We got another fun looking package in the mail today.  There was no labels on the outside.  We opened it with a bit of curiosity.  The first piece that came out looked a little like a motor attached to a 4 AA battery compartment.  We were not quite sure what it was.  We continued to pull out foam pieces until we got to the bottom.  At the bottom of the tube was something so cool that we had to write it up immediately... even before we fired it up!

What came in the mail was actually a precision gyroscope and gimbals from a company in England.  The gyroscope kit comprised of a battery driven motor and the brass/aluminum gyroscope.  The gimbals kit included all of the stainless steel platform, counter weight, and pivot posts.  We cannot over emphasize the superb quality of this instrument and associated parts.

The parts are well machined and fitted perfectly together.  The thumb screws were knurled for easy grip, rotating parts had nylon bushings for smooth action, and rubber O-rings around each foot kept the entire assembly stationary.

The entire setup came together in less than 10 minutes.  Using the various struts and extensions, many different configurations can be constructed.

We have not fired up the gyroscope as of this writing.  We wanted to read all of the instructions carefully before hitting the switch :-)

After all, we remember what happened in the movie "Contact"... we didn't want to accidentally open up a worm hole in the middle of the RainyDayMagazine office!

I have always considered gyroscopes to be one of those "perfect" toys.  They are fun to play with, incredibly educational, and totally mesmerizing.

There is something almost magical in the physics of the gyroscope.

Glen Turner at Gyroscope.com sent us this beauty.  This gyroscope is an heirloom quality  precision instrument. 

In this "first look" review, we tried to give you a feel for the quality of this gyroscope, the various gimbal pieces, and the different possible configurations for gyroscopic explorations.

Come back in a few weeks and check out this review again.  We should have videos of the different "experiments" by then.

Uh, no...you can't play with it.  Get your own here.

Review Summary:

Initial Impression- Excellent

Usability- Excellent

Durability- at least 100 years!

Price- Save up for it ($100, $55)