Making sure Big Ben strikes on time

[fmBillion]

Calling up the talking clock 3 times a week? Cor... I bet their phone bill is a lot, the talking clock costs a bloody fortune.

[pigeonshouse]

@fmBillion Hehe I suspect BT (or whoever runs the speaking clock nowadays) and the management of the Houses of Parliament have probably struck a deal somewhere along the lines of history.

[May1south]

I used to know someone whose father, in the 1920's, was in charge of maintenance of all the public clocks in London, including the one associated with Big Ben. Unfortunately, he died in 1929.

[presbyterosBassI]

Westclox also made a pocket watch called "Pocket Ben".

[palexandersquires]

Beautifull Clock and it`s brother Little Ben also. Did you know, that Westclox once made a series of alarm clocks called Big Ben and Baby Ben!

[namowal]

I'm glad that wonderful clock is so well taken care of. Thanks to everyone involved.

[namowal]

I'm glad that wonderful clock is so well taken care of. Thanks to everyone involved.

[bunzpaul1]

happy brithday big ben

[jriley1992]

I want to go see it one day! I would love to just travel the world, that would make me very happy.

[emmettsgirl981]

What's that guy's name?: Ian something?

[Kell1295]

Takes a licking and keeps on ticking! <3

[denelson83]

Why not just use the MSF signal or GPS instead to sync the chimes?

[ShokaLion]

@denelson83 The talking clock uses the same time signal as the MSF signal. I'd guess it's just a more convenient way of doing things. You're still going to have to go up there with a stopwatch whatever you do, so to take ten seconds to get the time reference from the talking clock makes sense to me.

[TheRadar77]

Amazing.

[10brownblair]

congratulations on such a great vid

[Logixmaster]

how do they account for human reaction time on the stopwatch?

[pigeonshouse]

@Logixmaster Someone whose practised can react to a familiar sound within 0.10 of a second, I imagine someone whose *really practised* can react to a sound within a smaller time frame. However, it will be insignificant by the time the sound has travelled 180ft to the ground (which is where a majority will hear it) - as the sound wave will have only travelled 126 feet in that time.

[pigeonshouse]

....and yes I know it should be 'who has' rather than whose but my writing style changed half way through writing this and didn't proofred wot I had writted.

[gavinola]

It is amazing isn't it, the time keeper has to do this every week.

[emmettsgirl981]

@gavinola Not every week, three days a week

[grobifrank1976]

Bleibt das Schlagwerk nach dem Schlag etwa auf der Glocke liegen? Klingt irgendwie nicht so, als könnte sie frei nachklingen, oder kommt das nur bei diesem Video so rüber?? Klärt mich mal auf!

[derCarilloneur]

Nein, das ist nicht so, man meint es nur. Über dem Hammer siehst du ja noch eine Stange, und da sind 2 Gummis dran, so änlich wie Türstopper, und die halten den Hammer ca 5-10mm von der Glocke weg, also man kann es nicht erkennen!

[koollvideos]

I think the chime sequence is too fast.  I like a slow chime and slow strike, because of the huge size of this clock and tower. It seems more stately than a fast chime. Any chance you can slow it down a bit? Great videos. Thanks from the USA.

[RobloxBlue348]

@koollvideos HAH. They would have to sign papers, have many meetings, and do experements, Well, in canada at least.

[emmettsgirl981]

Why did Ian Westworth use the phone to check for an accurate time reading?

[BexterzzNY]

how does the coin help/ ? im confused by that part. i undesrtand it either speeds up or slows down the clock, but how?

[Shangas]

It adds weight to the pendulum, altering its speed and swing.

[BartBassist]

@BexterzzNY The coins add a tiny bit of weight to the pendulum, increasing its momentum and causing it to swing marginally faster.

[BartBassist]

@ytrogergt No, I mean slightly faster. Adding weight adds momentum.

[halnwheels]

@BartBassist Let me expain why adding weight actually increases the rate of the penculum swing. It's because the weight is being added above the "center of oscillation" of the pendulum. The calculations are complex but the idea is simple... the same weight added below the center of occilation would slow the pendulum - at the bob for instance. But where the weight is being added is very close to the top.

Nice series of videos. Thank you.

[nightfox93wlf]

I WANT YOUR WORK!!!

[emmettsgirl981]

Yes he does. Also, the quarter bells chime at half past and quarter past. Look it up on wikipedia with the search terms 'Big Ben'. Then click on Chimes and it'll tell you. I think the numbers, 1-4, 5-12, 13-20, 1-4, and 5-20 mean the number of notes because the quarter bells play a 20 chime sequence. Ask me if you want any more information. I'm very happy to answer your questions. :-)

[wilkes85]

That's amasing! keeping it accurate with pennies.

[MyDavid1960]

olney englind knows how to do this...love it....

[emmettsgirl981]

@MyDavid1960

Of course they do, it's their clock

[iamneoweisheng89]

cool!!!

[Invaderzim2015]

that is trully amazing!!!!! somday i would love to go see Big Ben......I live in the United States

[rockymountainradio]

@Invaderzim2015 I would love to see it one day too, i am in Canada but was oridgionally from england, but never did get to see it whist I was there

[Invaderzim2015]

@ rockymountianradio

i no hey i get older my best friend and i r going to go to london and see big ben

[emmettsgirl981]

@rockymountainradio

How come?

[rockymountainradio]

I suppose because there was always something else to do which got in the way of my big ben plans, but i am going back over there in March for a month so who knows, maybe i can fix something up :)

[emmettsgirl981]

@Invaderzim2015

Wow you are so lucky. What place in the United States e.g Kentucky, California?

[Invaderzim2015]

@ emmettsgirl981

i live in Arizona....

[emmettsgirl981]

@Invaderzim2015

Wowee!

[Invaderzim2015]

@emmettsgirl981

so does bid ben chime every hour or wat?? im really intrested cuz i wanna travel there and see it someday with my fren

[andersanio]

wow!

[dagenhamdaveNo1]

one penny + two-fiths of a second - amazing

[fluxgenerator]

The Penny !! just amazing

[1234wildwater]

Good grief that is big bell!

[emmettsgirl981]

@1234wildwater

I know eh? And it's also very very loud

[testarossa33]

pretty cool that rather than use high tech time keeping devices, they use coins to modify it. sometimes simpler is better!

[Jimpsterz]

id love to up there at night

[GrnArrow092]

That makes me curious if anyone has accidentally dropped any of those old coins down into the pendulum chamber. Also, I wonder if there would be a more efficient way of keeping the clock's accuracy in check because it looks like with a swinging pendulum, some of the coins could fall down into the pendulum chamber. I may not be British (I'm American) but I definately think this clock is awesome and I hope it keeps ticking for many years to come.

[tom1984uk]

Happy 150th birthday big ben.

[ReloadPsi]

...can I have your job please?

[Tingilyawen]

Big Ben is pretty enduring and reliable overall, isn't it?

[tn21beer]

Very

[GrnArrow092]

A machine is only as efficient as those who take care of it, but we don't have to worry about that with a fine crew taking care of this clock which in my opinion is a great British icon.

[Beatles4President]

very fascinating! i'll be paying a visit to big ben next august. can't wait! cheers from california :)

[DrGWR11]

Thanks for uploadin'  :)

[ridwan326]

wow... absolute stellar... ;-)

[rboos]

Thank you for posting the video, cheers from Brazil!

[kensai7gr]

Amazing precision. You British are so cool with these things!

[pigeonshouse]

@kensai7gr Aah you see that's the thing. It's not actually accurate at all when compared to an atomic clock, but 'we British' love things that are fallible - I mean what other country could get away with producing both the Reliant Robin and the Spitfire.

[UpperClass184]

wow, i really appreciate this clock tower, makes me proud to be British ;-). Well done to all the people who keep it going , thanx a lot!!! Your doing a brilliant job.

[Cindermakers]

You're. Not your.

[UpperClass184]

yea, whatever

[pinjimandvakito]

@UpperClass184 I know I love living in the UK. Fun fact the British electrical plugs (TYPE G) are the only type of plugs in the world to have a fuse. Look it up :)

[luvgirlsfeet]

absolutely amazing

[brilliantfranz]

Thnks for uploading,.

Cheers form Venezuela