So Long, CHU, And Thanks For All The Time Signals | Hackaday

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In the long ago, pre-internet days when your clock project wasn’t an ESP32 getting its timing via NTP over WiFi, it was still possible to build a wirelessly-updating clock. All you needed was a shortwave receiver tuned to a time signal — perhaps like the National Research Council of Canada’s CHU, found on the dial at 3330, 7850, and 14 670 kHz. At least, it can be found at those frequencies until June 22nd, 2026, when the station will finally go dark.

Depending where you were on Earth, it might have been easier to tune into CHU than the United States based WWVB, or one of the various European signals like DCF77 or the UK’s MSF. If you’re not into radio, all these time signals have essentially the same job, if you hadn’t guessed: tell the time. This can be done in a variety of ways, and CHU has made use of more than one of them since its establishment in 1923.

Initially, the time was sent in Morse code, but later they added a speaking clock for easier human listening in both Canadian French and English. For synchronizing radio clocks, a series of pulses is given in DUT1 format using 0.3s pulses — which is what older clocks would have been listening to — and nowadays a digital FSK time code for more modern equipment. You can have a listen through the video by [Shortwave Listener] embedded below.

It’s not our place to judge the Government of Canada for trying to save money where they can. It wasn’t so long ago that WWVB was in danger of shutting down for similar reasons. But we’re still going to miss those beeps. If you do tune in before the station goes dark, CHU should still be giving out QSL cards. Get yours before it’s gone forever.

If you do have a clock that relies on this time signal, don’t worry. You can make your own, perhaps with a GPS time source.

58 thoughts on “So Long, CHU, And Thanks For All The Time Signals”

Canada shutdown the weather stations back in March, now this.

The savings from shutting these down is minuscule, the impact might be subtle for some people, but it isn’t insignificant.

Relying on the internet and gps as the only methods isn’t a positive change.

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When was the last time something in Canada was a positive change?

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Legal weed.

Nova Scotia getting a launch pad and its conservative politicians backing off from disability/education/health cuts.

They’re making a high-speed train rn to connect Ontario and Quebec.

Less reliance on US agriculture and products such as alcohol over the last two years.

They’ve been settling problems with India and China; allowing trade between all three and helping products from China to become cheaper while — despite it being an issue in the past — cooperating on nuclear research again with India.

Closer ties with Europe and Ukraine.

just to name a few…

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@rand:

You accidentally let a negative change slip into your list

‘Closer ties with Europe and Ukraine’

I’m not sure which of the two would be worse to have close ties to, but for now I’ll go with Ukraine.

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idiotic take

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Uh. No.

sorry.

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@rand

Ukraine is deep in dept, they also are corrupt as hell (even their closest friends confirm that), they also are fanatic and violent (they try to get involved in more conflicts, FFS) and have tons of neo-nazis.

So trying to think of a benefit of ‘closer ties’, I guess that’s it then? Canada needs more nazis to applaud in parliament? I guess they ARE a good source, can’t fault you for that. Excuse me for not getting why people like nazis so much, I guess I am indeed an idiot for not getting that as selador says.

Mind you they also have lots of minerals, but those are already taken in advance by the US, so that can’t be it.

Unless.. maybe you have a sweet tooth for Roshen candy? Maybe it’s as innocent as that.

Or maybe you fear that Tr*mp will not be distracted long enough to prevent him invading Canada and you need tons of cheap attack drones, and counter tactics, which would indeed be a valid reason, and if that’s it I withdraw my remarks.

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When was legal weed good?

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Better than getting hassled by pigs

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While the cost may amount to a rounding error in national budget, it is not zero. Utilities and maintenance are probably $10k per month. Add in personnel and admin costs and you easily have a quarter to a half million dollar expense.

Why pay this when you can poach the US (or EU, Chinese, Russian) GPS time sync for free?

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@dcnpat

Because ‘things’ are increasingly more likely to happen?

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Just like their ‘defence’ paradigm.

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You’re right. I would say the Canadian government is penny wise and pound foolish but this goes to show they’re penny foolish too.

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The current PM ha some economic...