Frequency accuracy?

[Clark Sprague]

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List, I too have been wondering just what is accurate.  My SAT reads my
Bechstein fork at approx. 1 1/2 cents flat.  I assumed that the fork that went
with such an expensive instrument would be accurate.  And my SAT was calibrated
and re-worked with new boards less than 1 year ago.
Clark Sprague
Greenwich, Ohio

Brian Trout wrote:

>  Hi, I have been tuning aurally for most of the time I've tuned.  When I first
> started out, I got a chrome plated steel tuning fork.  It's not very loud, but
> it seems to be pretty stable.  I've heated it up to well over 100 degrees, and
> put it in the freezer to cool it down, and measured as best I could in both
> extremes.  It doesn't move much, perhaps 1 or 1 1/2 cycles from one end of the
> extreme to the other.  (It's hard to measure, because it starts changing back
> to room temperature before I can really get some good "listens".) At work
> amongst the tuners, we have 3 tuning forks, and 3 "machines", none of which
> are over about $200 machines.  My personal observations to date lead me to
> believe that the forks are all very close to each other.  However, the
> machines are quite different, one of which actually tunes a piano sharp enough
> to hear audible beating when played with another piano tuned with a fork.
> (This is when you're trying to set the pitch at A-440.) My question is, how
> does one determine which A-440 is right?  Is there an easy way to do that
> without finding an electronic frequency counter?  I can't think of anyone who
> has one.  I'm just trying to figure out if real tuning fork accuracy is
> possible in a real world.  To what do we pay homage as the "ultimate" standard
> measuring device?  Who's "ultimate" standard measuring device is right if they
> don't agree???  If I find one person with an SAT and one with an RTC and the
> A-440's aren't the same, who's right? I'm not trying to be obnoxious here, but
> I've been reading about the "big test", and what's involved.  It all starts
> with the basic premise that we start at A-440.  It's been worrying me a bit.
> Who's A-440? Any thoughts out there? Brian TroutQuarryville,
> Pa.btrout@desupernet.net



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