<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1 = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content='"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=GENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Hi,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>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".)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>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.)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>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?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>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?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Any thoughts out there?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Brian Trout</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Quarryville, Pa.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2><A href="mailto:btrout@desupernet.net">btrout@desupernet.net</A></FONT></D= IV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 = size=2></FONT> </DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>