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From: wmartin@brl-vgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.misc
Subject: Nuclear Attack Warning Alarm
Message-ID: <391@brl-vgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 19-Apr-84 07:50:02 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-vgr.391
Posted: Thu Apr 19 07:50:02 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Apr-84 01:32:41 EST
Organization: Ballistics Research Lab
Lines: 31

I just received a catalog from an electronic surplus and parts dealer
(Chaney Electronics, Colorado) which contains an ad for a doohickey
the likes of which I have never seen before. Here is the text of the
description:

   NEAR ALARM -- Unique device made for the US Gov't to warn of
   nuclear attack. It was to be plugged into the wall outlet and
   sound off when power company switched from 60 to 50 cycles. An 
   experimenter's delight! The case alone is well worth the price.
   C2706    $1.49
   
This is the first I have heard of the possibility of the power grid
changing from 60 Hz to 50 Hz as part of an attack-warning mechanism.
It seems a strange concept. I was under the impression that the 
power-line frequency was in some manner determined by the speed at
which generators ran, so that changing the frequency would involve
something much more elaborate than flipping a switch -- a coordinated
effort over some time of slowing down generators and synchronizing
different producers' output so that they were in phase, etc. In that
case, I don't see how this switchover could be done within the seconds
or minutes available after knowledge of an attack and before the alarm
must be broadcast.

Also, what would the purpose of such a change be? Just to set off these
little alarms? The only "practical" effect I can imagine is that your 
electric clocks would all immediately slow down by 1/6th, thus giving you 
more time to run, pray, jump into shelters, or whatever... (-: 

Anybody have more info on this subject? It certainly seems odd...

Will