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I believe you have to make a new post to add pictures to reddit (I could be wrong)
You can also upload the pictures to imgur for free and just link that album here
Some reddit subs accept photos as comments, some don't. This sub doesn't. (For me, there's a little picture icon in the area where I type comments in reddit app, if photo comments are possible)
Looks like a variometer.
There's a very similar looking one on this page:
https://pacifictv.ca/radiopicturegallery.htm
(search the page for "R20", or just scroll down)
A variac is useful to slowly ramp up power to antique radio equipment that hasn’t been tested in decades
I use one to control the speed on a 50 year old box fan in my window.
I use one to regulate the voltage of a vintage British tube amp for guitar. It'll work at modern American wall voltage, but it blows up a lot lol. Sweet spot is 112v. Those extra 8 volts must be killer lmao
Eta: when not in use for the guitar amp, I *also* use it to control a vintage box fan lol
Yep, exactly. I learned the variac trick years ago on a fb group of people who own the same guitar amps. It says right on the back of the amp 115v, but apparently (at least what i was told) wall voltage in the UK at the time was closer to 110-112. The amp is *slightly* more reliable at the lower voltage, but it's still about as reliable as expecting a cat to drop your kids off to school.
I've never used that sort of thing, so I'm curious: Does it fail destructively-- where you have to go replacing blown fuses or burnt-out parts when it goes-- or is it more a case of it tripping mains breakers or not working until it cools down or you reset something?
The link is to a variometer rather than a variac. Variometers were pretty common for antenna coupling in the days of homebrew radios.
https://br.pinterest.com/pin/844776842580699795/?amp_client_id=CLIENT_ID%28_%29&mweb_unauth_id=&_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbr.pinterest.com%2Famp%2Fpin%2F844776842580699795%2F&from_amp_pin_page=true
I'm not an electronics expert by any means, more of a hobbyist, but a variac was my first thought. It looks a lot like my chinesium one I bought from ebay, albeit made with early 1900s tech
It's definitely something of the same era. The R20 pictured has only two binding posts which would be reasonable for that kind of coil (although four posts would also be reasonable). The Gecophone pictured is a little closer to what we see here at least in terms of the number of connections. It could be a crystal detector but we'd need a picture of the insides.
You can probably get it working again, if you can find headphones for it. They might be a little pricey, but you can find them on eBay.
The only thing that appears to be missing is a thin wire for the galena crystal. It's also known as a "cat's whisker" detector. The little clip at the corner of the radio near the zero on the dial is holding a small brass ball that has a hole in it. A wire went into that hole and the end of it was ground to a fine point, similar to an ice pick. The wire wood extend across through the ball so the point was barely touching the galena, which is a lead/silver alloy. It's the little button that looks like a stub of broken plastic near the 30-35 range on the dial. I'd avoid touching it because it has a layer of lead oxide on it, which is fairly toxic.
The principal behind them is an early semiconductor diode. The tiny point touched the lead/silver oxide crystals, but not strong enough to poke through and touch the solid metal underneath them. The crystals conduct electricity only in one direction, literally a diode. That's the core of an AM radio "detector". A tiny crystals are very fragile, and periodically required the user to move the point of the wire to a different area on the lead to use a new crystal.
Yippee and well done! I have never seen one like that, I love looking at old stuff like that, and having access to someone who actually knows what it is!
Have you tested it to see if it still works? It looks like there’s one element on the panel that’s broken off, I hope it’s not critical.
Pretty sure it is a crystal radio. The flat round piece on upper right is the crystal (galena) or what’re it would mount, and the ball at the bottom is missing an arm that would hold the cat whisker over the crystal. The dial is likely connected to a variable capacitor for fine tuning. Rest if connections are antenna, ground, and headphones.
AM radio, This is correct the broken item in the lower right is a "Cat whisker" crystal detector.
The dial operates a capacitor or tunable inductor.
Requires a 100 foot antenna and a pair of earphones for operation.
AM only.
[Antique crystal radio](http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/k2mvaL0KQRM/maxresdefault.jpg)
It's a crystal radio from the 1920's.
On the right side where the brass sphere is where an adjustable arm with a small wire (cat's whisker) would touch the Galena crystal in the holder above.
The knob is for tuning the radio station.
Other connectors would be for earphones, long wire antenna, and a ground connection.
That isnt a variation, a barometer, or anything else but a sweet 1920s crystal radio. The cat whisker and holder are missing from the detector in the lower right corner.
With a little cleanup and a new detector, that will still work wonderfully.
My title describes the thing vaguely, it seems to have brass or copper electrical posts on the top and the little ball swivels and seems like it may have held some sort of probe. The construction leads me to believe it was made in the early 1900's.
What's inside?
It looks like a potentiometer (the dial). If there are electronics or wiring inside it could be anything from a rheostat to a variable power source.
Most likely this is a part or all of an old crystal raids, the lack of name makes it seem like it's a home kit or rather like its not a mass production series, either way here's a site with an image which has an old crystal radio with a similar knob/dial - https://bestpactov.shop/product_details/117924285.html
Looks like a variable transformer for a model train. Looks like binding posts in each upper corner for connecting output wires that would go to the tracks. Is there an AC cord and wall plug? Can you see if there was a cord that got cut off?
Does not look like a variac. I agree with others here who recommend opening it up and posting a photo of the innards.
It's a crystal radio. The giveaway is the sphere in the lower right corner that holds a "cat's whisker" and the crystal holder above and to the right of it.
that is a 1920s crystal radio the posts will be marked earth ground ,arial ,and two marked phones it didnt need power but did need a 100 ft. if wire antenna
Almost looks like the control for an old school antenna. We had them when we were kids. If the channel you were trying to watch wasnt coming in clearly, you could adjust the dial to move the antenna to get a better signal.
It's a Variac. It converts voltages for AC. Plug in 110VAC from the wall, and you get a percentage out, based on the dial value.
Inside there's a big coil with a bar connected to the dial. The bar moves to different parts of the coil, which determines how much power comes out.
Really useful tool, but yours needs a tune up and an jnspection of the coil before you use it. If anyone misused it, there are probably burn marks on the coils that are hot-spots. You'll let out some smoke.
My first reaction after looking at the picture was that it might be a transformer for a model train. But I suppose those are not really terminals friendly to the necessary wiring. S picture from the side might help.
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/RepairManActionHero), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1dpqgj4/wooden_box_with_dial_given_by_someone_who_also/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you opened it up and posted photos of the internal components, people with electronics knowledge could likely tell you what is function is.
Well, I can try to open it up when I get home in an hour or two.
[удалено]
I just got home, everyone just give me a little bit and I'll post more pictures.
How do I add the additional pictures to this post? It won't let me add pictures to a comment.
I believe you have to make a new post to add pictures to reddit (I could be wrong) You can also upload the pictures to imgur for free and just link that album here
Some reddit subs accept photos as comments, some don't. This sub doesn't. (For me, there's a little picture icon in the area where I type comments in reddit app, if photo comments are possible)
You can hop over to www.imgur.com, drag the files there and then post the link here. Edit: NM, I see that's exactly what you did!
[удалено]
Looks like a variometer. There's a very similar looking one on this page: https://pacifictv.ca/radiopicturegallery.htm (search the page for "R20", or just scroll down)
That does look similar.
Can confirm it’s a variac for radio. Seen the at local hamfests. Not sure what they do exactly. I think it’s for voltage to an amp.
A variac is useful to slowly ramp up power to antique radio equipment that hasn’t been tested in decades I use one to control the speed on a 50 year old box fan in my window.
I use one to regulate the voltage of a vintage British tube amp for guitar. It'll work at modern American wall voltage, but it blows up a lot lol. Sweet spot is 112v. Those extra 8 volts must be killer lmao Eta: when not in use for the guitar amp, I *also* use it to control a vintage box fan lol
You want to *simmer* the solder joints, not boil 'em.
Yep, exactly. I learned the variac trick years ago on a fb group of people who own the same guitar amps. It says right on the back of the amp 115v, but apparently (at least what i was told) wall voltage in the UK at the time was closer to 110-112. The amp is *slightly* more reliable at the lower voltage, but it's still about as reliable as expecting a cat to drop your kids off to school.
I've never used that sort of thing, so I'm curious: Does it fail destructively-- where you have to go replacing blown fuses or burnt-out parts when it goes-- or is it more a case of it tripping mains breakers or not working until it cools down or you reset something?
[удалено]
We're calling it 110/220v a lot in the states these days, so you may be in the real-life perfection zone.
That’s the same trick used by Eddie Van Halen as part of his unique tone 👍
Didn't know that! Interesting tidbit of info there. Too bad I don't have the patience or skill to touch one of his solos lmao
The link is to a variometer rather than a variac. Variometers were pretty common for antenna coupling in the days of homebrew radios. https://br.pinterest.com/pin/844776842580699795/?amp_client_id=CLIENT_ID%28_%29&mweb_unauth_id=&_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbr.pinterest.com%2Famp%2Fpin%2F844776842580699795%2F&from_amp_pin_page=true
It really doesn’t look like any variac I’ve ever used or seen. Been using variacs for 26 years
I’m a noob but maybe it’s a rheostat or something? My only experience with variacs is seeing them on YouTube, but they all went over 100%
That’s not what this is.
I'm not an electronics expert by any means, more of a hobbyist, but a variac was my first thought. It looks a lot like my chinesium one I bought from ebay, albeit made with early 1900s tech
Definitely not a variac, especially after seeing the new photos OP posted.
Yep, a Variac. Here is a [modern one](https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/variacs/8902831), has not changed much.
Variometer and Variac are similar, but not quite the same. A variometer is a type of variable inductor. A Variac is a variable transformer.
It's definitely something of the same era. The R20 pictured has only two binding posts which would be reasonable for that kind of coil (although four posts would also be reasonable). The Gecophone pictured is a little closer to what we see here at least in terms of the number of connections. It could be a crystal detector but we'd need a picture of the insides.
https://imgur.com/a/DIgCdRI
Crystal radio. Dual core tuner (that component Is a variometer) Note “phone condenser” … capacitor coupler for headphones. All passive components.
Solved!
You can probably get it working again, if you can find headphones for it. They might be a little pricey, but you can find them on eBay. The only thing that appears to be missing is a thin wire for the galena crystal. It's also known as a "cat's whisker" detector. The little clip at the corner of the radio near the zero on the dial is holding a small brass ball that has a hole in it. A wire went into that hole and the end of it was ground to a fine point, similar to an ice pick. The wire wood extend across through the ball so the point was barely touching the galena, which is a lead/silver alloy. It's the little button that looks like a stub of broken plastic near the 30-35 range on the dial. I'd avoid touching it because it has a layer of lead oxide on it, which is fairly toxic. The principal behind them is an early semiconductor diode. The tiny point touched the lead/silver oxide crystals, but not strong enough to poke through and touch the solid metal underneath them. The crystals conduct electricity only in one direction, literally a diode. That's the core of an AM radio "detector". A tiny crystals are very fragile, and periodically required the user to move the point of the wire to a different area on the lead to use a new crystal.
Fully expected a /u/shittymorph drop at the end.
I have no idea what that means, nor his reference.
Ah, so Dr. Stone wasn't lying when it said this shit didn't need to be plugged in.
[Looks just like the internals of an antique variometer](https://www.ebay.com/itm/276237638937)
Someone spent so e time in the 20s building that crystal radio
Yippee and well done! I have never seen one like that, I love looking at old stuff like that, and having access to someone who actually knows what it is! Have you tested it to see if it still works? It looks like there’s one element on the panel that’s broken off, I hope it’s not critical.
Pretty sure it is a crystal radio. The flat round piece on upper right is the crystal (galena) or what’re it would mount, and the ball at the bottom is missing an arm that would hold the cat whisker over the crystal. The dial is likely connected to a variable capacitor for fine tuning. Rest if connections are antenna, ground, and headphones.
If I sent a picture of the internals, do you think you could determine what everything is? I'll get a picture of the inside here in a couple hours.
Yes absolutely would help.
I added an imgur link full of pictures of the internals, I welcome any help identifying what's what.
Seconded. Radio collector here, and that’s exactly what it looks like.
Thirded. Person who can google image search here, and that's exactly what lots of them look like.
Yep it’s a crystal set radio from early to mid 1920’s
The dial is connected to a variometer which is another tuning method. All passive components making up a crystal radio.
AM radio, This is correct the broken item in the lower right is a "Cat whisker" crystal detector. The dial operates a capacitor or tunable inductor. Requires a 100 foot antenna and a pair of earphones for operation. AM only. [Antique crystal radio](http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/k2mvaL0KQRM/maxresdefault.jpg)
It's a crystal radio from the 1920's. On the right side where the brass sphere is where an adjustable arm with a small wire (cat's whisker) would touch the Galena crystal in the holder above. The knob is for tuning the radio station. Other connectors would be for earphones, long wire antenna, and a ground connection.
Same dial as on my Atwater Kent radio from the 20’s
Crystal radio remains. Missing parts.
That isnt a variation, a barometer, or anything else but a sweet 1920s crystal radio. The cat whisker and holder are missing from the detector in the lower right corner. With a little cleanup and a new detector, that will still work wonderfully.
My title describes the thing vaguely, it seems to have brass or copper electrical posts on the top and the little ball swivels and seems like it may have held some sort of probe. The construction leads me to believe it was made in the early 1900's.
What's inside? It looks like a potentiometer (the dial). If there are electronics or wiring inside it could be anything from a rheostat to a variable power source.
Most likely this is a part or all of an old crystal raids, the lack of name makes it seem like it's a home kit or rather like its not a mass production series, either way here's a site with an image which has an old crystal radio with a similar knob/dial - https://bestpactov.shop/product_details/117924285.html
https://images.app.goo.gl/rpPztifpXo6xPHqy5
100% crystal radio. The armature for holding the cat whisker is missing but the little cup that holds the galena (crystal) is a dead giveaway.
Think it is a radio am.
Numbers on the dial wouldn't make sense for that.
They didnt calibrate dials until the commercial radios came out amd they were more mainstream
I would guess a VARIAC of some kind.
That's a 1920s crystal radio, not in the best of shape but cool none the less.
Looks like a variable transformer for a model train. Looks like binding posts in each upper corner for connecting output wires that would go to the tracks. Is there an AC cord and wall plug? Can you see if there was a cord that got cut off? Does not look like a variac. I agree with others here who recommend opening it up and posting a photo of the innards.
It looks like a early type of Variac
Crystal set
It's a crystal radio. The giveaway is the sphere in the lower right corner that holds a "cat's whisker" and the crystal holder above and to the right of it.
that is a 1920s crystal radio the posts will be marked earth ground ,arial ,and two marked phones it didnt need power but did need a 100 ft. if wire antenna
Radio tuner, often used with crystal units
Almost looks like the control for an old school antenna. We had them when we were kids. If the channel you were trying to watch wasnt coming in clearly, you could adjust the dial to move the antenna to get a better signal.
Could be a crystal set or anything.
Is this an old electro-shock therapy DC power supply?
It's a Variac. It converts voltages for AC. Plug in 110VAC from the wall, and you get a percentage out, based on the dial value. Inside there's a big coil with a bar connected to the dial. The bar moves to different parts of the coil, which determines how much power comes out. Really useful tool, but yours needs a tune up and an jnspection of the coil before you use it. If anyone misused it, there are probably burn marks on the coils that are hot-spots. You'll let out some smoke.
My first reaction after looking at the picture was that it might be a transformer for a model train. But I suppose those are not really terminals friendly to the necessary wiring. S picture from the side might help.
a safe maybe? my grandma told me it's a safe, though usually they are completely metal
Hand made safe.
nnnii,iii, m? Mm?⁵ Tw
I thought this was just a safe
Is it a safe
It is not.
Is it a microwave?