At 15:13 5/8/2000, Karl Wolz wrote:
>and I was told it was due to a "slipped magnet".  Now you know as much as I
>do.

Karl, I believe these things operate by spinning a magnet in close
proximity to an aluminum disk which carries the pointer.  The rotating
magnetic field induces a current in the disk, which in turn generates a
magnetic field that interacts with the one from the magnet, and causes the
disk to rotate against the tension of a hairspring.  The intensity of
interaction and hence the rotating force is increased as the magnet is
moved closer to the disk -- setting this distance is part of the initial
calibration of the instrument.

david
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"