I have one similar--110V-3ph 400cycles---I took an old ford alternator,
tapped off the three 3ph wires where they tie to the rectifiers, drove it
with a 1/4-+_ electric motor w/ pulleys & belt
and spun it up real nicely. if I recall, I had about 70 Volts at around 400
cycles--
other alternators might be different--but most anything ought to get it
going.. you realize voltage & frequency both increase at the same time--

Jon Elson wrote:

B.B. wrote:
http://web2.airmail.net/thegoat4/stuff/gyro/

Anyone know anything about this contraption? I'd like to actually
spin it up just for the hell of it, but I'm afraid I may destroy it.
The tag in the fuzzy photo says:

TRANSMITTER
GYRO FLUX COMPASS
Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.
Mfr's Part No 12002-1-B Contract No W33-038 AC-3827
AN 5751-1 Ser. No. AF-44 57054
BENDIX AVIATION CORPORATION
ECLIPSE-POINEER DIVISION
I had one of these about 35 years ago. I probably still have some
of the parts off it. As I remember, it was a single-phase 115 V
400 Hz. One or more of those big metal-cased capacitors on the gyro
inner gimbal shifts the phase for the phase shifted winding to get it
started. You can probably get it to start spinning with a large stereo
amp and a signal generator. It doesn't actually take a lot of power,
but the larger stereo amps can develop 70+ volts output. To get more
voltage, you can bridge it across the two output channels' hot
terminals. Then, you'd need to supply signals 180 degrees out of phase
to the two amplifier inputs.

You could also apply 18 V at 60 Hz to it, but I don't know if that will
spin it up to 3600 RPM. You'd also need to increas the phase shift cap
by a factor of 6.3 Normal speed would be about 22000 RPM at 400 Hz.

Jon