Frankenstein Machines

**weeeben** · 10-04-2013, 03:06 AM

Today I picked up from a medical centre and got these two weird old machines.

anything old and medical I'll put into the frankenstein section for weird and crude medical equipment that I just thought of.

the doc' said they were shortwave diathermy machines, a kind of heat/shock therapy from what I have read.
he said inside were valves of some sort, I can't find any info on this model, they have service stickers on the back
and last time they were serviced was 1989, so they've probably been out of service for 20 years.

they weight about 45 pounds each, not sure if the guts will have anything of value so I think it's probably best to keep them as is.
i'm tempted to scrap one out but the're two different versions, one's older so they may have better value if the're together to show the variations maybe.

**Mechanic688** · 10-04-2013, 03:54 AM

When I broke my ankle my DR. (sportsmed) had me coming into his place 3 times a week for shortwave and ultrasound treatments. One machine like that had 2 pads with sponges that were wet and strapped to 2 different places on my leg. I would take the knob as the machine pulsed and sent a mild shock into my leg/ankle. I would keep inching the knob upward until my toes curled every time the machine pulsed.

What those treatments did was promote faster healing and take away pain and I was out of my cast in 3 1/2-4 weeks and walking with a cane. My ankle was broken in 3 places and there is not one screw in my ankle, and I don't walk with a limp. That is what those machines can do when used properly.

**BurlyGuys** · 10-04-2013, 06:32 AM

Take them to an auction or eBay.

**Sirscrapalot** · 10-04-2013, 07:10 AM

I had to use a similar machine for a back injury several years ago. I'd go in for my PT/Rehab, doc would bust out that little machine, an precede to use it on my back for an hour or so. That little machine was awesome.

Sirscrapalot - @--->>>---

**cincoer** · 10-04-2013, 08:49 AM

Wow, pretty neat. They should have a copper coil inside of them and some old tubes that Ham Radio guys collect. I use to do end of like parts procurement for hospitals, international, and in the states, you would be surprised some of the stuff they still use, or just have sitting around. I pulled this link out of one of my old folders should give you a idea of what you have The Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy Museum Tesla Library

**weeeben** · 10-04-2013, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by BurlyGuys

Take them to an auction or eBay.

ebay might be something i'd try, what could I start them at?
$20,000 the pair and see if some crazy rich guy buy's them for his dungeon?
$500 the pair and list them as serious medical collectables?
$200 the pair and see what happens?
$50 the pair and risk someone sniping them at the end for $51.01?

for $51.01 i'd rather keep them, i'd open one up to have a little look but i'd just keep them until I can match them up with other weird items and build a better lot.
which one to go with?

if they were last serviced in 1989, and assuming they stopped using them soon after, what years could these be from?
one is definately an updated version but they were both last serviced on the same day so I assume they both became redundant at the same time.
they do get good use out of medical equipment so would it be safe to assume these machines were made in the 70's?

**weeeben** · 10-04-2013, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by cincoer

Wow, pretty neat. They should have a copper coil inside of them and some old tubes that Ham Radio guys collect. I use to do end of like parts procurement for hospitals, international, and in the states, you would be surprised some of the stuff they still use, or just have sitting around. I pulled this link out of one of my old folders should give you a idea of what you have The Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy Museum Tesla Library

Thanks, I figured they'd look something like that inside, hows that light bulb hey?
I'm going to plug 'em in tommorow and see if they actually fire up.

**cincoer** · 10-04-2013, 10:44 AM

Try around $150 to $200 a unit as they have a pretty good following of collectors... nice find again!

The collectors of these units aren't really medical but more Tesla and Royal R. Rife

**KzScrapper** · 10-04-2013, 01:32 PM

I put a vintage embalming machine on Ebay a number of years ago starting at .99 cents...freaks got in bidding skirmishes right from the start and it sold for hundreds.

**BohemianLush** · 10-09-2013, 10:47 AM

I recently bought some 60's era test equipment from a customer for a song. After she came in like 3 times we ended up having close to 2 tons of the stuff. I had our electronics guy break like 3 down with visions of big silver contacts and boards dripping with gold dancing through my head. It took him an hour to break 3 down because of all the dang screws. We ended up getting some copper wire, a few transformers and some low grade boards out of them. At that point I determined that it wasn't worth our time to break them down (I was also leery of caustic stuff like mercury switches). In the end we ended up selling the whole lot and doubling our money.