|
2018
The RE-INSTALLED bell was
given a demonstration ringing during the
Palm Sunday service on the
25th March—followed by the first
‘regular’ use on Easter Day 1st April.
HERE'S
WHAT HAPPENED
During
July 2015, the Wesley bell (from our former church) was installed
at our Sutton Street church.
The bell was fixed to a large bracket, which is securely bolted to
the steel frame of the building.
The bell did not swing to ring.
A solenoid operated clapper was located to strike the bell upon
it’s external surface.
Unfortunately,
from inside the building, the loud ‘thump’ of the clapper drowned out
the sound of the bell.
The bell’s rubber mounts did not isolate the mechanical noise
from the building’s steel frame.
Additionally, the new clapper’s design and material was too
different from the original and so the bell did not resonate properly.
A
JOURNEY TO SUCCESS !
One
of our talented church members, Ian
Rowlerson was brave enough to take on the challenge of rectifying the
situation.
For
about 18 months Ian's home workshop became a ‘bell factory’ and was
the scene of a series of experiments—researching, designing, testing;
modifying, testing—more research, new designs and testing.
It was quite a saga of hit and miss!
Almost
by accident, it was discovered that the original clapper produced a vastly
better bell sound.
The bell is now swung to ring (by an electric motor) and is using
its original clapper.
Church
member Bill Hall in deploying his expertise, was especially involved with
the electrical / electronics procurement.
Bill
installed the new electronics and the required new cabling from bell to
control box inside the church.
He had to wrestle with the Chinese instructions as he modified,
connected and adjusted the controls.
Thanks
to our members John Spargo and Con Murphy who assisted Ian and Bill with
the bell’s reinstallation.
The
bell now sounds out with clarity and resonance.
According to an ‘ear-witness’ it can be clearly heard outside
the Arts Centre in Civic Park, about one km 'as the crow flies'.
Ian
Rowlerson |
