Gallery of Lights


Home Login
Album list Last uploads Last comments Most viewed Top rated My Favorites Search
Home > User galleries > joe_347V > Lighting Components
PC Group Relay
Another Restore find. It's a 120v 30A pole mount group relay used to switch strings of streetlights. There were two there but the second one didn't have a integrated PC socket so it had a 4th lead for the relay control. That one has a 120v coil and a 120/240v contact rating so it could be used to switch a string of 240v streetlights with a 120v PC. 

Anyway it seems to be from the 60s from the nameplate and the interior components. I also think it's NOS from how good condition everything is. It didn't come with a PC but I installed a used Fisher Pierce from 1982 for the shot. 
Keywords: Gear

PC Group Relay

Another Restore find. It's a 120v 30A pole mount group relay used to switch strings of streetlights. There were two there but the second one didn't have a integrated PC socket so it had a 4th lead for the relay control. That one has a 120v coil and a 120/240v contact rating so it could be used to switch a string of 240v streetlights with a 120v PC.

Anyway it seems to be from the 60s from the nameplate and the interior components. I also think it's NOS from how good condition everything is. It didn't come with a PC but I installed a used Fisher Pierce from 1982 for the shot.

COL_IMG_8401.JPG COL_20170504_202426.jpg COL_IMG_6997.JPG COL_IMG_6265.JPG COL_IMG_3270.JPG
File information
Filename:COL_IMG_6997.JPG
Album name:joe_347V / Lighting Components
Keywords:Gear
Company and Date Manufactured:ACOC - South Bend Controls Inc
Model Number:MR-TG
Wattage:3600W
Filesize:212 KiB
Date added:Apr 08, 2017
Dimensions:1920 x 1440 pixels
Displayed:265 times
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=21757
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 6 of 6
Page: 1

streetlight98   [Apr 09, 2017 at 12:05 AM]
Wow sweet!
joe_347V   [Apr 09, 2017 at 02:40 AM]
Thanks! When I was testing it I thought the relay was defective and stuck open. It turns out it has a mercury relay and it needed to be vertical to work. I first tested it with the thing horizontal lol.

Not sure where I would install it though, I don't have a string of lights I need controlled but I do have some lights that don't have a built in PC I could control with this.
streetlight98   [Apr 09, 2017 at 03:36 AM]
Oh wow a mercury relay? Never knew such a thing existed! Is yours as quiet as the one in the video? Yeah I would have no use for one since I'd control all my lights via individual PCs.
joe_347V   [Apr 09, 2017 at 11:04 PM]
Yeah mine is as quiet as the one in the video. Kinda a cool concept since it allows for virtually unlimited switching cycles.

There's a vial of mercury inside the metal tube with one contact at the bottom and one around halfway up. There's a iron slug that's floating on the mercury. When the power is applied to the relay, the slug is attracted down into the mercury as causes the mercury to rise and reach the middle contact, completing the circuit.

I'd probably end up using this thing for stuff like landscape lighting or for wallpacks where having individual PCs aren't feasible or just use it as a overkill remote PC. I've yet to find one of those remote PC sockets anyways.
don   [Apr 20, 2017 at 04:06 AM]
Very interesting...I don't believe I've ever seen a mercury relay either.
joe_347V   [Apr 20, 2017 at 06:58 AM]
I wonder if they're still made...there's been a movement against stuff like mercury tilt switches so I won't be surprised if they stopped making mercury relays too.

Comment 1 to 6 of 6
Page: 1