Beauty of old electrical and measuring things, etc.

[Averagesupernova]

Yep Hammond is the one I would go to.

 

[dlgoff]

Speaking of tubes, have you watched Star Trek's "The City on the Edge of Forever" recently?
I watched it last night, for the first time in many years. ...
... Of course, I immediately thought of you, as the year was 1930, and I was curious if they had such tubes back then. ...

I didn't see the episode last night but remember it. But yea. Up on post #139 I showed this cool find that was introduced in 1926.

It didn't have a filament as it's a gas tube that uses He. It still rectifies just fine with 120 Vac supplied to it.

 

[dlgoff]

Is there a similar thread in Mechanical Engineering for old machinery enthusiasts ?

I should get out more. I went over to the Mechanical Engineering forum to look for that similar thread but couldn't find it. However I did reply in a thread. If you should find that old machinery thread, please post a link for it here.

 

[dlgoff]

I have a 6 volt radio with 6 one volt filament tubes. I believe it is an Admiral. It needs an output transformer. I walk by it every day many times as it is in my hallway but it never occurred to me to post it in this thread. I'll have to get a pic.

Post a pic here and I'll look through my old goodies.

Hammond still makes vintage audio transformers.

Yep Hammond is the one I would go to.

You can get Hammond transformers from https://www.tubesandmore.com/. Here's their https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/transformers_chokes section.

 

[dlgoff]

Junkshop nearby has a bushel basket of such tubes, I've resisted the temptation so far... but i probably ought to get all his 30's for my radio.

You should get them.
I'm going to have to come see this "junkshop" and your "$0.30/lb junkyard".

 

[dlgoff]

These aren't beautiful old electrical devices but are beautiful in how they educate about devices.

The one on the left might interest @berkeman; a guide for taking the FCC element 4 exam for the Radiotelephone 1st Class Operator's License (Copyright 1958). The one of the right I got when I was 16 years old when Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. came to my town's summer fair; this guide was included in a Speech Synthesis kit (Copyright 1963).

 

[Averagesupernova]

Maybe not beautiful, but it is an electrical measuring thing. Notice the strange controls. Horizontal gain is certainly not something you see on many scopes.

 

[Averagesupernova]

Here are some pix of the radio that I had promised. From the looks of the cabinet, I need to dust. Haha. I am missing knobs, but I can make those. When I first acquired this radio I had to clean up the points in the vibrator. Those points are made of some of the hardest metal I have ever come across. I believe it had several bad tubes but I was able to find some. No bad capacitors which surprised me. The old timer I got the tubes from told me that there were certain brands of caps that just don't fail. Lucky for me, this set is full of them.

 

[Averagesupernova]

Although I have had this for years I have never used it. I don't have the probes with proper banana plug. If I do find some I doubt I will be attempting to measure 6 KV with it.

 

[Averagesupernova]

I just got this at an auction. An original. Not a cheap knock off. Haven't even had a chance to hang it up to try it. Interesting thing about this is that it came with a note describing it's history. It was originally in a school and given to an employee when clocks were replaced with electric. It got handed down to the employees child and from there given to a domestic employee (maid I suspect) . This party eventually became elderly and passed on. Their estate auction is where I scored the clock.

 

[Baluncore]

When I first acquired this radio I had to clean up the points in the vibrator. Those points are made of some of the hardest metal I have ever come across.

Iridium has been used for spark plugs and vibrator contacts because of it's high resistance to spark erosion. Platinum-Iridium 50/50 alloy is very much harder than Pt alone.

 

[dlgoff]

Horizontal gain is certainly not something you see on many scopes.

Thanks for posting your pictures. Here's my old Heathkit oscilloscope which has horizontal gain control.

 

[dlgoff]

I am missing knobs, but I can make those.

This old beauty is waiting for a restore.

It was missing a knob and I found one at http://www.oldradioparts.com/.
Here's their knob page where you may be able to find the right ones for your radio: http://www.oldradioparts.com/knobs.htm

Edit: BTW I love your radio's dial face. It's in really good shape. Who manufactured your radio?

 

[dlgoff]

... I doubt I will be attempting to measure 6 KV with it.

You never know. I've been measuring 4 kV lately doing Aluminum deposition on glass.

 

[dlgoff]

Iridium has been used for spark plugs and vibrator contacts because of it's high resistance to spark erosion. Platinum-Iridium 50/50 alloy is very much harder than Pt alone.

Wow. Never knew that. From http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/77/iridium

Iridium is one of the rarest elements on Earth. ...
A very thin layer of iridium exists in the Earth’s crust. It is thought that this was caused by a large meteor or asteroid hitting the Earth.

 

[jim hardy]

I don't have the probes with proper banana plug.

https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/p/pomona-electronics/1825-series-banana-plugs

 

[Averagesupernova]

Edit: BTW I love your radio's dial face. It's in really good shape. Who manufactured your radio?

Admiral.

 

[Nidum]

Anyone remember these ?

http://www.richardsradios.co.uk/avo8.html

 

[gmax137]

The owner caught me looking at this on his desk and made me take it away with me.

 

[dlgoff]

The owner caught me looking at this on his desk and made me take it away with me.

View attachment 214631

How cool is that? Lucky gmax.

 

[Bystander]

made me take it away

"Made?" Really had to twist your arm, didn't he/she?

 

[gmax137]

"Made?"

Yeah, we are consolidating office space here and everyone is having to pick & choose what to keep and what to toss. Luckily for me I have plenty of space at home for such things! And, I might have just walked past this old meter had I not been reading this thread. So thanks !

 

[jim hardy]

Are these two buttons at the bottom "Press to read" ?

That could be handy if like me, you get involved in troubleshooting and as often as not forget to change the range switch before touching the probe .
A 'Common Sense' feature.

 

[gmax137]

The left one is "Press for DC" and the right is "Press for AC." I am a novice at things electrical so I don't know how these buttons would be used. I did find a schematic on line but I have not deciphered it yet.

 

[dlgoff]

@gmax137 If you want to "clean it up", I've used Black Magic Pro Shine to make that old Bakelite look like new. It's really made for car's interior and exterior vinyl, leather and rubber surfaces.

 

[gmax137]

If you want to "clean it up", I've used Black Magic Pro Shine to make that old Bakelite look like new.

Thanks for the tip. I used a similar product with pretty good results. Here's after just ten minutes effort:

My previous experience is with a small radio-shack VOM. So I was curious, why is this so big and heavy? I opened it up to see what's inside. Wow. These must have been pricey when new.

The batteries are kind of interesting too. There are three, at 4.5 volts each. I shouldn't need them for the voltage and current measuring functions, right? Are they just for the resistance measuring?

 

[Baluncore]

I opened it up to see what's inside.

Regarding the small "cotton reels" mounted on the brass bolts, are those the precision range resistors, maybe wound with manganin wire? Do any have resistance values written on them? How many digits?

 

[dlgoff]

Thanks for the tip. I used a similar product with pretty good results.

Wow. Really looks even better now. Thanks for sharing.

I shouldn't need them for the voltage and current measuring functions, right?

Right.

These must have been pricey when new.

Part of the reason can be seen in the hand cable lacing done to bundle those cloth insulated wires.

 

[Bystander]

the hand cable lacing

Takes me back.

 

[gmax137]

Regarding the small "cotton reels" mounted on the brass bolts, are those the precision range resistors, maybe wound with manganin wire? Do any have resistance values written on them? How many digits?

Here's a closer look

They have numbers that look painted on in baby-blue. This one says "2500" and the adjacent on looks like "1500." But the paint is flaked off and it's hard to be sure. Sorry for the crappy photo.

 

[jim hardy]

I believe that's just what they are.

are those the precision range resistors, maybe wound with manganin wire?

see also https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/weston_665.html

http://www.antiqueradioexchange.com/index.php?a=2&b=694

 

[dlgoff]

see also https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/weston_665.html

Interesting that the meter in the video doesn't have the batteries:

The batteries are kind of interesting too. There are three, at 4.5 volts each.

 

[sparkie]

I'm quite impressed by how you built the setup with knob and tube wiring. Truly vintage! I'll keep you in mind as I run across old work. I ran into an old house one time that was all knob and tube, Edison fuse box and it used 24V lighting controls by means of mechanical maintain two position 5/16" round pushbutton switches. Really cool stuff. I actually pulled out an old Edison fuse box about a month ago that was in pristine condition. Too bad I pitched it already.

 

[dlgoff]

I'm quite impressed by how you built the setup with knob and tube wiring. Truly vintage!

Thanks @sparkie. We need electricians on our forum. I see you went (or now going?) to KSU. Do you live here in Kansas?

 

[jim hardy]

Interesting that the meter in the video doesn't have the batteries:

Reckpn somebody took them out so they wouldn't leak and corrode ? I was surprised to see them still in gmax's meter. He must live someplace dry...

 

[dlgoff]

I was surprised to see them still in gmax's meter.

Me too. And they look in such good condition that they might still have some charge.

 

[sparkie]

Thanks @sparkie. We need electricians on our forum. I see you went (or now going?) to KSU. Do you live here in Kansas?

Why yes I am. And I'm currently going. Knowing your in Kansas I'll make sure to shoot you a PM if I demo out any old equipment you may find interesting, but there isn't a ton of old work around here. Back home we had a LOT of old houses we did upgrades on. It is the vast majority of our work.

 

[dlgoff]

Why yes I am. And I'm currently going. Knowing your in Kansas I'll make sure to shoot you a PM if I demo out any old equipment you may find interesting, but there isn't a ton of old work around here. Back home we had a LOT of old houses we did upgrades on. It is the vast majority of our work.

Awesome. I'm a KU grad. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
PM me if there's anything I can help you with in your studies, etc. Nice to have another Kansan PF member. You, @Evo, and myself are the only ones that I know of.

Regards

 

[dlgoff]

Reckpn somebody took them out so they wouldn't leak and corrode ?

After you posted this, I looked for that 30Volt battery I took out of the Triplett 360-A but couldn't remember where I stored it. It still had a lot of charge when I removed it.
From https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...asuring-things-etc.755959/page-5#post-5122869

 

[Bystander]

Kansan

Oh? 'Nother one? Like me?

 

[dlgoff]

Oh? 'Nother one? Like me?

Really? I didn't know that. Care to give a town?

Edit: Never mind. Just saw Boot Hill on you profile. Now I know. :)

 

[gmax137]

Reckpn somebody took them out so they wouldn't leak and corrode ? I was surprised to see them still in gmax's meter. He must live someplace dry...

Me too. And they look in such good condition that they might still have some charge.

I'm in Connecticut. So it is dry. Not bone dry like the desert southwest, but al lot drier than south Florida or New Orleans. I checked the battery voltage and two of them read close to 1 volt while the third doesn't read anything. They are marked 4.5 volts.

 

[collinsmark]

Awesome. I'm a KU grad. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
[...] Nice to have another Kansan PF member. You, @Evo, and myself are the only ones that I know of.

Regards

I've spent a bit of time there.

 

[sparkie]

Awesome. I'm a KU grad. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
PM me if there's anything I can help you with in your studies, etc. Nice to have another Kansan PF member. You, @Evo, and myself are the only ones that I know of.

Hey I will keep that in mind. I've been struggling quite a bit (mostly due to time constraints), however I think I'll end the semester with an A and two B's which isn't bad for the work schedule. I'm curious as to where you got the knobs? Did you take them from old places or do they still manufacture them? Usually they get pretty torn up when demoing.

 

[dlgoff]

Great grades.

I'm curious as to where you got the knobs? Did you take them from old places or do they still manufacture them? Usually they get pretty torn up when demoing.

I took these out of my parents old house. Also the nails are the originals from these insulators. It took some effort to not damage them when removing, as those nails had been in some really old and hard wood. Here's another look at them.

Edit: Note that I've added the Swiviller socket that has an old carbon filament medical bulb.

 

[Windadct]

Motor turned up in my LinkedIn feed

Crypto Works Co Ltd of London. Machine no 5568, 65 volt, 4.5 amps, 2200 rpm. I (the Linked in OP) believe this motor was made between 1904 and when the company went out of production in 1909.

 

[dlgoff]

Machine no 5568, 65 volt, 4.5 amps, 2200 rpm.

Now that's a motor. I wonder if it could be made to run again? Here's a "ad" I found from https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/:

Thanks for sharing @Windadct .

 

[jim hardy]

dont you just love the old machines - you can actually see how the field flux flows around that one !

 

[stephenkohnle53]

You should make a gravity fed mercury vacuum pump, I forget who invented it, I think it was Edison but I don't remember. If you want to make it go here . That guy is named cody he has a youtube channel called codys lab and he usually does diy stuff and general education things on his channel. The pump is called a Sprengel Vacuum pump and I think it is really cool. You should modify the design so that the mercury pours itself to make the vacuum. Also do you guys know if you could use a safer material for it?

 

[dlgoff]

You should make a gravity fed mercury vacuum pump, ...

A better option than the Sprengel pump is the diffusion pump.

from https://www.tungsten.com/tips/diffusion-pumps/

In the early days, diffusion pumps used mercury as the operating fluid. As you might imagine, such a thing would be frowned upon today due to the toxicity of mercury vapors. Today, the use of mercury in diffusion pumps is essentially zero.

I forget who invented it, ...

Hermann Sprengel is credited for inventing the Sprengel pump.

Wolfgang Max Paul Gaede is credited for inventing the mercury diffusion pump in 1913.

... do you guys know if you could use a safer material ...

Silicon oil is used today in diffusion pumps. See https://www.tungsten.com/tips/diffusion-pumps/ for how they work.