Siemens type polarized telegraph relay

Description:

Telegraph relays amplify an electrical signal in a telegraph line. Telegraph messages travel as a series of electrical pulses through a wire from a transmitter to a receiver. The pulses fade in strength as they travel through the wire, limiting the distance a message can be sent. Relays remedy that problem by detecting a weak signal and automatically re-transmitting that signal down the line using a local power source.

Maker: Western Union Corporation

Location: Currently not on view

See more items in: Work and Industry: Electricity, Communications

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: from Western Union Corporation

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: EM.331675Collector/Donor Number: 15-07Accession Number: 294351Catalog Number: 331675

Object Name: relaypolar relaytelegraph relay

Physical Description: metal (part: material)wood (part: material)Measurements: overall: 5 3/4 in x 8 1/4 in x 5 in; 14.605 cm x 20.955 cm x 12.7 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a7-1884-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_890913

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.