Western Electric 38-A tester - my guess.

[Russ Kirk]

I found this Western Electric tester at a local antique store. At least I think it is WE,  it has a WE capacitor and stamped 38-A.  After searching on the net and telecom libraries I'm stumped.

It is a small unit, about 3 ½" by 4 ½", it uses one D cell battery has one pull-up and push down switch and 2 test cables.

I cannot figure out what the round brass plate is for,  what top switch is for or how it is used.  The brass plate rotates on a spring much like a pocket watch spring. 

I'm sure someone here has seen one of these in the past.

Thanks in advance.

Russ.....

[rdelius]

I suspect the disk rotated back and forth interupting the buzzer. This might be an early cable test buzzer.
Robby

[Mikep]

Boy! That IS an old one. In 1946 my dad was a cable splicer and had one of
those things.  It was use as a pair tracer in cables. You hung the clips on the
pair you wanted to trace and it would send a click down the wire that you could hear for miles.  I was about 10 years old back then and I used it for tracing wires on my train layout!

[cello973]

If I'm not mistaken, these were called wood peckers by the splicers.

[G-Man]

The 38A was superseded by the 81A.
Here is a link to the TCI Library for a BSP that gives a few of the details regarding its usage.

http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=3354&Itemid=2