[BC] Western Union Clocks

[Dave Hultsman]

    iN THE OLD DAYS OF RADIO YOU COULD BUY CLOCKS & TIME SERVICE ON AMONTHLY BASIS FROM SEVERAL COMPANIES.   I HAPPENED TO WORK AT A RADIO STATION THAT THE STUDIOS WERE BUILT IN 1935 FOR THE TEXAS CENTINENTAL CELEBRATION. THE STUDIOS WERE EQUIPPED WITH 200 PAIRS FROM BELL TELEPHONE AND ALSO A 12 PAIR CABLE  BELONGING TO WESTERN UNION COMING  TO OUR RADIO STATIONS FROM ONE OF THEIR CABLES ON THE TEXAS & PACIFIC RAILROAD, A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. IN THE TIME THAT I WAS THERE THE MAIN ITEMS PURCHASED FROM WESTERN UNION, WAS THE CLOCK AND TIME SERVICE, A WESTERN UNION
TELETYPE PRINTER/ SENDER, A PAPER TAPE SPORTS TICKER FOR SPORTS SCORES INSTANTLY AND ONE OF THOSE SMALL WESTERN UNION FAX TYPE ROLL SENDER /RECEIVER.
 
AS I RECALL WE HAD 10 CLOCKS IN OUR BUILDING. THE OLDEST WERE IN WOODEN SQUARE BOXES AND WERE CONSIDERED 18 INCH CLOCKS.  TWO WERE IN OUR AUDITORIUM, BOTH WERE ILLUMINATED WITH FLOOD LIGHTS SO THEY COULD BE SEEN WITH THE AUDIENCE LIGHTS DIMMED. ONE WAS LOCATED STAGE RIGHT AND COULD BE SEEN BY THE AUDIENCE, AND THE PERFORMERS ON THE STAGE.  THE OTHER WAS LOCATED ABOUT 70 FT. IN THE BACK WALL OF THE SMALL AUDITORIUM.  WITH THE FLOOD LIGHT ON THAT LARGE CLOCK YOU COULD EASILY TELL THE TIME FROM THE STAGE.  MOST OF OUR OTHER CLOCKS WERE THE ROUND METAL BROWN WESTERN UNION CLOCKS,  ALL CLOCKS  HAD TWO 1-1/2 vOLT DRY CELLS TO OPERATE THE RED RESET PULSE BULB JUST BELOW THE "12".  THE DRY CELLS ALSO REWOUND THE CLOCK SPRINGS.
 
WESTERN UNION MAINTAINED A MASTER CLOCK IN EVERYONE OF THEIR MAJOR SWITCHING CENTERS.  THIS WAS A MECHANICAL MASTER CLOCK THAT WAS RESET VIA TELEGRAPH EVERY DAY AT 12 NOON FROM WASHINGTON D.C.   THAT MASTER CLOCK PROVIDED A DC PULSE DOWN A WESTERN UNION WIRE AND ALL THE CLOCKS WERE HOOKED UP IN SERIES.  THE MASTER CLOCK IN DALLAS WOULD PROVIDE A 1 SEOND PULSE EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR TO AUTOMATICALLY RESET THE CLOCKS.  IN MOST CASES THE CLOCKS, MECHANICALLY WERE  ACCURATE BUT THE HOURLY RESET KEPT THEM VERY ACCURATE.  WE HAD THE BEST REGULATED CLOCK IN MASTER CONTROL, THE AM AND FM CONTROL ROOMS WHERE THEY HAD TO PLAN FOR NETWORK NEWS AND PROGRAMS.
 
IN ADDITION WE HAD A WESTERN UNION RELAY WHICH WAS MOUNTED ON A RACK PANEL WHICH KEYED AN AUDIO TONE AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR ON THE AIR.  WE RAN THIS TONE 24 HOURS A DAY. iT WAS OUR HOURLY TIME TONE THAT SIGNALLED THE BEGINNING OF THE LOCAL OR NETWORK NEWS.
 
AT KLIF AND ALL THE MCLENDON STATIONS WE HAD A HARMONIC TONE GENERATOR CONSISTING OF THREE TONES MIXED AND KEYED FOR THE TOP OF THE HOUR TONE.  THIS WAS A TUBE TYPE UNIT EMPLOYING THREE 6SN7 DUAL TRIODES AND A 6X4 RECTIFIER.  THREE OF THE TRIODES TRIODE SECIONS WE SET AS OSCILLATORS, COMBINED IN ONE STAGE OF MIXING AND ANOTHER AMPLIFIER TO BRING THE HARMONIC TONE TO LINE LEVEL. IT WAS ALSO KEYED BY THE WESTERN UNION CLOCK PULSES.
 
IN ADDITION MOST OF THE MCLENDON TOP 40 STATIONS BACK TIMED MUSIC TO THE TOP OF THE HOUR.  ANOTHER 1 SECOND PULSING SINGLE TONE COULD SWITCHED ON BY THE ANNOUNCER USUALLY  5 TO 3 SECOND BEFORE THE TOP OF THE HOUR.  IF THE MUSIC FADED OUT TOO SOON YOU MAY HAVE 8 OR 10 SECONDS TONE BEFORE THE "GIANT HARMONIC TONE".
 
THIS WAS NOT ORIGINAL TO THE MCLENDON STATIONS, IT WAS PUBLISHED IN AN ELECTRONICS COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE IN THE MID 1950'S BY AN ENGINEER WITH WOR NEW YORK.  SOMWHERE I HAVE SOME NOTES ON THAT STUFF.   ENGINEERS ARE A CREATIVE SORT!!!
 
DAVE HULTSMAN
CONTINENTAL ELECTRONICS.