I have never seen an original Variac. In the 1980s I bought a new
Voltac - by Yokoyama Electric Works Ltd (not Yokohama). This is a 240V
300VA Type B-1, with output to 260V. (Australian mains power is now
230V.) Recently I was able to find, after months of eBay searching
(saved search so I get emails), I obtained a 1500 VA model as well.
These are beautifully made, with fully enclosed metal cases and screw
terminals. Religious folk often deride materialism, but I derive
profound satisfaction and pleasure from owning and using these devices -
as I do my Tek scopes and now two Iwatsu SS-3510 50MHz synchroscopes.
There's a massive 3kVA one on eBay now, in Austin, Texas:
This one looks similar to our 1500VA model:
but is a 2kVA model "130V". They step up a little, so this one probably
has a 120V input. There's a poorly photographed 1kVA model here:
While Googling I found this 1kVA "Matsunaga Mfg. Co. Ltd." "Slide
Regulator" which looks like an earlier design:
I couldn't find any substantial mention of the Yokoyama Electric Works
However, I did find the Matsunaga Manufacturing Company:
with "Slide Regulators" as their first of several product lines. The
Google translation of one of their pages:
indicates the company is based in Yokohama. The company was founded in
1952, has 50 employees and the while the founder is deceased, the
Managing Director is Yoshio Furuya Yosuke Matsunaga.
Perhaps there was a separate Yokoyama Electric company, also in
Yokahama, because a modern Matsunaga product:
looks different in detail from the Yokoyama units, there's no indication
that the company changed its name, and this:
with metal rod handles, is different in every detail from the Yokoyama
models I have and which I have seen pictured on the Net. My units have
no handles, but those pictured on the Net which do have pressed metal
handles.
- Robin
