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I've uploaded some pics from a recent Wessex crank up - a couple of interesting engines, an inverted Webster (thought to be one of two in the UK) and very nicely presented Blackstone. Look for "New Stuff" album.

There are a couple of pics of a Gyro compass that I picked up at Detling recently. I'd hoped to make it go and mount it on a gimballed plank to form part of an inter-reactive display for the public. However, I'm a bit stumped as there are no electrical connections within the instrument. All I can assume is that it is driven by a field generated by an exterior coil . Anyone got any ideas??

About a dozen of the Marconi-Stanley too - a very peculiar little engine indeed.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
Kim Siddorn
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snipped message... Kim,

I see what you mean about the M-S plug. It looks like it might dissipate more heat than the cylinder finning! It would be interesting to see whether it carbons up quite readily.

Ignorance confession time, what does APU stand for? I've guessed aircraft (or airborne, or auxiliary) power unit, but they seem rather vague terms.

What are the instruments in the Kim's corner photos?

Where are the rubber ducks in your display ? :-)

Regards, Arthur G

Reply to
Arthur G

heat than the cylinder finning! It would

airborne, or auxiliary) power unit, but

Hi Arthur, I also had a good look at Kims slightly old electrical test gear. Unfortunately I am old enough to have used most of it myself about 30 years ago. I regret that 20/30 years ago I never took any pictures of PO Telephones main cable testers using many old & interesting meters & bridges to locate faults between towns. They used to carry a battered trestle table into the exchange which was covered by a 2" layer of Paraffin wax in which the various test instruments had been embedded. Some of this gear looked about 40 years old even then! Perhaps the reason I miss it so is because I feel as old as the testgear. 8^)

Regards,Dave Croft

Reply to
Dave Croft

"Arthur G" wrote (snip):-

One on far right looks like AVO transistor analyser. I have the valve version.

Reply to
Nick H

Picture key, "Kim's corner2".

Left to right, back first. Laboratory vane type capacitor. Interesting outside, but stunning inside the box!

Wheatstone bridge for testing resistors of unknown value.

Front row. A Smiths Mk II autopilot as fitted to Meteors, Canberras etc. Found the correct test gear for it at Detling - talk about serendipity ;o))

Centre. Flight surfaces servo test gear for English Electric Lightnings.

A 1970's transistor tester from the days when you could still SEE transistors!

Engine visible in the other pic is a Coventry Victor flat twin. Smashing little engine, very smooth & quiet but a third as heavy again as the Norman T300 of the same power and capacity. Guess which goes out the most .........

"Table display" pic.

You can see some differences - a 1940's gyrocompass still in its original packing.

A BIG spotlight (probably 1920's got "Chicago" on it. Thin sheet brass nickel plated with a 21w bulb & very eye catching. I think it's better than a row of bulbs ;o))

You can just see the heavy duty AVO I 'd bought that day for three quid. It had the traditional dead battery in it, so I washed the alkaline salts out of the case and put it out to dry. Works just fine now.

In the background, the Norman T300 marine engine.

None of the electronics stuff cost much at all - perhaps a tenner for the Lightning servo tester. I get a lot of interest in the old electronic stuff, especially from older men who have used it in their work but there was one elderly lady who used to service gyro compasses and knew all about them. Very worthwhile carting it about and setting it up. Ultimately, I'd like to have a control panel powered from a stationary engine or APU for interested members of the public to twiddle knobs that will load the generator, causing the engine note to deepen and dials to move, so they can see cause and effect.

Well, it keeps me out of the pub ;o))

Reply to
Kim Siddorn

Weren't some of them air powered from a small on board compressor?

John

Reply to
John Manders

Hello Kim, Mail to your return address failed!

----- Original Message ----- From: "Kim Siddorn" Newsgroups: uk.rec.engines.stationary Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004 4:12 AM Subject: New photos

In my yoof, I had a gyro compass, it waz werked wiv a vacuum - it's cleaner that way. Seriously, there was a connector on the back which went off to the engine's inlet manifold. From what I can see from the photo's, your one is 'fancier' than mine was, as my wheel itself was open, looking like a drum of brass with 'buckets' milled into the edge On yours, I suspect that what looks like a gold mesh, is filter and might be where the air enters the unit on its way to the wheel. I used to zoom mine up on a small compressor - I wonder where it went to?

Regards, Roger.

Reply to
Roger Glover

Well, it's funny you should say that John, I wondered the same thing as there is a union on the case (the very well sealed case except for the filter gauze that takes up the whole end of the case!) that looks suspiciously like an air line connection. However, I'd dismissed it as unlikely as I couldn't see any way to impinge the air stream on the spinning centre. I'll have another look at it.

If so, that's good as it gives me a reason to exhibit another Device!

regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
Kim Siddorn

Sorry! (responsible for 10 megs of Marconi-Stanley pics)

Reply to
Nick H

Hi Roger,

No, I replied earlier today to say that I'd had a 31mgb of pics downloaded & that might have bunged up the box.

I'll put this in a private e-mail too ;o))

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Diplomacy done, plates spun, fires fought, maidens eaten - well, three out of four ain't bad

Reply to
Kim Siddorn

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