NavList:

Here is an example of a ship's master needing to  read the morning newspaper before relying on the time ball!  This letter to the editor was published in the Wellington Evening Post in Decmber 1874. I assume that the time ball was in Wellington.

It seems that the timeball was dropped automatically by a clock set by the observer after observing the stars

In this era  NZ standard time was 11 hr 30min ahead of Greenwich hence the 11hr 30min and 12 hr 30min.

Was the ball dropped at noon?

What is the  relevance of 9 min 9 sec 13 dec? Does the mechanism drop the ball 9min 9.13 sec early?

I will search to see if Mr Stock wrote other letters to the paper.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP18741207.2.9.12

       Evening Post, Volume X, Issue 247, 7 December 1874, Page 2

THE TIME-BALL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVENING POST. Sir— The Time-ball is again in working order. Ship-masters will please to rate for chronometers only when a notice appears in the morning papers, as before, when, after observations, I set the starting clock. It is impossible to guarantee the time for rating when there has been .clondy weather hiding the stars. The ball drops at New Zealand mean time. The true time at the observatory when the ball drops is 9min. 9sec. 13dec. faster than New Zealand mean time. The present plan is most convenient. A ship master has only to snbsfcract 11h. 30min. from the Time Ball time and he will have his chronometer showing 12h. 30min. Greenwich time if the chronometer be without any error, the difference on 12h. 30min. will be his error, plus or minus, on Greenwich time. I am, &c, A, Stock.

David C