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NASA Scientists Get Custom 24h39m-per-day Watches

Posted by timothy on from the private-sale-or-tax-money-I-wonder dept.

blair1q writes "In order to more easily keep solar time on Mars, (or maybe just as a lark) JPL has ordered specially-modified mechanical watches for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. One wonders why these literal rocket scientists didn't just get a software programmable Linux or PalmOS based wrist-computer and hack together a Mars-time display application into it?"

3 of 553 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Useless, but... by Unbeliever · · Score: 5, Informative
    When will they be available to the public? And how much? I want one.
    US $150, available after all the Mars guys, then JPL interested guys get them. And as far as I can tell, everybody that bought one paid out of their own pocket. That includes all those nice embroidered shirts and hats you see in the press briefings. The watches were bought at the Watchmaker, and everything else at the JPL Store. Damned rules about sepending Government money! We can't even get freebies! *grin*
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    --Carlos V.
  2. Re:No, one does not by Technician · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you want digital, these folks make most of the watch crystals out there. It would be a small order to get digital watches to run at any speed. I've ordered custom crystals for radio's from them. Small orders are no problem and they are not expensive.

    http://www.icmfg.com/

    A standard Tera Firma digital watch crystal frequency is 32.768 kHz.
    They are listed here.

    http://www.icmfg.com/surfacemount_crystals.html

    It would be a small task to get custom crystals made for the Martian day from them for your watch. You may need SMD tools to change it.

    At the bottom of the page gives informatin for ordering non standard frequencies.
    IMPORTANT: When ordering any non-standard crystals, please specify series or parallel resonance. If parallel, the load capacitance (CL) needs to be specifed in picofarads___ pF. All specifications are subject to change without notice.

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    The truth shall set you free!
  3. Re:Useless, but... by iainl · · Score: 5, Informative

    Urban legend, yes. The US used pencils too, or felt markers (which also work just fine in zero gravity). Then Fischer spent millions of their own cash designing the Space Pen, and sold them at a nominal rate to NASA for the publicity.

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    "I Know You Are But What Am I?"