Object Details
- Western Electric
- Steiner, Josef
- Description
- Telegraph relays amplified electrical signals in a telegraph line. Telegraph messages traveled as a series of electrical pulses through a wire from a transmitter to a receiver. Short pulses made a dot, slightly longer pulses a dash. The pulses faded in strength as they traveled through the wire, to the point where the incoming signal was too weak to directly operate a receiving sounder or register. A relay detected a weak signal and used a battery to strengthen the signal so that the receiver would operate.
- This telegraph relay was intended for use on duplex telegraph circuits that allowed two messages to travel simultaneously on the same wire. A note found with the unit refers to this as a "Steiner" telegraph transmitter. Josef Steiner's patents were typically assigned to Western Union so this object likely reflects one of his improvements.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- from Western Union Corporation
- ID Number
- EM.331895
- accession number
- 294351
- catalog number
- 331895
- Object Name
- Steiner relay
- telegraph relay
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- metal (overall material)
- plastic (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 4 3/4 in x 8 3/4 in x 4 7/8 in; 12.065 cm x 22.225 cm x 12.3825 cm
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Communications
- Telegraph Relays & Repeaters
- National Museum of American History
- Record ID
- nmah_706848
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-4ac8-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
