[time-nuts] 60Hz mains clocking in computers

[Jeffrey Pawlan]

Dear Jim,

Another overlap in our past.  Back when I was at UCLA I helped the 
Ethnomusicology dept with their filming along with synced sound. This was in 
1963-64.  I designed and built a crystal sync system using the newly available 
RTL logic ICs. I then modified a 16mm Arri to use it to precisely drive the DC 
motor because the Arri of course had a 60Hz sync generator built in that would 
be fed to the Nagra for sound. I phase locked the 60Hz to the divided down 
discrete 10MHz crystal oscillator I built and thus controlled the speed of the 
DC motor.  It worked very well. The precise 60Hz could be directly sent to the 
Nagra for the sync track or a separate identical crystal controlled 60Hz source 
could be right at the Nagra.

I took this to the business offices of Eclair in Hollywood and tried to get 
them to buy or license my idea.  They told me that this precision was 
unnecessary. I was young and not business savy so I did not know to have them 
sign a non-disclosure.  The next year, they came out with exactly what I had 
showed them.

Best Regards,

Jeffrey Pawlan