Biddle.....anyone?

[DFerree923]

I have just been given a "Biddle Versapot", model 72-311. My question is, wtf
is/does this thing do? It's panel says "calibrator/potentiometer". I haven't
had any luck with searching the net, so I thought I'd ask here. Thanks.

James G. Biddle Co. Plymouth Meeting, PA
cat. # 72-311 ser. # 78538

I opened it up to see it's clean, and has lots of batts. Don't want to replace
the batts without more info. It looks like it could be useful, if I knew what
its application was... Thanks again.

 

[Jon Elson]

I have just been given a "Biddle Versapot", model 72-311. My question is, wtf
is/does this thing do? It's panel says "calibrator/potentiometer". I haven't
had any luck with searching the net, so I thought I'd ask here. Thanks.

James G. Biddle Co. Plymouth Meeting, PA
cat. # 72-311 ser. # 78538

I opened it up to see it's clean, and has lots of batts. Don't want to replace
the batts without more info. It looks like it could be useful, if I knew what
its application was... Thanks again.

It sounds like a "Precision Potentiometer", which was used from the 1800s to
the 1940's, at least, to make precise measurements of small voltages, as
from
strain gauges, thermocouples, etc. the circuit is essentially a Wheatstone
Bridge with a reference cell, a type of Mercury battery.

Jon