Does anyone recognize this device?

[Mike Johnson]

Foil beanie hat required.

 

[telectrix]

like mine?

 

[Ohmergerd]

First off, thank you guys for your input, especially Marconi!

But being serious for a moment, that is a receiver - it is not going to radiate EMF anyway.

And as above, the whole EMF thing is rubbish anyway. We have 2 billion or more folks using mobile phones that are the strongest radiator of EMF that anyone outside of a very few jobs can encounter, and they they are not a problem. Funny how so many folk complain of EMF using Facebook on their phones and don't get the irony of it.

If it was simply a receiver, why would it be attached to a photocell? The design would seem to indicate remote transmission of the data from the photocell to a central hub. Also, I was unaware that such electronic devices were incapable of radiating EMF, though perhaps not in statistically significant amounts...

emf rubbish is just another fad now it's been proven that mobile phones don't cause cancer, strokes, brain damge etc.

Well, that is certainly one argument. I would argue that the jury is still out - as would basically every government agency, nation, respectable health and technical organization. Just look at Cell Phones and Cancer Risk Fact Sheet - https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet alone and there are numerous studies - all with conflicting results. However the consensus is that more research is needed. I figure there are reasons that cell phones and wireless devices typically come with warnings that they are (or may be?) carcinogenic.

I do, however, now regret having looked on that website as I now know that one of the common suspected conditions associated with cell phones is acoustic neuroma: tumors in the cells of the nerve responsible for hearing that are also known as vestibular schwannomas. ?

Tinnitus happens for lots of reasons and to varying degrees of severity. Most common is hearing damage due to loud noise level (work with noisy tools, rock concerts, nightclubs, etc) but there can be other medical causes.

The fact I think the whole EMF thing is BS does not mean I don't trust you have genuine symptoms, only the cause of that is in doubt to me.

For low-levels of tinnitus it is usually noticeable if you are in a very quiet place as a bit of background noise masks it. Is your home very quiet?

As already mentioned, you should see a doctor or hearing specialist as your first priority.

My first assumption was tinnitus, however as I may have omitted in my original post, I only experience this in my home, which is not as quiet as I would like thanks to too many modern day appliances, traffic sounds, etc. If I want to escape the buzzing/whistling, I find it is best to go out to the state park or nature preserve, or even the forest behind my house. I've even driven out to quiet parking lots just to read in peace in my car with the engine off.

While I am no medical professional, my understanding of tinnitus is that it is neither shy nor intimidated by silence or open air. It's pretty much constant and less noticeable in noisy environments. That does not describe my particular experience.

While I also appreciate the calls to make a physician my first stop, I am not able to justify the expense of a visit to a generalist followed by 30 tests and 15 referrals to specialists all to conclude that we still don't fully understand the body, that everyone's body is different, and that they have no idea what is going on - but here are 12 medications that might make me so doped up that I will no longer care about the buzzing anymore!

Anyway, I figured if anyone could help me figure this device out it was probably an electrician forum as you guys work with and know about all things electrical! You didn't disappoint. Thanks again for the serious responses!

 

[Moley]

I recognise that box. It's a unit that monitors brain waves and sends out signals to control crowds and take over their minds. I've seen them on facebook so it must be true.

 

[ipf]

I recognise that box. It's a unit that monitors brain waves and sends out signals to control crowds and take over their minds. I've seen them on facebook so it must be true.

........widely available and popular in the good old US of A, then! ?

 

[Mike Johnson]

I recognise that box. It's a unit that monitors brain waves and sends out signals to control crowds and take over their minds. I've seen them on facebook so it must be true.

If that where true then President Trump would have been controlled by the most intelligent people in the USA and not make such an a**e of himself, on second thoughts.....................

 

[pc1966]

Well, that is certainly one argument. I would argue that the jury is still out - as would basically every government agency, nation, respectable health and technical organization. Just look at Cell Phones and Cancer Risk Fact Sheet - https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet alone and there are numerous studies - all with conflicting results.

No they are not "all with conflicting results" - you have simply read and taken the section that confirms your bias. I guess you skipped over the bits such as:

A few studies have shown some evidence of statistical association of cell phone use and brain tumor risks in humans, but most studies have found no association.

Almost all show no link, and many that were uncertain later turned out to have no statistical significance, for example: Authors’ response to: The case of acoustic neuroma: comment on mobile phone use and risk of brain neoplasms and other cancers - https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/43/1/275/731253

Also have you considered the inverse square-law of EM field strength as a function of distance. If that unit is a transmitter and some 10m or more from you, and your phone is, say, 0.1m from you when you use it, that is a 10,000 difference in power for a fixed transmitter level. So if your phone has, say 0.1W out (most can go to 1-2W but only if you are far from the base station, etc) then that pole-mounted unit would need to put out 1kW of RF power to match it, and that would mean an input power of something like 2.5kW given most transmitters are around 40% efficient. That box simply cannot get rid of that amount of heat, it would be like running 1-2 bars of an electric fire in a shoe box!

So if your mobile phone is not causing you the same symptoms as soon as you use it, then it is not an EMF cause.

 

[pc1966]

My first assumption was tinnitus, however as I may have omitted in my original post, I only experience this in my home, which is not as quiet as I would like thanks to too many modern day appliances, traffic sounds, etc. If I want to escape the buzzing/whistling, I find it is best to go out to the state park or nature preserve, or even the forest behind my house. I've even driven out to quiet parking lots just to read in peace in my car with the engine off.

Does anyone else in your home experience this?

You should establish if it is an observable property of your home by others (which would suggest something like gas/water supplied making/carrying the noise if it persists with electric off, or if a block of flats then possibly equipment in others) or only yourself (in which case it would appear to be a medical issue).

 

[snowhead]

Just because the cable goes into the light where the Photocell is doesn't mean it's connected to it or that it's using it as photcell or it's been replaced with a transmitter.
It's most likely using the hole where the photocell is to pass the cable inside.

It may be connected to the cell just to get power.

As I noted earlier the device is only being held up by 1 of it's 2 supports.
It's quite likely the other will come loose then it will fall potentially injuring someone.

I'd suggest contacting whoever is responsible for the lighting and inform them something fixed to their light is potentially going to cause injury to someone, with a law suit to follow no doubt.
Describe it to them or attatch the photo and they may tell you what it is

 

[snowhead]

Is the mysterious unit anywhere hear a raod junction or multilane highway?
Could be an access point for wireless sensors buried in the road lanes;

Similar to;
Solutions | Traffic Sensors | Traffic Monitoring - TrafficSensors.Com

 

[masteryoda]

But being serious for a moment, that is a receiver - it is not going to radiate EMF anyway.

And as above, the whole EMF thing is rubbish anyway. We have 2 billion or more folks using mobile phones that are the strongest radiator of EMF that anyone outside of a very few jobs can encounter, and they they are not a problem. Funny how so many folk complain of EMF using Facebook on their phones and don't get the irony of it.

And then you get the sellers of 5G blockers to save their lives and when they plug them in they complain they have no internet connection on their phones LOL

 

[Pete999]

was it installed by The Borg?

 

[MJPD29]

The buzzing is... dare i say it... in your head. The photocell has nothing to do with it. 9/11 was not a conspiracy, and the government are not syping on you.

 

[nicebutdim]

but Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself.

 

[PEG]

i was thinking the other day,we havent had one of these for while......