The Junior Club Scout

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The Club Scout III has been the least expensive frequency analyzer on the market and yet includes the measurement of torque. However, I get quite a few calls from hobbyists looking for a used or a lower cost analyzer. They can't afford the expense of a typical frequency analyzer but are well aware of their need in building a well-matched set of clubs. I decided to see if I could build a unit that was accurate yet very low cost. The Junior Club Scout is the result.

This is what has been done to get the cost down:

• No torque measurement
• An AC power unit is NOT provided. A cable to operate the unit off of a 9v battery is available.
• The unit has been packaged in a very low cost small plastic box
• It does not come with a clamping unit per se. Parts to build your own are supplied.
• It uses an infrared reflective sensor approach to detect shaft oscillations

 

Description

The Junior Club Scout is a very small unit. It's about the size of a package of cigarettes. The unit uses the same microprocessor as the Club Scout III and is just as accurate. It contains an on off switch to conserve battery power. This switch also acts as a reset switch. A good alkaline battery will give 5 to 10 hours of operation.

The Junior Club Scout does not come with a clamping unit. Parts are provided and it's a do-it-yourself project. It should be easy for the clubmaker to fabricate a clamp similar to the Club Scout III. The Junior Club Scout comes with a T handle bolt to apply the necessary clamping force to the shaft instead of the slip clutch assembly supplied with the Club Scout III. It is not difficult to get the feel of a consistent clamping force with the T handle. Clamping repeatability within one cpm is pretty easy. The unit will come with some photos showing one possible approach to building your own clamp. With the parts I provide and a few simple items from the hardware store it took me about an hour to build a suitable clamping unit. At detailed description of a clamp fabrication is contained in Tech Note #33.

The Junior Club Scout sensors work well on steel shafts. The mirrored surface gives a very good reflection of the IR beam. With graphite shafts a piece of Scotch brand 3M reflective tape will have to be placed on the shaft to get a reflection. A strip will be provided with the unit. This tape can be purchased in hardware stores. Aluminum tape also works.

The phototransistor can be affected by strong outside light. Be sure no direct outside light is shining on the unit. It may produce low readings or an E1 display.

The Junior Club Scout comes with complete instructions and fitting charts. Some accessories, as shown the lower part of the above picture, are available.