Shackleton Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 What is this!? It's been on my desk for months, and I assumed someone would claim it, but no one has any idea what it is or where it came from. There are no marks on it other than the obvious and a product number that get's no hits on Google. There is a switch on (what would have been) the side of the cardboard housing. Switched on, three LED's flash bright, the two outers then the inner, repeatedly and quite fast. There's also a tiny sensor (maybe 3mm) at the end of the LED's. It looks like a minute wave form of brass or copper wire set in a little circle. If I put my finger over it the LED's dim and the flashing slows dramatically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Did you find it taped to the underside of your truck? You didn't annoy anyone recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Looks like a 'thing' that you would have on a promotion display in a shop (you know for something from the JML range of tat). The sensor of which you speak sounds like a light sensor and may be used to just save batteries overnight when the shop is closed. So it's sole purpose is for people to go 'oo flashing lights!!! I'll buy tat' Anyway that's my guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 What he said ^^^ flashy tat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I have a feeling it's a device that mimics the look of a TV on in your house when you're not home. The LED's shine on a wall and flicker in colour - so an observer outside thinks you are at home watching TV. I've seen them advertised on TV, on Dragons Den, eBay etc. Perhaps someone bought it and then realised they could just leave the TV on - so gifted it to you! On the other hand, maybe the flashing lights hypnotise you amd make you forget what it is - so you gift it to one of your friends. Part of a global mind control experiment. Think I saw that on the TV too - X-Files Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 :hysterical: Si you are a naughty man ...if I where a robot would you tell me ? hehe :lol:Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve King Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Did you find it taped to the underside of your truck? You didn't annoy anyone recently? Well it is not an Annoyotron - I have one of these and have used it to good effect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 If I can find out what it is I can throw it out, I've literally had my foot on the bin 3 times but my curiosity keeps giving it a stay of execution. It's def not for casting light on a wall or anything, the LED's are far too low output. As far as power saving goes, there is an On/Off switch. The sensor seems to pick up heat rather than light. My finger seems to generate enough that it won't actually stop flashing in total darkness, but if I take my finger off in total darkness it goes dead. It seems to be absolutely f*ing useless, unless it is actually an Annoyotron. Whatever that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 On the other hand, maybe the flashing lights hypnotise you amd make you forget what it is - so you gift it to one of your friends. Part of a global mind control experiment. Think I saw that on the TV too - X-Files Si My lasting X-files memory is seeing a guy die cause he tried to poo too hard. Do they call that 'Taking an Elvis'? Anyway it changed my life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 If you can't figure it out, at work they might have a 'secret santa' thing - just gift it to someone else with some 'chinese' operating instructions that don't actually tell you what it's for, just send you on a long goose chase in the hope that once it's doing what it's supposed to, it will be obvious. Maybe it's one of those fake 'bomb detectors' that guy was convicted for making? Perhaps it's the follow-up 'Ebola Detector'? "In a darkened room, place finger over 'Ebola Sensor' If lights flash - you're screwed. The brightness of the lights is proportional to how quickly your screwed". Perhaps save that for someone in the office you don't like! Si 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertspark Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Could be used as a competency check for a new employee / apprentice question ..."what do you think this is?" If you don't know what it is, you obviously don't need or know what its worth ..... file under "B", you'll find a use for it in a week or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtyninety Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Can you post higher resolution pictures please. I'm intrigued! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Does it light up when you hold it near tarmac? Is it a radiation detector of some sort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 Ok high res(ish) pics. So the other mystery is that there are three main strips of double sided adhesive that would have held it together. I've marked the main taped parts of the unfolded 'case' - A. B. C. respectively. A. logically folds to B. to create a neat box with a gap in one end for access to the switch. But that leaves everything between B and C flapping in the wind. C does have an adhesive strip. The folds in the card don't return C to either B or A, or fold back onthemselves in any kind of form that makes sense (to create a stand for the box or whatever). The long black thing is just a piece of foam to mount the PCB I think. There are two little resistors, or whatever they are. So there are the two batterys, three LEDS, two components and the switch. Gazzar, I thought about some sort of monoxide sensor for gas immersion or like you say radiation or radon, but the sensor faces the same direction as the LED's so if you held toward the ground you wouldn't be able to see any indicators??? !!! head wrecker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 That sensor is primarily a light sensor, it may well react to other things but it looks exactly like all old skool light sensors that I have seen/used Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_a Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 The only intriguing part is the two resin blobs over components, not sure why they'd bother if they were just simple timer or similar chips. The last time I saw a blob over anything happy commercial like that was a 413MHz RF chip, DM3B I think was the board part and 10 a penny from china. But there is deffo no antenna for those ranges there and I can't see where one has fallen off. I'm going for basic timer/shift chips and the LDR so that when it get light or dims the LEDS blink in a cyclic pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Often on really cheap electronics (think novelty birthday cars that play a tune) the chip is just under a resin blob like above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 The internet seems to agree, a device that draws attention to "as seen on tv" products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Thanks mate. It def makes sense. No idea how it got here! Is that what Reddit does, answers useless questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 In the right subreddits, apparently! Figured I'd ask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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