Sperry Radar Clock almost done

[Morris Odell]

Hi all,

You may remember some posts a few months back about my conversion of a Sperry marine radar into a clock. Well it's almost done! Here's a video of progress to date:

http://youtu.be/kTHOvdUqQOk 

There a few little software tweaks to go and a minor amount of metalwork but it's pretty much there. Unfortunately I was never able to solve the transformer noise problem so adding chimes is not worth doing. It displays GPS time through my home wifi link and if there's no GPS available it can be set manually and uses the mains frequency as a reference.

Power consumption in display mode is 115 watts mostly losses in the power amplifiers and deflection ballast resistors. There are some BIG heatsinks on the back. Now the biggest issue is where to put it - the domestic engineering manager is hard to please :-(

Enjoy!

Morris

[Dan Harboe Burer]

Wow. I’m very impressed. I love it :)

A wonderful way to use an old Radar !

 

Regards

Dan

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[Tidak Ada]

Hi Mike,

 

Very nice!

What is the type number of the picture tube and what does the 0-1 nixie indicator say?

 

eric

 

[NeonJohn]

On 12/17/2014 05:54 AM, Morris Odell wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> You may remember some posts a few months back about my conversion of a
> Sperry marine radar into a clock. Well it's almost done! Here's a video of
> progress to date:
>
> http://youtu.be/kTHOvdUqQOk
>
> There a few little software tweaks to go and a minor amount of metalwork
> but it's pretty much there. Unfortunately I was never able to solve the
> transformer noise problem so adding chimes is not worth doing. It displays
> GPS time through my home wifi link and if there's no GPS available it can
> be set manually and uses the mains frequency as a reference.

That is one of the most impressive clock designs I've seen in a long
time. Well done!

Regarding the whine. That would have to go! Have you considered
removing the transformer and having it baked and dipped at a motor
repair shop? The varnish should both bind the windings in place and
dampen any magnetostriction.

I use converted metal-halide street lights in my shop. They were
mounted 40 ft above the road where the noise didn't matter. Intolerable
indoors. I took the ballasts down to my friendly local motor shop and
had them dipped and baked. Almost complete silence.

>
> Power consumption in display mode is 115 watts mostly losses in the power
> amplifiers and deflection ballast resistors. There are some BIG heatsinks
> on the back. Now the biggest issue is where to put it - the domestic
> engineering manager is hard to please :-(

Wow. I'm surprised it's that low. Let's see, about 64 watt-hours a
month. $10 at our $0.12/watt-hour rate. Yeah, it's worth it.

John


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[Morris Odell]

Thanks all for your kind comments. The CRT is a 7ABP7A and the little nixie tube displays the number of satellites visible to the GPS receiver in the master clock wifi sender. I did have the power transformer vacuum impregnated by a transformer shop but to no avail. The noise was minimised by keeping the drive waveform as close to a sine wave as possible and rubber mounting the transformer but at 900 Hz there's obviously some magnetostriction going on that can't be reduced. The noise is picked up by the mechanical structures and putting on the cover makes little difference. 

Morris

[Oscilloclock]

Utterly magnificent work! That's very inspirational. I do hope the engineering manager allows you to place it in the most prominent location in your home...

How about a noise-cancelling concept (a few speakers mounted externally, driven with the 900Hz out-of-phase); wonder if that would offer any improvement?

Aaron

[Tidak Ada]

Is it only the transormer or also the deflecion coils that make sound?

 

I am highly interested in the schema! ;-)

 

eric

---

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Morris Odell
Sent: donderdag 18 december 2014 9:37
To: neoni...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] Sperry Radar Clock almost done

Thanks all for your kind comments. The CRT is a 7ABP7A and the little nixie tube displays the number of satellites visible to the GPS receiver in the master clock wifi sender. I did have the power transformer vacuum impregnated by a transformer shop but to no avail. The noise was minimised by keeping the drive waveform as close to a sine wave as possible and rubber mounting the transformer but at 900 Hz there's obviously some magnetostriction going on that can't be reduced. The noise is picked up by the mechanical structures and putting on the cover makes little difference. 

Morris

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[Instrument Resources of America]

I would have thought that the vacuum impregnating of the transformer would have at least made some difference, even if minor. Is it possible that it may be something else making the noise, a filter choke in the power supply, deflection transformers, deflection coils etc.???  Ira.

On 12/18/2014 12:36 AM, Morris Odell wrote:

Thanks all for your kind comments. The CRT is a 7ABP7A and the little nixie tube displays the number of satellites visible to the GPS receiver in the master clock wifi sender. I did have the power transformer vacuum impregnated by a transformer shop but to no avail. The noise was minimised by keeping the drive waveform as close to a sine wave as possible and rubber mounting the transformer but at 900 Hz there's obviously some magnetostriction going on that can't be reduced. The noise is picked up by the mechanical structures and putting on the cover makes little difference. 

Morris

--

[Morris Odell]

There are two 900 Hz transformers in the clock. The first is the main power transformer running in reverse with an IC power amp feeding 900 Hz sine waves to a 12 volt winding that was originally a secondary for the radar deflection system. Another two windings develop various voltages that are required for the CRT indicator. The former primary develops 100 volts which is fed to the primary of the HV transformer. The main power transformer was the one I had vacuum impregnated and that made only a very minor difference as did rubber mounting it. The HV transformer is potted and there's no practical way to re impregnate it. They are both contributing to the noise which makes it certain to be due to magnetostriction in the cores. The yoke is definitely not the source as the noise is there when the deflection system is not connected. There are no other wound components running at 900 Hz.  Interestingly there is an obvious standing wave pattern to the noise, it varies with the observer's ear and head position :-) Noise cancellation is therefore not a practical proposition.

The schematic is large and  complex and has parts of the original radar system and parts that I have added as described in my previous posts. I don't have an electronic version. There's also a large AVR program which is still being "improved" as I think of things to add.

Morris