Share your favorites on Show & Tell

little MERIT buzzer (?) from a scientific toy kit (??)

In Electronics > Show & Tell and Toys > Show & Tell.
Toys468 of 5597Tootsietoy M3 Lee Tank Circa 1950s/1960sVintage Tin Spinning Airplane ride
6
Love it
0
Like it

jscott0363jscott0363 loves this.
dav2no1dav2no1 loves this.
Alfie21Alfie21 loves this.
fortapachefortapache loves this.
Vynil33rpmVynil33rpm loves this.
vetraio50vetraio50 loves this.
See 4 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 2 years ago

    AnythingOb…
    (1778 items)

    I've had this little gizmo for *years* from a source I don't even recall, probably in with some or other little group of electrical sorts of parts and things but I truly haven't a clue. LIKEWISE I haven't ever had a clue about what it really *WAS* -- mostly thinking that maybe it was part of an old headphone or something but never fiddling with it (much less hitting it with some source of electricity?!) to find out. Until I came across it again recently, and took a sec to see what the googlies had to say about it, that is...? ;-)

    And now I guess it is a little 'buzzer' sound producing thing, probably once part of some kind of electricity/electronics educational toy or kit. :-)

    Shown with a pencil for size, it is 2" across the base. Made of dark bakelite, the word "MERIT" is the center of its logo with "J & L R LTD" and "MADE IN ENGLAND" surrounding. Two small and nicely made thumbscrew nuts allow for wires to be connected to it, those screwheads and a couple more appear on its underside along with a slender copper wire emerging from a tiny hole and connecting to one of them.

    Wikipedia allows that MERIT was a toy manufacturer affiliated with J & L RANDALL LTD, an active firm in the 1950's-60's that included various scientifically minded sorts of products in their lineup, so I am guessing this particular thing was part of another set or otherwise larger thing meant to help amuse as well as teach about electricity.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_%26_L_Randall

    And with this new-to-me info, I did in fact experiment with it myself just a bit -- applying a 1.5v battery to it did nothing, but a little 5v power cube indeed made it "BUZZ", rather gently, and more importantly didn't let any of the magic smoke leak out of it...??

    ;-) ;-) ;-)

    logo
    Electronics
    See all
    APARA Vintage Speaker Stands   Black Powder-Coated Steel  (One Pair)
    APARA Vintage Speaker Stands   Bla...
    $169
    Pioneer Stereo Vintage Logo LED Lighted Sign 16 Color Base High Quality
    Pioneer Stereo Vintage Logo LED Lig...
    $34
    FM-DW 2.2 FM converter module for vintage AM tube and transistor radios
    FM-DW 2.2 FM converter module for v...
    $32
    AM Transmitter - Stream to Your Vintage Tube Radio - Wireless Bluetooth Receiver
    AM Transmitter - Stream to Your Vin...
    $69
    logo
    APARA Vintage Speaker Stands   Black Powder-Coated Steel  (One Pair)
    APARA Vintage Speaker Stands   Bla...
    $169
    See all

    Comments

    1. TallCakes TallCakes, 2 years ago
      part of a morse code kit
      https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/merit-toys-randall-vintage-boxed-1779060191
    2. AnythingObscure AnythingObscure, 2 years ago
      TallCakes wins the prize again -- that's *EXACTLY* what this thing is!!

      THANKS, once more!!! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.