Telegraph Sounder
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: 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. According to Western Union this “crude” sounder was not only a practical instrument but saw actual service. “It was improvised by an operator who had at hand no other means of providing himself with desired apparatus to complete his office equipment.”
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Communications
label: See more items in
content: Telegraph Sounders
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Western Union Telegraph Company
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.230789
label: catalog number
content: 230789
label: accession number
content: 43225
objectType: label: Object Name
content: telegraph receiver
label: Object Name
content: telegraph sounder
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: iron (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 3/4 in x 5 1/4 in x 4 1/2 in; 12.065 cm x 13.335 cm x 11.43 cm