[time-nuts] OT - DC-10 gyros

J. Forster jfor at quikus.com
Wed Mar 27 21:53:03 UTC 2013


Watch eBay for a small static inverter. I got an Abbott one for under $50.
It takes 28 VDC and puts out 115VAC 400 Hz.

-John

===================


> How about one of those 2kw car stereo amps with a 555 input tone ?
>
> --- On Wed, 3/27/13, Bill Ezell <wje at quackers.net> wrote:
>
>
> From: Bill Ezell <wje at quackers.net>
> Subject: [time-nuts] OT - DC-10 gyros
> To: time-nuts at febo.com
> Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 1:40 PM
>
>
> Well, I can come up with something topical, read on. :)
>
> I saw a 'Bendix yaw-rate gyro' on FleaBay recently for $14.50. Of course,
> I had to buy it.
>
> What I got was the yaw-rate gyro package from a Northwest Airlines DC-10
> that was stripped for parts around 2000. The gyro included the pull tag
> with tail number, the license number of the A&P mechanic that pulled it,
> and some other cool stuff.
>
> What it turned out to really be is two gyros with two sets of electronics
> in one box about 6" x 2" x 5" box, all vintage '80s or so. Even better,
> it's a strapdown system. The actual gyro wheel is about the size of your
> thumbnail. I've just started tracing things out, and I've gotten the gyros
> to spin up. I really love mechanical gyros for some reason, too bad
> there's not a gyro-nuts group. I'm going to have great fun getting the
> package traced out and running.
>
> So, to be a bit more topical, the package of course needs 28V 400Hz for
> the gyros, 28VDC for something, and +/-15V for most of the electronics.
>
> Question - anyone figured out some clever solution for the 400Hz power? I
> faked it with a signal generator and power amp, but that's a bit bulky.
> I'm thinking I'll use one of the class-D amp ICs and a simple op-amp
> phase-shift sine generator.
>
> Topical in a more abstract way, strapdown systems really are very
> interesting. They require precise integration of the rate output over time
> to derive velocity and position, and really weren't practical until the
> 70's when small enough computers existed to do the requisite
> calculations.  (I worked on the nav system for the Trident missile back in
> my Draper Labs days).
>
> -- Bill Ezell
> ----
> They said 'Windows or better'
> so I used Linux.
>
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