Mystery Electronic Device

[ColoradoEtech]

Hi,
I'm a technician working for an electronics recycler in Northern Colorado, and am new to the forum. I was recently handed an odd looking device by my boss and asked to identify it. It appeared to be a small glass bottle containing a dark green fluid with wires coming out of the cap on the bottle. Some of my colleges suggested it was a improvised explosive device, but I have doubts. Given the nature of some of the vintage electronics we get, I was wondering if it might be an (antique) analog sensor of some sort, or if it might indeed be an I.E.D. I was hoping those on the forum might help me identify what this could possibly be (without too many suggestions involving consiracy theories, space aliens, etc)

thanks!

 

[Bluejets]

Photo?

 

[ColoradoEtech]

Here you go....

 

[kellys_eye]

Could be part of a steam punk type pendant lighting system - there's a growing hobby base manufacturing household lighting (bunches of assorted, everyday objects made into lights) and the wires are indicative of that purpose. It would contain an LED rather than a filament bulb though but only by removing the cap will you find this out.

The hole for the wire, being sealed, means the liquid within is potentially coloured water (or similar) simply to give a broader dispersal of the light.

I wouldn't be at all tempted to apply power - rather I'd try to open it to establish the liquid (?) contents and, if they are flammable at all, contact the local federal office as a flammable content could have serious alternative potential use...... but to be properly 'explosive' there would need to be an air gap above the liquid - something I don't see from the pictures shown.

 

[Alec_t]

My guess would be a home-brew coloured light with a LED inside. A low-current Ohms check might confirm.

 

[ChosunOne]

Just curious, how can you tell the fluid is dark green, when it's in a dark green bottle, where water would look dark green?

How opaque is that glass? Can you shine a small flashlight through it and see what the wires are connected to? Any chance it's connected to a light bulb inside, to turn a white/yellow light into a green light?

If the wires are connected to a single wire strand inside, or what looks like an incandescent light filament, then my guess would be an IED; or more properly, the detonator for an IED. And frankly, I'd be reluctant to open it.

If I found it, I'd be inclined to try splicing a -long- extension onto those lead-in wires and then placing the bottle into a -deep- hole in the ground, with maybe a container to help contain any shards, and then try applying different voltages to the end of your extension. starting at 6VDC and working my way up.

 

[kellys_eye]

when it's in a dark green bottle

one of the pictures shows the glass as being clear.

 

[ChosunOne]

Huh! You're right, I missed that. I interpreted the bottle as being dark green even though the OP said it was filled with dark green liquid--apparently filled completely to the exclusion of an air bubble.

My bad. Still wondering if OP can shine a light through and see anything inside.

 

[KMoffett]

An antifreeze filled bottle containing a thermistor to be used for an averaging monitoring of temperature in something that goes below freezing.

Just a thought. Measure the resistance while placing it in warm and cold water.

Ken

 

[kellys_eye]

Well we're just clutching at straws here.

You'd think that someone with the title 'Etech' might have just made a few more intimate tests and passed on some relevant information. The light test, a 'sniff' test, a resistance test.... opening the bottle even.

Subject to the OP revealing the 'secret' we've gone as far as we can with this.

 

[Bluejets]

Given it's almost Christmas and I've just had a couple of beers, I'll take a guess at it being a thing-a-me-jig.