HMAS Brisbane : Gun Plot Room : Power Supply Assembly PP-7385/SPG-53

The low voltage Power Supply Assembly PP-7385/SPG-53 is a rectangular steel cabinet with two full-length doors hinged at the sides to provide access to six drawer-type pull-out chassis inside. The Power Supply Assembly provides '2,300, +2,150, +2,000, +300, +120 and '300 VDC to the radar circuits. Cooling is effected by the blower assembly, which is usually mounted at the top left edge of the cabinet. The blower assembly is a box with triangular sides with a square exit on the top and a rectangular exit on the bottom. The assembly is hollow inside and there are sixteen `half-holes' at the base, which sit over the screws on the top left hand side of the power supply unit. The blower assembly fan intakes air through a filter and forces it into the Power Supply Assembly through an intake vent in the cabinet's left side. Two Perspex panels (approx A4 size) are attached to each door. At the base of the unit is a bracket constructed of four pieces of heavy channel and a rectangular plate. This is secured to the floor of the GPR compartment through 46 bolts (approx 20 missing). There is a rectangular case on the rear of the unit to house the cable connections. Cable end fittings are present. Cables have been cut approx 500mm from the unit. There are two notches, one located on each side of the unit at the top to allow lifting equipment to be attached.

This component was removed from HMAS Brisbane after the ship was de-commissioned in 2001. The Power Supply Assembly is located in the Gun PLot Room. It is part of the Radar Set AN/SPG-53F, which is in turn part of the Gun Fire Control System used to direct the ship’s two 5 in. 54 calibre guns. HMAS Brisbane [II] was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in December 1967 and was the second vessel of that name to serve in the RAN. Known officially as DDG-41, Brisbane was the third of the RAN's American-built "Charles F. Adams" class guided-missiles destroyers. This class were the first major Australian warships designed and built in America, and were constructed by the Defoe Shipbuilding Co. The original complement of the Brisbane was 20 officers and over 300 sailors. Main armament was two 5-inch/54 calibre guns and anti-submarine torpedoes. The Ikara missile system was subsequently added. In later service the ship was known by the nick-name ‘the Steel Cat’. The HMAS Brisbane saw operational service in two conflicts. During the Vietnam War the ship undertook two tours of duty with the United States Seventh Fleet, in 1969 and again in 1971. The ship’s major task was to provide gunfire support for the land campaign. During the Gulf War (1990-91), Brisbane was one of four Australian warships to serve a tour in Gulf waters. The Brisbane arrived in the Gulf in December 1990 and operated there until March 1991, performing a number of roles. Apart from contributing to the anti-aircraft defences in the carrier screen, the ship also kept watch for mines and ensured that small civilian craft kept well away from the carrier group. Later, during Operation Desert Storm, the Brisbane controlled fighter combat air patrols and tanker aircraft. The ship’s final role was as an escort for US replenishment ships. In 2003 HMAS Brisbane was retired from service in the Royal Australian Navy. The Brisbane was the last steam powered ship in the RAN. HMAS Brisbane was sunk as a recreational dive wreck off the coast of southern Queensland in July 2005.