Multimeter

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Ingenium, 1985.0825.001
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OBJECT TYPE: BRAILLE
DATE: 1948
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1985.0825.001

MANUFACTURER: National Research Council Canada
MODEL: SWAIL BRAILLE
LOCATION: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

More Information

General Information

Serial #: N/A
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 1
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: STEEL BOX/ PLASTIC KNOBS/ PLASTIC PLATE WITH RAISED BRAILLE MARKINGS/ RUBBER FEET/ POINTER IS A BENT NAIL.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length: 21.3 cm
Width: 21.0 cm
Height: 25.3 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: N/A
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Communications
Category: Radio
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: NRC
Country: Canada
State/Province: Ontario
City: Ottawa

Context

Country: Canada
State/Province: Ontario
Period: C. 1948-MID 1960s
Canada: ONE OF FIRST INSTRUMENTS DESIGNED BY, AND BUILT FOR JIM SWAIL AT NRC FOR HIS OWN USE.
Function: TO TAKE READINGS OF VOLTAGE, CURRENT AND RESISTANCE FOR A SIGHTLESS OPERATOR, WHO MOVES THE POINTER AROUND THE DIAL UNTIL THE READING IS INDICATED BY THE AUDITORY NULL IN THE HEADPHONES.
Technical: ONE OF THE FIRST EXAMPLES OF SPECIALIZED LABORATORY EQUIPMENT CONSTRUCTED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF scientists and engineers with a visual impairment. SWAIL WAS FIRST EMPLOYED BY NRC IN 1947, AND BUILT THESE FOR HIS USE THEN. MCSHEFFREY DESCRIBED IT TO ME IN 1985 AS A "VOLTMETER" - "A REAL MUSEUM PIECE" DATING FROM C.1960, THE ONLY SURVIVOR OF A WHOLE SET OF METERING INSTRUMENTS THAT SWAIL BUILT BEFORE 1964 WHEN THEY STARTED TO MODIFY EXISTING INSTRUMENTS, SUCH AS THE SIMPSON METERS. BUT FROM THE LITERATURE THIS CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE ORIGINAL 1948 "RADIO MULTIMETER" (SEE PHOTO, ONLY HANDLE HAS BEEN ADDED LATER) AND THIS MAY IN FACT BE THAT ORIGINAL ONE.
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: BRAILLE MARKINGS ON PLASTIC DIAL PLATE; TO INDICATE DIVISIONS & SUB- DIVISIONS; NUMBERS IN SILVER-COLOUR ARE MORE VISIBLE ON LOWER LEFT DIAL THAN ONLOWER RIGHT; 'SWAIL N.R.C.', 'ORIGINAL VOLTMETER DATE ERROR ESTIMATE -1948' HANDWRITTEN ON 2 SQUARE STICKERS ON TOP.
Missing: POWER CORD; REQUIRES HEADPHONES TO OPERATE.
Finish: BOX HAS GREY PAINT (?) KRINKLE-TEXTUREDFINISH/ KNOBS AREBLACK WITH WHITE MARKINGS AND ARE TEXTURED FOR BETTER GRIP.
Decoration: N/A

CITE THIS OBJECT

If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:

National Research Council Canada, Multimeter, circa 1948, Artifact no. 1985.0825, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1985.0825.001/

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