In article , g3vki@turner-
smith.co.uk says...
| Blimey, I think I'll stick to sundials, I can understand them, I suggest
| Airy does the same.

Sundials are not quite so simple as they at first appear.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT)...

Remove the 'NOSPAM' in my email address to reply.

Free Amateur Radio Courses:-
http://www.ukradioamateur.org

"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...
I commend to you the works of Britten (and subsequent editors)
and Gazely. Hasluck does not, to my memory, discuss them.

Perhaps you are confusing the remontoire with the Tourbillion?


Not at all, two quite different solutions to two quite different problems.

remontoi A mechanism that compensates for the variation in the force
exerted by the mainspring as it "unwinds". Harrison's solution was to have
another' secondary, spring that was kept in a (very near) constant state of
wind by the main spring. This secondary spring provided a near constant
impetus to the oscillating element. An automatic watch achieves much the
same but more simply- it keeps the mainspring under (near) constant tension.

tourbillion: a mechanism to prevent changes in local gravity (due to
movement) from changing the period of oscillation. Not generally required in
a stationary clock and, even in watches, usually avoided by setting an
average rate in six positions.

"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...
I commend to you the works of Britten (and subsequent editors)
and Gazely. Hasluck does not, to my memory, discuss them.

Perhaps you are confusing the remontoire with the Tourbillion?


Not at all, two quite different solutions to two quite different problems.

remontoi A mechanism that compensates for the variation in the force
exerted by the mainspring as it "unwinds". Harrison's solution was to have
another' secondary, spring that was kept in a (very near) constant state of
wind by the main spring. This secondary spring provided a near constant
impetus to the oscillating element. An automatic watch achieves much the
same but more simply- it keeps the mainspring under (near) constant tension.

tourbillion: a mechanism to prevent changes in local gravity (due to
movement) from changing the period of oscillation. Not generally required in
a stationary clock and, even in watches, usually avoided by setting an
average rate in six positions.

"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...
You've repaired a watch with a verge escapement?

Yeah. Right.


Yes, several.

Also cylinder, lever, and detent escapements which, in my view, are more
complex. My favourite watch was a 1883 cylinder escapement- late for a
cylinder- that cost me £20 (in 1976 or so) in a junk pile. It cleaned up a
treat and was later valued at £450. Some scroat stole it, along with a 1920s
gold full hunter, about 10 years back.

I used to live in Woolwich in the late 1970s at there was a market trader
who sold movements from watches where the cases had gone for melting down. A
small shop in Plumstead sold 'non goers'- a combination of the two often
produced some quite nice watches.

To be fair, few repairs are that complex. Usually just a cleaning job,
lubrication and reassembly. Occasionally a replacement part was required
which, for relatively modern watches (20th century) I could get from a shop
in Goldhawk Rd. Anything older I used to use a local watchmaker to turn up-
most damage was broken pivots- or adapt parts.

I've done a few clocks but my main interest was always watches. In fact I
think it was partly the history of the 'longitude problem' that led me
toward working in navigation systems.

"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...
You've repaired a watch with a verge escapement?

Yeah. Right.


Yes, several.

Also cylinder, lever, and detent escapements which, in my view, are more
complex. My favourite watch was a 1883 cylinder escapement- late for a
cylinder- that cost me £20 (in 1976 or so) in a junk pile. It cleaned up a
treat and was later valued at £450. Some scroat stole it, along with a 1920s
gold full hunter, about 10 years back.

I used to live in Woolwich in the late 1970s at there was a market trader
who sold movements from watches where the cases had gone for melting down. A
small shop in Plumstead sold 'non goers'- a combination of the two often
produced some quite nice watches.

To be fair, few repairs are that complex. Usually just a cleaning job,
lubrication and reassembly. Occasionally a replacement part was required
which, for relatively modern watches (20th century) I could get from a shop
in Goldhawk Rd. Anything older I used to use a local watchmaker to turn up-
most damage was broken pivots- or adapt parts.

I've done a few clocks but my main interest was always watches. In fact I
think it was partly the history of the 'longitude problem' that led me
toward working in navigation systems.

"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...

Let us not lose sight of the issue here....the M3/CB licence

Funny, I thought it was clocks?

Or was that a:

1. Typo.

2. A joke

3. A mis-posting.

Stop digging Gareth.

This isn't even fun- it is too easy.

"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...

Let us not lose sight of the issue here....the M3/CB licence

Funny, I thought it was clocks?

Or was that a:

1. Typo.

2. A joke

3. A mis-posting.

Stop digging Gareth.

This isn't even fun- it is too easy.

"Walt Davidson" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 12:02:42 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

Sundials are not quite so simple as they at first appear.

All day tomorrow, for an observer in the London area, the sun will
exactly track the Clarke Belt (which is the orbit that geostationary
satellites are put into).

So you can use the sun - tomorrow only - to adjust the tracking of
your satellite dish.

And not many people know that!
:-)

Indeed not.

Can we have a celebration?

Perhaps a public holiday?

Where pray did this gem come from?

Brian

"Walt Davidson" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 12:02:42 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

Sundials are not quite so simple as they at first appear.

All day tomorrow, for an observer in the London area, the sun will
exactly track the Clarke Belt (which is the orbit that geostationary
satellites are put into).

So you can use the sun - tomorrow only - to adjust the tracking of
your satellite dish.

And not many people know that!
:-)

Indeed not.

Can we have a celebration?

Perhaps a public holiday?

Where pray did this gem come from?

Brian

Let us analyse the situation. My original joke fell on stony
ground and apart from the NEGATIVE NERDS who were
apparently present from their headers, only Reg Edwards
responded. I replied to him with a simple polite apology
and withdrawal. That should have been the end of the matter.

You then let rip with a gratuitous tirade with an emotional
style that was out of context and several pages long; the spitefulness
and spleen-venting of your post was all too apparent.

In your, rather childish, outbursts, you referred to several
previous misunderstandings (whether mendacious or not I
cannot determine) and I corrected you. This has brought forth
more silly and infantile jibes from you.

What can be the reason for this apparent emotional disturbance
that you have? There was no interaction between us until I took
a stance against the gangrenous degeneration that is the M3/CB
licence, and ever since then you have perpetuated personal attacks.

You may deceive yourself into thinking that your recent contributions
are about clocks and watches, but their style is a simple continuation
of your silly and childish campaign lasting over several months in which
you persistently originate unnecessary gratuitous remarks. These
remarks alone would suggest that you are a CBer, or an M3/CBer at best.

To produce evidence of the undesirability of the M3/CB licence, one
only has to quote your own outbursts. That you find such outbursts
to be "too easy" says so much about your habitual rudeness.

I am not digging. I am prepared to discuss the technicalities
of timepieces with you, if you so desire, but it will
require an assurance from you that you will behave in a manner
more befitting a father of three children rather than in the
manner of an escapee from the school playground that you have
favoured recently.

You are unlikely to regain your lost face as the result of your
support for the gangrenous degeneration that is the M3/CB licence.

Brian Reay wrote in message
...
"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...
Let us not lose sight of the issue here....the M3/CB licence
Funny, I thought it was clocks?
Or was that a:
1. Typo.
2. A joke
3. A mis-posting.
Stop digging
This isn't even fun- it is too easy.