There were also non-alarm clocks using similar motors, as well as clock radios. Flip card digital clocks would be another source.
An industrial step motor would probably be built to even better standards. The drive circuit would be more complex, but not too bad. Junk printers or CD/DVD drives would have step motors.
True, an analog clock-radio with a busted radio would work for this ... or anything else with a motor that runs continuously likea clock.
I've never built anything using stepper motors. What's the learning curve like? (And would the motor from a printer or CD drive put up with continuous operation forcweeks at a time? Though I guess hard disks spin for ages at a stretch, and I think I have a few 100 MB drives that I could take apart. I'd need to gear down the speed a lot more on one of those, I think (but in turn, that means that sufficient torque wouldn't be something I'd need to even worry about, right?). I'll look at the hard disk pile tomorrow.)
True industrial step motors would have the endurance and I'd think one from a printer or drive would be worth a try. A hard drive spin motor is certainly rated for continuous operation, but would need to be geared down a lot, I was thinking about the step motors used for head positioning on CD drives and some floppies.
I have an extra step motor driver board (they're cheap these days) that would just need a digital signal at the correct frequency. You can have it if you decide to go the step motor route. I can build up a circuit with a 555 IC to drive it. I may even have a step motor that I don't need.
(no subject)
An industrial step motor would probably be built to even better standards. The drive circuit would be more complex, but not too bad. Junk printers or CD/DVD drives would have step motors.
(no subject)
I've never built anything using stepper motors. What's the learning curve like? (And would the motor from a printer or CD drive put up with continuous operation forcweeks at a time? Though I guess hard disks spin for ages at a stretch, and I think I have a few 100 MB drives that I could take apart. I'd need to gear down the speed a lot more on one of those, I think (but in turn, that means that sufficient torque wouldn't be something I'd need to even worry about, right?). I'll look at the hard disk pile tomorrow.)
(no subject)
A hard drive spin motor is certainly rated for continuous operation, but would need to be geared down a lot, I was thinking about the step motors used for head positioning on CD drives and some floppies.
I have an extra step motor driver board (they're cheap these days) that would just need a digital signal at the correct frequency. You can have it if you decide to go the step motor route. I can build up a circuit with a 555 IC to drive it. I may even have a step motor that I don't need.
(no subject)