SAT problems

[k.swafford@genie.com]

Keith A. McGavern, RPT wrote:
>                                 You move around at the piano (body,
>head, stand, sit, whatever) just to gain the best reception ...
>Same concept with SAT.

and Dave Porritt wrote:
>Last week I was tuning in a piano professor's studio when half way
>through the 1st piano my "lo bat" indicator came on.  I went down to
>my shop and got the charger, pluged it in and resumed working.  When I
>started to tune the second piano, I left the SAT on the first piano so
>it would be close to the wall plug.  I got better readings on each
>note than I ever had.  The SAT was 5 feet from the piano I was tuning.

     I tell a certain joke at the beginning of each of my tuning
classes.  It goes:  I should tell you that while I am up here at the
piano demonstrating tuning, you will likely hear any tuning mistakes I
make before I do.  This is something that we have discovered in
master-tuning pianos for the PTG tuning exam:  persons around the room
can often hear the beats better than the person who happens to be
sitting at the keyboard.  Therefore, I recommend that when you tune,
you should position your ears about 12 feet from the piano while you
are working!

     Seriously, I think that we position the SAT where we normally do
just so that it will be within arm's length.  The best readings might
very well be obtained elsewhere.

     BTW, if the battery in your SAT is in good condition, when the
low battery indicator comes on, you should have enough charge left to
finish the tuning you are on, and perhaps even do another.  If the low
battery warning is giving you insufficient warning before the SAT goes
to sleep, your battery may need replacing.

Keith A. McGavern, RPT wrote:
>                plucking the string in special situations is always an
>option.  The SAT is an extension of the user.

     Exercise extreme caution.
     Years ago, the good people at Rhodes (remember Rhodes?) claimed
that the easiest way to tune the tines of their electric piano was to
raise the harp and pluck the tines, then simply adjust the weight with
bare fingers.  The only problem was, the resulting tuning was often
awful, because plucking a tine produced a different frequency than
did hitting the same tine with a hammer.  It's the same with piano
strings, especially in the high treble.  Check it out.

and finally, Dave Porritt wrote:
>enhancements he mentioned would be really nice about now.  Are we
>spoiled by new software revisions that hit the market about every 18
>months?????????

     I suppose we _are_ spoiled, but it's not like we are asking for
something for nothing.  I'd be willing to pay for a better ETD.  If
Inventronics doesn't think it could make SAT upgrades pay, there will
likely be someone else willing to provide a better ETD -- for a price.

                                             Kent Swafford