)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Is it live or is it ...?
This is how the Bell Operating Company Operators provided callers with the time - one at a time -
before WeatherChron & Audichron designed and built automated systems to answer multiple lines!.
With the passing of Ellis H. Bryant Jr. on November 23, 2011, The Weatherchron Company chose to discontinue operations.
Ellis Bryant was the inventor of the Weatherchron machine that has provided callers with accurate time and temperature - sometimes in excess
of a million times in a month (see photographs below).
For 40 years we have listened to short messages that preceded the time and temperature information. These were pre-recorded by professional
spokes-persons and copied onto Weatherchron's server equipment located in Chamblee. For the greater part of these broadcasts during the last five
years, the sponsor has been the Weatherchron Company and the messages have supported charities, churches and others in need.
The patented Weatherchron system checked and made minor adjustments several times a day, using the WWV radio time signal. The signal is
still broadcast from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) radio station - located in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Millisecond adjustments were made in the range of 5-10ms, compensating for the propagation delay between Fort Collins and Chamblee. The
astronomical source of this very accurate time for America and most of the world was, and still is, the responsibility of the U.S. Naval Observatory’s
master clocks, located in Washington DC and Flagstaff, Arizona.
After serving in the Army Air Corps during WWII, Mr. Bryant worked on the B-29 Project at Bell Aircraft Company in Marietta, Georgia; later taking
a position as Chief Engineer for radio station WATL, working with Jim Woodruff. Afterward he joined the Audichron Company, where he served as
Vice President and Chief Engineer of the company. During the next 20 years, Ellis applied for and obtained various patent designs for telecom-equipment.
In the early 70's, he married his beloved wife Helen and in 1972, they founded Weatherchron. The startup began in their garage and later moved to
Chamblee, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta located on the main northeast rail line. We are all thankful for the service Ellis and Helen have provided over the
years. Ellis and The Weatherchron Company will be missed by three generations of Americans and his friends.
Ed Lewis, friend and fellow engineer. 2012/January.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2012-01-22 Monday @ 163045PM
Since the early 196o's, The Weatherchron Company has patented, manufactured, sold and supported, chronometrically based telecommunications systems.
For more than 40 years, the loyalty of their clientele has sustained the company - sharing in each others success.
On 2012-January 18th, a small group of telecomm consultants, engineers and technicians in Atlanta were given permission
by co-founder Helen Bryant to port (reactivate) the time and temperature number 770.455.7141.
This number has been memorized and called by millions of people. And now the number will soon begin providing time and
temperature as before; but will now include advanced digital based services too. For many callers, it offered comfort and
assurance to know that one's phone was working properly, simply because Weatherchron had answered.
Soon, both legacy and advanced technology options will be offered by FlexCom.com with Marketing of Information Transport
Systems, supported by IVectory.com. Both of these companies are committed to continuing the high ideals and standards
of business to which Ellis and Helen Bryant were unwavingly committed. Ellis will be greatly missed by many, but all who knew him
know he is back home with the Lord of his life.
With deepest sympathy, love and respect to the Bryant Family in their loss,
Don Wagner, a friend & brother in Christ for nearly 40 years
Historical WeatherChron Company brochure from 1973. Select (click) a page to Zoom.
Is it live or is it ...?
This is how the Bell Operating Company Operators provided callers with the time - one at a time -
before WeatherChron & Audichron designed and built automated systems to answer multiple lines!.