Electrical Engineering Problem... need starter coil information.

[Dev Emch]

I am working on a problem on an Allen Bradley 709 starter. Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a 220/240 volt or 240 volt coil for use with the 709 starter? I have located some 1A06 coils which cover 208/50 cycle and 220/60 cycle power. But we cannot identify a coil number for a dedicated 240 volt control voltage. Does anyone by any chance have an older woodworking machine running on 240 volts with an allen bradley 709 series starter with two heaters. Could you read off the number on the front of the pull in coil please. If you have three heaters, then that is a later series and will not help. These are the vintage, two heaters models. I dont want to change this to a 509 unless I really really have to.

Thanks

[Steve Clardy]

Have you checked Graingers site Dev?

[Dev Emch]

Problem Solved.

The Allen Bradley 709 starter was the main starter used for years and years. Came in different sizes for various motors. The original one was a series A and the last one was a series K. The series A puts heater protection on only the L1 and L3 leg and leaves the L2 leg as a pass through. Later on, they were forced to change this and in the series K, you have three heaters. They also changed how the coils were made in the series K. The series A coils were made using a plastic bobbin onwhich wire was wound and then sealed with glass electrical tape and varnish. The newer coil is more like a plastic module. The series A is technically obsolete and parts are no longer available through the normal sources. But they are still incrediblly nice starters and much nicer than any of the IEC stuff or the stuff huckstered on new import tools today. By the way, these are slang termed as mag starters for those who need to know this. And a surplus 709 can be used on single phase or three phase power and can handle effectively any voltage up to 600 volts. So for those wishing to put mag starters on their toasters, here is yet another source.

So I checked the starter in my oliver 299 planer and it is running a 72A113 coil which makes it a series K 709 series starter but the coil is optimized for 208 volts. I have had no problems running it on 240 volts three phase even with a louis allis rated to run at 220 volts.

So reviewing the part numbers, it looks like I will need a 1A06 coil which is a coil that fits a NEMA size 1 starter. The particular starter is a series A 709 and the voltage is optimized for 208/50 cycle or 220/60 cycle. So off to ebay to find the cheapest one. I also need to swap out the two 440 volt heaters (N27) and exchange them with a couple of 220 volt heaters (N34). The voltage is not the issue with heaters. What is the issue is amperage. Most motors are 40 degree rise motors so I dont need to derate. Look up your full load current on the motor name plate. In my case, this jointer runs at 7.5 amps at 440 volts or 15 amps at 220 volts. Pick the heaters that best match this amperage but does not exceed it. The N34 is 14 amps plus change. The N35 exceeds 15 amps.

So problem solved for now. If your going to install a brand new starter on something, you may wish to consider going with a 509 to begin with. This is the current generation and is not obsolete. IT also uses three heaters and these are the W series heaters.

[Tom Drake]

The older 709 starters will also use the newer W series heaters. You will have to remove the existing spindles in order to use the newer style.

[Dev Emch]

The older 709 starters will also use the newer W series heaters. You will have to remove the existing spindles in order to use the newer style.

Really!!!! WOW!!

The spindles for the N usually stay put and the W includes the whole assembly. So if I pull the spindles out I can substitute the whole W heater in this thing? How about the 2 heaater 709 series A starter? Same Deal?

While I got you here, you wouldnt know the coil ID number for a 240 volt coil for a Series A 709 would you? Does one even exist?

Thanks....