Telegraph Sounder and Resonator
Object Details
- J. H. Bunnell & Co.
- Description (Brief)
- Telegraph sounders convert electrical pulses into audible sounds and are used to receive Morse code messages. The message travels as a series of electrical pulses through a wire. Short pulses make a dot, slightly longer pulses make a dash. The sequence of dots and dashes represent letters and numbers. The pulses energize the sounder’s electromagnets which move a lever-arm. The arm makes a loud “click” when it strikes a crossbar and the operator translates the pattern of sounds into the original language. A resonator like this was used to amplify the sound, making it easier for an operator to hear his or her own sounder when working in a room filled with these devices. This resonator is the only one in the collection holding two sounders.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- from Western Union Corporation
- ID Number
- EM.332779
- accession number
- 294351
- collector/donor number
- 100-764
- catalog number
- 332779
- Object Name
- telegraph resonator
- telegraph receiver
- telegraph sounder
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- plastic (overall material)
- metal (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 5 in x 7 in x 7 1/2 in; 12.7 cm x 17.78 cm x 19.05 cm
- each sounder: 3 1/2 in x 3 in x 5 1/2 in; 8.89 cm x 7.62 cm x 13.97 cm
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Communications
- Telegraph Sounders
- National Museum of American History
- Record ID
- nmah_891696
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a7-20a5-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
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