Artifact ID: Podracer power cell

It’s a hit!

I had written about this prop years ago, but that was really just noticing that the item Qui-Gon hands Anakin was the same as one in the Episode I Racer game:

Well, last week I decided to enlist the help of the prop hive-mind and posted a thread on the RPF seeking help in identifying this piece, and in a surprisingly rapid timeframe, one of the respondents had it pinned down!

It turns out the podracer power cell was actually a electrical time relay, model designation SZA 52-S, SZA 521 or SZB 52-S (at least – there are probably others). No longer produced, they were made in Germany by Schleicher and Wieland. I have been unable to find just when these were produced – if you know please drop a comment below!
This is a perfect time to point out that Schleicher produced many relay models that are designed along similar lines but not exact matches…any of them would make suitable powercell props, perhaps from an in-universe ‘competitor’ brand? Check out my earlier post on why ‘close enough props’ can be beneficial!

I hopped on eBay and found someone just a few counties away selling a pair of SZA52’s for a very reasonable price, so I snagged them for the in-universe artifacts display (my New Republic archeologist impression can always use more engagement manipulatives!).

Now what I have to figure out is what to do to make them look like the prop seen onscreen? I have some ideas, but that’s a question for a future post!
Do you have an obscure prop that’s begging to be identified? Let me know in the comments below, or come discuss with us at the SWLH facebook community! See you next week!

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