[time-nuts] How did they distribute time in the old days?

[Brooke Clarke]

Hi Don:

I've got a number of SWCC clocks and 3V doesn't work for any of them.  I've done a number of experiments and a higher 
voltage and series resistor makes a huge improvement.


Mail_Attachment --
Have Fun,

Brooke Clarke
http://www.PRC68.com
http://www.end2partygovernment.com/2012Issues.html
http://www.prc68.com/I/DietNutrition.html
Don Couch wrote:
> Hi, Brooke,
>
> My self winding clock synchronizes fine on three volts. I built a synchronizer using a PIC controller with a 32KHz 
> quartz crystal, running on three volts. You might want to carefully check the coil and connections on yours. By the 
> way, the winding coils also are running on three volts.
>
> Don Couch
>
> On 10/14/2015 11:02 AM, Brooke Clarke wrote:
>> Hi Nick:
>>
>> One of my Self Winding Clock Co. (WU) clocks was taken down yesterday for painting.
>> When put up one of the Ken's Clock Synchronizers was installed and the hands moved to align with the heart shaped cam 
>> it uses, but it never worked.
>> The problem was it used a 4.5 Volt signal which can develop the current needed to pull the sync electromagnet the 
>> time constant is far too slow.
>> I'm going to add a high voltage circuit with series resistor to get the time constant down one or two orders of 
>> magnitude.  The key to this is a PCB I make that holds 5 each 9V batteries connected in series, so I'll use one, two 
>> or more of them to get the time constant down.
>> http://www.prc68.com/P/45VS.html
>>
>> Before I had the 45 Volt Stick I was considering getting the needed high voltage by charging a cap a minute or two 
>> before the top of the hour and discharging it through a resistor.  Here's a video showing that would work.
>> http://www.prc68.com/I/SWCC.shtml#Experiments_Feb_2014_
>>
>> Mail_Attachment --
>> Have Fun,
>>
>> Brooke Clarke
>> http://www.PRC68.com
>> http://www.end2partygovernment.com/2012Issues.html
>> http://www.prc68.com/I/DietNutrition.html
>> Nick Sayer via time-nuts wrote:
>>>> On Oct 14, 2015, at 4:42 AM, billriches <bill.riches at verizon.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Not milisecond time distribution but time related!
>>>>
>>>> In the early half of the 1900s Western Union was in the time business.  They
>>>> would rent businesses such as banks, office buildings, etc clocks for a few
>>>> dollars a month.  These were pendulum wall clocks that had 2 #6 dry cell
>>>> batteries inside that would wind them every hour or so. The clocks were
>>>> connected to the WU telegraph line and for a minute before and after  the
>>>> top of the hour all traffic on the circuit would stop. Exactly at the top
>>>> of the hour they would push a pulse of 50 ? volts or so over the line and it
>>>> would reset the clock to the top of the hour.
>>> The WU standard time service goes back further than the turn of the 20th century. It started in 1870.
>>>
>>> I’ve always wanted to get my hands on one of those clocks and come up with a circuit to recreate the synchronization 
>>> signal for it, probably with a Raspberry Pi running ntpd and a big ol’ MOSFET. The problem is that at this point, 
>>> those clocks are quite expensive once they’re reconditioned.
>>>
>>> My understanding (perhaps incorrect) was that the sync pulse was once daily and, as you said, would cause the hands 
>>> to “snap” to 12. The trailing edge of the pulse was synchronized and would release the clock to operate normally.
>>>
>>> That they had something as accurate and widespread as it was so early is astonishing.
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>>
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