Pop Culture dictionary
Klystron 9
[ klahy-stron nahyn ]
What does Klystron 9 mean?
Klystron 9 is the name of a powerful Doppler weather radar. It is owned and operated by Bay News 9, a cable television network based in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Where does Klystron 9 come from?
In 2009, Bay News 9 unveiled Klystron 9. Folks who were hoping it was the name of a laser-shooting mega-robot or home planet to advanced alien life forms were sorely disappointed. No, it was an updated version of their current Doppler radar, used by meteorologists to predict and analyze weather patterns, such as storms or temperature fronts.
At its debut, the network boasted the Klystron 9 as “the most advanced, most powerful, highest resolution broadcast weather radar in the world.”
The name Klystron 9 is derived from radar’s klystron tube, a special kind of electron vacuum tube that amplifies radio frequencies, and the 9 in Bay News 9.
Klystron 9 is well known in Florida, even in areas further removed from the Tampa Bay area where the radar is based. It is also notable for the jingle that plays to introduce images or information from Klystron 9.
Examples of Klystron 9
Who uses Klystron 9?
Many Floridians rely on Klystron 9 for weather news, especially if they live in the Tampa Bay area.
I'd like to thank my family, my friends, the weathermen, Klystron 9, and most importantly Hurricane Matthew for this 4 day weekend
— Morgan Woods🌺 (@morganwoods57) October 5, 2016
Klystron 9, and its signature jingle, is a common enough reference in Florida that it even appears as a punchline.
Got the klystron 9 beat playing every time my mom calls just so I know the storms comin
— jif (@JesseLymbo) August 18, 2015
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of Klystron 9 like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of Klystron 9 that will help our users expand their word mastery.