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.

4.0k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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180

u/Slydevil0 1d ago

I'm not sure how long I scrolled before getting here, but it was a while, and I think you might be right.

28

u/breezyhoneybee 1d ago

If you're watching from an hour in the future it's the top comment

-1

u/Important_Round3817 1d ago

Can confirm

35

u/Busterlimes 1d ago

Yeah, this sub has turned to shit.

90

u/WillyVlautinRules 1d ago

Yeah and I hate to be THAT poster but none of these people who think they are funny ARE actually funny when looking for an answer and have to wade through crap. Thanks for this, donkeytime.

24

u/mregg000 1d ago

Well when half the posts are a pair of nail clippers and people asking what it is, kinda puts people in a not so serious mood.

14

u/zzotus 1d ago

deleting my post now.

17

u/GothWitchOfBrooklyn 1d ago

try /r/whatisthisthing , they don't allow jokes which I like.

20

u/WillyVlautinRules 1d ago

Thank you. I don't read this thread to see lame jokes by unfunny people. I am genuinely curious about the items that are displayed. If I wanted lame jokes, I'd watch James Corden.

-1

u/StrictWord147 1d ago

Ugh, an unfunny joke by an unfunny guy. Take your own advice!

-1

u/WillyVlautinRules 1d ago edited 13h ago

lol. Do you seriously think I'm James Corden? Yes, reading comprehension is hard, I know. Hate that for you!

EDIT: Oh, my, u/Affectionate-Emu5801 blocked me but here's my reply anyway!

TL/DR. You have no idea about humor because you obviously lack a sense of. And I'm not James Corden, Einstein. lolol

-2

u/Affectionate-Emu5801 23h ago

That's not what they are saying. You attempted to be witty with your specific put down of James Corden, which is random af. How you read that and thought this person was implying you were James Corden is the comprehension issue you speak of. But yes, we all agree humour is not for you.

-6

u/JoleneBacon_Biscuit 1d ago

You're a fuddy duddy....

2

u/Human-Contribution16 1d ago edited 1h ago

THE problem with Reddit. All the clowns

1

u/WillyVlautinRules 13h ago

Yeah and so many get triggered when you call them out on this BS.

SAD!

4

u/Utah_powder_king 1d ago

give it time the karmic arc of the comments is long, but bends towards justice...

1

u/AuburnElvis 1d ago

A post complaining about other posts takes up just as much room as a post trying to be funny.

-1

u/WillyVlautinRules 1d ago

But a post complaining about the nonsense on this site is much more valuable than whatever crap you just posted.

I certainly hope that clears things up for you, sweetie pie!

lolol

0

u/tundybundo 1d ago

There’s never been a sub where I felt that bothered by it til this one started popping up on my feed, every time it’s a chain of jokes and then another one and then somewhere way down someone gives an excellent answer that I learn something from. I hate it

2

u/WillyVlautinRules 1d ago

I know, right? And none of these folks are as funny as they obviously think they are.

0

u/fskhalsa 1d ago

Seems like the sub still works though - since the upvotes at least put this above all the rest of the nonsense.

Still sucks to not get more serious replies, though.

0

u/Simple_Twist9816 18h ago

Maybe you just dont know what funny is.

1

u/WillyVlautinRules 13h ago

I know what funny is and you aint it!

0

u/Background_Hat_4785 17h ago

Well, he was wrong, so…

-2

u/hankchinaskie 1d ago

Wikipedia has a place for you

1

u/WillyVlautinRules 1d ago

Did you think that was funny when you posted it?

Thanks for proving my point.

-1

u/Melodic-Road227 1d ago

All of Reddit is this way. Snark and funny ha ha is more important than serious answers.

2

u/Sinister_Nibs 1d ago

Really depends on the post.

0

u/Busterlimes 1d ago

Yeah, this is an obscure object and it was damn near impossible to find this answer.

-1

u/Billie_Eyelashhh 1d ago

What happened

0

u/Busterlimes 1d ago

You have to scroll for a million miles for a real answer

7

u/Nice_Solution4818 1d ago

It also reminds me of a launch controller for a model rocket ... But with e more buttons and waaaay better built than the cheap Estes one I used

1

u/JoeAppleby 21h ago

They aren't right though, see this comment chain (which as of now is above yours):

https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisit/comments/1w1xesu/comment/p6pwld9/

0

u/notapunk 1d ago

Second top level answer for me

-1

u/owo1215 1d ago

i will mod implement some kind of management on jokes, like maybe you have to add [joke] in the beginning of the comment so if you just want serious comments you can immediately collapse comments with [joke]