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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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23rd Jan 2022, 11:31 pm | #1 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Morse training buzzer
Here’s something I picked up at the weekend from one of my favourite antique centres for pocket money, described as a WWII morse code training buzzer, or as it’s labelled on the wooden panel, ‘Buzzer Sig Training’.
As found it clearly had the morse key on the wrong way round! Also there was a lamp holder of some sort (a Bulgin one) tacked on. After a bit of searching online I see they originally had a metal bracket at the top which held 2 batteries to power it, sadly this is missing, but I could always replicate it. To start with, I got rid of the lamp holder, and removed everything from the wooden base, and gave it all a good clean, not so much that it’d look shiny and new, just used but cleanish.. The buzzer itself is damaged, the 2 springy contacts have snapped off, so to get it to do something I’ve attached a couple of solder tags temporarily, so it now makes a noise at least! The key is in good order, just missing a couple of screws, which I’ll hopefully have knocking about. It’s been reassembled (the correct way round!) and works! I’ve never tried morse code before, but I did manage SOS… I’d like to find some old cloth covered wire to complete it, I found a short length of black rubber cloth covered wire which is still flexible and I think suits it, shame I haven’t got any more! I’ve not been able to find any info on the batteries these used, all the photos online are too low res to be able to make out what’s written on the cases, does anyone have a good scan of one? Or even know what type it was so I can do a bit more searching? Regards Lloyd |
23rd Jan 2022, 11:53 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,637
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Re: Morse training buzzer
I have one of those. I'm childminding tomorrow, but when I get a moment I'll dig it out if I'm not beaten to it. From memory, the key only has the used terminal screws fitted.
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24th Jan 2022, 12:58 am | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,528
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Re: Morse training buzzer
Battery(ies) could well be the same as field telephone ones- "BATTERY DRY 11/2V No. 12.
These have handy screw terminals for attaching wires. https://images.app.goo.gl/h53RshrL97mBg9Kv5 A 1289 "flat" 4.5V battery would probably do and it would be easy to make a wooden holder to take it.
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24th Jan 2022, 9:42 am | #4 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,118
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Re: Morse training buzzer
Quote:
edit: here's one of my no.12s:
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Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Last edited by Dave Moll; 24th Jan 2022 at 10:05 am. |
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24th Jan 2022, 11:07 am | #5 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Re: Morse training buzzer
Cheers guys! I’ll keep an eye out for some originals to either restuff or just put them there to make it look complete, or try and make up some new cases and fit the internals of lantern batteries.
The missing screws on the key were one that tensions the spring, and the one that stops the pin holding the key from falling out, I’ve replaced one already, the 4BA that tensions the spring, I think the other is 6BA. Regards Lloyd |
24th Jan 2022, 12:36 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,637
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Re: Morse training buzzer
Mine has metal feet in the corners, and the wiring is PVC, not braided. Those WT8 keys were very common in the surplus shops of yore, so there should still be a few about.
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24th Jan 2022, 7:02 pm | #7 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Re: Morse training buzzer
Ah! I thought it should have some feet, there are holes left from where they were before. Thanks for those photos
Regards Lloyd |
26th Jan 2022, 11:13 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,676
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Re: Morse training buzzer
Those "feet" don't look very practical!
They are actually normally found on the inside of drawers and cabinets hiding the handle fixings.
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