What is this item? A candle power regulator?

[bergytone]

I have an item made by Canon called a "candle power regulator". It is a steel box about 5" wide by 3" tall that plugs into 120Vac and has a selector switch for 8 settings of output voltage, from 1.8V to 6.5V AC. It has an out put switch or a momentary push button to control it's output. It has a two receptacle connector spaced about 3/4". It has the look and feel of something made in the '60s.

As the name implies, it is used to adjust the light output of something. That's what I'm trying to figure out. With that low of output voltage range it probably wasn't for an enlarger or a safelight... so what was it used for? Someone gave it to me a long time ago, and now that I'm on APUG, maybe one of you can tell me what it's for.

 

[Chan Tran]

I guess if you plug in the right kind of bulb it would give 1 to 8 candle power light source.

 

[ic-racer]

My guess is microscope illumination for photomicrography. May go with the Canon photomicro unit. Some microscope lamps used 6V bulbs.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Good guess, ic, but Canon was never, if I'm not mistaken, in the microscope business. Zeiss, yes. Leitz, yes. Nikon, yes. Olympus, yes. But not Canon.

Another guess: meter calibrator.

 

[wiltw]

It takes 100V AC, which means it was meant for use in the home market (Japan)

 

[bergytone]

I like Dan's guess. I think I'll put it out on the big auction site, see if anyone wants it. Or maybe make a pair of ajustable electric socks....Thanks for the thoughts on it.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

GREAT SCOTT... you'll need one point twenty-one gigawatts to make that thing work!!

 

[AgX]

My guess is microscope illumination for photomicrography. May go with the Canon photomicro unit. Some microscope lamps used 6V bulbs.

Due to the low wattage (36W max.) that was my idea to.

 

[bergytone]

Well, ic-racer and AgX, you are the winners! I was contacted by a fellow from the Netherlands who was interested in buying it, and he sent me a brochure from Canon showing it as part of the Canon photomicrographic unit. He was happy to purchase it, and I think he's going to put it in service. I'm glad it's going to a good home. And one less thing in my basement! I'd post the brochure, but it's a pdf and I don't feel like converting it.

 

[frobozz]

Well, ic-racer and AgX, you are the winners! I was contacted by a fellow from the Netherlands who was interested in buying it, and he sent me a brochure from Canon showing it as part of the Canon photomicrographic unit. He was happy to purchase it, and I think he's going to put it in service. I'm glad it's going to a good home. And one less thing in my basement! I'd post the brochure, but it's a pdf and I don't feel like converting it.

You could post the PDF somewhere and post a link to it. (If you have nowhere to post it, you could email it to me and I can do it.)

Duncan

 

[BrianShaw]

AC to AC. Probably a variac inside the box.

 

[frobozz]

Here's the PDF, sent to me my bergytone:

http://backglass.org/duncan/apug/canon_candle_power_reg.pdf

Duncan

 

[AgX]

So that transfornmer is not even for illuminating the specimen, but "just" for a propriatory slide projector for an image to be combined with the image of the specimen.

I'm just wondering which way would be more logical, regulating the lighting of the specimen, as it's density is likely to change whereas the slide is constant, or reguling the projector. The latter would need a own lighting anyway, and for the specimen one could go any way.

 

[bergytone]

I think the projector just allows you to label your negatives with light. The regulator just allows you to dim the light to match the film speed and exposure of the specimen. The fellow that bought it from me intends to use it with one of these Canon set-ups. He said the one he has doesn't work any more. There's really not much inside, it's just a multi-tapped transformer and a switch.

 

[AgX]

Seemingly part of the total image area is reserved for an image (label) that is exposed via a selfinscribed slide (designated "card").

 

[mike c]

And all for 99 bucks.

 

[AgX]

It takes 100V AC, which means it was meant for use in the home market (Japan)

The way it likely is built one could use it at 110V or 120V but should not crank it up to the maximum. (Meter the Output voltage and set a max. mark.)

 

[AgX]

What is that momentary switch intended for?

I mean, one already can switch both, in- and out-put.
And switching the slide momentarily makes no sense to me anyway..