12 Vdc Vibrator

[John Farrington]

At 08:17 AM 07/20/2001, you wrote on the Heath reflector:

>Need to borrow, beg, scrounge a 12 Vdc vibrator for a marine radio.
>My hope are not to high. Any out there ?


First, determine if it's a non-synchronous or synchronous vibrator
(a synchronous vibrator has an extra set of points that take the
place of the rectifier tube.)  See this site for general vibrator
info:
http://www.geocities.com/vintage_radio/vpwrsup.htm

There's not much point in replacing mechanical vibrators with a
like unit, as they don't last and are hard to find anyway - better
to use a solid state substitute. They're not complicated, just a
TTL multivibrator with suitable power transistors that produces a
square wave from the 12 VDC for input to the step-up power
transformer in the radio. Years ago there were occasional articles
on building them in magazines like Popular Electronics and Ham
Radio;  Ham Radio had one in the Aug. 1972 edition by K8RAY, but I
don't have a copy. Maybe someone else does - you might try posting
inquiries on ham newsgroups like

       rec.radio.amateur.homebrew

You can also try searches on Yahoo & Google for "solid state
vibrators" and similar words. Don't get them mixed up with the
hand-held jobs used by nefarious pleasure seekers.

Antique Electronic Supply makes their own solid state vibrator
replacements - tell them what radio and vibrator you have, and
ask if they have an equivalent:
http://www.tubesandmore.com/
http://www.tubesandmore.com/beta/zzzpvibr-1.html

Antique car groups also have information on replacing old
mechanical vibrators, like:

ANTIQUE AUTOMOBILE RADIO, INC.
http://www.antiqueautomobileradio.com/who.htm
http://www.antiqueautomobileradio.com/vibrators.htm

National Chevy Association
http://www.nationalchevyassoc.com/catalog/catalog.cfm?section=24


73

John  KE5ZB

Listserver Subscription:listserv at listserv.tempe.gov - "subscribe heath 'name' 'call'"
Listserver Submissions: heath at listserv.tempe.gov
Listserver Unsubscribe: listserv at listserv.tempe.gov - -"signoff heath"