unidentifiable two-prong outlet found in classroom

[malachi constant]

See attached/below. Not on the NEMA charts. The school has not been used in a few years, and had few outlets in general, but did have one of these in each classroom. They're probably tearing the school down, so this isn't that big of a deal, I'm just really curious. Any ideas?

Oh, and the same school had some T17 lamps in it. T17s! I did not know those existed. It was a fun day for me.

 

[david luchini]

See attached/below. Not on the NEMA charts. The school has not been used in a few years, and had few outlets in general, but did have one of these in each classroom. They're probably tearing the school down, so this isn't that big of a deal, I'm just really curious. Any ideas?

Oh, and the same school had some T17 lamps in it. T17s! I did not know those existed. It was a fun day for me.

I believe that is a Radio Outlet. A radio could be plugged in to provide connection to an antenna and to ground.

 

[malachi constant]

I believe that is a Radio Outlet. A radio could be plugged in to provide connection to an antenna and to ground.

This was built as a public elementary school in the late 1950s. Why would they put radio outlets in each room? These are located on the teaching wall, just below the chalkboard.

 

[gnuuser]

See attached/below. Not on the NEMA charts. The school has not been used in a few years, and had few outlets in general, but did have one of these in each classroom. They're probably tearing the school down, so this isn't that big of a deal, I'm just really curious. Any ideas?

Oh, and the same school had some T17 lamps in it. T17s! I did not know those existed. It was a fun day for me.

these are radio antenna outlets they were used to run parallel connection points to a single antenna a (convenience connection)

 

[malachi constant]

these are radio antenna outlets they were used to run parallel connection points to a single antenna a (convenience connection)

So teachers would each have a radio and plug it into the outlet? I suppose it's not much different from having a data port, or cable TV jack.

OK, mystery solved. Thanks.

 

[iwire]

This was built as a public elementary school in the late 1950s. Why would they put radio outlets in each room? These are located on the teaching wall, just below the chalkboard.

Likely as part of civil defense.

Now schools have cable, or internet. Back then it was radio.

 

[cowboyjwc]

Likely as part of civil defense.

Now schools have cable, or internet. Back then it was radio.

That's what I was thinking too. Drop and cover.

 

[ggunn]

That's what I was thinking too. Drop and cover.

Duck and cover, actually. I am old enough to have gone through those drills.

 

[TommyO]

This was built as a public elementary school in the late 1950s. Why would they put radio outlets in each room? These are located on the teaching wall, just below the chalkboard.

That would be right time period for lessons being done by radio.
For example:
http://www.portalwisconsin.org/archives/wsahistoryfeature.cfm

Music makes sense to me - but art? Yet that's what they did.

 

[K8MHZ]

I'll bet it was for TV.

In the 60's there was TV shows for schools and they would push in a TV on a cart and the class would watch it. I don't remember seeing any antenna on the TV, so there must have been antenna jacks in the rooms.

 

[cowboyjwc]

Duck and cover, actually. I am old enough to have gone through those drills.

Duck, drop, pretty worthless advice in a nuclear attack anyway.

 

[ggunn]

Duck, drop, pretty worthless advice in a nuclear attack anyway.

Yeah, even when I was 11 I realized that crawling under my desk wasn't going to help me survive a nuclear attack. During the Cuban Missile Crisis I was living in Lake Charles, LA, which at the time had one of the largest oil and chemical refinery complexes in the US and was well within range of any missiles fired from Cuba. At school we had Duck and Cover drills a couple of times a day. Pretty scary stuff.

 

[Nutmegger]

I grew up in Eastern Europe, and we had those in schools through the 70's and the 80's: duck-and-cover, field-strip automatic rifles, running in full chemical gear, etc. etc.
All in high school.
Fun! (not )

 

[malachi constant]

Thanks all! Every day is educational...