What is a Hariky GK-3?

June 25, 2008 2:00 PM

Tell-me-what-this-thing-is-Filter: What is a Hariky GK-3?

I found this most intriguing object at a local goodwill store. I noticed that it has what appears to be an earphone jack, so I bought it in the hopes that it might be some kind of wonderful noise maker that Google could shed some light on. Google failed me, though.

Pics and descriptions:
Right Side: There's a jack here, and a standard male 1/8" audio plug fits in here, though I'm not 100% sure that's what the jack is there for. When powered speakers are plugged in it does produce noise though.

Front: With speakers plugged in to the jack on the right side, the unit will produce clicks which coincide with the red light in the upper-right corner flashing if the upper switch is set to TREAT. The OUTPUT knob changes the volume and the PULSE know changes the speed of the clicks, but neither affect the output to any great degree.

If the upper switch is set to SEARCH the unit produced a tone which is unaffected by the position of the PULSE knob, but varies by about a whole tone when the OUTPUT knob is turned.

The +/- switch (next to the OUTPUT knob) doesn't seem to do anything.

Left side: what appears to be a DC power jack with an unusual symbol, and jack that looks like a standard 1/8" audio plug but is actually a little to small to plug in to. It too has an unusual symbol, which looks to me like a pic of the old-style "earbuds" from the 60's and 70's.

Back: I'm guessing the characters are Japanese (here's a pic that's hopefully a little clearer), but I'm no expert. It also says:
HARIKY GK-3
KANARAY CO, LTD
MADE IN JAPAN

This... thing cost me $2.50 and I've already gotten my money's worth just playing around with the noise it produces but now I want to know more.

So, MetaFilter, what is this thing?

posted by lekvar to technology (4 comments total)

Acupuncture Device?
(Found by a google search for "hariky")
posted by jozxyqk at 2:07 PM on June 25

Looks like jozxyqk has it - it's a TENS unit. The jack with the first symbol is for disposable skin electrodes and the other, audio-looking one is for plugging in another sort of application-specific electrode. They're used for pain relief, muscle conditioning, and sex.
posted by contraption at 2:40 PM on June 25

Oh Hell yeah, this is even better than I was hoping! Great find, jozxyqk. I only wish the pic was a little bigger, but that's got to be what it is.
posted by lekvar at 2:52 PM on June 25

The Japanese characters just say "Hariky" and "Kanaray", incidentally. (The middle row looks like it might be an address in Japan, but I can't read it at that resoluton.)
posted by No-sword at 4:08 PM on June 25