What unexpected discovery was made during the renovation of an older property?
Asked by Manuel Lawrence 
7 months ago
Last Updated: June 5, 2024
Hey, check out this cool discovery during the renovation of an old building!
Double Radio Socket
Is that a special container for a HAM radio or something? It looks like it’s from the 40’s or 50’s.
Check out the North American section on ‘s Plug Socket Museum website!
Thanks for all your help. My house is a 1921 catalog house, so it has a variety of different electrical components.
N arrett, appreciate the link. I’ve encountered a few of these before but never a radio duplex. It’s older than I realized.
I come from a family of electricians and this kind of thing always captivates me. Weird stuff seems to be a common sight in the field.
N arrett, it’s fascinating. I once removed an asbestos-lined wooden panel with knife switches and wooden raceways in an old building. It was still active. Always interesting!
N arrett, I thought it was Photoshop until I saw it 😂
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Wow, I’ve never come across anything quite like this. Such an intriguing outlet.
The upper outlet seems to be defective
Do you know where it was situated?
That’s a fresh idea for me. Well done Sonny.
That’s a relic from the 1940s. The top half is meant for an AM radio antenna. The slot on the right is connected to a grounding rod outside. The one on the left is for a single wire that acts as an antenna throughout the attic, and the bottom half is the power supply for the radio.
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Thank you for sharing that information, kind sir!
Thanks a lot, . This is quite fascinating!
I really enjoy reading comments like these to learn new things. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge, !
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Is that meant for a rotary antenna?
That was my initial reaction
No, the antenna wire and ground need to be connected to the radio, as well as power. This outlet’s presence likely explains why mixing low and high voltages in the same box or raceway is no longer permitted.
I’ve never witnessed anything like it before…
Radio ground duplex. Super old, from the 1930’s – 40’s. I’ve only seen it once before.
Was this from Russia?
Pretty cool stuff
That for old radio so you can tune in to European radio stations
I lucked out and came across a NOS with the plug and box.
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Hey trash can, go home! You’ve had too much to drink!
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Just slip the inspector $200 in cash and he will approve it!
I really like the vintage items! All made of porcelain.
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Old-school radio ground outlet, gotta love it!
That’s a sideways glance
Down
Seems to be a 17.5 amp outlet
That’s the one
My mom is Chinese, and my dad is Japanese….
That piece is in perfect condition. I have never seen a wiring device from that era in ivory before.
A 17½ Amp outlet…
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Variable frequency? 😲 Definitely not a plug for anything else. Maybe DC?