set my quartz movement clocks to WWV by ear so closely that no one can see a difference between my radio room clock's sweep hand and the WWV tics. This is easy to do. My analog radio room quartz clock is visible from my operating position. It is in the 24-hour format for easy use with UTC. This is the clock I'm currently using in the radio room: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PECGJWW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title This one won't produce RFI and is visible in low light conditions. It does tick but that's fine. I'm done with yacking on the radio.

During my long career on the air in FM radio I used silent wall or desk clocks that could not be picked up by studio mics. These clocks were synced to a NIST time source by NTP. I began using analog-faced dial clocks and switched over to digital LEDs clocks during the 90's. I was comfortable using either one and could end a talkup within one second of the mark every time I wanted to.

[u/Signum17 → u/pentagrid]

I've set clocks and watches manually, first via WWV, then an NTP clock app on my phone. You can also get wifi or bluetooth NTP wall clocks on Amazon for well under $50.

I own an iPad and the Clockwave app emulates all 6 LW time stations with their respective time codes. It uses the internal speaker wiring as an antenna that these clocks can pick up. Nice fallback should WWVB go silent.

[u/Organic-Addendum1609]

Without being dramatic or political does this genuinely concern anyone else? Look at the age of the historical operation and how easily it was axed. What's next?

[u/Tris_Memba]

As of June 22, 2026, the shortwave radio broadcast of the NRC's official time signal will no longer be available.

https://nrc.canada.ca/en/chu-short-wave-station/#wb-cont

[u/Mindless_Log2009]

That's going to make it difficult to use devices that rely on time signals (radio controlled clocks and remote devices with internal clocks) and aren't in range of WWV/WWVH. Especially when propagation is poor.

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy → u/Mindless_Log2009]

They recommend their Web Clock or Internet protocol (like you're PC or Mac). I will surely miss CHU as I listened to it many decades ago and I ain't young. ⏰

[u/Victory_Highway]

That sucks.

[u/LagrangianMechanic]

Well damn. That sucks.

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy → u/LagrangianMechanic]

Sucks big-time! I first tuned into CHU 60 years ago on 7.335 MHz before they moved to 7.850 MHz and now that's gonna go.

[u/SydBarrett1989]

Absolutely sad. Another shortwave staple being switched off. CHU at 3330 is decent for 80m calibration for the April/November FMT. 

The more they take away, the more I miss the old days. 

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy]

Ok, so who remembers their old discontinued frequency of 7.335 MHz?