Hello,

Just trying to keep my head (and my questions)above the waves...

I have acquired an RCA Radiomarine ET-8044 radio telephone (c. 1949). It seems to have two power inputs for different power sources: one for a 12 volt car/marine battery; the other input comprises two heavy duty cables going into the chassis (there is a 30 amp fuse on the chassis) and a plug/socket on the other end rated at 250volts, 20 amps. The socket does not have the regular three slots like those for a house current wall socket. There are two crescent shaped slots, one longer than the other, almost forming a circle. As the ET8044 is a 5W transceiver, the power connections have ceramic insulators and what looks like very robust fittings.

The set has a Mallory Vibrapack, which takes a 12V Mallory vibrator (a 5 pin G1801, which can be moved around for +/- polarity); below the vibrapack is what looks to be a very beefy transformer.

My questions:
i) Just to be sure: the 250 volt input would be DC not AC, yes? I'm assuming (in the absence of a Manual or a schematic) that the input is 220VDC.
ii) how does one test to see if a vibrator is working; I understand one can hook up a 12V battery to it and tell by the sound it makes. How should one hook it up? I've tried hooking up a 12V battery to the set but there are no signs of life, no lighting up etc. I thus suspect the vibrator, though it could be anything else.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Have a great evening,

Leslie

You may be tqalking abouut NEMA L5 or L6
could be 220/240vAC maybe 3 phase but AC
http://www.elect-spec.com/plugs-sockets.htm

Try This too.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015O77OW

I agree with Peter, with a "hefty transformer" you would need AC. That is most likely some standard marine electrical plug, although it may be dated. PL

:Try This too.
:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015O77OW
:

:Try This too.
:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015O77OW
:
Hi Peter,

Thanks for that. The plug doesn't quite look like the one on my set and I can send an image in my next message. I tend to think that the input is 220VDC rather than AC, partly because the ET8044 is the 'sister set' to the Radiomarine AR-8711, which I know works on a 220VDC B+ input.

This set would have been used on a ship/yacht, which I imagine would suggest a DC supply. There is a third set of holes on the ET8044, which are labelled '6 Volts DC'...

Cheers,

Leslie