SPARC: Geochron

  • https://www.geochron.com/
  • Owner: Patrick Bolan
    • rides motorcycle around and visits geochron users
  • mechanical clock since 1964
    • automated map to show greyline
    • backlit
    • 6ft map that turns on gears
    • shades moved by motors
    • seen in movies: twister, clear and present danger, hunt for red october,
    • Ronald Reagan had them
      • gave Gorbechev one as a gift: American ingenuity
    • Geochron still has a mechanical shop to service them
      • refurbish 300 / yr
      • build 100 / yr new
      • $2500-$4000 for new mechanical
      • 25 hours to assemble
  • Geochron Digital
    • renders 4K on the client
    • pulls maps and data from geochron
    • HDMI
    • used on carnival cruises, since light on internet
  • his geochron shows:
    • pota
    • airplanes
    • weather / hurricane
    • naval carriers for US and others
    • aurora predictions
    • earthquakes
    • lighting strikes
    • noaa satellite images
    • fire hotspots in CA
    • pollution
    • remote controlled or by phone app
  • ISS has a video feed you can show on Geochron, and you can see lightning
  • Atlas 1 can’t render the newer animated overlays
  • Atlas 2 and pro (new this week) show everything
  • ham radio features
    • CQ zone maps
    • geocentric map
    • FT8
    • MUF
      • watch for “holes” on the way to a target where the signal would “escape”
    • filter by callsign prefixes (VK)
    • POTA / SOTA
    • ISS
    • satellites filtered by mode with footprint
    • QRZ logbook integration
    • where the moon is shining - moon terminator
  • need to customize, since there’s so much data
    • opacity
  • Atlas 2 - $425 -
    • 16 layers included with internet access
    • $2-11/month or more layers
    • email coupon@geochron.com for code
      • $425
      • free ham radio annual pass

See also