# Radio Room Clock query



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Having taken a dilettante interest in master clocks I thought should collect some marine ones too. So I have Seiko QC-6MS and a CitizenTX5 5S.

Obviously a master needs slaves so I have some too.

Being unobservant I saw nothing strange in the radio-room console mounted Seiko slave until I received it a day or so ago.

It has two hour hands set two hours apart. As far as I can tell not easily adjustable (it has one slave motor acting at the half second and conventional clock workery to step down to the minute and hours).

I am sure I will kick myself for asking but anyone know what the second hour hand is for? Otherwise it has the silence periods marked as usual but no 4 second marks.

I don't think UK flag would allow a centralised clock (crosses the empires of two surveyors or possibly even the master is not surveyable!)

David V


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Every radio room clock I sailed with was stand alone....


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## Ian Beattie (Mar 28, 2013)

As you say Troppo they were all stand alone and the only time I saw two hour hands I'm afraid to say drink had been taken. Can only suggest that if one was on GMT then the other would reflect the time in Greece or thereabouts but there are obviously a lot possibilities and if you dont know the origins of the clocks. Best of luck David V
Cheers Ian


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Ian Beattie said:


> As you say Troppo they were all stand alone and the only time I saw two hour hands I'm afraid to say drink had been taken. Can only suggest that if one was on GMT then the other would reflect the time in Greece or thereabouts but there are obviously a lot possibilities and if you dont know the origins of the clocks. Best of luck David V
> Cheers Ian


That was a good thought Ian but I have looked at it again before breakfast, both are still there, so I can say that drink definitely not involved (unless at Seiko).


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## Ancient-Mariner (Mar 30, 2009)

First of all, I would not dismiss a slave clock as being allowed as a radio room clock. (I sailed on GXIC with one for 12 years). My gripe being that some 2/Os were not interested in keeping the seconds synchronised.

A couple of questions if I may:

Are you 100% sure that the two hour hands are locked together and not connected by a differential gearbox which would then allow a fixed difference to be introduced? (On GXIC the two Anschütz kiel gyro compasses were connected to a differential gearbox so that the output shaft indicated the difference in the two compass readings and could operate an alarm)

I assume that the two hour hands are on the same face? Googling Seiko QC-6MS brings up a photo on eBay which shows a clock with two faces, also a small door on the panel. Is yours similar? If so what is behind the door please?

I too have a thing about clocks, but my interest is with radio controlled clocks - MSF and DCF77 on LF and also GPS controlled).

Cheers!

Clive


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Maybe the second pointer was to set the alarm to wake you at the end of a watch. Did you notice a large bell on top of the clock?

John T


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Ancient-Mariner said:


> First of all, I would not dismiss a slave clock as being allowed as a radio room clock. (I sailed on GXIC with one for 12 years). My gripe being that some 2/Os were not interested in keeping the seconds synchronised.
> 
> A couple of questions if I may:
> 
> ...


Thanks Clive,

Pretty sure, I am not yet driving it but when using the setting knob they both move together and there is no other adjuster.

I think you have Googled the master - the door simply hides the two power switches, reset slave adjusting controls etc. (mine won't go astern). The LH face is actually a slave with the second hand driven by GMT half second (polarised) pulses. The RH face is a slave driven by ships time half minute pulses.

Was your slave the only RR clock?

I have some interest in MSF movements but they are now commercially too clever. As a protest against politicians' stupidity of changing GB's 'Ship's time' without us moving I like to keep my clocks (actually timepieces by and large) on GMT all year. Unfortunately those I have converted to RC automatically switch Bloody Stupid Time in and out. Confuses guests but not as much as meal time displacements twice a year disturb the cats.


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## Ancient-Mariner (Mar 30, 2009)

Ooops!

I was thinking about the GXIC radio room after I posted last night and I'm now thinking that I have misled both you and myself (and likely others who are reading this thread).

There were two clocks in the RR and the RR Silence Period Clock was NOT a Slave off the master system. The other clock was a Slave local time clock.

I'm now pretty sure of this (admittedly I was sure last night...) but remember now that the Master Unit which was all digital and in a 3U 19-inch rack fitted into the bridge console, had failed due to the integrated circuit responsible for timing had failed. I cannot remember the outcome, but recall seeing another Master Unit in Cunard's Liverpool office awaiting repair and also reading shortly afterwards in Wireless World of someone else having problems with the same i/c which was now obsolete and no pin for pin alternative available. The point I'm getting to is that I still had an operative RR clock, so as the older navigators would say, belay my post of last night re GXIC's clock. That all said, I remember seeing in the Master/Slave Clocks manual a page showing models available from the manufacture - the name of which currently escapes me - and a Silence Period RR clock was, if my memory is correct, was shown. I was last on GXIC - in her Pegasus Bay colours in September 1997.

Anyway, her is a clock puzzle...

I have an aircraft clock which was made by a New York firm for fitting into the US Avenger torpedo/bomber aircraft. This clock is 24 hour, with sweep hour, minute and second hands and also a calendar dial concentric to the hands. This must have really added to the cost and intricacy of the workings, yet this aircraft had a flight duration of well under 24 hours, so why the calendar? The really odd thing is that it was flight 19 of 5 Avengers that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle in December 45; so were the US Navy expecting a time-warp and thus had calenders fitted???

Over to you...

Cheers!

Clive


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

Looking at that Seiko Master Clock reminds me of the fact that the Omron relays which sent the pulse round the ship only lasted a short time (can't remember exactly but the failure rate was very similar and I did try to build a solid state relay once but it didn't work !) All of BPs 270k VLCCs had one.
Happy Daze !


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Ancient-Mariner said:


> Ooops!
> 
> I was thinking about the GXIC radio room after I posted last night and I'm now thinking that I have misled both you and myself (and likely others who are reading this thread).
> 
> ...


Is it made by the Spencer Lens Company Clive? as I have a Torpedo Sight made for the same aircraft by that Company.


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## Ancient-Mariner (Mar 30, 2009)

No, the Avenger clock is made by the Waltham Watch Company. 

Cheers!

Clive


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## Ian Beattie (Mar 28, 2013)

Ancient Mariner I had left the MN before you joined I am intregued as to what
was GXIC - cos the only one I remember was Rugby radio on 16 k/c and the signal could be heard in the Med and sometimes Red Sea and Indian Oggy
Cheers Ian


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## Ancient-Mariner (Mar 30, 2009)

Hi Ian

GXIC was a ship. Built as mv City of Durban, then renamed mv Portland Bay, then back to City of Durban, then ACT8, back to City of Durban again and finally mv Pegasus Bay. As City of Durban she traded Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban to Europe and under the other names Europe to Australia (via Cape of Good Hope) NZ then via Cape Horn to Europe.

I first sailed on her in November '83 and left her for the final time in September 1997. In all, including accrued leave, I spent half of my MN career on her and also sailed under each name. The dates etc are in my profile. The photo of me was taken on the starboard bridge wing mid 1980's.

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1669692

Cheers!

Clive


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## Ian Beattie (Mar 28, 2013)

Clive I thank you for that information I have also sailed these routes and thoroughly enjoyed them as you obviously did too, it must have been a big wrench when she went the way of all ships (eventually) I'm just glad that you had a very good time on the vessel and have a load of memories to do as I do and bore (joking) all the guys in the pub to death He He He Take care
Cheers Ian


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## alan ward (Jul 20, 2009)

I`ve almost always had a ships clock around the house somewhere or other, a habit formed when as a child we had one in the kitchen and it reminds me of happy times.I bought a wreck of brass cased one as a)It was unusually shallow b)It was stupidly cheap c)It had a working spring loaded catch to the glass front and finally because it had a lovely patina and was obviously in need of saving.I took it to my sons father in law who is a clock repairer and dealer.After restoration he told me it was American and well over a hundred years old.It now sits fornlornly under my dining table as there is little or no room for it on the wall!


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

alan ward said:


> I`ve almost always had a ships clock around the house somewhere or other, a habit formed when as a child we had one in the kitchen and it reminds me of happy times.I bought a wreck of brass cased one as a)It was unusually shallow b)It was stupidly cheap c)It had a working spring loaded catch to the glass front and finally because it had a lovely patina and was obviously in need of saving.I took it to my sons father in law who is a clock repairer and dealer.After restoration he told me it was American and well over a hundred years old.It now sits fornlornly under my dining table as there is little or no room for it on the wall!


You must have a magnificent set of trophies then, Alan. Fortunately I haven't so there will be room somewhere for at least two pendulum masters, one elegantly cased Pulsynetic programmer and five marine slaves. I think I'd better keep the marine masters and the radio room slave in here if I am to escape unscathed from my sister-in-law's next inspection.


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## alan ward (Jul 20, 2009)

Clocks and more clocks,we have several in the living room,a german Jungfrau(?)brass faced art nouveau type thingy,said ships clock on the deck,two 30`s westminster mantel clocks and in the hall a Hamburg america clock company Vienna spring that my great grandmother bought in Hull market in about 1900 for 12/6,that clock hung on her wall,my grandmothers and now mine since 1988.It has never been cleaned or repaired and still keeps perfect time.It has been the pub clock in 3 places and been our personal clock in three different homes,however it would never work AT ALL in one of them but the minute we moved it started on one swing of the pendulum and hasn`t stopped since.I can hear it tick and chime and go straight back to my childhood.


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## Ian Beattie (Mar 28, 2013)

Clive C yes I know the very man and he lives no more than 300 metres from my house, however as is usually the case I very seldom see him. The last time was around Easter when he was of on a jolly to Cyprus. On the other line I seem to be getting blown out - never mind
Cheers Ian


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## Barrie Youde (May 29, 2006)

More than fifty years ago the Postmaster General (although not in person) granted me a splendidly bound Certificate of Radiotelephony. Thus I knock on the door of the Radio Room with an offering about a special Clock in my own life:-


GRANNY’S CLOCK

My Granny’s clock is hanging on the playroom wall today,
Adjacent to the kitchen as it hung, of yesterday: 
In Granny’s kitchen, that is, as I knew it long ago.
The clock, alas, is silent; running neither fast nor slow.

It doesn’t run at all, d’you see? It stopped, these ten years past.
One day I’ll have it fixed and hear the tick again, at last.
Loud and clear and properly, as kitchen clocks should tick,
While watching all the family: time passes: far too quick.

Built by “Davies – Cheatham” it declares upon its face,
Full sixteen-inch diameter in presence and in space,
Cased in dark mahogany with inlay of brass strip,
Priceless in a farmhouse, but quite useless in a ship.

Why? It has a pendulum. It swingeth, to and fro,
That is, when its custodian is moved to make it go.
Ashamed am I to let it be there, hanging on its hook.
One day I’ll pay to have it fixed and duly brought to book.

Because I loved my Granny, so I love her clock as well.
She taught me much. Perhaps ‘twas she who taught me time to tell?
The tick-tock and the silence and the passage of the hour:
The bell, it striketh rapidly, with clarity and power.

It’s simply wanting mendin’, like old Cosher Bailey’s engine:
Cherished for these hundred years and more, there’s no pretendin’:
It long pre-dates the radio: perhaps anachronistic:
Tempus fugit. Finger out! And be more realistic!

BY
19.08.13


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