Mystery Object!

[wine~o]

Not an electrical measurement tool either... Hmmmm..

[ayjay]

A guitarist friend of mine didn't recognise it and just wondered if it was something that measured the power in a cable perhaps

Have you tried it on a live cable? Not on live ends, just put a cable that's running to an item using power between (and touching) the metal bits.

Does it have a battery compartment?

Is it heavy for it's size?

[surrealdeal]

The shape of it seems to suggest that it is pushed onto something that may vary in size and guided down onto the lug in the centre and thus activating the counter, cable counter maybe? Might only be for factory use.

[kellys_eye]

Mini flyswatter (with kill-counter)?

[kellys_eye]

It obviously 'counts' hence the resettable counting display.

I suggest each count happens when an item is pushed between the 'forks' making the two inner wires touch the two outer.

Being hand held it looks like it's pushed onto 'something' - the item to be counted.

The counted item is non-conductive - else the contacts would register a hit as soon as it was placed against it.

It 'may' be used to count the width of something - organic perhaps???

[Dave54]

More (probably useless) thoughts.
Some sort of electronic game.
Something that twists something together, and counts the turns.
Microwave leak detector.

It doesn't look industrial to me.
More 80s domestic.

[sheilamary3]

No nearer! tried the cable idea and it doesnt react. Touched the prongs also with things of various thicknesses etc. The only thing that moved the counter was when I held it over some steam in a pan but it wasnt temperature related, It looks like it may contain a battery but there is just one of those minute screws that is too difficult to move. Its not possible to prise it off as you can with normal batteries . I have drawn a blank!! Thanks all for your suggestions .

[surrealdeal]

Have you tried rotating it? Might be some kind of winder.

[Dave54]

If the reading moved when over steam from a pan I wonder if it's some sort of moisture content meter for something, that basically gets a reading from the resistance of anything touching the bars. Or a salinity meter or something along those lines?

[Bob225]

I was going to suggest a temperature measurement gauge will have a look see.................

Looking at it from a design point it has 2 probes at a set distance apart so its measuring some sort of fluid by detecting resistance or capacitance - the shape may be a clue, a lobster claw ? or that maybe a curve ball

salinity meter (salt content in water)

[sheilamary3]

It doesn't react to rotation. I have decided that whatever its purpose is, I have absolutely no use for it!! I shall be donating it back!

[Bob225]

tried it in hot water ?

[toolbox]

Well that's another 20 mins on Google I will never get back

Tried lots of parameters but no luck,. My guess is (assuming the wires do not heat up when operated) it is a very cheap and decidedly dodgy tester either for current or voltage in a cable or for testing a microwave.

Do let us know if you ever find out

[BillyGoat]

Try sending it to BigClive on youtube.....he can take it apart and figure out what's inside and what it does!

BG

[Rorschach]

Try sending it to BigClive on youtube.....he can take it apart and figure out what's inside and what it does!

BG

oh yeah great idea, and if nothing else it will be an amusing video full of smut!