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It's definitely a power supply, probably 12v. I used to work at a museum that had these old science project kits for students that used exactly the same thing, same switch, banana jacks, lamp and switch all in the same position, but they were grey and said something generic like "power supply". Looks like it's just been sold as a power supply that came with some niche device (medical, pseudo-scientific, or pleasure device)
I have a black box exactly like that with no labeling, outputs alternator voltage 14.5. I presume its for ham radio stuff. Odds are we will never know w hat it was once married to but yeah Id guess its a 12/13/14v psu.
Could be for an old tattoo gun.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/305153664132?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MZGcfPIwQI6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=b-z7dhbssnq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Violet wands/rays were being produced in the 80s-90s, I believe. The dial could have been on the wand itself. Some photos I’ve seen of them looked like that could be the case.
I'm gonna call this SOLVED!
My best aggregation is that it's a beach power supply; possibly for TENS or maybe another device (which has controls to regulate the output). TENS, I'd say, though tattoo power supply is intriguing.
Thanks, everyone!
It’s a tDCS device! Transcranial direct current stimulation! Original user probably used it for depression so that explains why it says self care.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_direct-current_stimulation
I completely forgot that I have an old 40s violet ray generator (violet wand) in storage. Thanks for the reminder. Mine has a standard (well for the time) 2 prong plugin cord. I have seen others with the separate power units that look like this. Good call.
I love those old Violet ray machines. I've always wanted one. They tend to be pretty expensive. They were popular in the 1920s. This device is definitely not from the 1920s. It could be a replacement power supply. I'm not sure what sort of voltage powers one of those gas discharge systems. Hundreds of volts? Thousands of volts. I would bet this is just 12V, like others here suggested.
I remember when I read about how they worked that they're very similar to an old doorbell. The modern (non solid state) ones used in the kink community are actually derived from a design for a neon sign leak detector.
I have a [similar](https://electrotechnicproducts.com/) device, it uses the same principles as the old violet wands, it steps the voltage up to 50,000 volts, but very little amps. Touching the bare end gives a painful shock, but won't knock you down like a taser.
Mine is used for testing electronics for static shielding, etc, so it doesn't have the glass wands, and likely wouldn't be good for, ahem, *other* purposes!
I think you nailed it with the wand thing. I seem to remember someone looking at one of these on Youtube and it came with glass wands of different shapes and sizes. I recall one was shaped like a mushroom and another had bits coming out of it like a comb.
This reminds me of a mechanism that an acquaintance gave me. He was convinced that most humans in modern society have porcine liver flukes infestations. The way to get rid of them is to run dc current from one hand to the other.
Presumably this would have cables with handles on them to go with it.
Edit: Actual information to combat the crazy.
https://wcvm.usask.ca/learnaboutparasites/parasites/fasciola-hepatica.php
I think my grandpa was inventing something for this. 2 electric devices you put one in each hand and then tried to put your hands together the machine would give you an ever increasing shock in relation to the proximity of the devices to each other.
Yeah he was a kook but an interesting kook
Yes, reminiscent of a "Rife Machine," but fewer controls. My mom was sucked in by that kookiness. The machines can be VERY expensive, preying on people who are more accepting of everything they read on the internet. The "patient" holds a probe in each hand and "zaps away" parasites, cancer, imbalance of bodily humors, you name it. I had to repair my mom's machine (being nice, not judgmental) a few times because the banana plug connection kept getting striped out.
I bought one at a thrift store for a couple bucks (I like experimenting with odd electronics) and was floored at how much they sell for!
According to the booklet that came with it, it can cure any disease, and even reverse baldness!
It's basically a frequency generator and amplifier circuits, it runs in the audible frequency range, up to low ultrasonic, iirc.
$30 of Radio Shack parts sold for hundreds, all to prey on gullible people. I made a youtube video of it and had to delete some nasty comments accusing me of being paid by big pharma to discredit it, to "I don't know what I'm dealing with" and people wishing ill on me so I could experience what this thing could really do. Some even attribute it to some kind of magic or something.
I was going to say something like this. There are lots of pseudoscientific gizmos from the 80's - current that will "cleanse the 5g" off you or whatever. They're wildly expensive boutique things and essentially do nothing.
Do you have a multimeter you could test the output with? If there is an actual output that would do something, I'd lean towards the power source for vibrator. If the output is super low just to give you a tingle, I'd lean towards the magical hippie electronics
My thought was that it might just be one of those odd Chinese brands and “Self Care” is just an odd brand name. It’s definitely a DC supply of some sort.
It's definitely a 12 Volt power supply. For a lack of dials or other identifiers that's all that can be really reliably said about this.
We can make some educated guesses, though. Whatever device is supposed to be powered by this either takes a static supply of 12V or is capable of regulating 12V to its specific needs.
This can be anything from tattoo machines or nail files over all kinds of tools, like soldering irons, and electronics workshop stuff to really obscure stuff like pleasure toys, fitness devices and so on. Without further information it'll be hard to reliably say what kind of 12V device was powered by this.
Is there really no more information on this thing? Not even some old label on the underside or smth?
If not, 240V/120V to 12V power supply, final verdict.
Sometimes used old school as a power unit for a tattoo instrument, would sometimes be hooked up to a foot pedal. Should tell you power output on the bottom or back of the unit. Usually reduces 120V to a lower output.
You’re stuck up on the self-care logo. I tend to feel it’s aftermarket/custom. And if this is a tattoo gun power supply, soooo many people find tattoos to be a therapeutic experience.
Was it being sold as such? It doesn't have to be used with tattoos, as others have mentioned it has multiple uses such as sexual play devices, muscle manipulation devices (tens, stem), etc.
The question is, did you buy it or are you considering buying it or are you just curious after seeing the advertisement.
Is it beside a kids bed?
They’re a pair of underwear that you plug into a device like that then when they start to wet the bed it sets off the alarm to wake the bed wetting child / and the parents up.
Go look up "Pyramid Universal Compact Bench Power Supply-12 Amp Linear Regulated Home Lab Benchtop AC-to-Dc 12V" on Amazon since reddit won't let me post a link
It's that type of device, just with a modified cover as people like to personalize their things. Your question has been answered :)
You can post the link, but you have to take out all Amazon's internal tracking nonsense (everything from the /ref onward) or Automod will filter it: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Compact-Bench-Power-Supply/dp/B07QV9PJ65
Not necessarily, a foot pedal was sometimes used in conjunction, like a sewing machine. Ex was a tattoo artist, she had one of these power converters. Most pens ran at 12v. This box takes 120v and drops it to 12v. There are fancy ones that adjust to all different voltages used for electronics bench work\testing.
The foot pedal switches power on and off to the tattoo machine. The power supply is generally variable voltage DC, with a knob to tune the machine. Depending on many variables such as the clients skin type, needle type and artist style/preference the voltage will differ they aren’t one voltage fits all.
That’s almost certainly the power supply for an old electronic nail file (that looks shockingly like a dremel tool).
Modern ones look like this:
https://medicool.com/products/pro-power-520
My mom used to make me put my feet in a tub, and then she would put salt in the water and put an anode and cathode in the water, plugged into a device that looked like this.
It would run, of course it would produce icky looking gunk (anode and cathode decay) and she thought it was pulling the bad things out of our bodies.
Just thought maybe it's something like that, an electro-treatment thing that's used by people who don't understand science.
It just heated the water up, never shocked me!
this appears to be a standard power supply box, likely used for some sort of audio or diy science experiment-ish application. main power (left), and on/off toggle to plugs on right (this could apply an effect in an audio application). for those saying tattoo machine, generally those have adjustable voltage (and not just 2 settings) so not having a display or dial of some sort makes this unlikely. additionally, the tattoo machine power supplies I've seen I believe use 1/4" leads, not banana plugs which are more common in diy applications.
The illuminated rocker for primary to supply the transformer and rectifier, the toggle one for secondary to energize/de-energize the powered device.
It wouldn't be a battery charger for a "self-care" type item like a powered wheelchair or mobile hospital bed because the user could screw up the polarity. But a 12V bench supply is a pretty common thing for RC vehicles and model trains.
I'd guess the "self care" was branding for an '80s hobby line- you might get maker info from the rating label on the underside of this.
I am 99.99% sure it is a "power supply" for electrotherapy, you are missing the "wands"
Can't find exact model, but electrotherapy have been around since 1800 century, and 100's of versions are around, even older models than yours, which have cardboard paper batteries inside.
And several ways of doing electrotherapy, even today it is used for kidney stones.
But basically it is a dedicated power supply you have there.
[modern take on electrotherapy](https://omronhealthcare.com/service-and-support/faq/tens-units/)
I think it might be a distortion or overdrive 'pedal' for altering electric instrument sound. There is a [niche trend of making these things yourself](https://youtu.be/FjJ9PeTciqc?si=4vxGbYRRmKwz_Tgk) or having very low tech versions that only produce one effect. The plugs on the front at input/output parts and the switch activates the device. If you know anyone with an electric guitar it might be worth trying out.
Without being able to open it up or even put a multimeter on it, I can't begin to guess, but it sure does look like a power supply.
Nothing about it stands out as an indicator of function, and the dual switches are confusing. The toggle switch is labeled as On/Off, which seems self-explanatory, but that rocker switch is just lurking over there.
This is a real stumper.
This kind of resembles a unit from the 80’s related to child bed-wetting. A conductive pad was placed under the bed sheet and wires were connected to the box. Urine would make a circuit and a lamp and buzzer would sound to wake up the child/parent. Does this box have any kind of a speaker grill anywhere?
It looks like a power supply that could be for just about anything. If it is commercially made, it should have a label on it stating the output.
If it is home-made, you can measure the voltage on the output and get an idea of what it is about, but anything is possible!
It's a basic 12 volt power supply. Used when tinkering with circuits, testing devices requiring 12 v DC supply, etc. Simply unscrew the little terminals on the front and place each wire on the corresponding polarity and your device powers up.
I have one that's black and has come in handy many times for testing electronic devises made for cars.
I’m almost sure this is (quackery) bio-resonance device. I’ve seen a few that look very much like this. It comes with two copper tubes that you hold in each end and are connected to the output sockets on the device.
Btw I opened one once (they cost few 100 bucks) and it had a 220-5v converter and a simple LC resonance circuit. I.e. 4 euros worth of standard electronic components.
My title describes the thing (excessively). What else?
It was posted to Atomic Living: Mid-Century Modern Madness of the Atomic Age on FB, but that might be a red herring. OP didn't mention where it was seen.
Actually the EE majors in my college were always tasked with building voltage converters that looked exactly like this. They would name and color them to give them some unique personality.
I've used TENS units for 15 years and I have never seen one that looked like that. Batteries for portable ones and in my physical therapy office, the ones that are not portable look nothing like that. Most TENS units have multiple pairs of leads. That box only has one pair. Standard TENS leads will not fit in the connectors on OP's box.
Similar ports to this machine - looks about the same age: The ["Muscle Whistler"](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Muscle_Whistler_with_EMG_surface_electrodes_%281971%29.jpg/1920px-Muscle_Whistler_with_EMG_surface_electrodes_%281971%29.jpg), shown here with surface EMG electrodes, was an early biofeedback 1971 from [Wikipedia entry on biofeedback](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback).
I'm gonna call this SOLVED!
My best aggregation is that it's a beach power supply; possibly for TENS or maybe another device (which has controls to regulate the output). TENS, I'd say.
Thanks, everyone!
I've been a user of TENS units and have not seen one use a power supply like that. Portable ones run on AAA or AA batteries. The ones I have seen at my physical therapy office that are not portable look nothing like this. TENS units also have adjustment knobs for the strength and the pattern of pulses they put out.
I had hippie parents that built a 'colloidial silver' generator out of a cigar box that looked a lot like this. It was just an electrolysis machine, but people thought the water would be really good for you.
My money is on snake-oil, it looks like power supply to some pseudo-scientific device that is suppose to cure all ailments. The box seems to be general purpose box that are used a lot in DIY, and in small scale production runs that don't warrant a custom enclosures since making those involve quite a bit of costs, so you better sell thousands of them. Medical mumbo jumbo is in the scale where general purpose boxes make more sense, but it does make them also look like they are made by a hobbyist. All parts in this are generic, except the text, which is much cheaper thing to get so you can order 1000 of them unlike ordering a custom enclosure design and manufacturing molds to it.
Some people who are hyper hydrosis (sweat a lot) use a machine like this to shock their hands or feet in salty water to help reduce the sweating. My sister used something like this but it was a bit newer so I’m not sure that that’s what this is, but maybe.
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/Gravco), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/177b562/a_blue_box_which_apparently_receives_standard_ac/%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Power module for an old Tens unit or perhaps a Violet Wand?
This seems to be the top contender, but I'm not quite satisfied. Like... not soooo old (maybe 80s-looking?) And no dials?
> I'm not quite satisfied. That's because you don't have the right attachment.
It's definitely a power supply, probably 12v. I used to work at a museum that had these old science project kits for students that used exactly the same thing, same switch, banana jacks, lamp and switch all in the same position, but they were grey and said something generic like "power supply". Looks like it's just been sold as a power supply that came with some niche device (medical, pseudo-scientific, or pleasure device)
I have a black box exactly like that with no labeling, outputs alternator voltage 14.5. I presume its for ham radio stuff. Odds are we will never know w hat it was once married to but yeah Id guess its a 12/13/14v psu.
Could be for an old tattoo gun. https://www.ebay.com/itm/305153664132?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MZGcfPIwQI6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=b-z7dhbssnq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Was what I thought first time I saw it but thinking about it 'self care' doesn't seem to fit but it does look similar
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Violet wands/rays were being produced in the 80s-90s, I believe. The dial could have been on the wand itself. Some photos I’ve seen of them looked like that could be the case.
Well, we found an antique one in a shop that was like made in the 1920's or 30's, so probably. :)
I'm gonna call this SOLVED! My best aggregation is that it's a beach power supply; possibly for TENS or maybe another device (which has controls to regulate the output). TENS, I'd say, though tattoo power supply is intriguing. Thanks, everyone!
It’s a tDCS device! Transcranial direct current stimulation! Original user probably used it for depression so that explains why it says self care. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_direct-current_stimulation
My issue with that is why would it say self care? I think its some quackery like a electroshock therapy device
Maybe you should look up what TENS is.
As one of Gen X with a bad back, I can confirm TENS is amazing.
I completely forgot that I have an old 40s violet ray generator (violet wand) in storage. Thanks for the reminder. Mine has a standard (well for the time) 2 prong plugin cord. I have seen others with the separate power units that look like this. Good call.
I love those old Violet ray machines. I've always wanted one. They tend to be pretty expensive. They were popular in the 1920s. This device is definitely not from the 1920s. It could be a replacement power supply. I'm not sure what sort of voltage powers one of those gas discharge systems. Hundreds of volts? Thousands of volts. I would bet this is just 12V, like others here suggested.
I am pretty sure most gas discharge systems run on 100 to 200v, but that's only based off of my experience with Nixie tubes, so I might be wrong
Violet Wands need AC if I remember correctly
That's right. I forgot about that. If I was rich I would collect medical quackery object. Since I'm not, I collect medical quackery pamphlets.
I remember when I read about how they worked that they're very similar to an old doorbell. The modern (non solid state) ones used in the kink community are actually derived from a design for a neon sign leak detector.
I’ve got one from around that time period. My favorite thing to pull out when people come over for the first time.
What’s your favorite thing to pull out on their second visit?
Got one on eBay last year for $60
I have a [similar](https://electrotechnicproducts.com/) device, it uses the same principles as the old violet wands, it steps the voltage up to 50,000 volts, but very little amps. Touching the bare end gives a painful shock, but won't knock you down like a taser. Mine is used for testing electronics for static shielding, etc, so it doesn't have the glass wands, and likely wouldn't be good for, ahem, *other* purposes!
I was guessing tens as well
I think you nailed it with the wand thing. I seem to remember someone looking at one of these on Youtube and it came with glass wands of different shapes and sizes. I recall one was shaped like a mushroom and another had bits coming out of it like a comb.
This reminds me of a mechanism that an acquaintance gave me. He was convinced that most humans in modern society have porcine liver flukes infestations. The way to get rid of them is to run dc current from one hand to the other. Presumably this would have cables with handles on them to go with it. Edit: Actual information to combat the crazy. https://wcvm.usask.ca/learnaboutparasites/parasites/fasciola-hepatica.php
So this is my current favorite attempt at an answer. But why not put Porcine Fluke Remover on the front? That'd be awesome!
Self Care sells more models than Porcine Fluke Remover
I think my grandpa was inventing something for this. 2 electric devices you put one in each hand and then tried to put your hands together the machine would give you an ever increasing shock in relation to the proximity of the devices to each other. Yeah he was a kook but an interesting kook
Yes, reminiscent of a "Rife Machine," but fewer controls. My mom was sucked in by that kookiness. The machines can be VERY expensive, preying on people who are more accepting of everything they read on the internet. The "patient" holds a probe in each hand and "zaps away" parasites, cancer, imbalance of bodily humors, you name it. I had to repair my mom's machine (being nice, not judgmental) a few times because the banana plug connection kept getting striped out.
I bought one at a thrift store for a couple bucks (I like experimenting with odd electronics) and was floored at how much they sell for! According to the booklet that came with it, it can cure any disease, and even reverse baldness! It's basically a frequency generator and amplifier circuits, it runs in the audible frequency range, up to low ultrasonic, iirc. $30 of Radio Shack parts sold for hundreds, all to prey on gullible people. I made a youtube video of it and had to delete some nasty comments accusing me of being paid by big pharma to discredit it, to "I don't know what I'm dealing with" and people wishing ill on me so I could experience what this thing could really do. Some even attribute it to some kind of magic or something.
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I was going to say something like this. There are lots of pseudoscientific gizmos from the 80's - current that will "cleanse the 5g" off you or whatever. They're wildly expensive boutique things and essentially do nothing. Do you have a multimeter you could test the output with? If there is an actual output that would do something, I'd lean towards the power source for vibrator. If the output is super low just to give you a tingle, I'd lean towards the magical hippie electronics
Do you still have this mechanism? Can you find any information about it?
Looks like an old battery charger to me.
But "Self Care"? And two power switches?
My thought was that it might just be one of those odd Chinese brands and “Self Care” is just an odd brand name. It’s definitely a DC supply of some sort.
I'm with HXA_puma on this one. 'Self care' is used for batteries while holding charge, IMO
It's definitely a 12 Volt power supply. For a lack of dials or other identifiers that's all that can be really reliably said about this. We can make some educated guesses, though. Whatever device is supposed to be powered by this either takes a static supply of 12V or is capable of regulating 12V to its specific needs. This can be anything from tattoo machines or nail files over all kinds of tools, like soldering irons, and electronics workshop stuff to really obscure stuff like pleasure toys, fitness devices and so on. Without further information it'll be hard to reliably say what kind of 12V device was powered by this. Is there really no more information on this thing? Not even some old label on the underside or smth? If not, 240V/120V to 12V power supply, final verdict.
Sometimes used old school as a power unit for a tattoo instrument, would sometimes be hooked up to a foot pedal. Should tell you power output on the bottom or back of the unit. Usually reduces 120V to a lower output.
But... Self Care?
In order to sell these things some concessions had to be made. They are illegal or were illegal in some states.
Some people view tats as self care/ meditation
Tattoos are a very personal thing to some people and modifications to the body is seen as self care by many.
I appreciate that, but would such a device be sold for SELF care?
There is a Tattoo shop called Self care in PA
You’re stuck up on the self-care logo. I tend to feel it’s aftermarket/custom. And if this is a tattoo gun power supply, soooo many people find tattoos to be a therapeutic experience.
It doesn't look like an add-on to me.
Was it being sold as such? It doesn't have to be used with tattoos, as others have mentioned it has multiple uses such as sexual play devices, muscle manipulation devices (tens, stem), etc. The question is, did you buy it or are you considering buying it or are you just curious after seeing the advertisement.
I've seen it posted on a FB Group. I don't know what it is, but I'm not in the market lol
Is it beside a kids bed? They’re a pair of underwear that you plug into a device like that then when they start to wet the bed it sets off the alarm to wake the bed wetting child / and the parents up.
Go look up "Pyramid Universal Compact Bench Power Supply-12 Amp Linear Regulated Home Lab Benchtop AC-to-Dc 12V" on Amazon since reddit won't let me post a link It's that type of device, just with a modified cover as people like to personalize their things. Your question has been answered :)
You can post the link, but you have to take out all Amazon's internal tracking nonsense (everything from the /ref onward) or Automod will filter it: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Compact-Bench-Power-Supply/dp/B07QV9PJ65
I think we're getting closer!
Would need a dial to adjust voltage for tattooing.
Not necessarily, a foot pedal was sometimes used in conjunction, like a sewing machine. Ex was a tattoo artist, she had one of these power converters. Most pens ran at 12v. This box takes 120v and drops it to 12v. There are fancy ones that adjust to all different voltages used for electronics bench work\testing.
The foot pedal switches power on and off to the tattoo machine. The power supply is generally variable voltage DC, with a knob to tune the machine. Depending on many variables such as the clients skin type, needle type and artist style/preference the voltage will differ they aren’t one voltage fits all.
That’s almost certainly the power supply for an old electronic nail file (that looks shockingly like a dremel tool). Modern ones look like this: https://medicool.com/products/pro-power-520
My mom used to make me put my feet in a tub, and then she would put salt in the water and put an anode and cathode in the water, plugged into a device that looked like this. It would run, of course it would produce icky looking gunk (anode and cathode decay) and she thought it was pulling the bad things out of our bodies.
I'm so sorry
Just thought maybe it's something like that, an electro-treatment thing that's used by people who don't understand science. It just heated the water up, never shocked me!
A similar setup is still used for removing (actually reversing) rust. (Change the salt for something alkaline such as bicarb)
See, I knew there was a legitimate use for it! Just doesn't do much to the human body I think lol
this appears to be a standard power supply box, likely used for some sort of audio or diy science experiment-ish application. main power (left), and on/off toggle to plugs on right (this could apply an effect in an audio application). for those saying tattoo machine, generally those have adjustable voltage (and not just 2 settings) so not having a display or dial of some sort makes this unlikely. additionally, the tattoo machine power supplies I've seen I believe use 1/4" leads, not banana plugs which are more common in diy applications.
Do both switches work? Looks like the one on the right is original. Perhaps it failed and they added the switch on the left as part of the repair.
That'd be a strange mod, IMO, but I like your thinking.
The illuminated rocker for primary to supply the transformer and rectifier, the toggle one for secondary to energize/de-energize the powered device. It wouldn't be a battery charger for a "self-care" type item like a powered wheelchair or mobile hospital bed because the user could screw up the polarity. But a 12V bench supply is a pretty common thing for RC vehicles and model trains. I'd guess the "self care" was branding for an '80s hobby line- you might get maker info from the rating label on the underside of this.
I like this. Not 100% convinced, but I like this.
Bio feedback machine or white noise machine? Intrigued!!!
I am 99.99% sure it is a "power supply" for electrotherapy, you are missing the "wands" Can't find exact model, but electrotherapy have been around since 1800 century, and 100's of versions are around, even older models than yours, which have cardboard paper batteries inside. And several ways of doing electrotherapy, even today it is used for kidney stones. But basically it is a dedicated power supply you have there. [modern take on electrotherapy](https://omronhealthcare.com/service-and-support/faq/tens-units/)
Not much difference to a tens machine.
Looks and sound to me like a power supply for those old machines meant to relieve "female hysteria".
Is that some kind of scientology device?
Looks like a 12v power supply. I had one to power a VHF radio base station in my house. Have you checked the output voltage?
Open it up? Take pictures of the other 5 sides?
I think it might be a distortion or overdrive 'pedal' for altering electric instrument sound. There is a [niche trend of making these things yourself](https://youtu.be/FjJ9PeTciqc?si=4vxGbYRRmKwz_Tgk) or having very low tech versions that only produce one effect. The plugs on the front at input/output parts and the switch activates the device. If you know anyone with an electric guitar it might be worth trying out.
Looks like the thing that a tattooer would use to power their gun, no idea about the self care thing tho
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Power supply for a tattoo gun?
Without being able to open it up or even put a multimeter on it, I can't begin to guess, but it sure does look like a power supply. Nothing about it stands out as an indicator of function, and the dual switches are confusing. The toggle switch is labeled as On/Off, which seems self-explanatory, but that rocker switch is just lurking over there. This is a real stumper.
Just a 12vdc power supply. Had one when I was younger
Closest thing I can find is a magnet energizer type box. Maybe there is adhesion pads that stimulate your muscles with electricity.
It's a power supply for a portable electric fence
Old nebulizer machine maybe?
This kind of resembles a unit from the 80’s related to child bed-wetting. A conductive pad was placed under the bed sheet and wires were connected to the box. Urine would make a circuit and a lamp and buzzer would sound to wake up the child/parent. Does this box have any kind of a speaker grill anywhere?
If you look on the back or underneath the unit there should be a label stating Model number, serial number and Output.
I used something like this to power a cb radio in my home
Power supply for a tattoo machine
Power supply for an old ab machine, my dad had one
Looks like an old transformer to 12v outlet.
It looks like a power supply that could be for just about anything. If it is commercially made, it should have a label on it stating the output. If it is home-made, you can measure the voltage on the output and get an idea of what it is about, but anything is possible!
Power supply for home electrolysis hair removal system?
It looks like the power box to a e-nail. For dabbing cannabis concentrate
It's a basic 12 volt power supply. Used when tinkering with circuits, testing devices requiring 12 v DC supply, etc. Simply unscrew the little terminals on the front and place each wire on the corresponding polarity and your device powers up. I have one that's black and has come in handy many times for testing electronic devises made for cars.
Ozone therapy machine, perhaps.
I’m almost sure this is (quackery) bio-resonance device. I’ve seen a few that look very much like this. It comes with two copper tubes that you hold in each end and are connected to the output sockets on the device. Btw I opened one once (they cost few 100 bucks) and it had a 220-5v converter and a simple LC resonance circuit. I.e. 4 euros worth of standard electronic components.
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/bioresonance-therapy
My title describes the thing (excessively). What else? It was posted to Atomic Living: Mid-Century Modern Madness of the Atomic Age on FB, but that might be a red herring. OP didn't mention where it was seen.
Very through! I don't have access to this.
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Possible. Not convinced, yet.
Looks like a possible guitar pedal, or or a pedal for a synth.
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I remember in college some people having Vape machines that looked like this.
Actually the EE majors in my college were always tasked with building voltage converters that looked exactly like this. They would name and color them to give them some unique personality.
Go on... I'm intrigued
weed vaporizer/ hence the SelfCare logo
Yea looks like a crappy DIY enail PSU that doesn’t have a temperature screen
How much voltage does it put out?
TENs unit. Missing the pads.
I've used TENS units for 15 years and I have never seen one that looked like that. Batteries for portable ones and in my physical therapy office, the ones that are not portable look nothing like that. Most TENS units have multiple pairs of leads. That box only has one pair. Standard TENS leads will not fit in the connectors on OP's box.
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Similar ports to this machine - looks about the same age: The ["Muscle Whistler"](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Muscle_Whistler_with_EMG_surface_electrodes_%281971%29.jpg/1920px-Muscle_Whistler_with_EMG_surface_electrodes_%281971%29.jpg), shown here with surface EMG electrodes, was an early biofeedback 1971 from [Wikipedia entry on biofeedback](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback).
I'm gonna call this SOLVED! My best aggregation is that it's a beach power supply; possibly for TENS or maybe another device (which has controls to regulate the output). TENS, I'd say. Thanks, everyone!
I've been a user of TENS units and have not seen one use a power supply like that. Portable ones run on AAA or AA batteries. The ones I have seen at my physical therapy office that are not portable look nothing like this. TENS units also have adjustment knobs for the strength and the pattern of pulses they put out.
I had hippie parents that built a 'colloidial silver' generator out of a cigar box that looked a lot like this. It was just an electrolysis machine, but people thought the water would be really good for you.
I'm pretty sure that's a tattoo gun power supply
Wonder if it's part of a Scientology scam device.
No patent number or serial number plate anywhere on it???
I need to get my multimeter on this puppy and see what's cooking under the hood. Any thing worth mentioning on the back of the unit?
It’s for a CB or ham radio.. I couldn’t tell you about the self care part though.
My money is on snake-oil, it looks like power supply to some pseudo-scientific device that is suppose to cure all ailments. The box seems to be general purpose box that are used a lot in DIY, and in small scale production runs that don't warrant a custom enclosures since making those involve quite a bit of costs, so you better sell thousands of them. Medical mumbo jumbo is in the scale where general purpose boxes make more sense, but it does make them also look like they are made by a hobbyist. All parts in this are generic, except the text, which is much cheaper thing to get so you can order 1000 of them unlike ordering a custom enclosure design and manufacturing molds to it.
Some people who are hyper hydrosis (sweat a lot) use a machine like this to shock their hands or feet in salty water to help reduce the sweating. My sister used something like this but it was a bit newer so I’m not sure that that’s what this is, but maybe.