|
Three-Phase posted:TechMoan also has some amazing obsolete tech. Oddity Archive covers vintage media in general (both the software and hardware aspects). Here's a video on the VCR Rabbit which let you share (or "multiply") a single VCR with multiple TV sets (and possibly violate FCC Part 15 rules depending on your exact model...): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekJIM5T_A_g And here's a video on the failed DuMont TV network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5cuRmOXdZw EEVblog sometimes does vintage electronics teardowns and/or repairs. Here's a video (which I've posted in this thread before) where he tears down an analog "video still" camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H9xmJ9-7q0 Here's one where he tears down a mid-1990s non-linear video editing system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ayBKoxX9Eg EDIT: And how could I forget LGR (Lazy Game Reviews)? He mainly focuses on game reviews (a good mix of vintage and new) but he also does vintage hardware videos. Like this recent one where he sets up a new-in-box IBM PC AT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLy_jEbuY-U His "Oddware" series digs up some just plain weird vintage electronics, like the most impractical video game controller ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO89FPclQjk And his "Tech Tales" history series is great, like this one on the Osborne computer company (of "Osborne effect" infamy): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB1vrRFJI1Q Mr.Radar has a new favorite as of 05:20 on Mar 28, 2017 |
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 05:01
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 23, 2024 15:59 |
|
|
Mr.Radar posted:Oddity Archive covers vintage media in general (both the software and hardware aspects). Here's a video on the VCR Rabbit which let you share (or "multiply") a single VCR with multiple TV sets (and possibly violate FCC Part 15 rules depending on your exact model...): My aunt and uncle had these that they used probably in like 86-88 range when there was only one place in the house that cable came in (I assume it had to be run by the cable company, house probably built in the 50s). To broadcast TV all over the house. It was cool as poo poo at the time. I am almost sure it was that exact model that's he's talking about that was really rare because it was the wireless one. I can't remember if the VCR had a tuner...was that a thing that long ago? E: It also resulted in them losing their remotes all the time. Plinkey has a new favorite as of 05:31 on Mar 28, 2017 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 05:27
|
|
|
ReidRansom posted:I've been considering getting an amateur radio license lately, and I can't honestly understand why because it seems like such a pointless and outdated thing these days that just ends up costing a lot of money (to build a station) and then gathering dust, but for some reason I still want to. That's the biggest thing stopping me getting into ham radio as well. Sure, all the equipment is interesting, but what do you actually do with it? As far as I can tell, all you do is talk to other ham radio users. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but there's much more convenient ways to talk to people.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 06:23
|
|
|
Mr.Radar posted:Oddity Archive covers vintage media in general (both the software and hardware aspects). Here's a video on the VCR Rabbit which let you share (or "multiply") a single VCR with multiple TV sets (and possibly violate FCC Part 15 rules depending on your exact model...): Holy poo poo my parents had this! That's awesome. I want to say my dad used it for duplicating tapes as well, though in retrospect I imagine he would've just hooked two VCRs straight together via RCA Out on one to RCA In on the other...
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 06:49
|
|
|
1000 Brown M and Ms posted:That's the biggest thing stopping me getting into ham radio as well. Sure, all the equipment is interesting, but what do you actually do with it? Could you try running KA9Q NOS, or does nobody use AX.25 now? I seem to remember it seemed really cool running this multi-tasking program with TCP/IP under DOS, but I didn't actually have a radio, license, etc., just wanted to be on the Internet.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 07:17
|
|
|
Johnny Aztec posted:My grandfather did a lot of telephone work before he retired. He has like 8 or 10 of those things stashed somewhere.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 07:30
|
|
|
Dick Trauma posted:There are still vestiges of this around in the form of outside ringers at places like car lots, junkyards and the like. How do you know to answer a phone that doesn't have a ringer?
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 09:56
|
|
|
Sunswipe posted:How do you know to answer a phone that doesn't have a ringer? PA Announcement: "Sunswipe, please answer the white courtesy phone." At an airport or something.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 13:29
|
|
|
I always wanted a fire engine red phone with a light that blinks for incoming calls. http://www.redhotphones.com/egophones.html
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 13:58
|
|
|
Code Jockey posted:Holy poo poo my parents had this! That would have only worked until late 1980s, after that almost every VCR release had macrovision anti-piracy protection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiVo_Corporation#Analog_Copy_Protection_.28ACP.29 When that come out you needed some sort of stabilizer or external pass through decryption Fo3 has a new favorite as of 14:38 on Mar 28, 2017 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 14:35
|
|
|
1000 Brown M and Ms posted:That's the biggest thing stopping me getting into ham radio as well. Sure, all the equipment is interesting, but what do you actually do with it? As far as I can tell, all you do is talk to other ham radio users. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but there's much more convenient ways to talk to people. In case of emergency or if other infrastructure is down for some reason, I could see it being very useful, though that's a long way to go for emergency preparedness when an FRS/GMRS/CB would probably work for basic communication in that sort of scenario.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 14:40
|
|
|
ReidRansom posted:In case of emergency or if other infrastructure is down for some reason, I could see it being very useful, though that's a long way to go for emergency preparedness when an FRS/GMRS/CB would probably work for basic communication in that sort of scenario. Well, all those unlicensed bands are already semi-crowded and would be really bad when everyone gets out their walkie-talkie. In HAM radio you got fairly decent coordination, but more importantly you can choose from a wide range of frequencies.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 14:46
|
|
|
Guy Axlerod posted:PA Announcement: "Sunswipe, please answer the white courtesy phone." At an airport or something. Gotcha. I knew there was something obvious I'd missed. And now I need to watch Airplane! again.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 15:27
|
|
|
The fifth gen went to some weird places. Everybody smelled blood in the water towards the end of the SNES/Genesis era.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 15:47
|
|
|
whiteyfats posted:The fifth gen went to some weird places. Everybody smelled blood in the water towards the end of the SNES/Genesis era. I just cant believe someone looked at that jaguar controller and though "yeap! that's pretty good design!"
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 15:50
|
|
|
whiteyfats posted:The fifth gen went to some weird places. Everybody smelled blood in the water towards the end of the SNES/Genesis era. this would be nice with an overlay with number of millions units sold. edit: This is it: 
champagne posting has a new favorite as of 16:26 on Mar 28, 2017 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 15:51
|
|
|
Sunswipe posted:How do you know to answer a phone that doesn't have a ringer? I'm sorry, my brain wasn't working properly. I meant to say the phone didn't have a dial. So if it rang you could answer but not dial an outgoing call. There were phones without ringers for saving space as there would be a central ringer, or an outdoors one. A phone without a dial or ringer would have an even smaller case. An in-house phone could also be wired to automatically ring another phone when the handset was lifted up, like at a front gate or security door. So no need for a dial or ringer.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 16:19
|
|
|
SEKCobra posted:Well, all those unlicensed bands are already semi-crowded and would be really bad when everyone gets out their walkie-talkie. In HAM radio you got fairly decent coordination, but more importantly you can choose from a wide range of frequencies. Although I feel like even unlicensed band equipment is an uncommon enough thing these days that it would still be somewhat useful, yeah that is a tick in the HAM column.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 17:11
|
|
|
Elias_Maluco posted:I just cant believe someone looked at that jaguar controller and though "yeap! that's pretty good design!" It was a throwback to previous Atari systems that had button overlays. Games came with a plastic insert that you snapped on the controller that lad labels printed on them for each button function. It was the 1980s version of touchscreen game pads with dynamic button layouts, in a way.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 17:37
|
|
|
ReidRansom posted:Although I feel like even unlicensed band equipment is an uncommon enough thing these days that it would still be somewhat useful, yeah that is a tick in the HAM column. I think I showed a few pictures in this thread (or maybe the other tech relics thread, who knows) but QSL cards are a pretty sweet perk of ham radio, my dad has a bunch from some crazy spots, like countries that don't exist anymore, anthropology students literally setting up an antenna in the middle of the veldt, Guantanamo Bay, Antarctica, etc.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 17:43
|
|
|
Sunswipe posted:How do you know to answer a phone that doesn't have a ringer? Ask Kraftwerk.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 17:45
|
|
|
I've worked around some ancient electrical equipment like electromechanical protective "relays" - clockwork mechanisms that measure current and power and switch electrical equipment off if there's a problem. A lot of that has been replaced with solid-state relays that have microprocessors. But some of the old ones are pretty wild. Also you and I are friends now Mr. Radar.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 18:07
|
|
|
Jesus, I knew the Saturn basically flopped everywhere but Japan, but had no idea it failed that hard compared to the PSX and the N64. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 18:18
|
|
|
Lowen SoDium posted:It was a throwback to previous Atari systems that had button overlays. Games came with a plastic insert that you snapped on the controller that lad labels printed on them for each button function. Ok, makes sense. It still looks like and ancient calculator The last 3 consoles Ive never even heard of, and I grew up in the 80/90s
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 18:23
|
|
|
Kelp Me! posted:I think I showed a few pictures in this thread (or maybe the other tech relics thread, who knows) but QSL cards are a pretty sweet perk of ham radio, my dad has a bunch from some crazy spots, like countries that don't exist anymore, anthropology students literally setting up an antenna in the middle of the veldt, Guantanamo Bay, Antarctica, etc. I always wanted to collect QSL cards and do the cliche pins on a map connected by thread of all my contacts cliche thing.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 18:29
|
|
|
Elias_Maluco posted:Ok, makes sense. It still looks like and ancient calculator Yeah what's that weird one on the bottom left?
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 18:33
|
|
|
Arivia posted:Yeah what's that weird one on the bottom left? The PC FX. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-FX NEC's successor to the PC Engine/Turbografix 16. I don't believe it was released in the US. Apple's Pippin from the lower right wasn't.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 18:36
|
|
|
Wacky Delly posted:The PC FX. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-FX Kinda like a predecessor to the Steam console huh
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 18:41
|
|
|
Unperson_47 posted:I always wanted to collect QSL cards and do the cliche pins on a map connected by thread of all my contacts cliche thing. I think if he tried the map/pins thing it would collapse since he has like a big filing cabinet stuffed full of them; he's been actively doing that stuff for like 45 years now.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 19:00
|
|
|
YeahTubaMike posted:I got really bored and set up Alpine on my work computer. It's fun to use sometimes. I only wish there were an AIM/chat client that used the terminal so I could look like I was working more. BitlBee and any IRC client, or Finch.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 19:08
|
|
|
Dick Trauma posted:I'm sorry, my brain wasn't working properly. I meant to say the phone didn't have a dial. So if it rang you could answer but not dial an outgoing call. There were phones without ringers for saving space as there would be a central ringer, or an outdoors one. A phone without a dial or ringer would have an even smaller case. An in-house phone could also be wired to automatically ring another phone when the handset was lifted up, like at a front gate or security door. So no need for a dial or ringer. That makes even more sense. Thanks. whiteyfats posted:Jesus, I knew the Saturn basically flopped everywhere but Japan, but had no idea it failed that hard compared to the PSX and the N64.  Just glad I saw which way the wind was blowing by the time I was actually buying a new console.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 19:11
|
|
|
I remember the Saturn having some weird loving commercials in the US.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 19:20
|
|
|
Sunswipe posted:That makes even more sense. Thanks. I kinda saw how the wind was blowing when the Sega CD/32x, both obviously bad ideas, failed, with the 32x not even really given a chance to succeed. Combine that with the terribly designed Saturn hardware, and I guess the scared all the developers off.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 19:21
|
|
|
whiteyfats posted:I kinda saw how the wind was blowing when the Sega CD/32x, both obviously bad ideas, failed, with the 32x not even really given a chance to succeed. Combine that with the terribly designed Saturn hardware, and I guess the scared all the developers off. ... I briefly had a 32X. drat, I was so nearly a Sega fanboy.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 19:26
|
|
|
whiteyfats posted:I guess the scared all the developers off. Launching months ahead of schedule unnanounced will do that, yeah.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 19:29
|
|
|
Wacky Delly posted:The PC FX. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-FX Yeah even if it had been released in the US (which it wasn't) they would have redesigned the case like they did with the original PC Engine, so people still wouldn't have recognized it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 19:40
|
|
|
FilthyImp posted:Launching months ahead of schedule unnanounced will do that, yeah. And don't forget not releasing developers tools so companies were having to write in Assembly, while the PSX was in C++, I believe.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 20:09
|
|
|
ReidRansom posted:Although I feel like even unlicensed band equipment is an uncommon enough thing these days that it would still be somewhat useful, yeah that is a tick in the HAM column. I'm not sure about the US, but PMR446 is something you can go 'scanning' with any old end device and you can be certain that you'll pick something up on channel 1 within no time. Hell, I had people randomly braodcasting music on there. CB is also filled with truckers and some diehards who don't want to become hams and just transmit with thousands of Watts. In my country you also get a lot of interference from Russia.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 20:34
|
|
|
Lowen SoDium posted:It was a throwback to previous Atari systems that had button overlays. Games came with a plastic insert that you snapped on the controller that lad labels printed on them for each button function.  It is as terrible to use as you'd imagine, particularly in comparison with the Atari's stock controller, which is basically a nearly-indestructable dpad joystick and a single button.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 21:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 23, 2024 15:59 |
|
|
Sunswipe posted:... I briefly had a 32X. drat, I was so nearly a Sega fanboy. I had a Genesis with wireless IR controllers and a Sega CD.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2017 21:23
|
|
