I have found that a fast spinning ceiling fan overhead will wreak havoc during a tuning. I tuned a nice Yamaha studio vertical in my early years with my then new accu-tuner. During the tuning, though, I found that the lights were spinning and turning with a mind of their own - something I had not experienced before. I was confused and had no idea what was going on. Maybe, I thought, my new machine was defective. Maybe I was in the twilight zone - I just wanted to escape alive! So I continued and plodded through over 3/4 of the tuning only to discover (or wake-up and realize) that a ceiling fan was spinning above me in the room. I politely asked the customer to turn it off as I thought that maybe it was having a detrimental effect on my tuning. With the fan safely disabled I went back over what I had already done and discovered that, "man, did that fan have an (negative) effect!" I essentially had to re-do all my previous work. At that point I also learned a very important lesson for me as an ETD user: no matter how tired I am or how late in the day it is or how hot it is in the room I shouldn't rely ONLY on the spinning lights! I've got to perform aural checks as I go. And I must do aural checks when I'm through. As all have said before me, the accu-tuner is a tool and should not be used as a crutch. A strong foundation in aural tuning is imperative before putting the device into your hands. John Piesik San Diego Chapter PTG JPIESIK@ARINC.COM "The only explanation I have, so far, is that an electromagnetic interference of a definite frequency equivalent to a slightly underpitched F was omnipresent in the room. I know it was not caused by martians because I did not see any alien spacecraft flying over the building :-). Seriously, it was the only time a magnetic pick up was of no use in the FAC measurement. Has anyone experienced something like that?" Michel Lachance, RPT "I haven't had the exact type of experience you describe with the magnetic pick-up, but have had to relocate the SAT because heating/air conditioning units create certain frequencies that register as certain notes being played." Keith A. McGavern, RPT
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