Hi Bill, It uses a Votrax SC-01 speech synthesizer chip that I bought in a kit over 30 years ago to use with the Apple II. The processor in this clock is an Atmel Mega-32 AVR and it gets its timing reference from the mains frequency. There's room to add a GPS receiver in future and make it recite the date as well as all sorts of other stuff. There's also a vintage IEI 40 column X 1 row vacuum fluorescent alphanumeric display that I had in the junque box for years, now resurrected to display the time and text as it speaks. A PIR detector switches it on when someone is in front of it and it runs for a couple of minutes before going back to sleep. Inside all you can see is a few chips on boards, a speaker and a little power supply - nothing as impressive as the rotating disc clocks.
I like the idea that it sounds like Stephen Hawking, the man who has Isaac Newton's old job, too. I'm putting a few finishing touches to the wooden case and I'll put a video on YouTube when it's finished. It's winter down here in Australia and too cold in my garage to apply wood stain finishes! Morris ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2016 23:15:49 -0500 From: "Bill Hawkins" <bill.i...@pobox.com> Hi Morris, The idea of the author of "A Brief History of Time" telling the time briefly has a certain appeal. Can you share some construction details? Even a parts list would be useful. Thanks, Bill Hawkins _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
