[Healeys] Austin Healey Barbie clock radio

Bob Spidell bspidell at comcast.net
Fri Apr 9 07:28:37 MDT 2010


Off topic, but .... I've never heard of the power frequency (60Hz) 
'sliding' off, at least not here in the States.  The voltage can drop 
from an overload--i.e. a 'brownout'--but the only thing that could 
change the frequency is generator speed changing.  Since all the power 
producers--hydro, wind, gas, coal, nuke--are tied together in a grid 
they are precisely synchronized.

Frequency would only affect an electromechanical clock--one driven by an 
electric motor.  The Barbie clock is solid state--AC is converted to DC 
for use by integrated circuits (like the LED display).  A frequency 
change would have little to no effect.  Most modern electronics have 
switching power supplies--they rectify the AC to DC then smooth the DC 
with capacitors and step it down--converting back to AC or pulsed DC 
then back to DC--as required (+/- 3V, 5V, 12V, etc.).

bs




Josef.Eckert at t-systems.com wrote:
> The Barbie clock radio is frequency triggered. It works well with a constant
> 60 Hertz frequency. In Europe with a 50 Hertz frequency or when the frequency
> slides off because of overload in the power supply system the clock could not
> keep the time anymore.
>
> Josef Eckert
> Konigswinter/GERMANY
>   


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Bob Spidell           San Jose, CA            bspidell at comcast.net

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