[AT] OT:(now tv)

[Herbert Metz]

Ken
Reminds me of the destroyer (built during WWII) I was on in mid 50's; one of 
our big concerns was the 400 cycle motor generator set for powering the 
gyro.   Later it was transferred to West Coast, so in '71 when we took a 
three week vacation to West Coast I inquired about the ship.  Wanted to show 
the sons where I had spent three years.   Couple days later they called back 
and informed me that it had served past it's usefulness, sooo it was 
stripped of important items then towed out into deep water and used for 
target practice until it sunk.    I will admit it was not a good day for me.
Herb

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ken knierim" <wild1 at cpe-66-1-196-61.az.sprintbbd.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2006 4:09 PM
Subject: RE: [AT] OT:(now tv)


> Hi Larry,
>   I considered trying to put in some FET components to replace the
> tubes on some of the sections but after taking an oscilloscope after the
> system when it was operating on the test stand, I decided there was no
> way I wanted to touch it. The system was working in spite of all the
> problems I saw. The test stand had a bunch of 60+ year old
> potentiometers, motors and touchy wire connections. The signals were
> cutting out and cutting in and while the system had some overshoot, it
> WORKED! I realized that "fixing" something that wasn't broken was not a
> good plan.
>    Instead we put new components in, put in a new transformer and fuse,
> cleaned up the original connectors and tested them. Some of the tubes
> are original; the boxes look like they are from the 50's but they test
> good and don't appear to be damaged or leaky, we have been instructed to
> use them (though we've recently told them that it would be rather
> inexpensive to put in new from the start). Also in the works is an
> overhaul of the rest of the system; the wiring has been replaced on the
> aircraft but the wear components need to be addressed, and we're working
> on that. It should be like new when we get done with all the work, which
> is the plan.
>    Another note was that these parts were originally made by Honeywell.
> I knew my neighbor (also named Ken) had worked there and had designed
> and built gyroscopes for them. I showed one of the original amplifiers
> to him and it got a big smile out of him... he started telling me about
> the guy that designed them originally. It's a small world.
>
> Now if you still have that motor/generator for making 400 cycle 110 volt
> power, I would have some interest in having that around for testing
> these parts before they leave my shop. Presently I have to go to the
> customer's site to use their test equipment and it would be nice to do
> that in-house. I've seen them on quite a number of aircraft but haven't
> been able to score one yet.
>
> Ken
>
>
>
> On Sun, 2006-01-29 at 12:11, Larry D. Goss wrote:
>> You made my day, Ken.  My Dad designed some of that stuff.  The
>> supercharger plant was a separate production facility of GE out on
>> Taylor Street in Fort Wayne.  Dad spent a lot of time between there and
>> the Broadway plant during the war.  The whole plant has been shut down
>> and mothballed for years.  He really lamented the changeover to
>> semi-conductors in the early 50's because the response curves just
>> weren't as predictable and smooth as the vacuum tubes he had been
>> working with for years.  It seems to me I remember that most of that
>> stuff operated on 400 cycle AC.  We had one of the 400 cycle
>> motor-generators setting on the floor of the shop for years.  I don't
>> know why Dad ever brought it home because we had nothing on the farm
>> that we could use it for.
>>
>> Larry
>