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The Accutron Mode
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The MicroSet Watch Timer includes a special mode for measuring tuning fork watches
(like Accutron) that use a tuning fork motor to drive the movement. These tuning forks
run at a variety of frequencies, with 360 cycles per second (or “Hertz”) being the most
common. MicroSet will automatically detect the correct rate of any of the following
frequencies:
300
341 1/3
360
440
480
The Accutron mode requires a special, optional, inductive sensor. This sensor will also
trigger on the motor impulse of quartz watches and clocks, and you can measure them
with MicroSet too.
To use the Accutron mode, press the MODE button until the LCD screen says:
Accutron...
Set a watch on the inductive sensor. The tuning fork in the watch is near the 12 o’clock
position. Place the watch so the tuning fork is at the center of the sensor. Turn the
MicroSet level control all the way up and the LED should come on and stay on. This
means the watch is running and MicroSet can sense the tuning fork. Press the BEGIN
button and MicroSet will say:
Blocks: 5...
This allows you to choose how many cycles to measure before a rate reading is returned.
If you select “5 blocks” you’ll get a reading about once every two seconds, depending
on the frequency of the watch you are measuring. This is usually an adequate interval
to get an accurate reading. If you prefer to get fewer readings over longer periods, press
the PLUS button to increase the “Block” count. When ready to start measuring, press
the BEGIN button. MicroSet will say:
Rate:
When the first reading is ready, it will appear after the word “Rate”. MicroSet will
automatically adjust to the rate of the tuning fork and read out the rate as seconds per
day of error.
You can also display the actual frequency of the tuning fork. To see this, press and
release the MINUS button. The display will change to frequency of the fork. To return to
error per day, press and release the PLUS button.
If you have the Windows Interface Program for MicroSet, you can capture Accutron
watch rate over time on the computer. MicroSet must be configured to output Accutron
rates as frequency. These rates will be displayed as a graph on the computer, and you
can see the effect of temperature or position on the frequency of the tuning fork.
