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Kenyon Gyro Repair Facts
If you believe your gyro needs a repair while still under the warranty, you must send it to us first for testing and we will determine whether or not it will be covered before performing any repairs. You will pay for the shipping costs both ways. It is important that you treat your gyro as you would any precision instrument. If it is repeatedly jerked around violently, the bearings can become damaged and it may become noisy and have excessive vibration. But not to worry, we can fix it!
Does your gyro make funny noises, not run like it used to, have heavy vibration or just doesn't work? Perhaps it suffered a "gravity event" and is now in pieces. We've seen and heard it all!
We can rebuild any gyro even if you have to sweep it into a dustpan and pour it in a box.
We offer evaluation of all your equipment for a minimum service charge of $100 which will be waived if we do any repairs. Just ship all of your equipment along with a note with contact info and reason for repair to:
Kenyon Laboratories
12 Scovil Rd.
Higganum, Ct. 06441
We will inspect all wiring for safety and test functions of the gyro, inverter and charger. We will perform the only true test of your battery, the time test. Anybody can do this test. Make sure your battery is fully charged and then plug in your gyro and time how long it takes to run down the battery.
Running 1 gyro - KS-2 or KS-4 the battery should last about 5 hours or so.
Running 1 gyro - KS-6 or KS-8 the battery should last about 3 hours.
When running an X series gyro, it is just like running 2 gyros, so you will deplete a battery in half the times as noted above.
We test the gyro on our power supply to check it's function. What we are looking for is that the gyro draws the proper amount of amperage at start up and that after 10 minutes running time, the amp draw drops to it's proper specifications.
If the amp draw is excessive at start up, then there is a short somewhere. This can occur in the cord or inside the gyro. The cord is an easy fix, the gyro, not so easy. The gyro then needs to be opened up and inspected.
If while running, the amp draw does not drop to spec, this usually indicates a loss of helium
(we call them "LEAKERS")
The gyro must be pressure tested to find the source of the leak. Sometimes the leak is an easy fix, sometimes it's not. A leak can occur at the copper filler pipe located under the serial name plate. This is where the helium is induced into the gyro. NEVER move it, cut it or solder it!
Another possible place for a leak is around the pins the gyro cord is attached to. These are very delicate due to the nature of their purpose. If those pins get bent, which can occur if the cord gets pulled on with excessive force, they become damaged inside and the helium can escape. You may also be looking at a total frame replacement if this happens.
One other area of concern when looking for the helium leak is around the end caps. This can happen if the gyro is dropped or hit hard, especially if there is a noticeable dent anywhere near the seams.
REMEMBER THIS: If a gyro is dropped while it is running, you can seriously damage the bearings, resulting in a rebuild.
AND ANOTHER THING: If a gyro that has lost it's helium is used for an extended period of time, a lot of heat is created and the bearings will suffer, eventually resulting in a rebuild.
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THERE IS A HELIUM LEAK?
Does your gyro feel weaker than it used to?
The helium allows the wheels to spin faster, no helium, the wheels cannot get up to full running speed.
Does the gyro feel unbearably hot?
The gyro will get warm, this is normal, especially in hot weather and running for an extended period of time, remember the wheels are spinning at around 20,000 RPM., but if it is uncomfortably hot in a short period of time, it may have a leak.
NEW REBUILD PRICING
*****PLEASE NOTE*****
We are changing our gyro rebuild policies.
Any gyro built before 2005 will cost $1050 to rebuild
Gyros built between 2005-2008 will cost $950
Gyros built from 2008 to 2012 will cost $900
2012 to Present Date
KS-2 or KS-4 gyros will cost $500
KS-6 or KS-8 gyros will cost $600
KS-12 gyro will cost $650
KS-2x2 or KS4x4 gyros will cost $600
KS-6x6 or KS-8x8 gyros will cost $700
KS-12 x 12 gyros will cost $925
We no longer stock any parts for gyros from 1959 to 1999
Please see serial number info below
A "leaker" can usually be fixed for about $100 depending on why and where it has developed a leak. But if the gyro needs a frame replacement, and since the gyro needs to be disassembled, we usually recommend a rebuild a the same time.
Is your gyro noisy or have excessive vibration? Well, then you will be needing a rebuild. The bearings are tired and the wheels will need rebalancing. One very important thing to remember is that if a gyro is rebuilt too many times, it becomes less and less effective due to the fact that we remove material to rebalance the wheels.
--------------- INVERTERS---------------
*****IMPORTANT - POLARITY INFO BELOW*****
The 4 pin XLR connector in the inverter is the DC input. Proper POLARITY must be observed when using any other wiring or connectors NOT sold by Ken Lab.
PIN #1 = NEGATIVE
PIN #4 = POSITIVE
Pins #2 & #3 are not used
For Lemo connectors:
The pin next to the little RED dot is positive (you will also see a little white circle around the pin on the backside during assembly)
For Cinch Jones connectors:
The wider flat prong is positive.
The polarity on the battery cable pigtail and the cigarette adapter cord are just as important!!
Always inspect all cables for frayed or pinched wiring which can cause a short or fuse to blow.
Inverters can fail for numerous reasons. We can fix them. Sometimes it is not a problem in the inverter and can be an issue with the cords or improper power input.
Always be sure to use the proper input voltage that the inverter is rated for.
Sometimes it is as simple as a weak or dead battery. Our lead acid batteries should always be stored fully charged, charged monthly if not used often and not fully depleted on a regular basis. If you have a cigarette adapter cord, you can plug it into your car lighter receptacle (the car should be running) to be certain it is not just a dead battery. Hold the inverter up to your ear, it should make a buzzing sound. Plug in the gyro and let it run up to speed.
If you have a dead battery, it can be replaced. Do it yourselfers can replace their own, but must be able to solder and do it carefully. New batteries can also be purchased from Ken Lab, just send in your battery pack and we will safety check the cable and connector and replace and charge the new battery.
All of our inverters have a fuse. Most of the fuses are accessible without opening up the box. The much older inverters need to be opened up to replace the fuse. Check to make sure the fuse is still intact by carefully inserting a small screwdriver or dime into the fuse holder, pushing in and turning it a little bit until it springs out. If the fuse is blown, replace it with exactly the same type and amperage rating. If the replacement fuse blows, than you need to be sure all of the cables are in good shape. Inspect for frays and nicks in the cables, check all connectors and always be certain to observe proper polarity of the DC wiring. If you continue to blow fuses, you need to send in the inverter for repair. Most likely there is a short inside or the transistors have failed (this can happen with reverse polarity or improper input voltage). A 12 volt inverter cannot be used with a 24 volt power source, or vice versa. It is always recommended that you send in all your equipment for a free safety inspection,
it might not be just the inverter.
Sometimes the LED board that controls the LED battery indicator light can break or fail. The inverter can still work perfectly fine without it, you will just have to be aware of how much battery power you should have available. Hold the inverter up to your ear to make sure it is making a buzzing sound. We can replace the LED board, just send it in for repair.
If other types of batteries are used, such as lithium ions, the voltage input may be higher than the inverter is rated for. Although the inverter may work just fine for an indefinite period of time, eventually the transistors inside become unstable due to the heat that is generated by the higher voltage. A fuse can blow if the transistors fail and sometimes, in the worst case, they will emit a peculiar odor and the back of the box will become distorted from the heat. Don't worry, we can still fix the inverter.
Here are a few examples of the different inverter styles we have made over the years. This is mainly to help you identify the type of connectors (and polarity) on your equipment, so that we can help you better if you need repairs, have questions or need replacement parts. Inverters are not "hardwired" to the battery pack, the old style shown on the left was held on top with two screws, the rest were usually just held on to the battery with velcro and easily removed.
CINCH JONES LEMO XLR - NEUTRIK XLR - AMPHENOL
Wider blade is positive DC input on right DC input 4 pin DC input 4 pin
DC input bottom right Positive pin is closest Pin 1=Negative Pin 1= Negative
AC Gyro input - top
to red dot or slot Pin 4=Positive Pin 4=Positive
CE Approved
Wider blade is positive DC input on right DC input 4 pin DC input 4 pin
DC input bottom right Positive pin is closest Pin 1=Negative Pin 1= Negative
AC Gyro input - top
to red dot or slot Pin 4=Positive Pin 4=Positive
CE Approved
