[BC] Western Union Clocks

[RichardBJohnson at comcast.net]

When I started in radio, WTIC 50 kW in Hartford was a concert-music station. They used the clock-set pulse to fire off a four-tone sequence, dit,.. dit,... dit,... dah, the open bars of (a research project for those so inclined).

Hearing this, when I was CE of WDEW, I made a single tone oscillator to put a tone on the air once an hour from the clock-reset pulse. It was much simpler, but more accurate. It was 440 Hz, 'A' above middle 'C'.

Cheers,
Richard B. Johnson
Book: http://www.AbominableFirebug.com/

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Hultsman" <DHults1043 at aol.com>

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.