[Boatanchors] OT: AC Clocks Running Backwards

[Gary Schafer]

Years ago I had a clock that had a knob on the back that you had to give a
little turn to start the motor. I guess the idea was that it would let you
know if there was a power failure. It would stop at the time of the power
failure and would not restart on its own.
That clock could be started in either direction depending on which way you
gave the knob a turn.

Yes a lightning event could have caused a temporary power loss and stopped
the clock and someone restarted it backwards?? 

It may have also been possible to make those things reverse by reapplying
power at just the right time from a short power loss to make them reverse, I
don't remember. 

73
Gary  K4FMX

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Boatanchors [mailto:boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf
> Of Al Parker
> Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2017 12:42 PM
> To: Bill Mellema; BoatAnchors QTH; TCS Group; test-equipment-
> request at mailman.qth.net; Tentec Group
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] OT: AC Clocks Running Backwards
> 
> Hi Bill,
> 	I think your vision is OK.  IIRC, maybe the term "shaded pole"
> refers
> to the simple AC motor as used in clocks, they have a shaded pole made
> from a turn of copper conductor around the (laminations maybe?) that
> make it start rotating in a specific direction.
> 	I do remember playing with one eons ago as a kid, and was able to
> manually make it go backwards.
> 	Some clocks had a lever that you'd push to start it going correctly.
> 	Don't think lightning has anything to do with it.
> 73,
> 
> Al, W8UT
> www.boatanchors.org
> www.hammarlund.info
> 
> "There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much
> worth doing as simply messing about in boats"
> Ratty, to Mole
> 
> On 5/7/2017 1:30 PM, Bill Mellema via Boatanchors wrote:
> > Guys,
> > I know this is way off topic but I want to get opinions/inputs from
> the gang. On a trip this past week I mentioned that I saw a AC Clock
> running backwards at a 7-11 I stopped into back in the early 70's. The
> guys with me didn't call me a liar but suggest that I had been drinking
> too much susia hi hi  I remember asking the cleark what's with the clock
> and she told me it started running backwards after a lightning storm.
> The internet suggest that a broken stepper could cause the same problem.
> The story of it starting to go backwards after a lightning storm could
> be a myth that was passed onto the clerk I'm thinking.
> > Please has anyone seen this before??
> > Thanks in advance...
> > Bill N3WM
> >
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