Light time level
Lichtzeitpegel is the name of the clock light sculpture by the artist Horst H. Baumann on the Düsseldorf Rheinturm . It was put into operation on November 24, 1981 and is the largest decimal "time scale" in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records . The clock is also known as a decimal clock , although the "light time level" shows the classic 24-hour time and the digits are displayed in the unary system .
Emergence
In 1974 Baumann found out that the signal of the time signal DCF77 of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) was transmitted in BCD-coded form . He therefore wanted to display the time in a BCD-coded clock as well.
This principle could not be translated in 1974/75 on the bridge pylon of the Düsseldorf Oberkassel Rhine Bridge , which was intended for this purpose , because it only allowed 21 lights, which, as sodium vapor lamps, could not be switched every second due to their inertia.
| Porthole | colour | function |
|---|---|---|
| 58-62 | yellow | without function |
| 56-57 | White | Ten hours |
| 55 | yellow | separation |
| 46-54 | White | One hour |
| 44-45 | yellow | Separation + red beacon |
| 39-43 | White | Ten minutes |
| 38 | yellow | separation |
| 29 - 37 | White | One minute |
| 27-28 | yellow | Separation + red beacon |
| 22-26 | White | Tens of seconds |
| 21st | yellow | separation |
| 12-20 | White | One second |
| 1 - 11 | yellow | without function |
In connection with the publications on the Rhine tower planned by Harald Deilmann with its 62 portholes, Baumann found that the flight lights prescribed for the tower at a height of approx. 80 and 120 meters with a distance of 2.5 meters between the portholes showed that this middle group could record exactly the decimal minutes (9 units, 1 separation, 5 tens).
The seconds below (also 9 units, 1 separation, 5 tens) signal the principle of the decimal time display with their pulse-like switching rhythm. The hour group above the minute group (9 units, 1 separation, only 2 tens) does the same every hour. Groups of ones and ten are always marked with a separating lamp. For reasons of conformity with the appearance of the Düsseldorf bridge family, the time lights shine white, while the separating lights are yellow-orange.
Due to the construction, the Rheinturm has a total of 62 lights, of which only 39 are required for the actual time display (white). The other 23 lights are only used to separate the groups internally or from one another (2 separating lights each between hours, minutes, seconds) and to complete the entire number of lights.
In contrast to Peter Hertha's linear clock , the separating lights of the light time level are switched on for one second to accentuate the full minute. Accordingly, they signal the full hour for a full minute.
The outside display of the light time level as a local time display is supplemented in the foyer of the Rheinturm with the global time display in the world time foyer . For this purpose, 24 glass time facets and date lines with local time zone displays were designed by Baumann. They relativize local and global time, the precision of which has literally become the measure of all things .
In 2003, the light time level was converted from the original 100 watt traffic light bulbs to 12 watt RGB LED arrays. The energy savings of 88% will allow the entire light time level to be supplied completely autonomously over a few square meters of photovoltaics . In 2010, these were replaced by 9-watt RGB LED arrays.
Forerunner of public linear and place value system clocks
Variants of decimal time scale displays in connection with art in public space , or art in buildings , were realized many years earlier by Dieter Binninger with his set theory clock in the value system , in 1975 on the median of Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, and Peter Hertha with his linear clock in the addition system , 1977 on Wilhelmstrasse in Kassel.
Web links
- Lichtzeitpegel Rheinturm , homepage of the artist Horst H. Baumann.
- German digital library : light time level - object description
Individual evidence
- ↑ Light-time level Rheinturm ( Memento of the original from April 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Homepage of the artist Horst H. Baumann, accessed on March 1, 2012.
- ↑ The Rheinturm: The largest decimal clock in the world , Homepage City of Düsseldorf, accessed on March 1, 2012.
- ↑ LIGHT TIME LEVEL - Laserscape.de. In: laserscape.de. Retrieved January 26, 2016 .
Coordinates: 51 ° 13 ′ 4 " N , 6 ° 45 ′ 42" E