GE-7952 - Can't find any info - do you have any?

[steve_qix]

A friend of mine brought over one of these "converters" that allows you to run 120VAC resistive load devices off 230V European power sources.

Well, he blew it up when his wife plugged in a hair drier that was just a little too much load for the thing.  The hair dryer was 1600 watts, and the unit was rated at 1600 watts.  It did work for a while.

Anyway, it's got very few parts - looks like a chopper type of circuit.  One of the parts is a GE-7952.  I think it's an SCR, but I actually can't find any info on it.  I have an old GE book from 1979, but apparently this part is newer because it's not in there.

Any ideas?

Thanks and Regards,

Steve

[KA2DZT]

Steve,

I just checked my 2008 NTE book.  No GE-7952 listed.  I also looked for "7952"  nothing shown.  Most likely one of those specials that was never cross referenced.

Fred

[WA1GFZ]

I bet motor brush transients took it out. SCR regulator would have a crappy waveform doing AC to AC. An SCR in that application would need to be at least 1000 volt rating. 

[w3jn]

7952 is probably the date code on the thing.  A 15 amp, 600-1000V SCR or triac oughta do it.

[WA1GFZ]

I was thinking the same thing John but there are some cool high power SCRs out there now. We used some 1600 volt units with 10-32 bolts on a job at work to spin a three phase motor.

[Opcom]

I thought those things all had a half wave rectifier diode in them. Triac could be better.