keith@ux.acss.umn.edu (Keith MaloneyHuss) (12/16/89)
While rumaging in a collection of old electronics parts (1940's-70's) I found a device that is interesting and I wondered if it could be identified. It is a small black (bakelite, I believe) cylinder about 1cm diameter and 2cm long. One end in closed except for a small hole that allows a wire to exit, while the other end is open with internal threads. In the threaded end is a metal threaded plug with a central hole that also allows a wire to exit this end. Basically, it looks like an axial lead capacitor. The interesting part is inside. When I unscrewed the threaded plug, I found that under the plug was a spring compressing about twenty thin round metallic plates together. The plates are dark grey on one side, and the other side looks like a cold solder joint (rough, crystalline, and shiny silver). This appears to be a mechanism that compresses twenty plates together and connects a wire to each end of the stack. My guess is some kind of rectifier? There are numbers on the outside of the case: OKV26 K2 6A6 Q I'm really curious. Does anyone know what this is? Thanks in advance. --keith
tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) (12/20/89)
keith@ux.acss.umn.edu (Keith MaloneyHuss) writes: >While rumaging in a collection of old electronics parts (1940's-70's) >I found a device that is interesting and I wondered if it could be >identified. ... You characterized it pretty well mechanically -- how about electrically? Did you try to measure resistances both directions? How about reverse voltage (assuming it really is a rectifier...). Based on your description, I would _guess_ it is a high voltage, low current rectifier (e.g., for a CRT anode supply). Perhaps selenium?
mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson) (12/20/89)
Sounds just like a selenium rectifier. To confirm, heat up one of the plates with a soldering iron. If it makes a sickly sweet sort of smell, that's selenium. (Selenium is poisonous, so you might not want to do this; all I know is I've done it, and it hasn't hurt m-m-m-e-m-e-m-e-e-e-e.) [I tried to mail this, but mail bounced it back to me.]