what is this? (2 Viewers)

[JohnnyC]

variable resistor
24v in and 12v out

 

[mailking]

variable resistor
24v in and 12v out

doesn't make sense, because there is a big 300 Watt 24v in 12v out inverter right next to it.

 

[Coolerman]

Wow! Talk about a power loss in conversion!

I guess you really could use it for a heater!

Wouldn't it make more sense to just tap off one of the two 12 volt batteries for 12 volts?

School us 12 volt only stateside Cruiser heads!

 

[mailking]

Wouldn't it make more sense to just tap off one of the two 12 volt batteries for 12 volts?

Oooppsss: that's exactly how I burned a good 24v setup and I had to loose one very nice deep cycle dry battery. Because somebody told me to run the radio on one of the 12 volt batteries! Never attempt such a foolish thing. Your batteries will get an uneven load overtime and ruin one or both batteries.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I t could be an adjustable tap inductor (coil) possibly some kind of DC to AC circuit. The relays may be to switch the field polarity.

 

[Landpimp]

thinking back, my old Dodge pickup had something like that.....know I have seen them before

 

[Weedhopper]

Self destruct charge?

Doorbell?

My cruiser had some stuff like that. I just cut it all away and threw it out. ( I are lazy)

 

[rchandler]

Follow the wires and see where they go.....

 

[Fast Eddy]

Remove it and see what stops working.

 

[cruiserbrett]

I would guess that it is something to step down voltage, for either a fan blower or a 24v-12v stepdown. I doubt it would work well for 12v supply unless there was exactly the same load drawn across it whenever it was used though.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I would guess that it is something to step down voltage, for either a fan blower or a 24v-12v stepdown. I doubt it would work well for 12v supply unless there was exactly the same load drawn across it whenever it was used though.

With no scale reference it's hard to tell but those coils are pretty big conductors for wire wound resistors, the voltage drop would be minimal. (Large conductor=low resistance) No where near 50% I wound think.

 

[Ziffdaddy]

Lighten up Francis.


Poser, was that a line from Stripes? If so, that's awesome.....great movie...seen it 75 times.

 

[rsbcruiser]

Wow! twin dilithium chambers! She is breaking apart capin! Is it hooked up to anything? Looks like a house voltage style rheostat, used to step down the voltage to the vehicle? Maybe a super cheesy battery boiler.

 

[cctk2]

Theyve got it correct... its a variable resistor... Years ago I towed a 20 travel trailer, and thats in the electric brake system...

 

[inkpot]

Theyve got it correct... its a variable resistor... Years ago I towed a 20 travel trailer, and thats in the electric brake system...

Howdy! My second guess was adjustable muffler bearing heater controls.John

 

[lostmarbles]

Oooppsss: that's exactly how I burned a good 24v setup and I had to loose one very nice deep cycle dry battery. Because somebody told me to run the radio on one of the 12 volt batteries! Never attempt such a foolish thing. Your batteries will get an uneven load overtime and ruin one or both batteries.

x 2

You open a can of worms if you tap 12V off one battery of a "series-connected 24V-combination".


PS. That mystery contraption would look at home in the "electrical control panel" of the old Volvo electric trolley buses I drive. - (But it would have to look a lot dirtier)

 

[KOOTENAY KRUZER]

I have been drawing my 12volt requirements from one battery in a 24V system for 29 years, it seems to wear out the battery you are drawing from (the one with the connection to ground) faster than it should, otherwise it has caused no problems for the electrical system. I have had more problems from cold winters than from the mismatched loads as far as battery life goes. (cold as in -20 or -30*C for weeks at a time when the vehicle is not being regularly used)

 

[Vicm]

2 wire wound resisors connected , is what you call stepped or tapped resistor.
They fall under variable resistors.
They are usually made of 2 or more fixed resistors, incased in ceramic sometimes.
What is it doing there, no idea, but there function is to provide different paths for current to flow to the load. Each path will give different current to the load. They would be connected to some kind of circit control device , switchs, relays .
They are not rheostat type variable resistors or voltage converters.

Another thing ,
Someone said thicker wires means lower current.
That is not true. Current flows through the outer most part of the conductor. Called the skin. The thicker the wire the more skin it has , more current.
That is confusing current with voltage. Thicker wires have more resistance ,therefore less Voltage.
Look at the wiring in your home.
14 AWG wire is not thicker than 10 AWG wire. Which one is designed to carry more current?

But iff you are working on the 40, you only need to know how to trace wires and preform simple tests. A test light and a miltimeter with an understanding of how the device you are working on is supposed to work are the best weapos to have.
At the end, if you get no where and want to ask the more knowlagable members for advice.
For good sake ,provide more details about your problem
just like was stated many times over.
The worst thing to do is jusmp straight to posting without checking things out first to see what you have.
A qiuck look at this thing would have provided a lot more usefull info and if I am wrong, don't blame me for your doings.

 

[Coolerman]

Another thing ,
Current flows through the outer most part of the conductor. Called the skin. The thicker the wire the more skin it has , more current.
That is confusing current with voltage. Thicker wires have more resistance ,therefore less Voltage.
Look at the wiring in your home.
14 AWG wire is not thicker than 10 AWG wire. Which one is designed to carry more current?

Uh.... the skin effect you are referring to only affects conductors carying high frequiencies, it has no bearing with DC carrying conductors. If it did battery cables would be hollow tubes...

Thicker wires have LESS resistance not more. This means there is less voltage drop across the conductor, ie it can carry more current.

 

[rusty_tlc]

2 wire wound resisors connected , is what you call stepped or tapped resistor.
They fall under variable resistors.
They are usually made of 2 or more fixed resistors, incased in ceramic sometimes.
What is it doing there, no idea, but there function is to provide different paths for current to flow to the load. Each path will give different current to the load. They would be connected to some kind of circit control device , switchs, relays .
They are not rheostat type variable resistors or voltage converters.

You are describing a VOLTAGE divider, not a current divider. A current divider is a set of resistors connected in parallel which "divides" the current through each resistor based on the applied voltage. A voltage divider is a set of resistors connected in series, the voltage at each node is based on the resistance value in relation to the current in the circuit as a whole.

Another thing ,
Someone said thicker wires means lower current.
That is not true. Current flows through the outer most part of the conductor. Called the skin. The thicker the wire the more skin it has , more current.
That is confusing current with voltage. Thicker wires have more resistance ,therefore less Voltage.
Look at the wiring in your home.
14 AWG wire is not thicker than 10 AWG wire. Which one is designed to carry more current?

I said a larger wire has lower RESISTANCE, which most certainly true. For DC the current density is fairly uniform through out the conductor. Skin affect is typicaly only found in Radio Frequencies.
14 AWG = 0.065"dia
10 AWG = 0.1"dia
Thats a big difference.
Larger wire has less resistance, which translates to a lower voltage drop for the same current. (Ohms Law V=IR). It also translates to less power dissipation or heating in the wire (Ohms Law P=IV).

But iff you are working on the 40, you only need to know how to trace wires and preform simple tests. A test light and a miltimeter with an understanding of how the device you are working on is supposed to work are the best weapos to have.
At the end, if you get no where and want to ask the more knowlagable members for advice.
For good sake ,provide more details about your problem
just like was stated many times over.
The worst thing to do is jusmp straight to posting without checking things out first to see what you have.
A qiuck look at this thing would have provided a lot more usefull info and if I am wrong, don't blame me for your doings.

You should probably also understand the basics of electricity and how to use Ohms Law.