I am very sorry, I did not notice it. How wonderful it for a zener non-existentThe article says that D5 adds to the zener's voltage for a 6.9V reference which is higher than the battery.
My understanding is that the cap charged through only R3, but now I do not know how dischargting, or to any point, is it to pin is 6 or 7 of the 555 IC.D8 bypasses R4 when the 555 timing capacitor charges so it charges quickly.
I can't discribe my feeling, you really the MAESTRO of this great siteThey work best if the waveform is a 50-50 square-wave.
unless R3 = R4 the charge time will not = the discharge timeThe diode shorts R4 for most of the charge time so that the charge time is the same as the discharge time.