Timegrapher noob questions

[Terrinecold]

Hello,

 have a Weishi 1000 timegrapher. 
I am pretty clear with the basic operations (after all I can read the manual and watch videos). However there are things I still don’t understand. 
If you see the attached picture I am clear with the meaning of the first line of values (rate, amplitude, beat error, frequency+lift angle) what I don’t understand is what are the numbers below ( in the picture a bunch of +4). 
Also how to interpret the actual graph is a mistery. What is it actually showing?  What does the line angle mean. The one in the picture (st36 brand new and not in a case) has some periodic one pixel wiggles then very straight line then one pixel wiggles. Is it good, bad, normal?

 I am pretty clear that if the reading is wild it is bad. But otherwise no idea how to interpret it. 

[JohnR725]

34 minutes ago, Terrinecold said:

 I am pretty clear that if the reading is wild it is bad. But otherwise no idea how to interpret it.

Actually it looks quite decent?

This seems to be a variation amongst the 1000 machines of what they show. So for instance those numbers above the line are showing the rate within the specific time range probably of the averaging range. I'm guessing if you change the averaging range to longer time span the numbers will spread out. Then some of the 1000 machines have the ability to change the basically the gain control which is really nice for watches that have issues with Properly picking up the signal for variety reasons.

Then the graphic display this is a classic back to the days of paper printouts before the numbers existed. Yes the vintage timing machines in the past spit out a paper tape you would look at the graphical display to make diagnostics and the see if your watches either fast or slow and out of beat. They just lack the numeric display an amplitude. I'm attaching a couple of PDFs even though the graphical display is on a LCD versus paper there identical to what they used to be so a manual for paper tape machine on interpreting works just fine for the modern timing machine.

Timing-Machine-Charts.PDF Witschi Training Course Document Nr. 71.1010D35e.pdf

43 minutes ago, Terrinecold said:

has some periodic one pixel wiggles then very straight line then one pixel wiggles. Is it good, bad, normal?

One of the things remember when you're looking at a liquid crystal screen is there are pixels. So it's hard to do a angle when you have pixels. This is where the 1900 is better because the pixels are a lot smaller. The problem with pixels versus a linear display is that you can't actually do an angle sort of. So where's as it is angling up words in this case indicating a running fast as you switching from one line to another that is where you see the weird pixel arrangement. So basically nothing is wrong the display looks outstanding.

Oh and timing machine procedures? It's good to establish a procedure like for instance you wind the watch up and let it run for 15 minutes to an hour that's considered fully wound up. Initially you can wind the watch really really tight and get incorrect reading so you need a little bit of settling down time. Then for diagnostic reasons it's always good to check the watch in more than one position. The minimum would be dial-up and dial down and for a wristwatch crown down. Then it's also nice if you wait 24 hours later and checked the watch again which is good for diagnostic reasons.

[Terrinecold]

Thank you that was really helpful

@JohnR725I had first only read the post as I was outdoor on the phone which is not conducing to prefer reading. I now read the pdf about timing charts and it was really interesting seems very useful and in any way much more than the comment I saw in most video “it gives I dictations about how the watch runs” (true but unhelpful). The second pdf being 55 pages I’ll take more time going through it. 
 

Thanks again

[JohnR725]

10 hours ago, Terrinecold said:

most video

One of the problems with a lot of the videos are they really don't know what they're doing. Typically at the end of the service the put the watch on the timing machine often waiting into the watches fully cased up. As opposed to checking the movement when it's running before it's all cased up. In other words if you're going to have a problem it's nice to bill the work on the dial side without them being there for instance. Then when it is placed on timing machine the only place it in one position they comment how wonderful the numbers look and that really isn't adequate. But typically on those YouTube channels no one notices all the other strange and bizarre things they are doing either.

[Klassiker]

The numbers in the white bar are the average values over the last x seconds. You can set x in the menus.

The row of +4s are the s/d of the last four measurement periods. This short history is useful if the traces are wavy. Yours are just too good (dead straight)!

The angle of the traces (very slightly up to the right, i.e. rising with time) is a graphical representation of the +4s/d.

The vertical separation of the two traces is a graphical representation of the beat error. In your case it's 0.0ms, so the two traces appear to be one.

Edited May 27, 2024 by Klassiker

[Terrinecold]

Thanks for the clear explanation.

 

[Eliminator]

I have found that the potential pitfall in relying on a timegrapher, is that it doesn't necessarily equate to wrist time.

Most of my watches are vintage or modern NH series Seiko, the variation in seconds per day in various positions can be , lets say 30 seconds worse case scenario. Trying to regulate to various positions is a PITA.

I prefer to wear the watch for 2 days, using wrist time error see how far out it is, then regulate it on the timegrapher. This will vary from person to person depending on their daily activity. 

I did put an Omega on the timegrapher and it remained within 2 seconds in all positions.