An interesting box

richardc64 · Last edited by richardc64 on Wed Aug 11, 2010 3:08 pm; edited 1 time in total

Ever seen the Ask This Old House segment "What Is It?"

Clear plastic windows allow viewing of the circular things, which are motorized and paired. If one is rotated by hand, its mate rotates with it. The solid oval shaped inserts have a soft covering, as does all the inside. Not easily visible is that the top (from the lower perspective,) has two pockets, perhaps to hold accessories or maybe brochures related to whatever this thing is supposed to display or demonstrate.

On the back, or side, depending on how you look at it, are a power jack and four 4-position rotary swtiches, two marked with "off", and arrows indicating CW, CCW, and <---> . The other two switches' positions are labeled 650, 750, 850 and 1000. (???) Switches are all 2P4T but only one pole is used on all four. Nice knobs.

My first thought was to put electronics and control panel in the larger portion and a keyboard in what I'm calling the lid. Remove the lid supports and replace the piano hinges with hinges that separate for a versatile setup mini-modular synth. The lid is just barely deep enough for full-sized keys, as long as they don't extend too far back. The lid is not wide enough for 4 octaves. 44-keys would fit, but I don't have a keybed I'm willing to cut shorter. 3 octaves would of course fit easily, as would 4 octaves of mini-keys, but both those options evoke an ugh response.

What this item was for is anyone's guess. It was found at the curb near, but not directly in front of, an Avon store front.

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Closed and open

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Jack, switches, controller pcb

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bod · Joined: Apr 28, 2009 Posts: 148 Location: Glasgow

thats weird! maybe some sort of jewellery display case? or some sort of torture device....?

either way, i like your ideas for a synth case! Very Happy

slabman · Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 102 Location: UK

It's a biometric device for identifying aliens from the planet Snurf. The rotating sensors read the unique patterns of dimples on the end of the Snurfian's bifurcated fronds. The speed settings indicate a secondary purpose as higher speeds stimulate the Snurfian tickle gland.

I'm surprised nobody else know this - you see these boxes wherever there are Snurfians. There's probably a pod of them on that Avon store.

As to what to use it for... it would be nice to have a knob surrounded by a ring of LEDs within each of those black circles. To make some kind of sequencer-type thing...

magman · Joined: Feb 04, 2009 Posts: 363 Location: Liverpool, UK

Actually, I have a suspicion what it was used for!

I think I've seen one before and it was for keeping automatic wrist watches (the old mechanical kind) wound, as well as for display purposes.

In terms of re-use, I bet you could fit a nice set of Euro modules along with some PSU's in there, add a couple of handles and you've got a nice portable rig.

Regards

Magman