Author Topic: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!  (Read 28835 times)

Offline AVGWarhawk

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #15 on: March 07, 2008, 10:23:37 AM »
Mark,  you have email. Chief Bill will work with you directly via email.  Any questions you have he will answered to the best of his ability.  Bill also has other schematics and diagrams.  If anyone can help you with this, Bill is your man. Good Luck!
CHRIS GOSSWEILER/USS Torsk Volunteer/You will find me in the engine rooms.

Offline Travis McLain

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #16 on: March 09, 2008, 01:18:48 AM »
Well, this is great news. This year is going to be great for the Batfish. So many projects are making progress, many are being finished. Can not wait to see what those schematics yield, hopefully we will not have too much trouble with it.
"Uncommon Valor Was A Common Virtue" Adm. Nimitz on the Marines at Iwo Jima.

"USS Batfish relentlessly tracked down the enemy and in three separate, brilliantly executed attacks, launched her torpedoes with devastating speed and skill and demolished three Japanese submarines."

Offline AVGWarhawk

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #17 on: March 09, 2008, 06:46:54 PM »
Glad I could get you someone with the know how and paperwork.  It will be very cool to hear her hum to life.  Keep me posted!
CHRIS GOSSWEILER/USS Torsk Volunteer/You will find me in the engine rooms.

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #18 on: March 10, 2008, 09:50:18 AM »
Bill is very knowledgable.  Surprisingly, he's not aware of the capacitors being replaced.  They replaced some hand-wound resistors and a transformer recently blew.  I'm thinking that a lot of the 1MC problems on the Torsk is probably due to old capacitors.  Those wax/cardboard jobs were never designed to have a long life and sometimes they fuse shut when they blow and act like a wire, instead of a capacitor.  I'm surprised that they got it running at all with them still installed.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline AVGWarhawk

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #19 on: March 10, 2008, 01:15:24 PM »
It might be magic!!!!  It is good to know that both of you can exchange some information on things. Two heads are better then one!!!!  What is more amazing is the fact they took these things to war!!!  So, you learn something and we learn something.  That is always a good thing.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2008, 01:17:10 PM by AVGWarhawk »
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Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #20 on: March 10, 2008, 01:25:08 PM »
Yeah.  Thanks for hooking me up with Bill.  I think a lot of people on here will benefit from what we find out.

I'm also going to tackle/oversee getting the radio shack fully operational, again.  This will be easier, because the radios are portable and can be worked on in a shop.  My plan is to put some announcements out on ham radio web sites to see if any old Hams in NE OK want a crack at restoring the military radios.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline AVGWarhawk

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #21 on: March 10, 2008, 04:07:49 PM »
Yeah, Bill was firing up something electrical this weekend. Not sure what but heard there was smoke.  :o
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Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #22 on: March 10, 2008, 04:31:50 PM »
In an email he mentioned that the Torsk's 1MC stack had blown a transformer, but it sounded like that had happened a while ago.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline AVGWarhawk

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #23 on: March 10, 2008, 08:50:15 PM »
I'm not sure what is going with the 1MC. I spend my time in the engine rooms. If I run into any wiring I just lick my finger  and touch it to see if it is hot.  :o  I think Bill was firing up some of the radio equipment in the radio room. I'm not sure if he got any results. 
CHRIS GOSSWEILER/USS Torsk Volunteer/You will find me in the engine rooms.

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #24 on: March 24, 2008, 09:02:32 AM »
The 1MC manual came in the mail on Saturday from Bill.  Very handy item to have.  Our equipment is a newer model than what is shown in the manual, but it's close enough to know what to repair and how to operate the machinery. 

My first plan of attack is to remove and repair the glass tubes and then test all vacuum tubes.  Next step will be to replace all resistors for Signal Generator 1 and Amplifier Channel A.  Step 3 is to test the capacitors.  Step 4 will be to try to replace some missing test buttons and a meter.

After that, I can't really juice the thing up until they have power running to the I.C. switch board, again.  I know that it took the Torsk years to get theirs working, but the only thing realy holding me back is lack of power.  I don't think it will take me very long to solder in new resistors.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline AVGWarhawk

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #25 on: March 24, 2008, 09:26:45 AM »
Bill said he mailed you the manual. I hope it helps. Bill was busy pulling tubes and checking them on a radio this weekend. I think all the radios and receivers in the radio room on the Torsk are just about functional.  Keep us updated on your progress!!     
CHRIS GOSSWEILER/USS Torsk Volunteer/You will find me in the engine rooms.

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #26 on: March 24, 2008, 09:33:48 AM »
Will do.  I really appreciate Bill's help, as well as some of the other volunteers that have answered my undending wave of questions.

Radios are another project that we need to tackle.  Resistors and capacitors will have to be tackled in those things, but you can take them home one at a time and they don't weigh 600 lbs. like the 1MC stack does.   :o

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #27 on: March 25, 2008, 10:06:38 AM »
I have been reading through the 1MC manual and RCA did a very good job of not only explaining how the system works, but showing you where all of the electrical components are and what the major ones do to make the machine run.  For instance, I now know that a timing motor and relay # K20-G (I think) allow the tubes to warm up for one minute and prevent the 1MC/7MC from being operated until that motor hits a contact and opens up the bypass relay.  I also know which relays are for the the bridge reproducer, which operate the 1MC circuits, which operate the 7MC circuits, which are tied to Channel A amp and Channel B amp, etc.  I can actually pin-point a specific item to repair, knowing that it will fix a certain unit.  They even tell you which vacuum tubes produce the different alarm noises.  Very cool stuff.

So, my plan of attack for the 1MC is as follows:
1.  Remove, clean, test, and maybe repair vacuum tubes - glass tubes can be reglued at the base.
2.  Focus efforts on Signal Generator #1 and Power Amp. A (top amp).
3.  Replace all accesible resistors in above items.
4.  Test and replace, as necessary, the ten 1-microfarad, 250V capacitors in Amp A - I recently purchased a used Heathkit capacitor tester for pretty cheap.
5.  Replace the missing test buttons and meter on the control panel - these can be used to activate the different alarms when the signal generator is set to test mode. :)
6.  Install working vacuum tubes.
7.  Remove, strip, and repaint alarm contactor face plates/handles.
8.  Install new screws and bolts into the alarm contactor face plates.
9.  Once power is restored to the I.C. Switch Panel, turn it on and debug any other problems.

Long -term restoration would include restoring Sig. Gen. 2 and Amp. B as stated above (redundant systems), reconnecting any disconnected alarm contactors back into the 1MC (if we can gain access behind the unit), restoring the reproducer and switch box on the bridge and running new wires to those items on the bridge, and finding replacement parts for the 1MC mic box in the control room.  Mainly, we just need a microphone to get it working again and the switch needs a little TLC.

Resistors are cheap and most of them are easily accessible for removal and repalcement.  Many NOS (new old stock) vacuum tubes have been donated to the cause, as well.  So, I don't think that it will cost us anything but time to get steps 1 through 8 completed - 9 may be a different story.  If someone wants to tackle steps 7 and 8, knock yourself out.  Just mark down where the wires were connected to the back of the contactors before disconnecting them and use the right color when you repaint said contactor. :)
« Last Edit: March 25, 2008, 10:08:20 AM by Mark Sarsfield »

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Fred Tannenbaum

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #28 on: March 25, 2008, 02:33:02 PM »
Mark:

Give me a shout at ft236@hotmail.com. I will put you in contact with the guy who put the Silversides 1MC back in working order some 25 years ago. He knows quite a bit about the 7MC as well.

Fred

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: 1MC/7MC Help & Parts Needed!
« Reply #29 on: March 25, 2008, 02:53:22 PM »
Done.

Also, here's the Heathkit C-3 Condenser Checker that I got for $15.00.  It checks resistors, too.  http://www.heathkit-museum.com/test/hvmc-3.shtml


Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
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"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy