Vibrator (electronic)

[1] The primary use for this type of circuit was to operate vacuum tube radios in vehicles, but it also saw use with other mobile electronic devices with a 6 or 12 V accumulator, especially in places with no mains electricity supply such as farms.

These vibrator power supplies became popular in the 1940s, replacing more bulky motor-generator systems for the generation of AC voltages for such applications.

Vibrators often experienced mechanical malfunctions, being constantly in motion, such as the springs losing tension, and the contact points wearing down.

This would erode the contacts very quickly, so a snubber capacitor with a high voltage rating (C8 in the diagram) is added across the transformer secondary to damp out the unwanted high-voltage "spikes".

[5] Since vibrators wore out over time, they were usually encased in a steel or aluminum "tin can" enclosure with a multi-pin plug at the bottom (similar to the contact pins on vacuum tubes), so they could be quickly unplugged and replaced without using tools.

Vibrators generate a certain amount of audible noise (a constant buzzing sound) while in operation, which could potentially be heard by passengers in the car while the radio was on.