Thanks for all the ideas and replies. Let me see if I can address all points in just one e-mail.
1) The clock(s) in question are very costly and to modify them in any way would instantly kill the value. These are part of history collection in 100% original condition. 2) These clocks wind with a crank handle and winding rolls the cable back onto the main-wheel drum. (Chain drive clocks were a ~100 year later design in America) 3) The pendulum is 1 meter long and takes a full second to travel from one end to the other. So 1PPS or 0.5PPS synching is easy to do with a magnet, etc... 4) The escapement is of the anchor type, and as such when you wind the running weight you are driving the main wheel backwards. Such an escapement will run backwards during the winding and so I lose about 20 seconds or so during the winding. The speed of the wind also can allow for a typical forward second to happen between the clicks on the drum. Sometimes I get a loss of 15 seconds, sometimes 20, etc... 5) The pendulum is still swinging during the wind. It's a 1kg weight on a 1m rod. Takes lots of energy to stop it. 6) The escapement shaft comes through the front dial to a small second hand and so you can see the second hand either pause, run forward, run backwards during a wind. I am concluding that without a fancy way to wind such a clock, it will only be locked to an external source during a typical 7-day run. I'm asking for a solution to a problem that exists only as a want, not a need. Nevertheless, it is still very satisfying to hear the tick of such an old clock as the trigger LEDs on a 5370B blink at the same rate. It was TVB that pointed out to me the idea of just how many of our Rb's, Cs's, and OCXOs will still be running 200 years from now. That thought still gives me pause. -Brian, WA1ZMS _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
