The first "time nut"?
My mention of Alfred Loomis prompted me to get the book out and I found
this quote (p. 70 of the hardcover edition):
"
Loomis would remain a "time nut" for the rest of his life, according to
Luis Alvarez, who recalled that Loomis always wore "two Accutrons -- one
on his right wrist and one on his left wrist." He would check them
every day against WWV (the standard frequency broadcasting station of
the National Bureau of Standards), and if one was gaining a half second
on the other, he would wear it on the outside of his wrist instead of
the inside, so that gravity changed the rate of the tuning fork and the
two watches tracked each other, and WWV, "to within less than a second a
day."
"
I know that at least one of us (not me!) was photographed in his younger
days wearing one watch on each wrist...
John
In message 4659C94A.3030206@febo.com, John Ackermann N8UR writes:
[...]and if one was gaining a half second
on the other, he would wear it on the outside of his wrist instead of
the inside, so that gravity changed the rate of the tuning fork [...]
I'd expect that the author got this wrong, it would be the temperature
change that did it.
--
Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
No, that is correct. The Accutron has a predictable position error, gaining or
loosing a couple of seconds a day depending on whether the tines of the fork are
pointing up or down. (gravity effects!). They are calibrated depending on
whether it is worn on the inside or outside of the wrist, or whether on the left
or right arm. He was simply taking advantage of this phenomenon to make it gain
or loose without having to reset it. (on the original 214's there was no hack
mechanism to start and stop the movement without taking the battery out).
When the watch is worn, it's temperature is maintained at very close to body
temperature, in effect it's own "oven".
Daun
-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On Behalf
Of Poul-Henning Kamp
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 2:42 PM
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] The first "time nut"?
In message 4659C94A.3030206@febo.com, John Ackermann N8UR writes:
[...]and if one was gaining a half second
on the other, he would wear it on the outside of his wrist instead of
the inside, so that gravity changed the rate of the tuning fork [...]
I'd expect that the author got this wrong, it would be the temperature
change that did it.
--
Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
time-nuts mailing list
time-nuts@febo.com
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
On Sun, 27 May 2007 18:42:17 +0000, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:
In message 4659C94A.3030206@febo.com, John Ackermann N8UR writes:
[...]and if one was gaining a half second
on the other, he would wear it on the outside of his wrist instead of
the inside, so that gravity changed the rate of the tuning fork [...]
I'd expect that the author got this wrong, it would be the temperature
change that did it.
Nope, The author got it right.
I have an Accutron 214. It runs fast six up and slow twelve up.
Regards,
Bill, NL7F
--
Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
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Bill Beam
NL7F
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I know that at least one of us (not me!) was photographed in his younger
days wearing one watch on each wrist...
25 years ago: Tom (2), Don (0), Glenn (1):
http://www.leapsecond.com/images/1982-tvb-pyramids-top.jpg
/tvb
Tom -
So, on an average, you each had one :). -
Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960
-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On
Behalf Of Tom Van Baak
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 3:31 PM
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] The first "time nut"?
I know that at least one of us (not me!) was photographed in his younger
days wearing one watch on each wrist...
25 years ago: Tom (2), Don (0), Glenn (1):
http://www.leapsecond.com/images/1982-tvb-pyramids-top.jpg
/tvb
time-nuts mailing list
time-nuts@febo.com
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
In message 001801c7a095$92f15810$de00470a@pc52, "Tom Van Baak" writes:
I know that at least one of us (not me!) was photographed in his younger
days wearing one watch on each wrist...
25 years ago: Tom (2), Don (0), Glenn (1):
http://www.leapsecond.com/images/1982-tvb-pyramids-top.jpg
Which 1970ies supergroup is this ? :-)
--
Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
Maybe Tom made a big time error of about 10 years, as it reminds me of
myself in the early 70's. Now just a young 62. -
Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960
-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On
Behalf Of Poul-Henning Kamp
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 4:01 PM
To: Tom Van Baak; Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] The first "time nut"?
In message 001801c7a095$92f15810$de00470a@pc52, "Tom Van Baak" writes:
I know that at least one of us (not me!) was photographed in his younger
days wearing one watch on each wrist...
25 years ago: Tom (2), Don (0), Glenn (1):
http://www.leapsecond.com/images/1982-tvb-pyramids-top.jpg
Which 1970ies supergroup is this ? :-)
--
Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.
time-nuts mailing list
time-nuts@febo.com
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
From: "Poul-Henning Kamp" phk@phk.freebsd.dk
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] The first "time nut"?
Date: Sun, 27 May 2007 20:01:28 +0000
Message-ID: 57398.1180296088@critter.freebsd.dk
In message 001801c7a095$92f15810$de00470a@pc52, "Tom Van Baak" writes:
I know that at least one of us (not me!) was photographed in his younger
days wearing one watch on each wrist...
25 years ago: Tom (2), Don (0), Glenn (1):
http://www.leapsecond.com/images/1982-tvb-pyramids-top.jpg
Which 1970ies supergroup is this ? :-)
Alan Parson Project? :) I think their Pyramid album was from 1981 or so.
OK, I am just too lazy to walk over and check the album. What is a few years
off among time-nuts anyway? :)
Looks like Glenn's T-shirt says Yamaha, which would be logical. :)
Cheers,
Magnus
Tom,
So it would seem you have been afflicted for a long time :-)
At such an advanced stage, is there any hope for a cure?
In this case, wouldn't a cure be a terrible thing?
Didier KO4BB
Tom Van Baak wrote:
I know that at least one of us (not me!) was photographed in his younger
days wearing one watch on each wrist...
25 years ago: Tom (2), Don (0), Glenn (1):
http://www.leapsecond.com/images/1982-tvb-pyramids-top.jpg
/tvb