The Steamboating Forum

Alternatively, you could get a tiny super fast servo and put it inside an antique analog pressure gauge...

Note that most nicer automotive gauges are driven by tiny stepper motors these days... here's a good writeup:

https://www.cypress.com/documentation/r ... art-gauges

- Bart

This is a very old thread, and I have not read all of it.

I had a white paper about someone who did make a digital indicator, and he had it hooked up to a personal computer.

I will try to find that article.

I always thought that a stepper motor would be ideal for actuating a D-valve (or other type steam valve), although introducing electronics to a steam engine is blasphemy to many.
I don't think I would ever use a stepper motor on a steam engine, but I am an EE and steam lover, so I am aware of the posibilities.

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Some experimental internal combustion engines use solenoid actuated poppet valves; such valves could definitely be made to work on a steam engine. I wouldn't like to be far from shore relying on my own inexpertly potted electronics, but for an engine to play with in the shop - sure, could be fun, and would certainly make experimenting with different valve events easier. To tie back to the subject of this thread, a digital engine indicator could provide feedback back to the controlling computer to optimize valve events - more lead, overlap, etc.

A balanced slide valve could also be driven by a voice coil from one of those ghastly giant subwoofers often found in lowered cars; this would of course need position feedback but would make a pretty powerful and fast servo; the matching 12V audio amps could be pressed into service as the analog servo amplifier.

- Bart

Feel like making an indicator for an engine with a 48" stroke? Already have the pantographs to convert it to a 4" stroke

You want to borrow my 'real' indicator?

Mike