What is this Strange Gadget in My Car? 120
VanessaDannenberg asks: "Four months ago my fiancé and I bought a 1997 Thunderbird, which came with a few aftermarket mods. Of particular interest is this strange radio-related gadget that was attached to the windshield above the mirror. It has two 5-pin ports on it (as pictured) which accept a flat cable that runs under the car's headliner. I can't tell where that cable ends, but I figure it's a laptop interface (RS232?). Has anyone seen this thing before? What does it do?"
I've got one of these! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I've got one of these! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I've got one of these! (Score:2)
You da' man!
radar (Score:4, Informative)
I know, I know! (Score:5, Funny)
Hope you didn't want to use your geocities account for a few days.
Didn't have time to make it to... (Score:1, Redundant)
BTW, is this a record? (Score:5, Interesting)
I remember putting an article up on a 64kb (yes, b not B) link some years back, then it got found and posted to
So heavy was the traffic that taking the webserver down didn't make a noticeable difference. Even if they'd been able to get through, the DNS queries alone would have been enough to smash the link flat. Think "trying to fill a thimble from a wide-open firehose".
Re:BTW, is this a record? (Score:2, Funny)
What is this 'dotslash' of which you speak?
Re:BTW, is this a record? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:I know, I know! (Score:2)
Re:I know, I know! (Score:2)
I believe it only needs one if it has a transmitter. If the antenna is receive-only it probably doesn't need one.
-jim
Transmitter not required for FCC ID (Score:2)
Seeing that this is slashdot and there always seems to be someone willing to take the contrary position, I give an example, a sound card laying on my desk. FCC ID LWA521-T9.
These IDs can be checked at https://gullfoss2.fcc. [fcc.gov]
Re:I know, I know! (Score:1)
Also, asking the previous owner might be difficult, as we bought this car from a local used-car lot. Prior to that it was in use as a rental car, with whom I have no clue.
Tracking down the car history (Score:2)
Re:I know, I know! (Score:3, Funny)
/.ed (Score:3, Funny)
Re:/.ed (Score:1)
Only for the few minutes it would take for someone to create a mirror of it ;)
/. Strikes Again (Score:2, Funny)
Re:/. Strikes Again (Score:2)
Refused to read past... (Score:2)
clickety?
What happened to *tap*tappety*tap* or was I tripping?
I have had enough of half whimsical BOFH surveys. Give me some dopey students loosing their lifes work and failing uni because the saddo BOFH you hate to love decides he likes thier girlfriend.
Save the BOFH from becoming a PHBFH!
Re:Refused to read past... (Score:1)
It is lose not loose that you are looking for.
Re:/. Strikes Again (Score:1)
From the vague description (Score:3, Informative)
Geocities + Image + Slashdot = Nothing (Score:2, Funny)
a mirror (Score:5, Informative)
Re:a mirror (Score:2, Informative)
Re:a mirror (Score:5, Informative)
Yes it is, high end Viper or Prestige, forgot which. My friend had the exact same alarm, until someone stole his car.:D
And that "funny angle" in the LED display is there because it's supposed to be mounted on the A-pillar.
Re:a mirror (Score:5, Informative)
Apparently, in my friend's case, the battery was disconnected and the car was towed, so the alarm did squat.
mirror (Score:2, Informative)
greetz to GNAA
Re:mirror (Score:2, Troll)
by Anonymous Coward on Tue Aug 24, '04 11:55 PM (#10064748)
strange-gadget.jpg [img15.exs.cx]
greetz to GNAA
Strike 1: AC posting
Strike 2: Hosted on "exs.cx" ("excess sex"?)
Strike 3: Blatant troll reference [wikipedia.org]
You think I'm going to risk this at work? You're out of your mind.
Re:mirror (Score:1)
Re:mirror (Score:2, Informative)
Re:mirror (Score:2)
Here's what I think is going on: the image is an actual mirror for 2 weeks. After then, the post can't be moderated anymore. If it keeps its up-mod, the troll behind it changes the picture to goatse guy. Trolls rejoice in their little troll-y way over a "+5, Informative" goatse link.
Ironic, then, that my comment got a "-1, Troll" downmod! I love this place.
Re:mirror (Score:2)
Re:mirror (Score:1)
Heh. It'll make a good addition to my collection [slashdot.org]!
Image mirror (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Image mirror (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Image mirror (Score:2)
It's a quote from Bob Gale, and equally applicable to a Ford T-bird...
Re:Image mirror (Score:2)
Remote car starter? (Score:1)
Re:Remote car starter? (Score:1)
If so it's a weird lookin one at that.
Re:Remote car starter? (Score:2)
Here's an article on installing one. Maybe you can use this to figure out where the mystery wires go.
Remote Car-Start System [diynet.com]
Occam's Razor (Score:5, Insightful)
My guess is that it is part of an aftermarket car alarm with wireless remote, an internal pressure-gradient sensing type. The LED displays the time left to shut the door before it will trigger the alarm.
Re:Occam's Razor (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Occam's Razor (Score:1)
-MrM
Re:Occam's Razor (Score:2)
Re:Occam's Razor (Score:2)
I agree. It appears to be a wireless receiver.
In addition to car alarms, have you considered garage door openers and remote start systems?
Think copper, coated with plastic (Score:5, Funny)
FCC Codes (Score:5, Informative)
Re:FCC Codes (Score:2)
did you buy it stolen? (Score:4, Insightful)
Couldn't you just ask those you bought it from?
don't touch unlabelled gadgets! (Score:5, Funny)
And lemme tell ya, if it's labeled 'Gravity - Do Not Touch,' DON'T FREAKIN' TOUCH IT! (that sentence proves there's still a use for the caps lock key, you losers)
For a possible scenario of what could happen in that type of situation, see the short film, 'This Guy Is Falling.' Great little flick. Might still be able to catch it at atomfilms.com. (sorry, too lazy to check and karma whore with a link)
Re:don't touch unlabelled gadgets! (Score:3, Informative)
This Guy is Falling [shockwave.com]
-Adam
Hmmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
Where's the power? my guess would be the socket on the end.
My guess would be a garage door opener.
Re:Hmmmm (Score:1)
Re:Hmmmm (Score:3, Insightful)
some form of radar detector? (Score:1)
Rice?
Re:some form of radar detector? (Score:2)
That would have been my guess too. Also, maybe something to fake out E-ZPass [ezpass.com] systems.
Re:some form of radar detector? (Score:2)
An idea (Score:4, Interesting)
Don't worry about it (Score:4, Funny)
Lights? (Score:4, Interesting)
Could the wires lead to some sort of ricer extra lights somewhere? Possibly 'neon' tubes that were removed by the seller?
Re:Lights? (Score:2)
Re:Lights? (Score:1)
I sorta doubt that. It wouldn't make much sense, but more importantly, there's no way those tiny connectors there could possibly supply enough juice to power much more than an LED or two.
More likely the letters are there to help troubleshooters figure out what colour to hook the other end of their meter to on the cable that should attach beside them. Or they're there to help slave-labour assemble the board correctly. One or the other
Re:Lights? (Score:2)
Simple! (Score:4, Funny)
More seriously, why the fnord did you think "Ask Slashdot" is the right place to ask this kind of question, and why did the editors decide this was worthwhile to post? Oy.
why the fnord did you think "Ask Slashdot" (Score:2, Funny)
Why the editors thought it was worthwhile (Score:2)
Simple. It's a hardware geek de-lurking device.
Seriously, it's "Linux" this and "Microsoft" blah blah software blah all day here. As a result, the bar for hardware stories is ridiculously low.
Hear that hardware geeks? Let the land rush begin.
Seriously, I'm a software guy myself, and I'm so fricken jaded that you could post a story saying that Linus Torvalds and Larry Wall agreed to swap jobs and it would get hardly more than a yawn from me.
You 'Bought' Thunderbird? (Score:4, Funny)
Not this week, anyway (Score:2)
Radar doodah thingy detector (Score:4, Informative)
Sounds like someone driving a thunderbird would buy such a thing.
Obligatory Zippy The Pinhead reference (Score:2)
It's a Sophisticated Soviet Listening Device!
A *FEMALE* on SLASHDOT???? (Score:3, Funny)
The absurds don't stop there !! (Score:2)
0a. indicating with some certainty she's a female!
1. She has a fiancee, not a boyfriend but she's got the Ring!
2. They've got a CAR, indicating that they are OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE.
3. Won't someone please THINK OF THE CHILDREN !!!!
NOTE TO MODERATORS (especially humour-impaired ones): please ignore me.
Re:A *FEMALE* on SLASHDOT???? (Score:2)
after going to the picture link, http://www.geocities.com/vanessadannenberg/strang
http://starbase.globalpc.net/~vanessa/
if you read the biography section, it's a male to female transexual. Sorry to dash your dreams, fanboys.
Re:A *FEMALE* on SLASHDOT???? (Score:1)
heres a photo from the starbase site [globalpc.net]... remind me of THAT the next time i feel enouraged to follow links!
its cruel, okay, its cruel... but yeah... wow...
sweet baby jesus (Score:1, Funny)
i felt strangely excited as i stumbled on my way to the bedroom and then the bathroom, in that order, after catching this [globalpc.net].
mommy, make it stop. it hurts.
Re:sweet baby jesus (Score:2)
Homelink transmitter (Score:3, Informative)
Consensus seems to be that it;s a garage opener. (Score:2)
I'm sorry? What do you mean you don't want to run Linux on it? This is Slashdot mate, we put Linux on everything.
Alarm system display and remote control receiver. (Score:5, Informative)
The crystal frequency of 6.775117MHz would put it at the 433 mhz frequency, which makes sense for such a device. The Op-amp makes it clear that it's doing something along these lines.
The angle of the 7 segment display indicates that it was original intended to be mounted on the A pillar. The dots on the 7 segment display would facing the bottom of the unit, thus putting the antenna at the top. When mounted along the pillar, the angle of the 7 segment display would then be flat in relation to the driver, as the A pillar always leans in that direction.
The KIA70 is a low voltage detector, probably detecting 2.7v (thus the "27P") and simply cutting the thing off when the voltage gets low, to prevent weirdness on the circut.
Can't find anything about the S727G/OM-7003 IC.
I'm betting B=Battery wire, I=Ignition wire, G=Ground wire. O and V I don't know, but they're probably some form of signaling wires back to/from the main unit.
Anyway, I say it's an A-Pillar mounted remote antenna/display unit that hooks to a car alarm system somewhere else in the car. The case for it has been removed and discarded, most likely. It receives and possibly sends antenna signals for the system, as well as displaying status codes of some type from the main car alarm unit.
Re:Alarm system display and remote control receive (Score:5, Informative)
Oh, in answer to why I posted here... I could think of no better way to get an answer about a device that looks geeky to me, than to ask a bunch of geeks. :)
/me watches her Karma go up in flames along with Yahoo.
Re:Alarm system display and remote control receive (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Alarm system display and remote control receive (Score:2)
It's an Excalibur. The rest of the system is in a landfill, and rightly so.
JC Whitney Special. Blue Light Deal-of-the day.
Baa-aa-aa-aa-d. Bad like poi.
Dr. M says go buy a Viper. I can write a prescription if you need one.
hmm, could be (Score:1)
A bandwidth meter... (Score:1)
Back off of Vanessa cromags! (Score:4, Insightful)
She's cool in my book.
http://starbase.globalpc.net/~vanessa/c128tower/i
OMG a nerd on slashdot who's female and not the likely winner of a hotornot contest with a legit question.
Does she deserve a bunch of sexist heckling and brush off answers? Nope.
Re:Back off of Vanessa cromags! (Score:3, Interesting)
That's extremely odd -- and therefore, very cool. But I think it needs some lighting mods, you know? Set the case to glow from inside, through all those air-movement slats. It's just BEGGING for a couple of neon tubes.
I'm thinking "radioactive green".
Re:Back off of Vanessa cromags! (Score:1)
Yep. Saw it. Appears to me she's honest.
As a public service to you:
The 18yr 36-24-36 blonde h0tt3 you've been telling all your fantasies to lately is not very honest.
I don't think a
She's still cool in my book, cromag.
Please return to AOL now. This is not the place for you.
Re:Back off of Vanessa cromags! (Score:3, Interesting)
(Hint: so that there's no surprises for the trolls to scream about)
To the great-grandparent: Thanks for the compliments on the Commodore tower. I can't say whether or not neon tubes would look particularly good in that thing, but it's something to consider for when I decide to work on it again (lack of interest, lack of money, too lazy, etc.)
Re:Back off of Vanessa cromags! (Score:2)
Hmmm... officially recognized by a state as a gender. I can't figure that one out. Still trying.
Maybe that's why they're not knocking down my door, I'm not listed with the state! I always answer "NOYFB" on the forms...
This seems like a fun game... (Score:1)
Like shootin' fish in a barrel (Score:2)
Re:Sounds like an OBD-II interface (Score:1)
In any case, the image looks nothing like an odbII interface, unless someone had a really strange idea of how to handle this interface and translate it for a PC.
Re:Sounds like an OBD-II interface (Score:1)
Was this modded ironically?