sttrange piece of equipment on auction, care to guess what this is?

[fezder]

Well, topic says it all, i found this while browsing local auction, price is cheap, about 10€ or so, but i'm just curious, what is this? there are no any sign, or other information, seller is with good reputation, so it cant be scam either, at this price that is too. any guess is welcome, your guess is as good as mine .
And, sorry if this is under wrong section, could you cindly move it? thanks beforehand .

**broken link removed**

 

[DerStrom8]

It would help a lot if we could see the insides.

It could be a decade resistance box, or it could be an adjustable voltage source, or anything like that. My money is on a decade resistor box, but again--I'd need to see the insides

Matt

 

[fezder]

yeah, i was thinking just the same think....what is inside? heck, this is like finding treasure box without key .

 

[DerStrom8]

yeah, i was thinking just the same think....what is inside? heck, this is like finding treasure box without key .

It's got screws on the front for a reason!

 

[House0Fwax]

The sockets look like the old style TV aerial type, so I'm thinking some kind of attenuator.

 

[crutschow]

What are the posts at the top of the picture? Do they form a loop?

 

[DerStrom8]

The sockets look like the old style TV aerial type, so I'm thinking some kind of attenuator.

What are the posts at the top of the picture? Do they form a loop?

Good catches you two. That seems like a reasonable guess, HOW.

 

[fezder]

i have no idea what's inside, or about any loop . seller could'hve listed better info, or even photo from insides.....but if i dont wind auction at 10€, there's 20€ buy-now option, i ''win'' anyway, considering banana post, big knob and metal case . and, uuh, loop?...

 

[DerStrom8]

i have no idea what's inside, or about any loop . seller could'hve listed better info, or even photo from insides.....but if i dont wind auction at 10€, there's 20€ buy-now option, i ''win'' anyway, considering banana post, big knob and metal case . and, uuh, loop?...

There're a couple of metal "posts" coming out of the top if it in the photo, but it is cut off. We cannot see it.

Do you not have a screwdriver? You should be able to open it up easily to show us what's inside.

Matt

 

[fezder]

Haha, yes i would'hve opened it already, problem is, its still on sale oh, and other photo, shows those posts are actually handels, sorry, forgot to post this photo :S.

**broken link removed**

 

[DerStrom8]

Haha, yes i would'hve opened it already, problem is, its still on sale oh, and other photo, shows those posts are actually handels, sorry, forgot to post this photo :S.

**broken link removed**

Ahh, still on sale. That makes more sense

That may not be a handle, that may be the "loop" crutschow was asking about.

Let us know how things turn out

Matt

 

[fezder]

will do, i just thought that maybe someone has seen this before, but i'll crack 'er open once i lay my hands on it . good guesses thought .

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Ask the seller to take a pic opened.

My guess, an Attenuator or antenna tuner. The later if there were two connections on the back.

 

[fezder]

i won the auction, i was the only bidder . i'll post images from insides, hopefully there IS something inside, other than walls that is...

 

[JimB]

If there is nothing inside, you can then make it into anything you want!

JimB

 

[fezder]

hmm, that's true

 

[tvtech]

Looks like an upside down wall safe with sockets

Regards,
tvtech

 

[panic mode]

anything on the left side or the bottom?
hmmm, curious looking box, strange terminals and the scale is backwards
i'm guessing it is an attenuator, if it had scale it could be used for SWR matching for example.

 

[fezder]

Hey, nice detail you found, scale IS backwards, why? .
and, sadly, no information yet so far of any connectors on left/bottom, or even any name plate :S.... err, SWR?

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

SWR is Standing Wave Ratio. Usually an LC network is placed between a transmitter and an antenna to try to make the system behave as though it's totally resistive. Automatic antenna matchers typically use a "roller inductor". Basically a wiper traces the path of the coil of wire. Fixed matching networks may use a Vacuum capacitor. They are tube like expensive devices that have a bellows on one end and concentric rod/cup arrangement that move, thus changing the capacitance.