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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment. |
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9th Mar 2022, 10:12 pm | #1 |
Pentode
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Maldon, Essex, UK.
Posts: 228
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Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
Its Function is obvious , tapping-out SOS 3 times (outer disc) , and AAAA 3 times (inner disc) for alternate half - revolutions .
The operating lever(?) or handle(?) was missing -- hence my use of the ancient spoke-key ! The wind-up is restricted to one whole anticlockwise turn , and the discs run for 10 revolutions . The heavy-current contacts are operated , from the start , by the profile of the "Tufnol" drum , one closing immediately and the other after approx. 40 secs.. Perhaps L.T. then H.T. ? Can someone enlighten me further , please ? Where used , and When ? Thanks , Laurie . |
9th Mar 2022, 10:22 pm | #2 |
Banned
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia
Posts: 2,704
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
Cant tell you anything about it at all. BUT !!! What a beautiful bit of kit!!! Thats from the days when people could build things. A real work of art.
Joe |
10th Mar 2022, 1:07 am | #3 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Coulsdon, London, UK.
Posts: 2,163
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
Could it be from a lifeboat emergency transmitter?
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10th Mar 2022, 2:39 am | #4 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Olympia, Washington, USA.
Posts: 664
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
Look at the "teeth". They are set to transmit "SOS".
I will surmise it is part of an old WW2 "Mae West" transmitter. IIRC, one turned a crank to automatically send the "SOS". |
10th Mar 2022, 7:54 am | #5 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,288
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
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Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
10th Mar 2022, 10:06 am | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,762
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
It would be nice to have it working , using a simple tone osc lovely display piece. Mick.
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10th Mar 2022, 2:45 pm | #7 |
Pentode
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Swansea, Wales, UK.
Posts: 144
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
In the 60's to 80's I've worked on ship's Autokeys which send 4-second dashes before the distress call. Also prepared the callsign cam. Could be from a lifeboat transmitter.
I suggest the outside cam sends the SOS 3 times then a long dash. Then the mechanism switches over to the inner cam which sends the callsign 3 times, but it looks like the call sign is AAAA (or NNNN) which doesn't seem right. What does it sound like if you connect a multimeter beep to it? 73 Andrew |
10th Mar 2022, 3:00 pm | #8 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Gloucestershire, UK.
Posts: 720
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
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10th Mar 2022, 5:29 pm | #9 |
Guest
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
I have a book from about 1940 (+/- 10) that has the automatic distress signal as a series of very long dashes, just right for auto. stuff in the day.
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10th Mar 2022, 7:31 pm | #10 |
Pentode
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Maldon, Essex, UK.
Posts: 228
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
Agreed , Andrew .
The outer disc sends 3x SOS , followed by a long dash . BUT, the inner disc sends 3x AAAA (which means ATTENTION ) , also followed by a long dash . Thanks for the link , Graham , very interesting ! Laurie . |
10th Mar 2022, 7:36 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,831
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
So you've had it for 69 years?!
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A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever.. |
11th Mar 2022, 2:18 am | #12 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ashhurst, Manawatu, New Zealand
Posts: 571
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
The long dash is so that you had time to take a DF bearing.
The inner drum sends AAAA slowly - the dashes are probably 4 seconds long - this is/was to set off the Auto-Alarm in the receiving ships when the R/O was off duty. We had to write in the log that the "Auto Alarm tested and set" at the end of each watch
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Cheers - Martin ZL2MC |
11th Mar 2022, 2:33 pm | #13 |
Pentode
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Swansea, Wales, UK.
Posts: 144
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
What it is sending sounds to me VERY vintage, before 1927 regulations cam in.
To send SOS SOS SOS, long-dash, A A A A A A A A A A A A long-dash, doesn't meet a regulation but should attract attention ok. (AA was the calling signal on Aldis lamp) Perhaps it was taken out of an early autokey and replaced with a compliant one. I'm ex r/o. The Autokey sent 12 4-second dashes with one second spaces was sent first 3 or 4 dashes triggering the Autoalarm bell on the bridge and r/o's cabin. Next the Autokey sent SOS SOS SOS DE (for example) MVYY MVYY MVYY, long-dash. (MVYY being callsign of SS Tynemouth) A new installation callsign cam typically had break-off segments to cut the callsign. 73, Andrew |
13th Mar 2022, 12:27 am | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,107
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
We had a play with this yesterday, what was not immediately apparent to me from the images was how small it is. It works, just needs a dot of oil.
Pleasingly the continuity beeper on a Toolzone EL060 DMM was swift enough to make it 'speak' a very precise SOS. Dave |
6th May 2022, 6:07 am | #15 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Posts: 199
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
Quote:
It was quite common for ships to only have one Radio Operator, so they couldn't always have someone on watch. On receipt of the correct signal, the alarm would sound, alerting the RO, who would make haste to the Radio Room. |
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10th May 2022, 7:14 pm | #16 |
Triode
Join Date: May 2022
Location: Bilbao, Spain
Posts: 12
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Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953.
Reminds me of a tone generator for an old electromechanical phone switch from the 50's
Same kind of mechanism. |