Posts: 66
Threads: 7
Joined: Jun 2019
City: Austin
State, Province, Country: Minnesota
Is there any other way to test a vibrator to see if it’s working without actually running it? I don’t have a battery big enough to test with. I did touch two pins and it does have continuity in two of the pins but not the other two. ( I’m assuming that’s a good sign since according to what I’ve heard and kinda picking it out on the schematic that only pins normally should draw continuity) One of the other two is ground and I don’t know the purpose of the other one.
Posts: 16,250
Threads: 564
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson
State, Province, Country: NJ
Arohn,
The only way to test any invertor is to make it invert.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 704
Threads: 8
Joined: Apr 2018
City: S. Dartmouth
State, Province, Country: MA
I do not have the schematic handy... There is a circuit that can test most vibrators as well as cleaning the contacts. FWIR it uses a 120v 25 watt lamp and the AC line. The lamp acts as a ballast to keep the vibrator coil from burning up. If the contacts are burned away, coil open or contacts welded the lamp glows bright or is out. Correct operations is a someone dim bulb...
Pliny the younger
“nihil novum nihil varium nihil quod non semel spectasse sufficiat”
Posts: 66
Threads: 7
Joined: Jun 2019
City: Austin
State, Province, Country: Minnesota
So basically a dim bulb tester?
Posts: 2,118
Threads: 112
Joined: Jun 2010
City: Medford OR (OR what?)
You can take the guts out of the can - watch it work - clean and adjust the contacts.
"I just might turn into smoke, but I feel fine"
http://www.russoldradios.com/
Posts: 66
Threads: 7
Joined: Jun 2019
City: Austin
State, Province, Country: Minnesota
Right, but I’m wondering if he’s suggesting I use a dim bulb tester on it (which sounds weird to me since the vibrator is DC and only 6.1 volts according to the schematic) or will a regular household battery be enough to test i to verify that it’s working as it should?
Posts: 704
Threads: 8
Joined: Apr 2018
City: S. Dartmouth
State, Province, Country: MA
Sigh...
The lamp is used as a ballast...
Go hear, most links are still active too...
https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie...p?t=127412
Chas
Pliny the younger
“nihil novum nihil varium nihil quod non semel spectasse sufficiat”
Posts: 142
Threads: 28
Joined: Dec 2016
City: portland, OR
if it is a 6-volt vibrator with 4 pins, just touch a 9-volt battery to the 2 larger pins. if it vibrates, you'll feel and hear it hum. that said, some had transistors and are silent. and some can vibrate yet still not work correctly.
do you have a brand and/or part number? or know the application? how about some specs and/or a picture?
Posts: 2,118
Threads: 112
Joined: Jun 2010
City: Medford OR (OR what?)
Most of these vibrators were inside of a rubber cover - inside of the can. This was to dampen noise. Now the rubber is breaking down adding to the contamination on the contacts.
"I just might turn into smoke, but I feel fine"
http://www.russoldradios.com/
![[-]](https://philcoradio.com/phorum/images/bootbb/collapse.png "[-]")
