[time-nuts] GOES time service

[Tim Shoppa]

"Poul-Henning Kamp" <phk at phk.freebsd.dk> wrote:

> In message <20080409162704.574CBBA49DF at mini-me.trailing-edge.com>, Tim Shoppa w
> rites:
>
> >I know in the case of my "day job" that the process of permitting
> >to change out the antenna on a roof of a commercial building, contracting
> >to get it done, running the cable down eleven floors, and modifying/requalifying
> >the system that uses the time (not just computers
> >but also a phone switch) can run circa $250K and literally
> >a year of meetings with everybody from the lawyers and neighborhood
> >association meetings (permit process) to procurement to software changes.
>
> You have just recited most of timing.com's sales pitch for their
> Telco-grade Cesium units, the last bit is 
>
> 	"Buy this box for $lot_less, mount it, fire it up, see the
> 	green light turn on, put a mark in your calendar 10 years
> 	on when the warranty expires."
>
> It is a sad testimony to modern civilization that this works so well.

What's really sad is that the GPS antennas are the size of a hockey
puck and completely invisible from the ground - or for that matter any
of the surrounding buildings as the antenna is actually lower
than the parapets around the roof.  Yet we need zoning
and community and FAA approvals!

Tim.