I thoroughly enjoyed Thomas Henden's analysis of the stroboscopic
effect. I am a great fan of strobes.
Sorry, but I guess I should have kept my tongue out of my cheek
and asked the proper question: Could the stroboscopic effect account
for the paper appearing to move bottom to top?
I don't think so, but as soon as I can repair my 40-year-old
stroboscope I will check it out !
I also own 1-1/2 Strobo-Conn tuners, the one with the adjustable
tuning fork oscillator driving 12 strobe wheels, and an amplifier
lighting a large neon bulb behind the wheels.
Anyone working around moving machinery should be aware of the strobo-
scopic effect. With a fluorescent light above my table saw I thought
the blade had come off the motor shaft as it appeared to stop!
I held the work with one hand and reached for the master switch with
the other. Out went the lights, and I was in the dark with a rotating
blade half through the work. As it slowed to a stop I realized what
had happened.
John Spradley
[ Mike Ames pointed out to me that the old Conn Strobotuner with the
[ spinning strobe disc is about the only way to test the tuning of a
[ xylophone. The tone decays so quickly that an ordinary frequency
[ 'counter' can't measure it. -- Robbie
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