A Potentiometer that is a blast out of the past circa 1930

transmaster
transmaster Posts: 428
edited April 2012 in Vintage Speakers
My jaw hit the ground when I saw these Potentiometers. I have not see one made like this anywhere out of a circa 1930-1934 top of the line console radio such as an Atwater Kent, Crosley, and some of the Zenith Stratosphere models. The only difference other then better resistors was the bodies where made out of porcelain. Sadly most of them where dumped during repairs for cheaper and obtainable conventional "pot's".

http://www.8audio-mall.com/servlet/the-533/100K-24-Step-Ladder/Detail

I was just thinking an Audiophile could have a Wine and Cheese party to show off his new Open lattice attenuators. Yes I obtained them from an obscure manufacturer who works in a hollowed out Oak tree in the Sherwood Forest. The made in China logo's are well hidden. :wink:
Radio Station W7ITC
Post edited by transmaster on
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Comments

  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
    edited April 2012
    If you like those pots, you'll love these. They're not antique though!!!!:cheesygrin:

    balabo.jpg

    BAlabo BC-1 MK-II Control Amplifier
    from Bridge Audio Laboratory
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,804
    edited April 2012
    Autoformer-coupled attenuators sound even better, though :-)

    www.intactaudio.com

    Actually even in the 1970s some top-line equipment (even from the massmarket Japanese companies) used stepped resistor ladder attenuators - they never really went away.
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  • transmaster
    transmaster Posts: 428
    edited April 2012
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Autoformer-coupled attenuators sound even better, though :-)

    www.intactaudio.com

    Actually even in the 1970s some top-line equipment (even from the massmarket Japanese companies) used stepped resistor ladder attenuators - they never really went away.

    If we had only known maybe less of the stepped pot's would have been replaced with the cheap and obtainable. An average Potentiometer is worth, what, 10 bucks, but if it is a Autoformer-coupled attenuators $350 will get you one. This is as good as an Photon generator, a laser diode by any other name.
    Radio Station W7ITC
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  • transmaster
    transmaster Posts: 428
    edited April 2012
    decal wrote: »
    If you like those pots, you'll love these. They're not antique though!!!!:cheesygrin:

    balabo.jpg

    BAlabo BC-1 MK-II Control Amplifier
    from Bridge Audio Laboratory

    Wow a work of functional art. I would love to have equipment like this but it is costly and with my musician's loud music blasted ears a system like this would be a waste.
    Radio Station W7ITC
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited April 2012
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Actually even in the 1970s some top-line equipment (even from the massmarket Japanese companies) used stepped resistor ladder attenuators - they never really went away.
    Correct, they're still around.

    STP_MAIN_BD.jpg
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • transmaster
    transmaster Posts: 428
    edited April 2012
    Looking at this, add some coils move things around a little bit and you have an automatic antenna tuner.
    Radio Station W7ITC
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