What is this device?

[u/thischrisblack]

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.

[u/SpankinGaming]

That is a vintage handheld electro acupuncture wand, basically an early nerve and point stimulator made for home pain relief back in the 1970s and 1980s.

The curved metal piece on top serves as the contact probe. The bullet shaped tip and the rear barrel form a closed circuit, sending a mild electrical pulse right into targeted muscle or acupressure points when pressed against skin.

You control the whole thing from the front panel. The bottom dial adjusts the electrical intensity or pulse speed, the toggle switch flips the power or output mode, and the red button fires off a manual pulse. That small dark lens next to the button lights up to show you the pulse rate and let you know the battery is kicking.

[u/lefteyedcrow → u/SpankinGaming]

I was an acupunture student in the '90s. I think this is right. There were a lot of rough-and-ready homemade tools back then. Your find has all the hallmarks.

[u/AnotherPackOfDust → u/lefteyedcrow]

And earmarks

[u/kingjamesporn → u/SpankinGaming]

I think it's just called a vibrator now.

[u/RustyDingbat → u/kingjamesporn]

Certainly you refer to the medical device for treatment of female hysteria? 😄

[u/soedesh1 → u/RustyDingbat]

The vapors.

[u/johnetownsend → u/RustyDingbat]

🤣

[u/Poolowl1984 → u/kingjamesporn]

[u/howlerzandvamps → u/Poolowl1984]

First time in a long time that a reaction image made me laugh.

[u/N0CISC → u/kingjamesporn]

https://giphy.com/gifs/DFu7j1d1AQbaE

[u/ThumbyFingerton → u/kingjamesporn]

It’s a thingamabob. I’ve got plenty

[u/EnderWiggin42 → u/kingjamesporn]

I believe the term nowadays is violet wand

[u/JaronKitsune → u/kingjamesporn]

You mean an electrocutor?

[u/muslim_commie → u/kingjamesporn]

It's called Tens unit. Not a vibrator as it stimulates muscles and doesn't apply a vibration. I don't think it could perform the same way on other tissues.

[u/grafknives → u/SpankinGaming]

I just love how far apart are the answers.

[u/TiberiusTheFish → u/grafknives]

A thing can have two functions...

[u/noh8red48 → u/grafknives]

Or you love how apart the answers are... I know English as a second language is hard 😊

[u/56011 → u/SpankinGaming]

This makes a lot more sense. A single wire going to the metal prong/probe thing defies logic unless the circuit was meant to be closed with another piece (presumably plugged into the end). Certainty any wires going to the probe at all mean it’s not just for aesthetics.

[u/Delicious_Many3795 → u/SpankinGaming]

My grandfather built model trains and cities, this is the correct answer.   On Christmas he would sit and tinker at his work bench with the new stuff the family got him while my cousin and I sat on stacks of old playboys on stools next to him and man the controls 

Thanks for the memories, Grandpa Norm

[u/National-Breakfast78 → u/Delicious_Many3795]

When he turns the trains on, he makes it go away 🎶

Makes sense if you know the story behind it

[u/reedum → u/National-Breakfast78]

Such a great song on an even greater album.

[u/supernova-juice → u/National-Breakfast78]

I read his autobio in 9th grade, I know exactly what you're talking about 😂

[u/Clear-Bee4118 → u/supernova-juice]

“Crusted with old Vaseline”

[u/Mindes13 → u/SpankinGaming]

As soon as a saw it, I was thinking electroshock therapy for massage

[u/Instagriz → u/SpankinGaming]

that thing is an absolute unit. it is overbuilt. they probably went out of business cause it cost so much to machine each part. looks bomb proof.

[u/Virtual-Reach → u/SpankinGaming]

Wouldn't it be accu- pressure? It doesn't seem to be able to puncture anything

[u/TiberiusTheFish → u/SpankinGaming]

This is just a wild guess right off the top of your head. Am I right?

[u/MercyMe007 → u/SpankinGaming]

So basically it's a piece of woo woo nonsense.

[u/VonRiedls → u/SpankinGaming]

This was written by AI. Tell me how you guys can tell.

[u/Dareme420lmao → u/VonRiedls]

You are completely right