Australian Resistors – Supplier of Wire Wound Resistors and Power Resistors

Rheostats – Uses In 2016

Rheostats have been used in the electrical and electronics industries since the 1920’s and still have a place in modern engineering. The rheostat has the following benefits:

ability to vary and control electrical resistance at relatively high power ratings
available as an ‘off the shelf’ (short lead time) device
quickly and easily mounted
rugged, ‘tried and tested’ design
ease of termination of wiring

We currently manufacture our rheostat range in the following wattages;

25 watt
50 watt
150 watt
300 watt
500 watt

Rheostat Specifications:

The ‘APR’ series has been manufactured in Australia for well over 50 years and has a reputation for offering the highest levels of reliability, both electrically and mechanically. […]

April 11th, 2016|Resistor Applications, Rheostat|

Potentiometer and Rheostat Differences

We sometimes receive enquiries for potentiometers and rheostats that indicate there is some confusion between terminology surrounding potentiometers and rheostats. fundamentally there is little difference between the two. They both have the following characteristics:

Allow for variable and continuous adjustment of a specified resistance value
Allow for adjustment via a rotary shaft
Are mounted (generally) via a bush mounting system
Have similar temperature derating curves
Both offer solder or quick connect termination options
Both have a specified angle of rotation
Both have a wiper in totational contact with a resistance element

As we can see from the photographs below, there are physical similarities between the two (potentiometers and […]

September 11th, 2015|potentiometer, Rheostat, wirewound potentiometer|

Rheostat Used In Remote Irrigation Project

The APR series of rheostat has a long history of reliable operation in many applications requiring a rugged, easily mounted rheostat that can offer variable resistance adjustment and high power ratings. Selecting the appropriate rheostat is a matter of determining the power that has to be ‘dropped’ across the rheostat winding and the required resistance of the rheostat.

Available Rheostat Power Ratings

The APR series has 5 available power ratings giving engineers flexibility in selecting the most appropriate rating for their product or design. These ratings available are 25 watt, 50 watt, 150 watt, 300 watt and 500 watt. Power dissipation of the […]

May 7th, 2014|Rheostat|

Rheostat – Application Example In Remote Lighting

150 Watt Rheostat Application
Rheostats have been used in dozens of applications over the years. The APR 150 rheostat is rated at 150 watts and has proven to be very reliable in applications in many industries. The lighting industry has used high power rheostats in dimming applications where traditional switch mode light dimming technology is not appropriate due to the need for absolute simplicity and long term reliability of operation.

Recent Application In Agriculture in remote N.S.W.

A fairly unusual request from a client was received early this year. The client has a large property in central N.S.W. and needed a simple, cost effective and […]

November 25th, 2013|Rheostat|

Rheostat – Application Example

Rheostat Definition and Construction
A rheostat is a type of variable resistor, but is generally defined by having a high power rating. These power ratings available in the APR rheostat range are available from 25 watts up to 500 watts. When working with high power rheostats it is important that the quality of the device and its construction are of the highest standard to ensure reliability of operation over many years. Key design features of our rheostat range include:

Toroidally wound resistance element on a solid ceramic former
Coating of the resistance winding to maximise dissipation of heat from the element.
Minimisation of wear […]

October 7th, 2013|Rheostat|