Paul.Schleck@f27.n285.z1.fidonet.org (Paul Schleck) (11/17/90)
Well, after reading the myriad posts about the Western Union Clock service and deciding that I just >>had<< to get one of my own, I reached for the nearest yellow pages and talked to just about every clock repair shop and antique dealer who would pick up the phone. My search ended with an antique dealer in Omaha. He said he had two of them (standard wall model, I assume). He was at home (got his calls forwarded) and said he would sell them for "100-120 bucks or so." Does this sound like a fair price? Since he DOES have two, someone else can snap up the other one. Mindful of the Fidonet ban on "advertising", I will let prospective buyers contact me at home via the telephone. I have no financial interest in any transaction that will take place between you and this dealer. There was a post on this conference about someone who made a circuit to synchronize the clock via the telegraph line hookup. Are these schematics available? Are the obligatory SASE's and green stamps for copying costs involved? Let me know. My local BBS sysop deletes often, so the relevant posts are now in the bit bucket. I was thinking of homebrewing a tone discriminator that would monitor WWV and listen for that standard reference tone at the top of the hour (which is different from the tone at the other 59 minutes), detect it for a fraction of a second (to prevent falsing) and send a synchronization signal to the clock. Any ideas on this one? Can't wait to have one of these beauties in the computer room/hamshack whirring away at the top of each hour. My girlfriend ALREADY thinks I'm nuts for collecting "all this wierd junk." Paul W. Schleck, KD3FU (402) 291-6176 (6-9 p.m. Central) Internet pschleck@alf.unomaha.edu --- Ybbat (DRBBS) 8.9 v. 3.12 r.5 [1:285/27@fidonet] Neb. Inns of Court 402/593-1192 (1:285/27.0) --- Through FidoNet gateway node 1:16/390 Paul.Schleck@f27.n285.z1.fidonet.org [Moderator's Note: I'd say the price he quoted is fair, assuming the clocks actually work. If they are not working, you can still cheat by putting an electric clock works in the case and use only the dial, hands and cabinet. Regards the various plans for a pseudo setting circuit, if you think it is worth the time, go ahead; but I can tell you that if the clock is hung *perfectly level* and the pendulum calibrated properly (a few days of testing by setting the time and watching for inaccuracies a day or so later) you will find the clock stays accurate within a minute or less per month as is. My two WU clocks do their own thing and when I think of it once a month or so I set them if they are more than a minute off. PAT]