Vacuum Cleaners

[n2ize]

I have always been fascinated with vacuum cleaners. I have owned and fixed many vacuum cleaners over the years. I just got my hands on an old Kenmore tall-profile cannister with hoses and attachments. I'm going to be restoring it. My guess is that it probably dates back to the years between 1958-1960.

What kinds of vacuum's do you collect, restore, own, use ?

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

I have an old electrolux that is both a vacuum cleaner as well as part of a Russian designed transmitter (replica).
The cord is detachable in all of the vacuum of this type, but in this unit it is the antenna.
The motor provides both low and high voltages needed by way of being both a transformer (field winding) and step-up motor generator and rectifier (armature).
The hose is steel coil reinforced and acts as the counterpoise.
The transmitter itself is mounted inside the base and is cooled by the blower.
You can build one yourself, and early original or a modern shop vac, and there is no reason you can not use it to clean as well. ;)

[W5RB]

http://users.telenet.be/kiddies/noonoo.jpg

[kb2crk]

i have two Kirby's in use in the house. one is a mid eighties model that i picked up for 30 bucks at the local goodwill store. the other is about 2 years old with all of the bells and whistles that i bought off of craigslist for 150 last year.
the carpet cleaning stuff that came with the new one also works on the old one and the things are hard to kill. my aunt still has my grandmothers old kirby that was bought brand new in the 50's.

[kf0rt]

http://users.telenet.be/kiddies/noonoo.jpg

That'll polish yer knob.

[kd8dey]

That'll polish yer knob.

http://www.darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid2000-05.html

[w2amr]

Hello.

I have an old electrolux that is both a vacuum cleaner as well as part of a Russian designed transmitter (replica).
The cord is detachable in all of the vacuum of this type, but in this unit it is the antenna.
The motor provides both low and high voltages needed by way of being both a transformer (field winding) and step-up motor generator and rectifier (armature).
The hose is steel coil reinforced and acts as the counterpoise.
The transmitter itself is mounted inside the base and is cooled by the blower.
You can build one yourself, and early original or a modern shop vac, and there is no reason you can not use it to clean as well. ;)
4046

[N8YX]

I used to manage the service department of a vac/sewing machine sales/repair place many years ago.

As a result, the only two I feel like "collecting" are the two which myself and 'DSG actively use in the house.

But I did rebuild an absolute shit-ton of Kirby, Royal and Filter Queen products during that time. They were worth keeping. 'Lux - sorta. Compact and the old metal Hoover 1060 series...Eureka metal uprights...Oreck and a couple of the Panasonic upright line.

Stay away from Rainbow - FAR away. And stay away from anything which has a plastic base and doesn't use a bypass fan arrangement or a top-fill bag.

[WV6Z]

I purchased a Bissel model 6585 this past Saturday at WallyWorld for $62 to replace a 20 year old Hoover Elite upright. Quite impressed with about three uses out of it and it is quite superior to the old Hoover fer sherr. I also have a little Shark upright that breakes down easily to an over the shoulder job and it's quite useful for the stairs as well as taking outdoors for car and Jeep vacuuming.

In the past I have had during the early 80's, a Kirby system that was quite useful and did a fine job, but weighed 2 1/3 lbs. more than a Sherman Tank and it was sold off after a door to door chappie sold me on a complete Rainbow system in the early 90's. These were both purchased new and were obviously quite pricey indeed. Following the Rainbow was the Hoover, somewhere around '92 or '93 come to think of it and the Rainbow's proceeds actually paid for the Hoover and a 1984 Mustang GT.

Not a collector here, but have always been fascinated with vacuum cleaners. I remember riding my grandmother's as well as my mother's old Hoover torpedo shaped vacuums around as they chored when I was maybe 2 years old. I never actually remember anyone having an upright, but always enjoyed seeing them suck up Tom the cat on the cartoons. As I also recall, Nan and mum's old Hoovers had more chrome than dad's '62 Anglia. Impressive machines that in addition to the tons of chrome had the most beautiful almost leather look blue paintjob that I could only describe as being what the sea looks like when flying over it.

[n2ize]

Hello.

I have an old electrolux that is both a vacuum cleaner as well as part of a Russian designed transmitter (replica).
The cord is detachable in all of the vacuum of this type, but in this unit it is the antenna.
The motor provides both low and high voltages needed by way of being both a transformer (field winding) and step-up motor generator and rectifier (armature).
The hose is steel coil reinforced and acts as the counterpoise.
The transmitter itself is mounted inside the base and is cooled by the blower.
You can build one yourself, and early original or a modern shop vac, and there is no reason you can not use it to clean as well. ;)

Huh ??? Wha ?? Why would anyone build a transmitter into a vacuum cleaner ?

[ka4dpo]

Hmm, strange hobby vacuum cleaners.... I just got an Oreck to replace our Simplicity that the handle broke on. I really liked the Simplicity but they don't make them anymore and I couldn't get a handle for it. Anyway the Oreck works really good and cleans the carpet like it's supposed to but we have a maid service twice a month so it was an impulse purchase since it hardly gets used.

[W4RLR]

The wife loves her Dyson Animal.

[kb2vxa]

"I have an old electrolux that is both a vacuum cleaner as well as part of a Russian designed transmitter (replica). ... The transmitter itself is mounted inside the base and is cooled by the blower."

It has to be one or the other, transmitters have blowers, vacuums have suckers.
"SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK..."
Spaceballs

Maybe you have an APU so clogged with dust you can't tell what it is?

[N2NH]

It's Mega Maid! Shes gone from suck to blow!!
-Colonel Sandurz

[suddenseer]

I picked up an old Filter Queen in a garage sale for $15.00. The power nozzle just died. I hate dragging it around, but I have NEVER seen any other vacuum pick up the dirt like a Filter Queen. An upright is easier to use. I refuse to use a vacuum cleaner that uses a bag. I agree with Fred, throw that rainbow away.

[NQ6U]

Hello

I have an old Soviet vacuum cleaner that was used by the KGB to send messages back to Moscow.
It transmits on secret frequencies known only to the Russians.
When I tried to use it, no one could understand my transmissions.
I thought it was because it used a KGB encryption scheme.
Then I found out that they could understand the words, they just couldn't make any sense out of what I was trying to say.

[w2amr]

Huh ??? Wha ?? Why would anyone build a transmitter into a vacuum cleaner ?Stupefying ain't it? I remember when Fair radio was selling French spy transmitters with hidden vacuum cleaners built inside.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

A few years ago I read about how a vacuum cleaner was converted to a transmitter to send secret messages and wanted one.
http://rt.com/usa/news/elizaveta-mukasei-soviet-spy/
Since the original vacuum cleaner was available for examination I decided to build a replica.
There is really very little to it.
By adding a few turns onto the field winding of a motor one can extract low voltage for filament or even transistor operation.
If this is an AC/DC universal motor it already acts as a rectifier, just add the taps, 160VDC.
The Electrolux has a massive housing made of aluminum and is already a cylinder, a perfect shape for the tank coil.
But all of the design work was already done, and I wanted one!
I was not so much thinking of spy, but bootlegger.
Mine is set up so that one can pull the from off, like changing the bag, and the entire tuned assembly is in the nose, ahead of the bag, hidden by the metal housing.
Pull the bag out and you have the crystal and plug in coil, hidden by the screen.
This is a very simple CW transmitter, but something that was very easy to build from TV parts at the time.
YOU can just as easily build something like it into a modern vacuum cleaner with modern solid state parts.
Now, hiding a transmitter on ones person is as easy as carrying a VX-3R in a pocket and setting up echolink.
But in the era that this was going on there were the cheezy 27MHz walkie talkies in the US, 1.7MHz AM transmitters the people used in the Warsaw Pact countries to do black market, and hams.
What can I say, as a kid I thought radio was really cool.
And I still play radio!

[kb2vxa]

"...the entire tuned assembly is in the nose, ahead of the bag, hidden by the metal housing. Pull the bag out and you have the crystal and plug in coil, hidden by the screen."

I'll FAX your post off to your doctor, that last CAT scan confused the hell out of him.

[X-Rated]

I purchased a Bissel model 6585 this past Saturday at WallyWorld for $62 to replace a 20 year old Hoover Elite upright. Quite impressed with about three uses out of it and it is quite superior to the old Hoover fer sherr. I also have a little Shark upright that breakes down easily to an over the shoulder job and it's quite useful for the stairs as well as taking outdoors for car and Jeep vacuuming.

....

Bissel is far better than Hoover for us.

[KA5PIU]

Hmm, strange hobby vacuum cleaners.... I just got an Oreck to replace our Simplicity that the handle broke on. I really liked the Simplicity but they don't make them anymore and I couldn't get a handle for it. Anyway the Oreck works really good and cleans the carpet like it's supposed to but we have a maid service twice a month so it was an impulse purchase since it hardly gets used.

Hello.

The vacuum king has parts.
http://www.simplicityvac.com/products/uprights/
Handle assembly complete for the one model is $20

[w6tmi]

I have always been fascinated with vacuum cleaners. I have owned and fixed many vacuum cleaners over the years. I just got my hands on an old Kenmore tall-profile cannister with hoses and attachments. I'm going to be restoring it. My guess is that it probably dates back to the years between 1958-1960.

What kinds of vacuum's do you collect, restore, own, use ?


I don't play with vacuums. they suck.


I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

[KK4AMI]

Huh ??? Wha ?? Why would anyone build a transmitter into a vacuum cleaner ?

Ya gotta think like a Spy. Who would be least noticed in a Foreign Embassy office in Moscow. The Cleaning Lady! She works around Desks and Paperwork, hears phone calls and office conversation.

[kb2crk]

Ya gotta think like a Spy. Who would be least noticed in a Foreign Embassy office in Moscow. The Cleaning Lady! She works around Desks and Paperwork, hears phone calls and office conversation.

i think the person being spied on might think it odd when the maid pulls the bag out and plugs in a crystal and mic.....lol

[W3MIV]

Hello.

I have an old electrolux that is both a vacuum cleaner as well as part of a Russian designed transmitter (replica).
The cord is detachable in all of the vacuum of this type, but in this unit it is the antenna.
The motor provides both low and high voltages needed by way of being both a transformer (field winding) and step-up motor generator and rectifier (armature).
The hose is steel coil reinforced and acts as the counterpoise.
The transmitter itself is mounted inside the base and is cooled by the blower.
You can build one yourself, and early original or a modern shop vac, and there is no reason you can not use it to clean as well. ;)


Please explain to us how you filter the electrical noise generated by the universal motor? If effective, your design should be worth a patent or two.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

First off, the cleaning lady pulls out nothing, only to change frequency is the innards touched.
Second, microphone, carbon element, in handle.
Third, filtering of dynamotor, done all the time.
http://www.surplussales.com/PowerSupplies/PowerS-12.html
Capacitors are added to the brush assembly and the act of converting it to a rotary rectifier reduces electrical noise further.
This unit is a replica of the Soviet unit, so it can do CW as well as AM.


The

[KK4AMI]

i think the person being spied on might think it odd when the maid pulls the bag out and plugs in a crystal and mic.....lol

She hides in the cleaning closet! Sets up the Radio and transmits! Damn no power plug in the closet!

[KK4AMI]

Hello.

First off, the cleaning lady pulls out nothing, only to change frequency is the innards touched.
Second, microphone, carbon element, in handle.
Third, filtering of dynamotor, done all the time.
http://www.surplussales.com/PowerSupplies/PowerS-12.html
Capacitors are added to the brush assembly and the act of converting it to a rotary rectifier reduces electrical noise further.
This unit is a replica of the Soviet unit, so it can do CW as well as AM.


The

Great, then the Vac is a walking bug that goes through all the offices. Must be a really quite Vac or it might drown out its own audio.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

First off, it is not that loud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7293fj2yi5A
The microphone is at perhaps the quietest spot on the vacuum, the handle.
And it is a carbon element, very limited frequency range, 300 to 3000Hz is about it.
Since it is a carbon element it can amplify the audio signal, making the transmitter much simpler.
A transmitter (carbon microphone) modulating a transmitter. ;)
But, go on the web and look at early transmitters, carbon microphone dynamoter transmitters were very common part of early radio history.
This is just an unusual package for one.

[KK4AMI]

Uhhh, I don't believe you. You are going to have to bring it to my house and prove it on a couple of my carpets :)

[NQ6U]

Uhhh, I don't believe you. You are going to have to bring it to my house and prove it on a couple of my carpets :)

Oh, Jeeze, you don't want to let Hajji Rudi in your house, man! Just think—he'd rewire your toaster with old Motorola radio parts so he could keep in touch with the mother ship.