I went to a yard sale the other day. In a box was a transformer, 10v.
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off an
electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to repeat itself
at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't want. I
wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it has
chime written on it. The transformer has black/white/green lines and comes
off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. I don't think
the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. The bell has one hot lead
to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire running through
both of them, and then a green ground screw to the base.

My question is: What is the best way to determine how much voltage the bell
is rated for. No writing on the bell. If I had some fancy power source
that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting it. Would a 9v.
square smoke detector type battery have enough amperage to be a conclusive
test? I guess I could look through the hundreds of little power suppliers I
have and find a 9v dc unit, and cannibalize it.

Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. So, trying to find a safe way to
determine just what it is. Plus, it cost me a buck, and I don't want to
blow that. It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and looks like it has
never been used.

Steve

On Sep 24, 2:22*pm, "Steve B" wrote:
I went to a yard sale the other day. *In a box was a transformer, 10v.
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off an
electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to repeat itself
at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't want. *I
wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it has
chime written on it. *The transformer has black/white/green lines and *comes
off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. *I don't think
the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. *The bell has one hot lead
to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire running through
both of them, and then a green ground screw to the base.

My question is: *What is the best way to determine how much voltage the bell
is rated for. *No writing on the bell. *If *I had some fancy power source
that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting it. *Would a 9v.
square smoke detector type battery have enough amperage to be a conclusive
test? *I guess I could look through the hundreds of little power suppliers I
have and find a 9v dc unit, and cannibalize it.

Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. *So, trying to find a safe way to
determine just what it is. *Plus, it cost me a buck, and I don't want to
blow that. *It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and looks like it has
never been used.

Steve

Steve,

You can operate the clanging bell off of AC or DC. Probably down to 6
V or maybe less. What you might have to do is adjust it to work on a
lower voltage by adjusting the points that open when the coil is
energized, The lower voltage will mean the armature will not move as
far and so it may not open the contacts to break the circuit. It
should be obvious if you study the operation closely. If you only
will be operating the clanging bell for short periods of time, like
when a customer comes into your shop and you are in a back room, a 9V
battery should be ok. Can't hurt to try one and see what happens.
Otherwise, a wall-wart that outputs either AC or DC should be ok. To
save power, you could have the custoner push a button that closes the
primary 120V AC power to the wall-wart. On the other hand, most
pushbuttons are not rated for 120 V so if you do put the button in the
primary, check it is rated for 120V. Let us know what finally happens.

Steve B wrote:
I went to a yard sale the other day. In a box was a transformer, 10v.
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off
an electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to
repeat itself at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't
want. I wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it
has chime written on it. The transformer has black/white/green lines
and comes off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. I don't
think the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. The bell has
one hot lead to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire
running through both of them, and then a green ground screw to the
base.
My question is: What is the best way to determine how much voltage
the bell is rated for. No writing on the bell. If I had some fancy
power source that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting
it. Would a 9v. square smoke detector type battery have enough
amperage to be a conclusive test? I guess I could look through the
hundreds of little power suppliers I have and find a 9v dc unit, and
cannibalize it.
Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. So, trying to find a safe
way to determine just what it is. Plus, it cost me a buck, and I
don't want to blow that. It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and
looks like it has never been used.


Most mechanical doorbells I've seen operate on AC. Using them on DC could
increase the average current and cause overheating. On AC, the inductance of the
bell coil limits the current. On DC, only the resistance limits the current.

"Steve B" wrote:
I went to a yard sale the other day. In a box was a transformer, 10v.
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off an
electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to repeat itself
at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't want. I
wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it has
chime written on it. The transformer has black/white/green lines and comes
off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. I don't think
the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. The bell has one hot lead
to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire running through
both of them, and then a green ground screw to the base.

My question is: What is the best way to determine how much voltage the bell
is rated for. No writing on the bell. If I had some fancy power source
that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting it. Would a 9v.
square smoke detector type battery have enough amperage to be a conclusive
test? I guess I could look through the hundreds of little power suppliers I
have and find a 9v dc unit, and cannibalize it.

Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. So, trying to find a safe way to
determine just what it is. Plus, it cost me a buck, and I don't want to
blow that. It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and looks like it has
never been used.

Steve

Changing voltages Is one way to determine minimum voltage needed. Then, go
up a bit.

Greg

On Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:22:14 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:

I went to a yard sale the other day. In a box was a transformer, 10v.
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off an
electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to repeat itself
at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't want. I
wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it has
chime written on it. The transformer has black/white/green lines and comes
off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. I don't think
the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. The bell has one hot lead
to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire running through
both of them, and then a green ground screw to the base.

My question is: What is the best way to determine how much voltage the bell
is rated for. No writing on the bell. If I had some fancy power source
that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting it. Would a 9v.
square smoke detector type battery have enough amperage to be a conclusive
test? I guess I could look through the hundreds of little power suppliers I
have and find a 9v dc unit, and cannibalize it.

Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. So, trying to find a safe way to
determine just what it is. Plus, it cost me a buck, and I don't want to
blow that. It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and looks like it has
never been used.

Steve

MOST of those bells ran on either 1.5 or 3 volts, back in the day. A
large "ignition cell" about 2 or 3 inches in diameter and mabee 7
inches high with binder post connectors was the common power source -
and generally lasted a year or more. Some used 2 in series. Then some
ran on 6 volts - using a "lantern battery". I'd test it with a C or D
cell first and if it is too anemic try two.

On Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:54:53 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

On Sep 24, 2:22Â*pm, "Steve B" wrote:
I went to a yard sale the other day. Â*In a box was a transformer, 10v.
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off an
electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to repeat itself
at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't want. Â*I
wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it has
chime written on it. Â*The transformer has black/white/green lines and Â*comes
off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. Â*I don't think
the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. Â*The bell has one hot lead
to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire running through
both of them, and then a green ground screw to the base.

My question is: Â*What is the best way to determine how much voltage the bell
is rated for. Â*No writing on the bell. Â*If Â*I had some fancy power source
that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting it. Â*Would a 9v.
square smoke detector type battery have enough amperage to be a conclusive
test? Â*I guess I could look through the hundreds of little power suppliers I
have and find a 9v dc unit, and cannibalize it.

Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. Â*So, trying to find a safe way to
determine just what it is. Â*Plus, it cost me a buck, and I don't want to
blow that. Â*It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and looks like it has
never been used.

Steve

Steve,

You can operate the clanging bell off of AC or DC. Probably down to 6
V or maybe less. What you might have to do is adjust it to work on a
lower voltage by adjusting the points that open when the coil is
energized, The lower voltage will mean the armature will not move as
far and so it may not open the contacts to break the circuit. It
should be obvious if you study the operation closely. If you only
will be operating the clanging bell for short periods of time, like
when a customer comes into your shop and you are in a back room, a 9V
battery should be ok. Can't hurt to try one and see what happens.
Otherwise, a wall-wart that outputs either AC or DC should be ok. To
save power, you could have the custoner push a button that closes the
primary 120V AC power to the wall-wart. On the other hand, most
pushbuttons are not rated for 120 V so if you do put the button in the
primary, check it is rated for 120V. Let us know what finally happens.
DO NOT use a 120 volt pushbutton. Dangerous and un-neccesary.

On Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:47:51 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:

Steve B wrote:
I went to a yard sale the other day. In a box was a transformer, 10v.
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off
an electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to
repeat itself at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't
want. I wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it
has chime written on it. The transformer has black/white/green lines
and comes off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. I don't
think the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. The bell has
one hot lead to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire
running through both of them, and then a green ground screw to the
base.
My question is: What is the best way to determine how much voltage
the bell is rated for. No writing on the bell. If I had some fancy
power source that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting
it. Would a 9v. square smoke detector type battery have enough
amperage to be a conclusive test? I guess I could look through the
hundreds of little power suppliers I have and find a 9v dc unit, and
cannibalize it.
Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. So, trying to find a safe
way to determine just what it is. Plus, it cost me a buck, and I
don't want to blow that. It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and
looks like it has never been used.


Most mechanical doorbells I've seen operate on AC. Using them on DC could
increase the average current and cause overheating. On AC, the inductance of the
bell coil limits the current. On DC, only the resistance limits the current.


True on a gong, but not on a buzzer/clanger/vibrating bell

On Sep 24, 10:00*pm, "Bob F" wrote:
Steve B wrote:
I went to a yard sale the other day. *In a box was a transformer, 10v..
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off
an electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to
repeat itself at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't
want. *I wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it
has chime written on it. *The transformer has black/white/green lines
and *comes off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. *I don't
think the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. *The bell has
one hot lead to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire
running through both of them, and then a green ground screw to the
base.
My question is: *What is the best way to determine how much voltage
the bell is rated for. *No writing on the bell. *If *I had some fancy
power source that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting
it. *Would a 9v. square smoke detector type battery have enough
amperage to be a conclusive test? *I guess I could look through the
hundreds of little power suppliers I have and find a 9v dc unit, and
cannibalize it.
Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. *So, trying to find a safe
way to determine just what it is. *Plus, it cost me a buck, and I
don't want to blow that. *It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and
looks like it has never been used.

Most mechanical doorbells I've seen operate on AC. Using them on DC could
increase the average current and cause overheating. On AC, the inductance of the
bell coil limits the current. On DC, only the resistance limits the current.

"harry" wrote in message
...
On Sep 24, 10:00 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
Steve B wrote:
I went to a yard sale the other day. In a box was a transformer, 10v.
There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that worked off
an electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to cause it to
repeat itself at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't
want. I wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it
has chime written on it. The transformer has black/white/green lines
and comes off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. I don't
think the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. The bell has
one hot lead to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one wire
running through both of them, and then a green ground screw to the
base.
My question is: What is the best way to determine how much voltage
the bell is rated for. No writing on the bell. If I had some fancy
power source that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just setting
it. Would a 9v. square smoke detector type battery have enough
amperage to be a conclusive test? I guess I could look through the
hundreds of little power suppliers I have and find a 9v dc unit, and
cannibalize it.
Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. So, trying to find a safe
way to determine just what it is. Plus, it cost me a buck, and I
don't want to blow that. It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and
looks like it has never been used.

Most mechanical doorbells I've seen operate on AC. Using them on DC could
increase the average current and cause overheating. On AC, the inductance
of the
bell coil limits the current. On DC, only the resistance limits the
current.

The doorbells that I've seen in old buildings, including the clapper type,
typically operate off of a 12 volt ac supply i.e. a "doorbell transformer".
Ringing the bell for a second or two isn't going to overheat the coil.
What gets damaged if the voltage is wrong are the breaker contacts. Take a
look at those while the bell is ringing. A little sparking is OK; but a
burning smell or bit of smoke when the bell is ringing indicates damage.

Tomsic

Tomsic wrote:
"harry" wrote in message
...
On Sep 24, 10:00 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
Steve B wrote:
I went to a yard sale the other day. In a box was a transformer,
10v. There was a bell that had a little vibrating clapper that
worked off an electromagnetic coil, with a little breaker set to
cause it to repeat itself at a rapid rate.

There was also a "ding dong" chime unit in there, which I didn't
want. I wanted the bell for my shop for people to ring for service.

I now realize that the transformer probably went to the chime, as it
has chime written on it. The transformer has black/white/green lines
and comes off 110v, then has two screws for leads to the ringer.

I hooked it up direct to 12 v. dc, and it worked vigorously. I don't
think the electromagnets would be used in an ac setup. The bell has
one hot lead to the electromagnets, which are two coils with one
wire running through both of them, and then a green ground screw to
the base.
My question is: What is the best way to determine how much voltage
the bell is rated for. No writing on the bell. If I had some fancy
power source that had voltage ranges, I could do this by just
setting it. Would a 9v. square smoke detector type battery have
enough amperage to be a conclusive test? I guess I could look
through the hundreds of little power suppliers I have and find a 9v
dc unit, and cannibalize it.
Just don't want to fry if in the meantime. So, trying to find a safe
way to determine just what it is. Plus, it cost me a buck, and I
don't want to blow that. It is vintage, looks like the sixties, and
looks like it has never been used.

Most mechanical doorbells I've seen operate on AC. Using them on DC
could increase the average current and cause overheating. On AC, the
inductance of the
bell coil limits the current. On DC, only the resistance limits the
current.

The doorbells that I've seen in old buildings, including the clapper
type, typically operate off of a 12 volt ac supply i.e. a "doorbell
transformer". Ringing the bell for a second or two isn't going to
overheat the coil. What gets damaged if the voltage is wrong are the
breaker contacts. Take a look at those while the bell is ringing. A
little sparking is OK; but a burning smell or bit of smoke when the
bell is ringing indicates damage.

Good point. DC switching inductive loads can make some serious arc. AC cuts the
arc off 120 time a second.