Anybody know what this is?

[jake98]

It was with my uncle's welder when I got it.
Heater? Battery tester?
It has a ribbon serpentined in it.

 

[k0ua]

Well a photo might be worth 1000 words, and having it in my hands would be worth 1000 photo's, but if I had to guess, it is a load tester, or part of a battery tester, you still need a voltmeter to measure what happens to a battery when this resistive load is placed across it. Assuming the "ribbon" is a piece of nichrome wire

James K0UA

 

[k0ua]

On second though, any chance there are diodes in that box?, the ribbon comment made me think resistive load, but if there are diodes, then this could be a rectifier for the AC welder, to make DC?

James K0UA

 

[Egon]

Anode for electrolysis :thumbsup:

 

[k0ua]

I can only see 2 terminals on that thing, so cant be a rectifier assembly and maybe we can see the edge of the nichrome ribbon wire, I am not sure. Take an digital ohmmeter and measure between those 2 terminals. and tell us what you got.

James K0UA

 

[Wayne_H]

take the cover off so we can see what is inside!

 

[Skyco]

A rectifier (diode) only has two terminals, the anode and cathode, so don't see how the mystery device rules that out with it only having two terminals. A rectifier bridge has four.

Doesn't appear from what we can see to have enough heat sinking to accomodate a welding rectifier....

Curious to know about the welder it came with also. Perhaps it is a way to reduce current to a lower value than the lowest setting on the welder..???

We need to know more!

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I am guessing it is a rod heater.
Bill

 

[jake98]

I think it just has the wire ribbon in it, I'll look closer. The ground clamp on it has me confused unless it's a battery tester missing a lead. The welder was a Lincoln ac/dc 225 but it's not the vintage of this thing.

 

[crazyal]

Have you ruled out a flux capacitor?