What is this device?

[Squirrel322]

Found this thing on a high school math teacher’s Desk. It wasn’t connected to anything but has a single jack in it for a telephone wire. The only wire connected to it ends with a short handle with a red button on top. There are no doors, openings or battery compartments.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Squirrel322]

No picture of how the line for the button switch is installed into it...

I actually have a photo that shows that. I took 7 photos but thought the 3 I didn’t post only showed duplicate views. Here are the other three photos -

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[rick67]

Got to be someone's project build from a robotics class.

 

[Anduril]

Actually the line is 48-52 VDC. Ringing is 20 Hz AC at 90 volts. The ringing will give ya a buzz!!

Correct. (Well, almost correct.)
And I was going to mention the same thing.

It's not AC, it's pulsating DC.

Something I once found out the hard way screwing around with some old telephone test equipment.
It was on the shelf, covered in dust.... and had a rotary dial.
So..... of course, I had to dial "Zero".

I hadn't noticed I was in contact with one of the wires, and didn't realize its internal 45-volt batteries were still kicking.
(Yes, there is something called a 45-volt battery, and it looks like a long 9-volt battery on steroids).

Anyway, "ZAP". (And a pretty decent zap too, even at "low current".)
I try to make a point now to not let curiosity get the better of me.

 

[Anduril]

I'll mention:
Just because it has modular jack doesn't mean it has anything to do with the phone company.
I've seen RJ-11's and RJ-45's on all sorts of non-telephone "stuff".

Security cameras come to mind.

 

[Mohab]

A sexual dling dling device for robots , after the teacher visited by robocop

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Are you sure the top doesn't open?

 

[Squirrel322]

Yeah, I am pretty sure the top didn't open. Believe i even tried to twist it open.

 

[RustyGold]

Update Ver. 2.0 of “tin can on a string” telephone..

 

[rick67]

It’s probably made just to drive the Subs crazy.