[R-390] The Penultimate R-390* Ballast Replacement

[Tom Norris]

You win, Bob.

Unless someone comes up with a story about a system involving a radio links to
the Fleet Ballast Mate's central location where he remotely monitors and
corrects *all* the R-390(*)s in the battle group. Communication could be by
shutter-light or carrier pigeon rather than rf link during times of 
radio silence.
The Galley would have a stock of Kielbasa and Lutefisk on hand so the ET's may
manually replace the ballasts in the unlikely event the automatic system fails.

----------

USMC ET's, lacking any logistics support from the Navy, discover a method of
replacing failed ballasts with a combination of twigs and rocks and 
find the current
regulation of their field expedient ballast to be superior to the 
original 3TF7.
The Navy takes credit for the discovery.

----------

USAF specs require systems containing R-390(*)'s include an AC regulator
or constant voltage transformer for the AC mains, thus eliminating any problem
before it has a chance to occur. Entire system must be dismantled every six
months so voltage stabilization system can be calibrated and certified by PMEL.

Tom NU4G


          Bob Camp sez ---
>Hi
>
>You missed the point, these radios were used by the Navy. All this 
>stuff does not sound battleship compatible.
>
>You pick the current off with a reasonable sized magnetic amplifier 
>and then feed it into an amplidyne. The amplidyne feeds the field 
>winding on a reasonable motor generator set (say 30 HP, they are a 
>common item ...). The output of the motor generator drives a DC 
>motor that runs an alternator. The alternator drives a variac. The 
>variac feeds an isolation transformer that plugs in to drive the 
>ballast tube string.  The whole thing is manually corrected twice an 
>hour by a ballast man's mate third class. The correction is done via 
>a pneumatic link to a control panel three decks away.
>
>It's really the only way to do it if you think about it.
>
>	Enjoy!
>
>		Bob Camp
>		KB8TQ
>
>
>On Feb 12, 2005, at 6:35 PM, Tom Norris wrote:
>
>>Simplified Block diagram of the Amazingly Complex Ballast
>>Replacement Unit (ACBRU) --
>>http://www.fernblatt.net/R390/superballast.jpg
>>
>>Could build a simple comparator circuit driving a
>>stepper motor controller that in turn is coupled
>>to a motor driven multi-turn pot, but that wouldn't be
>>much of a challenge.
>>
>>Better results could be had using a tube based servo
>>amp with chopper amp a`la T-195 autotune circuit with
>>selsyns vs newfangled stepper motors. 400 Hz dynamotor
>>optional.
>>
>>The Rube Goldberg Award to anyone that samples the
>>filament current, feeds it to a voltage to freq circuit,
>>which feeds an AFC circuit similar to the CV-157, complete
>>with spinning disk to indicate "live" ballast error adjustment.
>>
>>All of these would require an external chassis, preferably
>>rack mounted. Why use a simple resistor when you can do
>>something like this??????
>>
>>ahem
>>
>>Time for my medication, or a stiff drink, or both.
>>
>>Tom NU4G
>>