This is the fourth part of my series on my experiences while repairing electric and electronic devices. Here’s the third part. When you are volunteering in a repair cafe, sometimes people bring the strangest things. Like on the day when a well-groomed, middle-aged woman stopped by with her adolescent daughter and – with a somewhat awkward facial expression – presented the following device to me and my fellow repair cafe volunteers.
Of all repair volunteers present, I was the only one who suspected what that device could be. Therefore I asked K. to take the lead on the repair process, which he gladly did. He immediately started asking clarifying questions which any seasoned repair volunteer would ask: „What is the purpose of this device?“ – „Ahh … a massage tool …“. „What is broken / what is the expected behaviour and observable effects of a working device?“ – „Ahh … it gets warm … and …“. „Aha, so it’s kind of a massage tool for the face, something like those infrared lamps?“ – „Ahh … yes … you could say that.“
Meanwhile, I had to hide behind a corner and tried to contain my laughter. Now, for the curious reader, let me lift the veil and present under which product description this „massage tool“ can be purchased off Amazon 😉
It’s an electro-stimulation device which uses a small electronic circuit to produce a high DC voltage which is fed to a gas-filled glass tube, transmitting a small electric current (towards ground) when touching a human body. Its functional principle is that of a plasma lamp. While I am not one to judge, I would hesitate to touch any body part with a China-made high voltage generator powered by a wall outlet.
Ultimately my colleague K. took the device home, repaired it by replacing a thyristor that regulates the voltage level using phase-angle control. When he returned it to its owner, K. mentioned that we had discovered the true purpose of the device. However, the lady stood steadfast by her statement that this tool was only to be used for smoothing wrinkles in the face 😉