Hello...Can anyone identify what this machine is? Appears to be homemade, with milliamperes units, tubes, wiring, antenna. I do know it is very old - in our family for decades but not sure how we acquired it. Thanks for any help you can offer.

For many more photos, please go to:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/recei ... 27RizZN2_N

Here is a link to the Shutterfly pictures:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/recei ... 27RizZN2_N


Helen

Storage battery, a relay, some switches, two Shurite (low-priced) meters. Some sort of rotary switch on the panel? The case may have held something else originally. Doesn't make much sense. What's in the drawer?

Looks like it has a break-down antenna in the cover. Is the circular plastic "switch" motorized, or, does it move by hand?

Only AlQaeda would have an idea as to what that is and how it's operated!

As for what is in the drawer, please see further photos at:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/recei ... 27RizZN2_N

Thanks!

What does the 15cc liquid bottle inside this Franken-contraption contain?

-Mark-

Answering a couple questions...

The large circular gadget does not move by hand.

You know, I didn't even notice that there was a bottle inside this contraption until I saw the photos. I just took a second look - the bottle is labeled "Ultra Model Railroad Oil" still filled with the oil. Perhaps that is a clue - maybe something to control a model railroad setup?

My best guess is its a remote control transmitter for something.

-Mark-

It might be a power supply/controller for a model railroad.

But whatever it is (or was) it has no particular value, so I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.

Thanks for all your input.....I am sure you are right about having no particular value but I was just curious. We have a 9-year-old grandson with Asperger's Syndrome and we are about to let him loose on it but thought we would try to find out what it was first. He is a genius; maybe he will come up with a good theory for its being!

Looks like it has an AC power cord. For safety reasons, I would remove that before turning it over to a 9-year old -- or a 12-year old, for that matter.

It also has what may be an old lead-acid battery, same kind of battery as in your car. I mean the rectangular container with a label that says "fill to level," etc. Those contain a powerful acid that can give you serious burns. If you splash some in your eyes, that would be very bad.

Phil Nelson

Thanks for the heads up about the battery acid. As far as the electrical cord, he has been doing electrical wiring since he was four - he is more careful than most electricians I know. Science, technology and construction are his passion - that's how Aspies are. Best, Helen

You can bet that quite a few of us can personally relate to that.
It's a way of life.

The battery looks like a Willard, as used in portable radios in the 1940s. The sulfuric acid is absorbed by the tan fiberboard inside, making it "nonspillable" (in theory). This one seems to have been used and then just left to dry out, so the chances of its working again are about zero. The plastic cases also tend to crack with age. It would be a good condidate for recycling.

If curiosity really gets to you, take the time to sit down with paper and pencil and try to draw out a schematic of it. There doesn't seem to be that many parts to it and shouldn't take up too much time. You can then get a better idea of what it's supposed to do electrically and perhaps post the diagram here for us to ponder over.

I wonder with the black paint on the case, and red paint on the tips of the switches if it was maybe used in the dark or low light situations?

Red's the first color to fade to gray as the light goes down.

Dave Wise