Thread: Switch?

This switch (not sure what else to call it) was attached to the side of a home and there appeared to be antenna wires strung between tree tops (30 - 40 feet high) around the home. My best guess is that it has something to do with a shortwave radio, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

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It looks like a triple pole double throw knife switch used to select which twin lead is being used. Only two poles are being used it seems.

Thanks for the reply. Any idea what it was used for? Also, this thread probably should have been in the Electrical section - guess I missed that, but I don't know how to move it now.

Well hopefully it is switching low voltage or no voltage loads and looking at the twin lead wires leaving the switch it is serving antennas as you suggested in your first post. The switch allows you to use either antenna but not both at the same time.

It is definitely a knife switch used to make a either, or type selection (that is to say, this radio or that radio, etc). The antenna wires are 300 ohm balanced type which was common on TV's in the past.

With just the switch and the wires shown it is hard to say what the arrangement was for. I doubt though that it has anything to do with high voltages.

Originally Posted by Rick Burkman

This switch (not sure what else to call it) was attached to the side of a home and there appeared to be antenna wires strung between tree tops (30 - 40 feet high) around the home. My best guess is that it has something to do with a shortwave radio, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

Sounds like its possibly a magnetic loop or "sky wire" antenna set up. Those will usually have 5-6 hundred feet of wire strung up for ham radio reception.