What is this? (Page 4): The same could be asked of all of the other suggestion listed here. If those are batteries how does one change them, the box looks sealed to me. Looks to be a...

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

Longshadow wrote:

Battery operated enlarger timer?

The same could be asked of all of the other suggestion listed here. If those are batteries how does one change them, the box looks sealed to me. Looks to be a heat escape vent but that does apply to an enlarger time either.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

I have never see one. It's a unilateral phase detractor. Sometimes it can be connevcted to the universal girdle spring

Toment Loc: FL, IL

A very complicated door stop 🛑
😃😃😃

Old Time Photographer

My vote is on it being a battery supply and variable light controller.
From past electronics I've seen or used I'm thinking it is of course DC, so could be charged from the same plug as the light is plugged into.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

paulrph1 wrote:

The same could be asked of all of the other suggestion listed here. If those are batteries how does one change them, the box looks sealed to me. Looks to be a heat escape vent but that does apply to an enlarger time either.

See my prior post about batteries in OLD equipment.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Old Time Photographer wrote:

My vote is on it being a battery supply and variable light controller.
From past electronics I've seen or used I'm thinking it is of course DC, so could be charged from the same plug as the light is plugged into.

I doubt it on the charging method - Not good practice to have a source of electricity with open un-protected contacts. Any thing touches them, bzzort.

racerrich3 Loc: Los Angeles, Ca.

Early Doc Brown time travel device for person only. You held the box.[ power on switch/power on light/ timer for amount of time before being transported.]

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

It's something the OP built to get the rest of us to show how little we know. Seems to work pretty good!

pminyard Loc: Bartlett, Tennessee

enlarger timer

Tom K 66

You failed to show one side. I wonder if that is the side where power could be applied. It looks like a Variac which is a variable AC supply. Without the ability to apply power that would not be the case though.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Tom K 66 wrote:

You failed to show one side. I wonder if that is the side where power could be applied. It looks like a Variac which is a variable AC supply. Without the ability to apply power that would not be the case though.

FYI - In a prior post by the OP he stated that he opened it and there was a paper inside saying what batteries are used in it. No power cord.

charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA

you said you took it apart...what is directly below the threaded post on the device...are there wires to it?

Tom K 66

Now that I see it runs on batteries, I suspect it it a variable AC power source. An inverter would be used to create the AC current probably up to 117VAC

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Tom K 66 wrote:

Now that I see it runs on batteries, I suspect it it a variable AC power source. An inverter would be used to create the AC current probably up to 117VAC

Ergo portable lighting control?

BebuLamar

If you take it apart and take pictures I think we can figure it out.