Best Tool In My Toolbox
I have a very old Seth Thomas 30 day gallery clock and I was able to easily set the beat and calibrate the time. Thanks for the great app.
Response from developer
Thanks! Glad you like it!
Good but very frustrating
The app performs beat measurement very well. That said, the app does have some very frustrating aspects, which, in my opinion, call into question the value of paying extra for the spreadsheet export.
At the top of my list of frustrations is the way data is handled. It appears to be streamed to memory rather than saved directly to a file. As a result, if the app stops unexpectedly, all recorded data from the current session is lost. This is utterly infuriating after one or two weeks of measurement, and it could be easily avoided by streaming data to a file rather than relying on a memory dump at the end. I cannot emphasise enough how frustrating this is. A far better approach would be to open a new file for each measurement and continuously write to it, with the option to append to the most recent file when starting a new session.
The spreadsheet exported has its own minor issues., the units are undocumented leaving you to guess (at least, I couldn't find them), and the export would be significantly more useful if each measurement row included the actual time.
A major issue is that any iPhone notification immediately stops measurements. Putting the phone into airplane mode helps, but it’s nearly impossible to prevent an iPhone from displaying a notification at some point. Ideally, the app should be able to continue running in the background, but I suspect that may not be possible on iOS. A workaround would be an option to manually restart a measurement and append it to an existing dataset.
In conclusion, the base price of the app is well worth it, but the additional spreadsheet export and long-term measurement functionality come with significant frustrations. These could easily be resolved by continuously streaming data to a file rather than relying on volatile memory storage (assuming that’s how it’s done).
At the top of my list of frustrations is the way data is handled. It appears to be streamed to memory rather than saved directly to a file. As a result, if the app stops unexpectedly, all recorded data from the current session is lost. This is utterly infuriating after one or two weeks of measurement, and it could be easily avoided by streaming data to a file rather than relying on a memory dump at the end. I cannot emphasise enough how frustrating this is. A far better approach would be to open a new file for each measurement and continuously write to it, with the option to append to the most recent file when starting a new session.
The spreadsheet exported has its own minor issues., the units are undocumented leaving you to guess (at least, I couldn't find them), and the export would be significantly more useful if each measurement row included the actual time.
A major issue is that any iPhone notification immediately stops measurements. Putting the phone into airplane mode helps, but it’s nearly impossible to prevent an iPhone from displaying a notification at some point. Ideally, the app should be able to continue running in the background, but I suspect that may not be possible on iOS. A workaround would be an option to manually restart a measurement and append it to an existing dataset.
In conclusion, the base price of the app is well worth it, but the additional spreadsheet export and long-term measurement functionality come with significant frustrations. These could easily be resolved by continuously streaming data to a file rather than relying on volatile memory storage (assuming that’s how it’s done).
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Very good
I came upon this app after years of using a free, but very limited beat tracker. This app is exactly what I wanted, nicely designed, good resources, seems to work very well. Even using the built-in mic on an iPhone, or the microphone on Apple EarPods, it can track a movement very well, even with other distracting noises as there is a selectable filter. Yes it has a cost but I believe it is fair, at least so far and sometimes you have to pay for the best there is. It is certainly a good alternative to buying a much more expensive dedicated instrument.
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Response from developer
Glad you like it! Thanks!
Waste of Money
Simply doesn’t work. The free app for cuckoo clocks works better!!!!
Clockmaster regulator analyzer
The manual clearly shows a setting for external mic operation yet my version only gives me the option of internal iPhone mics. Have sent 3 messages to support for help, and they ignore me. Can only assume the app is flawed.
Don Brown/ frustrated customer
Don Brown/ frustrated customer
Response from developer
Hello, we haven't received any messages from you, please contact us at apps@onyx3.com The app works with external microphones and sensors, it requires an adapter as described in the documentation. This is explained in the documentation and clearly shown in the videos here: https://clockmasterapp.com/
Great app for the Clock aficionado…
One of my hobbies is to clean and repair old grandfather clocks. This app helps in a very simple but elegant display to set the bit, the pendulum symmetry, and other more advanced features. I highly recommended it.
Will not work for 400-day clocks
I really don’t understand why they’ve set a bottom threshold on how many beats per hour you can measure. My clocks I work on operate at 8 beats per minute. I can get it to measure correctly due to this threshold. It would be useful if I could set the BPH to 480.
Response from developer
400-day clocks are not supported, only rates 2400 to 18000 B/H. Please contact us for a refund if the app is of no use to you.
Great app, used it for years.
I wouldn’t be without this app, it works really well. It can be a fiddle getting the sensor in the optimum place but once there it works. The app can’t position the sensor for you - you have to do that yourself. For those saying the bpm fluctuates so the app is no good, bpm can fluctuate. That might be a slight tight spot somewhere, or simply a pendulum taking a while to “settle” or any number of reasons. This app is simply showing you what the clock is doing - you do need to understand what the app is telling you and you need to understand horology. Like any tool, you need to understand how to use it.
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Response from developer
Glad you like it! Completely agree.
Unbelievably helpful
I was getting my butt kicked by a wooden mechanical clock I made. I was using metronome apps, stopwatches, etc. to try and get the beat and regulation right. I'm talking weeks of time spent. Wasted. I finally found this app and it does everything it says, and does it very well. The only complaint I have, if you can call it that, is that I wish they had the beat delta info on the regulation screen. I was considering upgrading to the pro version but it's another $19.99 and it doesn't really tell you everything that is included with that upgrade.
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Juts works well easily and simply
I downloaded the app and used it to help me set up a pendulum clock
I have managed to set it to an accuracy of +0.2 seconds per day
That would have been impossible without this app.
So easy to use as well.
I have managed to set it to an accuracy of +0.2 seconds per day
That would have been impossible without this app.
So easy to use as well.
ClockMaster
This app is excellent. I work with clocks professionally and this app does the work of software costing 3 times as much. Great work.
Piezoelectric pickup
I’ve found that the Peterson Pitch-grabber works very well with my iPad and iPhone.
There is an adapter available on Amazon that allows you to plug in your Lightning charger and your Lightning dongle provided with your iPhone that you then plug the Pitch-grabber into. This is the only adapter that will allow you to run ClockMaster and charge at the same time. Using my iPad Mini 4 with full brightness and full screen it actually will also recharge it at the same time!
Great app!!!
There is an adapter available on Amazon that allows you to plug in your Lightning charger and your Lightning dongle provided with your iPhone that you then plug the Pitch-grabber into. This is the only adapter that will allow you to run ClockMaster and charge at the same time. Using my iPad Mini 4 with full brightness and full screen it actually will also recharge it at the same time!
Great app!!!
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Wonderful!
My ship’s bell clock had been running almost a minute-a-day off for years. With a few iterations of this app it’s now within a second a day!
Excellent app
I’m a clock’s collector so I always do servicing and repairing pendulum clocks.
Since I have got the app (one year ago), I found the app indeed very helpful for me to make pendulum clocks beat and work accurately.
It will take short time to adjust accuracy of clock if you know BM/BH of it otherwise you note current BM/BH then wait for the clock working for 24 hs and base on accuracy of clock you calculate actual BM/BH then adjust clock work with the new BM/BH.
Before when I didn’t have the app, it took me almost one week to make clocks work perfectly.
Please share me if any other app is better this app.
Since I have got the app (one year ago), I found the app indeed very helpful for me to make pendulum clocks beat and work accurately.
It will take short time to adjust accuracy of clock if you know BM/BH of it otherwise you note current BM/BH then wait for the clock working for 24 hs and base on accuracy of clock you calculate actual BM/BH then adjust clock work with the new BM/BH.
Before when I didn’t have the app, it took me almost one week to make clocks work perfectly.
Please share me if any other app is better this app.
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Very useful app
Update: the latest rewrite has made this app useless. If I could, I would restore the old version. It used to work quit well. Now useless.
Excellent utility for antique clock accuracy
Thanks for programming this handy ClockMaster utility that's perfect for home users like me. It can assist in calibration of clocks post-service in good working order.
As for wrist watches, I've found I can use it or 'experiment' with my 1956 vintage Omega Seamaster Calendar, and others, but first I record the watch beat in extreme HD quality using an 'expensive' voice recorder (mine is an Olympus DM-670. I can then play back the hi-fidelity recording (amplifying if necessary) via good speakers, directly into ClockMaster...
Thanks for a fun & useful horological utility!
As for wrist watches, I've found I can use it or 'experiment' with my 1956 vintage Omega Seamaster Calendar, and others, but first I record the watch beat in extreme HD quality using an 'expensive' voice recorder (mine is an Olympus DM-670. I can then play back the hi-fidelity recording (amplifying if necessary) via good speakers, directly into ClockMaster...
Thanks for a fun & useful horological utility!
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Absolute con!
I even bought the expensive sensor!?? I fell for this hook, line and sinker!
It has no idea what constitutes a clock! Simple small ones, it can’t manage because there’s nowhere to clip the transducer! The microphone on the phone does bugger all other than compound the issue.
It can’t do larger ones unless you get them out of the case to get the mike on!!! Even then, it is confused by clicks from the movement.
It can’t distinguish tic toc from the cat with asthma four doors away.
It is completely useless with any kind of master clock because it cannot distinguish a click from a clonk!
I have been optimistic and regulated a few clocks with it! Absolute disaster! I can do vastly better by intuition over a couple of days! Its results are generally worse than educated guess work!
DO NOT PURCHASE!!!!!
It has no idea what constitutes a clock! Simple small ones, it can’t manage because there’s nowhere to clip the transducer! The microphone on the phone does bugger all other than compound the issue.
It can’t do larger ones unless you get them out of the case to get the mike on!!! Even then, it is confused by clicks from the movement.
It can’t distinguish tic toc from the cat with asthma four doors away.
It is completely useless with any kind of master clock because it cannot distinguish a click from a clonk!
I have been optimistic and regulated a few clocks with it! Absolute disaster! I can do vastly better by intuition over a couple of days! Its results are generally worse than educated guess work!
DO NOT PURCHASE!!!!!
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ClockMaster did the job
I inherited a 114 year old Ithaca grandfather clock with a Griffith movement and used this program to tune the movement. After getting into the clock, I found that it was not set up correctly and didn’t work at all. After figuring out how it was supposed to be set up, I used the program to set the beat and regulation. I started out with zero knowledge on how a clock works and muddled through the process with the end result being a clock that keeps time. Hurray.
The only issue I had was that the auto function for estimating the target rate (for BPH) did not work on this clock at all. I did calculate the actual BPH from counting the number of gears and pivots in the gear train and with the correct BPH imputed, the app worked perfectly. I did splurge on the external Peterson pitch grabber which was money well spent($15 at Amazon).
The only issue I had was that the auto function for estimating the target rate (for BPH) did not work on this clock at all. I did calculate the actual BPH from counting the number of gears and pivots in the gear train and with the correct BPH imputed, the app worked perfectly. I did splurge on the external Peterson pitch grabber which was money well spent($15 at Amazon).
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Does work.
I use this app with a peterson tuner and by placing the clamp on the winding key find that it works very well without interruption from outside noises. As I have several clocks close by this was a problem with external mic. Would I recommend this yes in a clock beat I would, sorry! If you have trouble look at the tips within the App.
Diydavid.
Diydavid.
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Simple but does the job
I used this to calibrate my cuckoo clock. It picked up the pendulum clicks just fine using the internal mic, with no need for an external mic or sensor. I'm definitely no horologist, but this seemed to do the job. When I had a problem due to an iOS version issue, the developer responded within a few minutes and had a fix quickly.
It would be nice to have plots to look at drift rate and periodic error. These are available in the Pro version, but even in that it will not make plots - just allow you to export the data to a file to be viewed elsewhere. Would be better to have the plots right in the app.
It would be nice to have plots to look at drift rate and periodic error. These are available in the Pro version, but even in that it will not make plots - just allow you to export the data to a file to be viewed elsewhere. Would be better to have the plots right in the app.
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