Topband: OT - US Hams, WWV closure

[Paul Christensen]

>"The cost savings they are talking about amounts to very little.  It  would cost a helluva lot more to  dismantle them completely.  Besides  TIME and freq standards,  WWV  provides  for a myriad of other  features."

Seems like a great opportunity to spin-off WWV/WWVB to one of Colorado's state universities; WWVH to a Hawaii university.  Let a university run it as a STEM project under the auspices of their dept. of physics or engineering.  Assign an advisor to help lead the students into worthwhile projects and responsibilities.  Here's an opportunity for academic professors to lead by example, not just teach.   It's not like it takes expensive, and largely unmotivated federal workers with their long-term FERS/CSRS expenses to keep the stations running.  Moreover, it should be easier for a school to secure private, external corporate funding and grants as needed, rather than through a U.S. federal agency.  In time, upgrade/expand the existing buildings for other university STEM projects.  Let the universities work with high schools - and get high school students motivated to pursue STEM degrees.  Give them operating shifts, special construction projects, write code for remote station monitoring, etc.  

My university had two student-run radio stations, run under the direction of an academic advisor.  Never in my life have I met a more motivated group of people who worked for free.  We couldn’t get enough if it.  The experience we received was priceless.     

Paul, W9AC