A mechanical phase locked loop!

Perhaps you are right, but does that matter ?. Might not all have the tech ability of the past, but just as keen on operating and the social aspects of the hobby. We can't all be tech experts, but there are still plenty of deep tech areas for those interested.

Seems a bit of an elitist attitude really, speaking as one who built his first one valve set at 11 and always more interested in the tech side than operating...

Chris

Elitism, yes, and something to be jealously guarded.

AIUI, there are already countries where only commercially available rigs may be used, and by flooding this country with technical numbskulls risks the powers-that-would-be perceiving we all as operators only.

Amateur radio is primarily a technical pursuit with operation being a trivially simple follow-on; so trivially simple, in fact, that it is a nonsense to examine based upon operating. The 5-year-old with her smartphone does not have to pass an exam on her operating capability!

As to your last comment, Yes, more technician than operative, I still maintain a logbook, with all test and CQ calls logged, and yet after 47 years I'm only just half way through my 2nd log book.

If operating is so trivially simple why couldn't you tune the PA in the radio you bought? Even CBers can do that.

Do you need to trade silly (and, yes, typically junior school stuff) abuse rehearsed from interminable local arguments all over the Internet? Why not keep this childish repetitive stuff for ukra where it "belongs"? You *are* an adult, aren't you? Gareth's silly comments are quite obviously silly comments without you clutttering the place up arguing with him about it. If you think his comments about operating being too easy and of no interest are inaccurate, why not say so, at least it will soon be obvious he is in a minority of one? I for instance have very little interest in operating but agree that it is an essential and worthy part of the hobby (and not so easy as Gareth thinks) so why not stick to the actual issue when discussing it internationally and outside of the AR groups?

Sorry, I was talking about how the Shortt clock adjusts the timing of the slave pendulum. What are you talking about?

This is one of Evans' usual tactics Rick, he is out of his depth so he is trying to muddy the water. Before long he will be hurling abuse in earnest.

I ... explained it for you in excruciating detail.

No, you simply state that the circular error exists for pendulum clocks and that the swing of the Shortt clock slave pendulum is shortened a small amount. You imply the shorter swing of the pendulum invokes the circular error factor to change the speed of the pendulum changing the phase.

None of that is wrong. But the circular arc error a very small effect. As I have clearly explained to you the leaf spring also causes the first order effect of changing the constant in the pendulum equation. This is a *much* larger effect than the small circular error effect.

You say you understand what I am saying, but it directly shows what you are describing is at best, a second order effect. If you don't disagree with that how can it be tangential to what you are saying? Or is that a play on words with the circular error???