I saw that program on public TV some time back, and highly recommend it
-- it was very interesting.

Some years ago I saw a display on timekeeping at the Smithsonian which
explained and gave an example of each of the advances and innovations in
clockmaking which improved timekeeping accuracy. The last item at the
end of the display was a few-dollar Timex digital watch which, the
caption said, was more accurate than any of the mechanical predecessors.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Richard Harrison wrote:
Cecil, W5DXP wrote:
"The Discovery Channel`s "Longitude" featured the considerable talents
of John Harrison, a cabinet maker more famous for his timepieces than
for his cabinets. Wonder why they didn`t just use the GPS system (funny
face)?"

I`d like to claim kinship with John Harrison who built the first
chronometer accurate enough to compute longitude, but I can`t.
Parliament had offered a huge cash award for such a timepiece or other
means of accurately determning longitude. John proved he had won, then
tried for years to get full paynent from parliament. Finally John got an
audience with the King who declared: "By God, you shall get your
payment!", and he was paid. Now, John Harrison is a big feature at the
National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. Some of the wooden clocks, gears
and all, that John built are still in use and keeping time well. The
chronometer is more like a large pocket watch.

GPS is huge. You can immediately know within a few feet exactly where
you are, unless you happened to be the target.

There are boat trips on the Thames between London and Greenwich. If the
weather is good, it is very pleasant.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI