[time-nuts] gravity controlled pendulumn clock?

[aartmolsen at comcast.net]

Instead of a GPS disciplined one ton mass, Huygens used a second clock on his mantel. The very slight acceleration that each pendulum exerted on the mantel caused the other clock to displace slightly, so its escapement triggered either earlier or later, and finally the clocks became synchronized with their pendulums 180 degrees out of phase. I'm sure a large oscillating mass anywhere near your house -- i.e. wherever a seismograph would detect it -- would do the same thing, regardless of gravity. 


Aart Olsen 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Hawkins" <bill at iaxs.net> 
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" <time-nuts at febo.com> 
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 9:17:07 PM 
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] gravity controlled pendulumn clock? 

Could I discipline a Shortt clock to GPS by using a PLL that slid a one 
ton mass along the basement floor near the free pendulum? Sliding the one 
ton mass is left as an exercise for the reader, as is installing it in the 
basement.