Lovely "New" Modem Needs a New Transformer. Suggestions?
I wish I was more skilled with the electrical engineering side of this hobby than I was the coding and programming side. I got this Anderson Jacobson A 242A acoustic coupler modem not too long ago and was quite appalled by the stench that came from this thing when I took it out of the box. Before turning it on, I made sure to open it up and look at the transformer (which is known to fail on these things) and sure enough, it's completely fried. So now I'm here to ask around for what small transformer, new or old, would be a good replacement for this one if any. All I know is that it's 115 VAC. I also found this operator's manual online but it doesn't seem to give much detail on the electrical schematic: https://deramp.com/downloads/mfe_archive/030-Printers/Anderson%20Jacobson/Anderson_Jacobsen_AJ-242_Modem_Manual.pdf
If any of you have seen my previous posts on here, you'll know that I'm in the process of inching this IBM 5155 (next to the modem in the picture) towards connecting to the Level 29 BBS. Unfortunately, my hubris gets the best of me and I end up choosing to buy niche hardware that doesn't work to try and get the job done. On the flip side, it will make it all the more satisfying when (or if) it does eventually work!
As always, any help is very much appreciated. Thank you.
Posted Mar 8, 2026, 6:00 PM UTC