Small old Leitz transformer ?

[M.Hilo]

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I spent 5 euros buying this old Leitz transformer, not knowing what it is. I just liked the design and want to photograph it.

With the help of a friend and some more research, it looks like this is called ANZUU and it was meant to power the Prado projector with a 110 volt lamp of 250 watt. It is very small: 10 X 12cm and 13cm high (3,9 x 4,7 and 5,1in. high). The picture with my hand on it, gives an idea of its size.

Can someone give me a better idea what it does? Was this made for the European market, or the US market?

Finally, could this be used for something else?

Thanks !

 

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Edited May 3, 2024 by M.Hilo

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[Anbaric]

Is it perhaps a universal power supply transformer, like today's power supplies for many consumer electronics products? If you buy something like a laptop that is sold internationally you often get the same power supply whichever country you buy it in, and just use it with a different cable and plug (or travel adapter) when you go abroad. Voltage switching is usually automatic today, but this one is manually switchable, apparently to the different input mains ('Netz') voltages used in various parts of the world (125V, 220V, 230V), and presumably gives you output suitable for the 110V bulb. 125V sounds a bit odd, but would be in spec for the 120V mains used in the US, which I think can be +/- 5% the nominal value.

Edited May 3, 2024 by Anbaric

[alan mcfall]

I have several of these "power supplies", most of the early ones are for microscope work where a light source such as carbon arc or tungsten bulb required power. Many predate the Leica camera, microscope catalogs of the early 1920's, have a multitude of lamps and supplies. With wonderful names such as Lilliput, Stella, Lucifer, and the more common and longer produced MONLA. Most of the supplies or voltage converters have telegraph codes beginning with RExxx.  The large 1929 hardbound microscope catalog lists quite a variety.  As your unit has the G.m.b.H. stamp, I suspect it is likely from the 1950's, and as you note is for a projector.

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2024 by alan mcfall
typo

[Siriusone59]

I believe it's a tapped resistor bank instead of a transformer.  Used to adjust voltage to a projector lamp depending upon the mains voltage.

 http://www.pradoseum.eu/englisch-version/Pradovit-VIIIk-en.html

5th and 7th image on the page.

[alan mcfall]

A great link, thanks.

The ANZUU is listed in the 1953 catalog as a "Resistor".

[Siriusone59]

1 hour ago, alan mcfall said:

A great link, thanks.

The ANZUU is listed in the 1953 catalog as a "Resistor".

 

The really sad part, to me at least, and why I recognized the image...I owned one of those projectors complete with case at one time.  Somehow it was lost or left behind during a move to another residence about 30 years ago.  It went missing with a complete, also cased Polaroid model 95 since they shared a packing box.

[qqphot]

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I suppose it could be used as a tiny space heater! I mean, that's really what it is, a resistor bank designed to dissipate heat efficiently.

[Anbaric]

5 hours ago, qqphot said:

I suppose it could be used as a tiny space heater! I mean, that's really what it is, a resistor bank designed to dissipate heat efficiently.

Not exactly the greenest type of power supply! I wonder why they did it this way, when there are safer and much more efficient ways of reducing voltage? Don't think I'd want to plug it into the mains 70 years later.

[qqphot]

7 hours ago, Anbaric said:

Not exactly the greenest type of power supply! I wonder why they did it this way, when there are safer and much more efficient ways of reducing voltage? Don't think I'd want to plug it into the mains 70 years later.

I think that at the time it was made, the alternative would have been an autotransformer, which would be quite large and heavy for the 250 watt power level it's labeled for. A ballast resistor like this thing probably works pretty well for stabilizing a purely resistive load like an enlarger lamp, if you discount the extreme inefficiency - I suppose the trade-off was considered acceptable since it would only be used intermittently and not left on all day. 

Edited May 4, 2024 by qqphot

[M.Hilo]

Thanks to everybody, for your reactions. I am only familiar with the Leitz enlargers, with an emphasis on the later versions. And mostly from a practical user point of view. However, I do have a fascination for special parts and a piece like ANZUU fits that very well.

I think the ANZUU shown in Siriusone59's link to the Pradomuseum is younger than mine. The black screws on the "Lampe" side indicate that. This means there are at least two versions. Is there a way to understand if Leitz made more versions of ANZUU?

Alan: Lilliput, Stella, Lucifer are indeed spectacular names. I wish my Valoy II had been called Leitz Lilliput!

[dg4mgr]

vor 22 Stunden schrieb qqphot:

this thing probably works pretty well for stabilizing a purely resistive load like an enlarger lamp, if you discount the extreme inefficiency - I suppose the trade-off was considered acceptable since it would only be used intermittently and not left on all day. 

It connects the 110V / 250 W Lamp to max. 230 V. So when operating at 220V, it will absorb and waste exactly the same power as the lamp itself - just as if you use two lamps which seems acceptable for that purpose.

[jc_braconi]

Usually part of dias projector set for preserve the bulb lamp very expensive, ever now