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The Disappearing Online Forum

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We had a wire recorder until reel-to-reel tape came around. First a single track Concorde (I think), later a twin track stereo Concorde then a Roberts four-track, with two speeds. That one taught me a lot about overdubs & voice-over audio techniques. Fond memories and great fun.
 
My father had the latest gadgets as fast as they came out. Webster Chicago wire recorder(try splicing broken wire), tape recorder, polaroid cameras. I posted earlier about his Atmos clock and drinking bird.
 
Yup. Mine as well. Between Radio Shack and Allied Electronics, not sure which got more of his cash. :smirk:
 
DrEntropy said:
Yup. Mine as well. Between Radio Shack and Allied Electronics, not sure which got more of his cash. :smirk:
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I might add Heath Kit to that list doc.
 
Basil said:
https://shop.heathkit.com/shop
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Oh wow.... I thought Heath Kit was long gone. Obviously someone bought the company or rights to the name.
I built this clock approximately 35 years ago!!!
IMG_2953.jpg
 
Basil said:
Wow, and you still have it? That's pretty amazing!
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Actually I still have the first model digital clock that Heathkit made and it is also still running. I'll post a pic later this morning.
 
When I was a kid (first childhood, not the current one ...), our favorite shopping place was the big Radio Shack and Tandy Leather stores down on University Drive in Fort Worth. I swear we were there at least once a week.

They got a microwave for the snack area in the mid '60s. Dad loved to sneak a piece of crumpled up aluminum foil into the microwave, then sit back and watch people as they tried to warm a sandwich. The microwave would seem to explode, people would scream and run around - and dad would laugh so hard tears would stream down his face. And us kids too.

TM
 
Gliderman8 said:
Actually I still have the first model digital clock that Heathkit made and it is also still running. I'll post a pic later this morning.
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Here you go Bas. This is the first digital Heatkit clock I built. This model includes the "seconds" count-up.
It has been running continuously for over 40 years!
IMG_2954.jpg
 
In the eighties I built a "breadboard" version of the Radio Shack LED clock (same "Micronta" circuitry as BomBoy's), put it in a clear plastic case to hang on a wall. Unfortunately I later cobbled parts of it to use in other "more important" projects when segments of a couple of the LED numerals went blank.
 
'lectronics - shmectronics. Too many quanta to worry about.

Here's my 1926 mechanical television (John Logie Baird design, using Nipkow scanning disk).

Televisor3.jpg

Super-duper high definition picture!

televisor1.jpg
 
Careful now... That probably is his upgrade! :smirk:
 
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I'm a member of another "old car" group that has a good setup for its web forum.

But most of the members have stopped using desktop/laptops, and moved to Smartphones; they find the forum setup tough (impossible?) to use on their phones.

So now, instead of answers to questions being something like "here in this photo I've circled the high speed idle screw, which the manual says to turn once clockwise", we get answers like "I don't have the manual with me, but I think you turn one of the big screws at the carb a couple times."

I spent almost six hours last night trying to help one guy on a paint code question. His attachments weren't showing up (some cell systems filter out certain file types), messages were getting delayed in his email system, other members were commenting on his questions after the answers were already given, comments were made about attachments that only some people could see but others couldn't, then the attachments would show up on some users' phones later than others, and round and round it went.

Good grief - that is frustrating. So much knowledge and resource lost, due to "convenience".

yeesh
ok - back to my cave
 
Tell them to buy an ipad, you can just about do anything on them that you can do on a computer and phone. Bought the wife one plus the keyboard cover and she won't use the lap top anymore. She loves this thing! They do come in more desirable colors. :encouragement:
View attachment 51814
 
Paul - thanks for the idea, but the problem is the club members just want a Smartphone to keep in their pocket all day. That way they get their calls, videos, web news etc. from "the cloud".

But the info they have in their paper manuals isn't on the Smartphone. Back in the ancient days, when we actually sat at a table and used our desktop/laptop, we had all the references available, or could easily scan and send copies. But if you're out and about, you don't have the references to scan.
 
Back when I first returned to my slot car hobby, I filed many of the emails that had information I wanted to keep, so I still at least have them on my hard drive. If the subject line was accurate, then I can still find the item. Some of the forums do not have good headings for the topics making research a bit difficult to find the right forum.
 
I don't think I ever had a wire recorder. But I still have two TEAC reel-to-reel decks (well....a third I guess is a Wollensak in a leather case if anybody wants it), one 8-track with tapes, many cassette decks...Heathkit, yes...including two (maybe three) o-scopes, one is vacuum tube and as big as a Tectronics 535, Hallicrafters tube shortwave receiver, RCA vacuum tube console, 8-tube in the Ford, all work...still.
 
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