<HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-= 1"> <META content="IncrediMail 1.0" name=GENERATOR>  </HEAD> <BODY style="BACKGROUND-POSITION: 0px 0px; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 5px= 10px 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bgColor=#ffffff background="" scroll== yes ORGYPOS="0" X-FVER="3.0"> <TABLE id=INCREDIMAINTABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100= %" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD id=INCREDITEXTREGION style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; CURSOR: auto; FONT-F= AMILY: Arial" width="100%"> <DIV>Hi Don.</DIV> <DIV>Thanks a lot for getting back to me. I have followed your invention = ever since I noticed the article some where or another.</DIV> <DIV>I am a self employed tuner in South Australia, and have be= en been in the trade for 45 years. I have always remained open to ne= w advances and techniques.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Apart from my tuning and restoration commitments I am the editor of = our Guilds small newsletter (I post out 28 copies). So if you don't mind,= could I print what you sent me? or would you like something different?</= DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This coming year I am the convener of the Australasian bi-annua= l National convention. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Do you do presentations at conventions about your invention?. It wou= ld be great if somehow we could get you over (or should I say down under!= ) for our convention.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Most of the tuners like myself are very interested in what you are t= rying to accomplish, and feel it is no threat what so ever.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Some of the questions that come to mind for me are:</DIV> <UL> <LI>Will you be aiming to get your product into one brand only?</LI> <LI>Will the piano be at A440, given the fact that a cooling or heating p= rocess is needed to put the piano in tune?</LI> <LI>What tuning configuration will you apply so that the piano is ni= cely in tune? </LI></UL> <DIV>I use the cyber-tuner program and are aware that good sampling of th= e partials is essential to get it right.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I could ask some more questions, but hopefully I can keep in touch, = and up to date with your progress.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best regards</DIV> <DIV>Robin Stevens</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>PS the weather her now is 37 degrees C (100.4)  4.42 PM. J= ust going to crack a cold beer!! Best xmas wishes for you and your family= .</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV id=IncrediOriginalMessage><I>-------Original Message-------</I></D= IV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV id=receivestrings> <DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt" <i><B>From:</B></I> <A href="m= ailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt" <i><B>Date:</B></I> Wednesday, 2= 4 December 2003 10:38:12 AM</DIV> <DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt" <i><B>To:</B></I> <A href="mai= lto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt" <i><B>Subject:</B></I> Re: Don's= "Self tuning piano"</DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Hi Robin:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>After a long wait, the self-tuning piano was finally = patented earlier this year.  Currently the self-tuning piano is queu= ed behind several other inventions of mine.  There are three other&n= bsp;devices that, though they were invented after the STP, are smaller an= d easier to get on the market quickly.  I can't tell you what they a= re yet, but you will see them in the coming months.  Only one of tho= se three is piano related.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I have the prototype self-tuner here in my lab in Kan= sas City.  I did extensive preliminary work on it along with Sonetic= om, a firm QRS hired to do the production electronics design, this s= ummer.  Our biggest concerns were keeping the cost down and min= imizing the power consumption.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The power consumption is directly related to tuning r= ange: the more range you want, the more juice it takes.  All we have= ever really wanted is a reasonable range to cover normal, yearly climate= changes (about 20 cents or so).  With age and stretch it will obvio= usly have to be brought back into range from time to time by a tech, but = this should be much less time consuming and tedious than an actual c= omplete tuning.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The point of the system is to allow the pianist to ha= ve an in-tune instrument on a daily basis.  Rather than have a piano= that is noticeably out of tune after a few weeks, a musician can now tou= ch it up and play a perfectly tuned instrument at any time of the year.&n= bsp; That's a basic luxury that all other musicians in the orchestra have= always enjoyed.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I would happy to explain its operation in more detail= to anyone interested as well as answer any technical questions that= you have.  Thanks for your interest.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Don A. Gilmore<BR>Mechanical Engineer<BR>Kansas City<= /FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000= 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; rem_MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><= B>From:</B> <A title=mmrr6596@bigpond.net.au href="mailto:mmrr6596@bi= gpond.net.au">Robin Stevens</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org h= ref="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, December 23, 2003 1= 2:32 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Don's "Self tuning piano"= </DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <TABLE id=mod_EDIMAINTABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100= %" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD id=mod_EDITEXTREGION style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; CURSOR: auto; FONT-F= AMILY: Arial" width="100%"> <DIV>Don...Would you mind filling us in with the latest news re your "sel= f tuning" piano. It seems to have gone quiet with your invention progress= . </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> Robin Stevens</DIV> <DIV>Convener "INTUNE SA 2004"</DIV> <DIV>22-25 July 2004 Mercure Grosvenor Adelaide SA</DIV> <DIV>08 8633 0533 <A href="mailto:mmrr6596@bigpond.net.au">mmrr6596@big= pond.net.au</A></DIV></TD></TR> <TR> <TD id=mod_EDIFOOTER width="100%"> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD width="100%"></TD> <TD id=mod_EDISOUND vAlign=bottom align=middle></TD> <TD id=mod_EDIANIM vAlign=bottom align=middle></TD></TR></TBODY></T= ABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></TD></TR> <TR> <TD id=INCREDIFOOTER width="100%"> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD width="100%"></TD> <TD id=INCREDISOUND vAlign=bottom align=middle></TD> <TD id=INCREDIANIM vAlign=bottom align=middle></TD></TR></TBODY></T= ABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></BODY></HTML>