In the abbreviation for weather stations WX1, WX2, WX3, I think I understand what the W stands for. But what is the X?
remember when
you were a kid in school? If you got an answer to a question wrong you got an “x”. Seeing as I’ve been using vhf radio for 16 years and have never heard N.O.A.A. get the weather right I imagine it stands for “weather wrong”.
It’s shorthand…
– Last Updated: Apr-09-06 12:46 PM EST –
"WX" is meteorologist shorthand for "Weather". "WX1" isn't the name of any weather station, it's simply the abbreviation on your radio for one of the NOAA weather radio frequencies.
WX1 - 162.400 MHz
WX2 - 162.425
WX3 - 162.450
WX4 - 162.475
WX5 - 162.500
WX6 - 162.525
WX7 - 162.550
There are hundreds of relatively low power (usually either 300 or 1000 watts) weather transmitters across the country; there are 7 channels set aside for them so stations adjacent to eachother don't interfere.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/nwrbro.htm
And yes, I agree the NWS's long(er) term forecasts don't seem very accurate anymore. I do think their severe WX forecasting accuracy had impoved greatly over the years. Maybe it's a matter of allocating funds?
Phreon
I figured W
stood for weather. Seemed sufficient without the X. But then along came Bush.
you implying
weather"George W. Bush"?
What does Bush have to do with it?
– Last Updated: Apr-09-06 3:42 PM EST –
WX as been the standard abbreviation for around for the better part of a century. Back in the day when RTTY machines, morse code operators and dinosaurs roamed the earth, brevity was paramount. Since there were multiple abbreviations that began with "W", they had to add something to signify "weather"; we have "WX" ("X" meaning "the rest of the word").
Don't forget "DX" for distance, "CQ" for "Attention!" and "SOS" for "Distress", etc. I'm pretty sure the Bush family can claim no involvement and had no vested interest in the Marconi Company.
As for screwing other things up, that is for you to decide.
Phreon
“X” normally means
Transmit. As in Xmit.
Therefore, WX is Weather Transmit.
Jim
Old CW abbreviation
This may or may not be why VHF marine radio manuals list the NOAA weather station channels using the WX abbreviation, but the WX abbreviation has long been used among CW or “Morse Code” operators for the word weather and that is the general meaning of WX among those in the radio communication field.