smokebelch

Yes, the complete assembly. What did you do for a replacement?

Hello, I'm looking for an overrun damper for an NCRS trailer, which I believe is the same as used on a Sankey/Penman trailer. I think mine is beyond repair! Cheers, Andrew

Hi Bob, Is this still available? Cheers, Andrew

Thanks, that's useful info and I just found this recent video posted below. Looks like he's missing the computers. At least I couldn't see any and the plasma VDUs shown are just dumb terminals. Also appears to be missing the full complement of receivers. As far as I can tell, one of which scans very fast and looks for energy impulses, logging these in the database. Following which the second receiver tunes to these spot frequencies and identifies the waveform/modulation. The third receiver is then connected to the control head, but I think could also be commanded via the computer, e.g. by selecting signals identified and logged to the DB. There are two computers, one of which is involved in signal classification and has an IF input from one of the receivers and so has some DSP, while the second runs the database software and serves the terminals.

Thanks! So I have a couple of the racks shown on the desk, complete with all the equipment. I have one full set of receivers (one of each type, of which there are three), plus the odd spare. I also have the computers pictured at the back on the left, but not the rack for the sadly, which is a shame, as it had integrated blowers to keep the computers cool. I've also got a smaller blue rack fitted with an RT321 and DMU. Plus some fibre optic modems. I suspect there may have been more than one type of fit, but couldn't say for certain. In addition to identifying and monitoring signals, I think there was a DF setup, which may have involved more than one station and hence the fibre modems. This is the problem — it's all a bit vague and I only have labelling on racks and cables to go by.

Over the past few years I've been collecting whatever bits of Plessey Vixen I could lay my hands on, with a view to assembling a complete station. I have the manual for the radio, but that's about it and I've struggled to find any more information anywhere. Even the Royal Signals Museum turned up nothing. I suspect this is because it never got accepted into service, so perhaps very limited documentation ever existed. My plan is to fully document as I make progress, via a website dedicated to Vixen. It's a fascinating system, which used software-defined radio, with signal detection and classification, supported by some sort of computer database. Vixen famously led to the downfall of Plessey and it's a terrible shame it never got put to use. Hence why I'm keen to try and document it. As such I'd be interested in: more parts documentation anecdotal info a radio cabin (populated would be great, but empty also would be fine)