I wonder if the "serial number" could actually be a date of manufacture?

Yes, good call, that would certainly fit with some of the dates on circuitry.

 

And yet, it’s output appears to be exactly what ordinary metal detectors use, a beat frequency between two oscillators.

 

In the one section I see labels of "RF INPUT" and "Local Oscillator input", telling me that at least one portion includes frequency mixing and conversion.
So my thinking is that this is certainly NOT some water dowsing device at all. Dowser may be a name, not a function. "Y" is correct in that it certainly cost s whole lot to produce.
The frequencies are certainly much higher than what most metal detectors would use.
It might be a device for tracing wiring in walls, or something like that. And given that it appears functional, it might be very useful to you in the future.The construction is similar to some UHF radio communications equipment.
Some additional analysis is definitely in order.

 

It might be a device for tracing wiring in walls, or something like that. And given that it appears functional, it might be very useful to you in the future.

I think the correct type of 'probes' would be needed to make the device at all useful.

 

I think the correct type of 'probes' would be needed to make the device at all useful.

It certainly would be worth some effort to understand how to use it for whatever it's intended purpose is.

 

It is really odd that we cannot find it on the web. I suspect it is some very specialized industrial device. The probes would be very interesting and perhaps even give us a clue.

It is interesting that there are two identical jacks for probes, not labeled as to which is which, so there ought to be two interchangeable probes.

 

It is really odd that we cannot find it on the web. I suspect it is some very specialized industrial device. The probes would be very interesting and perhaps even give us a clue.

It is interesting that there are two identical jacks for probes, not labeled as to which is which, so there ought to be two interchangeable probes.

The probe sockets are not totally identical (this would not have been obvious in my photos). One is a standard BNC and the other an 'F-type' connector. This would direct the appropriate connection of probes.

 

It might be used for searching for a specific type of signal in some frequency range. Unknown to us here. Some folks might call that dowsing.
And NO, it does not look like microwave waveguides. It does look like standard UHF construction techniques.
That second connector is not an "F" connector, it is called a "TNC" (THreaded Neil Counsilman) connector. Similar to a BNC (Bayonet Neil Counsilman) connector. Named after the creators quite a while back.

 

It might be used for searching for a specific type of signal in some frequency range. Unknown to us here. Some folks might call that dowsing.
And NO, it does not look like microwave waveguides. It does look like standard UHF construction techniques.

I'm totally ignorant in this area, so forgive me but is it possible that a signal (or beat frequency) was transmitted through one probe and the return signal used to determine 'doppler effect' Perhaps as a pipe or cable finder?

 

The probe sockets are not totally identical (this would not have been obvious in my photos). One is a standard BNC and the other an 'F-type' connector. This would direct the appropriate connection of probes.

Ah, I could not see that in the picture I was looking at. Expanding it a bit and I can see it. So there could be a transmit and receive connection.

 

I'm totally ignorant in this area, so forgive me but is it possible that a signal (or beat frequency) was transmitted through one probe and the return signal used to determine 'doppler effect' Perhaps as a pipe or cable finder?

Possibly. That guess is as reasonable as any, more logical than quite a few. Certainly now the exact application is less clear.
It might be that some of those folks on one of the forums relating to RF and microwaves may have a clue from looking at the images. Not sure how to do that, myself.

 

There are basically two kinds of metal detector, two coil and single coil, the dual version uses a TX & RX coil.
One other just posses one coil where it is hit with a single pulse and the rate of reflection is detected, when metal is detected, the reflected note changes or a 'ping' is heard..
Many of the DIY and lower end commercial units use this method.

 

Dowser may be a name,

How did "Diviner" become "Dowser"?

 

I see RF input and LO input in 1 of the photos, I'd guess that is a demodulator section. Hence, it doesn't look like a "dowsing" device.
then there is an IC part number SP5060, hence I googled away:
http://www.digchip.hk/stock-SP5060.html
https://www.elektronik.ropla.eu/pdf/stock/ple/sp5060.pdf
^ 2ghz fixed modulus frequency synthesiser
maybe this is the LO

lets just say that the LO is 2ghz (perhaps tunable?), and the 'center' section which has RF input and LO input, mixing this 2 signals would kind of give the difference frequency RF - LO, in effect this would be the demodulated signal? perhaps a receiver of some sort?

the 3 smaller dip 8 ICs reads AD548 JN
https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/AD548.pdf
Precision, Low Power BiFET Op Amp
it apparently has 1mhz unity gain bandwidth
perhaps 3 stages for more amplification?
one of the op amp seemed to drive what looks like a beeper?

for one thing all that metal "shielding" is pretty impressive lol

 

I see RF input and LO input in 1 of the photos, I'd guess that is a demodulator section. Hence, it doesn't look like a "dowsing" device

What would an electronic dowsing device look like?

 

What would an electronic dowsing device look like?

well, I don't know really lol
Wikipedia has a photo for the curious
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing#Equipment

 

Could it be an early portable MRI scanner (minus the powerful magnet), e.g. for use in a military field hospital to locate bullets/shrapnel in casualties? High frequency signals would presumably give greater resolution to the instrument?

 

Yep, the device in question does not look like a willow twig or two pieces of bent metal rod.

 

Could it be an early portable MRI scanner (minus the powerful magnet), e.g. for use in a military field hospital to locate bullets/shrapnel in casualties? High frequency signals would presumably give greater resolution to the instrument?

Interesting, the potentiometers are marked 'MOD '

 

Interesting, the potentiometers are marked 'MOD '

"Modulation"??