# Help us identify this mystery device **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198 "2017-08-09T22:00:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/1 "2017-08-09T22:00:02Z")
Friend of mine picked this up at a local thrift shop. Although he is well-versed in electronics, he has no idea what exactly it does. Pictures [here](http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd69/brujaja/20170809_133402_zpsjcd6kvzi.jpg) [here](http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd69/brujaja/20170809_133327_zpsnfg8m4qg.jpg) [and here.](http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd69/brujaja/20170809_133252_zpsr6ica7ib.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/2 "2017-08-09T22:07:09Z")
Your links don’t work, I’m afraid. Try imgur? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/3 "2017-08-09T22:08:29Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > Friend of mine picked this up at a local thrift shop. Although he is well-versed in electronics, he has no idea what exactly it does. Can’t see them. Either re-upload to [imgur.com](http://imgur.com) or give Photobucket 400 dollars. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/4 "2017-08-09T22:09:03Z")
It’s a Photobucket “Please upgrade your account” graphic. No, seriously. If you want us to be able to see it, you’ll have to post it someplace beside Photobucket, because those dill-holes are working extra-hard to drive you to another picture hosting provider, and their hard work should be rewarded. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/5 "2017-08-09T22:30:28Z")
Pics opened fine for me. Though I have no idea what it is. Based on the plexi I housing I’d say it’s a home made one off. I used to volunteer at Goodwill, we got that kind of stuff in all the time. Is that a colored pencil drawing of that dog? 'Cause if it is it’s amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/6 "2017-08-09T22:32:39Z")
Just reload it a few times and it comes through. At least that’s been working for the last week or so. I can see a couple of caps, a switch that has 4A Fuse hand written on it, a gauge, some other big switches, a circuit board and a thing at the bottom to wire some external devices to. But it’s all really blurry. I’m guessing there’s some relays in there and those metal tabs get powered on and off. Some better pictures would be really helpful. I mean, I’m no EE, but even being able to read what that gauge is measuring or see if those things on top are knobs to hold the case together or cranks to adjust something or what. ETA, I do notice that all the wiring is the same color, so whatever it is, I’d be careful if it’s meant to be plugged in. Specifically, I can see a white ‘ground wire’, in there. Who knows what else is going on. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/7 "2017-08-09T22:34:29Z")
Can’t load links either. Same thing happened with dog pics I tried to share and am changing to imgur. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/8 "2017-08-09T22:50:29Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Pics opened fine for me. … Nope. Multiple attempts and no dice. Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/9 "2017-08-09T22:58:54Z")
okay, I’ll try putting the pics on imgur. Photobucket wouldn’t load the best pics anyway. Stand by… ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/10 "2017-08-09T23:19:22Z")
I took the liberty of uploading them to a third party site without the rest of the album. If this offends to op I’ll delete them. [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/6d0192c0-84d1-4431-896a-59db5be2bd75.jpg) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/6d0192c0-84d1-4431-896a-59db5be2bd75.jpg) [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/1e74d5fc-8a67-4907-b9f4-4b65d4d1af78.jpg) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/1e74d5fc-8a67-4907-b9f4-4b65d4d1af78.jpg) [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/46728891-dfb3-415d-a2a4-9a1f70b0d309.jpg) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/46728891-dfb3-415d-a2a4-9a1f70b0d309.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/11 "2017-08-09T23:26:54Z")
Having seen the photos, I have not a clue, but if you leave it out on a sidewalk or something, you are sure to see lots and lots of pretty flashing lights. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/12 "2017-08-09T23:41:08Z")
OK, I see a switch, what looks like a bunch of big capacitors wired in series, a DC voltmeter, and a couple of handles. My first guess would be a home-made carnival shocker. If you can read anything printed on the side of those cylinders (what I think are the capacitors), that might help figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/13 "2017-08-09T23:49:31Z")
I’ve been going back and forth with the pictures all zoomed in and with how blurry they are, it’s hard to tell where the three pictures are in relation to each other. If someone ‘well versed in electronics’ can’t figure it out, I don’t know why I could, but my guts says it’s just something to control output to those terminals. The caps make me think it would turn on and off motors, but those are big caps for such a small (even home made) motor controller. Maybe Chronos is right, maybe it’s meant to deliver a shock to one of the terminals. The handles at the top would decide which one and how much voltage. Plug it in, see what happens! ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/14 "2017-08-09T23:51:49Z")
Homemade defibrillator? ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/15 "2017-08-10T00:06:02Z")
Okay, we’ll go for a verbal description, since my phone & PC won’t speak to each other so uploading pix is problematic. It has a car ignition coil, a transistor oscillator that produces a very powerful waveform made to produce a lot of current. It has 3 different controls attached to pots that appear to control harmonics. (We hooked it up to the oscilloscope. Wave forms are crazy looking.) These had knobs on them. The meter reads volts from -15 to +15, but does not appear to be registering anything. There are two cylinders coming out of the ignition coil, one goes to the secondary & one to ground. These were not designed to hold knobs – one is hollow and one has a narrow slot as if for a screwdriver. There are four 400-microfarad capacitors. When turned on, the box makes a squealing sound that is affected by the three controls. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/16 "2017-08-10T00:08:12Z")
A screwdriver touched to the secondary of the ignition coil draws a 1/4" arc. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/17 "2017-08-10T00:10:01Z")
A “[Plasma Globe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Plasma_globe_60th.jpg/1200px-Plasma_globe_60th.jpg)” driver. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/18 "2017-08-10T00:20:45Z")
Well, we happened to have a plasma globe lying around, (mwa ha ha!) so we touched the globe – not plugged in – to the secondary of the coil. However, it only drives the globe a little, and only with the controls in a certain position. We think it’s probably not specifically for that. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/19 "2017-08-10T00:23:16Z")
I sent the pics to a friend well-versed in gizmos. His response: "Tesla Coil Gun. Looks like it has been built to be portable? Or a mini-EMP." If not these, possibly part of flux capacitor? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198/20 "2017-08-10T00:24:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, I see a switch, what looks like a bunch of big capacitors wired in series, a DC voltmeter, and a couple of handles. My first guess would be a home-made carnival shocker. I think the caps are connected in parallel. One of the wires seems to be loose though. Anyway you’re right, it does look like a high voltage pulsed power supply. Still, that leaves many possibilities. It might be a spot welder. Or a power supply for a discharge lamp. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-us-identify-this-mystery-device/793198.md?page=2)