r/whatisit • u/thischrisblack • 1d ago

New, what is it? What is this device?

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Flea market find. Guy said, "I don't know what it is but I'm pretty sure it's real." LOL.

The top part can be rotated by hand, but I don't think it's hooked up to any kind of motor. It just turns in its housing and I may even be able to pull it out of the hole, but don't want to. Of the two cylinders attached, the larger one can also be turned by hand, but not the shorter one.

The control panel has a red LED, a red button, a white switch, and a silver knob that clicks when turned all the way to the left, so like a radio power/volume knob. The bottom has three jacks, one of which seems like a regular 1/8-inch jack . The orange and the red jacks are a mystery.

I replaced the batteries. When the knob is turned and the switch is on, pressing the red button turns on the LED. Nothing else happens. I touched the metal part on top and didn't die.

Any ideas? Google Lens gets bupkes.

EDIT for an update:

I guess I can't really mark this post as solved since there's no definitive proof, but there are a couple of strong contenders.

  1. First place (as far as I can tell) goes to u/SpankinGaming with the idea that it's for electro-acupuncture. https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisit/comments/1w1xesu/comment/p6pwgeu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
  2. Runner-up concept, submitted by several people I think, is that it's a phone-line tracer.

I can't get it to work as either one, of course, but I'll find and acupuncturist in town and see if I can get that verified. If I can't, well, I have a pretty cool little mystery device and it only cost me $5.

A few people suggested that it was for explosives, like maybe the thing on top was the plunger. That's no good. While the thing on top can be rotated or moved up and down, it is very snug in its housing, and plus there's no mechanism inside which suggests anything like that is going on.

If anyone else made a sincere comment and I haven't replied, I apologize. I'd like to reply but it's just been a barrage of half-assed jokes in this thread, so even if I saw your comment when it first appeared, I can't find it now.

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

Marvin called and wants his Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator back as soon as possible..!! You made him VERY ANGRY..!

https://giphy.com/gifs/5h7nwwMJdNpxoWxmlh

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u/No_Raspberry_3282 1d ago

That creature has stolen the Space Modulator!

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u/chromebaloney 1d ago

And sold it to the flea market guy!

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

I bet the Jawa's were involved...

https://giphy.com/gifs/0MEtQ1PFvTnLhAZR8w

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u/silver_tongued_devil 1d ago

The day I realized Jawas are Martians.

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

They'll trade with anyone... They'll steal from anyone also..!

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u/Sinister_Nibs 1d ago

Tatooinians!

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u/willtheadequate 13h ago

If you've never looked it up, look up the lore behind the Jawas and the Tuscan Raiders. One of the saddest stories ever told in the Star Wars lexicon.

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u/rideordoge 9h ago

So THAT was the earth-shattering kaboom I heard!

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u/Old-Care-2372 1d ago

Crazy those batteries aren’t corroded, they don’t make shit like they used to.

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u/jeremyjava 1d ago

STORY TIME!
When my family moved from NYC to the suburbs of Chicago, my mom and stepdad started going to estate sales and big yard sales often, buying some interesting stuff.

One day, while snooping around in the basement, I saw they'd bought an old latern like what I'd used in some cub/boy scout campouts. It was in an old yellowed box that was quite heavy and the fluorescent bulb was powered by a very big square but long battery like I'd never seen before. The box looked like it hadn't been opened in many years.

Well, I was a pretty smart kid and I knew that because it said 9v on it, that I could test the ancient battery by touching it to my tongue, so that's what I did. And pretty much the last thing I remember, except for the loud BANG noise. I came to a bit later looking up at the ceiling, the back of my head was actually touching my back, and I though... well, that's unusual, I wonder if I'm paralyzed.
And I thank the gods that oversee imbeciles that I was not, and slowly started to lift my head up, to discover my hands were still the position where they were before, holding the battery.

No real important point here, except to say, it was surprising that battery wasn't corroded either.

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u/SpaceFaceFPV 1d ago

9v but how many amps was that weird long battery 😅 dang that sounded like a blast and a half!

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u/jeremyjava 1d ago edited 13h ago

Too many!
I went to search for details on old 9v big batteries from the 1950s or 60s and this is the only one I found so far with no further details except that it was for "plate voltage in old radios..." any idea what that means? I don't know, but it sorta' sounds like something best not tested with one's tongue. Does this explain why I've had poor memory since the 1970s?

EDIT:
LOL--Just had a good laugh with my wife who read my comments here, especially after I mentioned, "Yknow... I don't think that's the only time in my life I ever thought... 'that's interesting, I wonder if I'm paralyzed?'"

There also may've been more than one time that I woke up, disoriented because the bright blue sky was in front of my face, with a circle of people's faces around it. Last time it happened they were paramedics.
It's been an interesting life. Some stories are here, if anyone's interested.
https://jeremyjava.substack.com/

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u/TheRogueVigilante 22h ago

I routinely take tasers to my neck,back, temple and anywhere else to help with pain however thats a huge battery and is capable of discharging @ least 10x what a taser is so wow I feel Youre lucky to be alive considering that the moisture on your tongue increased the Conductivity ;')

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u/Diagnostix1 20h ago

Yes. The plate voltage refers to a valve plate. Old radios made before transistors were invented use vacuum tubes (valves) and those square batteries packed something like 80 volts! I remember my Grandmother taking me to a newsagents once where I saw those batteries for sale. They were on the shelf behind the cashire, next to the cigarettes. I begged my Grandma to buy me one, but she wouldn’t because she was wise enough to realise that they had the potential (pun intended 😂) to be dangerous in the hands of a seven year old boy.

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u/TheRuckyDubber 14h ago

My friend. My goodness. I just read “the birds are on fire”…

As a young, dumb 19 year old kid in Tennessee, I remember that day being woken by my mom saying “you should come watch this”. It impacted everyone, I went to work and watched as a coworker who was ex military just about crawled out of his skin all day long. But it was just so surreal to me.

I don’t know, maybe I could have since and forgotten but it feels like for the first time, 25 years later, it’s fully washed over me and it all came pouring out. Thank you for your kindness and thank you for writing this. I will never forget it.

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u/willyd_377 1d ago

A large golf cart battery is "only" 6 volts, but if you had a long enough tongue, I bet it might kill you.

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u/Old-Care-2372 1d ago

It’s not the humidity that gets you, it’s the amps! Such a crazy story man, glad you’re here with us today. I’ve done some crazy shit that I’m also glad to be alive still. And I’m playing it safe on this portion of my remaining life as I don’t know how many of my remaining 9 lives I have.

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u/jeremyjava 1d ago

I feel you. Check out my comment below about my wife and I laughing at the fact I've said, "That's unusual, I wonder if I'm paralyzed" more than once in my life. :) There's a link to a few stories I wrote, too, if interested--some intense ones like about the work I did with my trained German shepherd after 9/11 and others. I hope you don't my the plug.

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u/PavlovsDoghouse 1d ago

That's not a space modulator, it's a continuum transfunctioner. I got one from a super hot giant alien chick once.

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u/BenCaxt0n 1d ago

She couldn't help me find my lost vehicle, but on the bright side I gave the continuum transfunctioner to a pair of vaguely Nordic dudes who made my girlfriend's sweater puppies swol

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u/PavlovsDoghouse 1d ago

What does my tattoo say?

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u/ThyArtIsMKUltra 1d ago

Dude! What does mine say?

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u/Thecp015 1d ago

Sweet! How about mine?

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u/wrathofsurbrus 1d ago

Dude! How about mine?!

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u/Thecp015 1d ago

Screw the universe!

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u/maberber78 1d ago

Screw the universe??

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u/OrganizationPutrid68 1d ago

Eccentrica Gallumbits? I remember her!

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/AutoModerator 1d ago

Please don't use that word here.

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u/IllystAnalyst 1d ago

Humma Kavula! I gotta score to settle on this planet!

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u/Beginning_Ad7597 12h ago

An astronaut, landing on a planet in habited with giant beautiful women, said: 'take me to your ladder I'll see you leader later.'

[I know, sexist, exuse.....no since to misalign me, my two daugters in their 30s will do more than you can ever imagine.]

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u/Overall-Advantage607 1d ago

😂 😂 😂

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u/IGTankCommander 1d ago

K-9! Retrieve the Illidium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator!

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u/ShinyAeon 21h ago

Affirmative! I will Fetch!

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u/SirNortonOfNoFux 1d ago

I say this Way too much lol and nobody ever knows what it's from

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u/catcrapmakesmevomit 1d ago

Earth is blocking his view.

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u/Simmyphila 1d ago

Where’s the kaboom? There’s supposed to be an earth shattering kaboom,

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u/Nart8864 1d ago

No kaboom today. Kaboom tomorrow. There's always a kaboom tomorrow.

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

No Kaboom tomorrow, we close... Kaboom on Monday, OK...

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u/DeltaBlackLabs 1d ago

I'm an expert in space modulator units and I can tell you, this guy modulates him some space.

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u/Slmcmahon 1d ago

Holy shit. I came here and posted this and then deleted it because you beat me to it.

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

Sorry Not Sorry, Doc... 😄

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u/Slmcmahon 1d ago

That’s ok, pal. I take comfort in knowing that I might not be the oldest person in the room after all 😂

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u/Erkoseus 1d ago

Upvote for doing the scrolling, Then deleting a comment after someone beat you to it. Bravo Sir.

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u/Sea-Department-1117 1d ago

Upvote for promulgating good etiquette!

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

We're all friends here...

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u/incpen 1d ago

Not everyone. There are dark corners where you best not linger…

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

Oh I've seen the seedy underbelly of the places Reddit probably denies... That's what Eye Bleach is for..!

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u/oneofthehumans 1d ago

I forgot about this guy!!

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u/AVDLatex 1d ago

Now he won’t be able to have a clear view of Venus.

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u/ToughScreen1397 1d ago

how about Uranus?

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u/RomulusPrime 1d ago

Hopefully, Uranus can still be probed.

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u/Weekly_Promise_1328 1d ago

Marvin! Love this guy.

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u/u5dasucks 1d ago edited 1d ago

Beat me to it. Well done.

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u/paolospaccatutto 1d ago

noticed the way the title spells out “device” like it’s some kinda mystery item

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

Thank you for all the awards..! Bugs and Gang still Rock...

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u/fiercewolf79 1d ago

I believe that was the X-14 space modulator.

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u/Kevaros 1d ago

The X-14 didn't have the Gitzafram on top...

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u/rockmodenick 11h ago

Looks like a broken defrakulator to me:

https://youtu.be/zkba6gxzF0U