I found this today!

[Charlie Bob]

I found this in an attic.
It 's a ac/dc tester as probably all of you already know. But check out the wires. They are like wire in the old kind of romex, you know cloth insulation on it. Check out the terminals insulation. Not a whole lot of it! How many of you all would check a circuit with this.?
At first i thought it was a vehicle tester, but it says on the clip ac/dc.
How old do you all think this is?

 

[480sparky]

I'm gonna say it dates to the 60s or 70s.

 

[Charlie Bob]

I thought about 70's. But who knows. Guys back then had a lot of guts,I reckon.:smile:
you really have to watch that insulation and your fingers at all times.

 

[gar]

090725-1512 EST

My guess 30s or 40s.

.

 

[Charlie Bob]

that old for real?
it's a perfect shape.Looks brand new. It's been in that attic all these years.

 

[480sparky]

that old for real?
it's a perfect shape.Looks brand new. It's been in that attic all these years.

If it was 'new' when it was lost, then laying around in the attic is now going to wear it out like it's been carried around every day in someone's toolbox, shirt pocket or truck.

 

[gar]

090725-1657 EST

In the late 1940s (1949) hookup wire was still cotton covered with varnish on the outside. Early 50s it became PVC. Test leads in the 40s were rubber covered. Coax in the 40s was polyethylene or polystyrene, twin lead was likely PVC.

From a Google search --- first use of pvc for wire insulation --- :

were used only in limited amounts in open wire ap- plications until about 1943. During World War 11, the first major use for PVC insulation developed; ...

To get at the article referenced I would have to pay for it.

.

 

[Charlie Bob]

Thanks

Thanks

So I guess it is from the 40's.
Thanks for your time gar:smile:

 

[masterinbama]

Did you find that in the house you're doing the knob and tube upgrade in? Be careful if you crawl further you might find the guy that lost that.

 

[Charlie Bob]

That's funny.
Yeah it's the same house.
So far i found that, and old old old can of motor oil, and a dead squirrel!!!
But i'll keep looking:smile:

 

[brian john]

I had one in 1970.

 

[LarryFine]

I had one in 1970.

Were you working in Tennessee in 1970?

 

[MF Dagger]

I've lost more tools in attics than I care to even think about. Including a newer version of one of those, and since then I can't find the kind I like and it's gotten really annoying. It cost about 2 bucks but now all I can find are neon ones and they don't light up with the one lead in your finger like the old one did.

 

[masterinbama]

I've lost more tools in attics than I care to even think about. Including a newer version of one of those, and since then I can't find the kind I like and it's gotten really annoying. It cost about 2 bucks but now all I can find are neon ones and they don't light up with the one lead in your finger like the old one did.

Don't try that with a wiggy. I was checking some starter buckets once and just as place one lead of my wiggy on phase a a fly landed on my ear. Out of reflex I took the hand with the other lead to wave it away and touched the side of my head with it. I will say one leg of 480 to a sweaty head hurts.

 

[ptonsparky]

I had an apprentice in the late 70s with his face stuck into a 480v disc and his hand wrapped around one of the those so he could see it glow. "Checkin for voltage" was his answer when I asked him "What the hell are you doing?!!