Watching some of the restoration videos of old tube/valve devices by Mr. Carlson's Lab, I've heard him describe a circuit element called a "reactor" on several occasions – for instance here, where the circuit includes a "saturable reactor". So far, I have not come across a component of that name. What is a reactor, how does it work and what is it used for?
Electronic – a “reactor”
components
Best Answer
A saturable reactor refers to a transformer in which the saturation of an AC waveform on one side is controlled by a DC current on the other. Inductance is often referred to as reactance, because it 'reacts' with the current. Before the transistor a saturable reactor was one of the best ways to amplify signals and was used to control V2 rockets.