I am so old I remember........
- Thread starter tyeeslayer
- Start date
1970's Fan
Super Member
People getting exited about hand held calculators and before that it was slide rules. Single glazed windows freezing in the winter and the icy patterns they had on them. Coke (the coal with the gas removed) my father was a caretaker at the community centre and we lived upstairs. In the winter, he would go down to the boiler room and return with a shovel of amber-glowing coke and it saved lighting the fire. It also made great toast. Watching the clothes being put through the ringer and thinking the shirts were like flattened people as seen in cartoons.
LED digital wrist watches, you had to press a button to show the time ! - at first they were £2000 then £500 - then the prices dropped to around £200 - my friend bought one. It seemed like a few months only before LCD watches (with their permanent display and reduced battery consumption) were out there, the value of my friends £200 watch fell through the floor. And the next thing, they were giving LCD watches away FREE at petrol (gas) stations. The timeline above might be a bit muddled - but that's what it seemed like at the time, Oh - and 'I' still haven't got a 'digital' watch - electronic yes - but not digital. 
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rnorton
Super Member
My first radio...
THAT is too cool. Does it still work?
That is a Googled image of one like I had. That was back in the early 60s. It's long gone now. It probably would work though. It was a "Crystal Radio". No batteries. I'm sure someone here could explain how it worked but not me! It was magic!
rnorton
Super Member
Oh. I thought it was a transistor radio. I used to make crystal sets when I was 8 or so. Coils wound on toilet paper tubes, variable caps salvaged from scrap radios, 1N34A diodes. Never was too impressed with the results. However, a Knight Space Spanner Super-Regenerative kit that I built when I was 10 was wonderful. Wish I still had it.
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My first radio...
I had a similar radio it was in the shape of a sputnik ypre satellite
it was a promotional item from Richfield oil (later became Arco) for ther gas stations.
We were easily amused then we didn't need (or have ) $300.00-$500.00 (or more) iPads and
smartphones I don't know how we survived.
We actually had to talk to people to interact then rather than tweet or text .
Closest thing to texting back them was amature radio morse code
and for that you needed at least a short wave radio receiver to listen or a receiver and transmitter to communicate ,an amature radio station licence from the government FCC and also to understand morse code .
You actually had to work and study to pass the test for that privlidge.in addition to obtaining (or in some cases building ) the necessary equipment.
Instead of collecting text messages and receiving phone pictures we collected QSL cards.
web photo
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Tapehead47
Addicted Member
Nope, Sandy. Guess I ain't That Old!! ;>}
charles 1973
Super Member
I remember the Radio in my First Car. A 1970 Cutlas S Coupe. I had one of those FM Converter Boxes screwed under the Dash. The Ones with the Green Glowing Dial. I bought a $5.00 6 x9 Speaker and put a Fader between the Front 4 x 10" Dash Speaker and the Rear 6 x 9. I thought it was so cool at the time.
In my House we had a UHF Adapter for the 23" B & W Console TV to pick up Channel 50 here in the Windsor/Detroit Area. We had a Big Suitcase style Record Player with a BSR Changer and a Tube Amp Inside. It actually sounded pretty Darn good.
In my House we had a UHF Adapter for the 23" B & W Console TV to pick up Channel 50 here in the Windsor/Detroit Area. We had a Big Suitcase style Record Player with a BSR Changer and a Tube Amp Inside. It actually sounded pretty Darn good.
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1970's Fan
Super Member
That was enjoyable but I'd imagine she'd not get very far on America's got talent (after she stepped out of the time machine) if Simon Cowel was the judge. My wine glass has "gone for a burton"
BadassBob
Digitally rendered
Also, I can remember when folks in my neighborhood would shut off the lights & tell us to be quiet when a thunderstorm passed over.
Rome
You forgot to mention to stay away from the TV, because it may explode
Rome
Holsum Honey Buns
You forgot to mention to stay away from the TV, because it may explode
Dang it, Bad!
Yea, those old folks were something else! :thmbsp:
Rome
truetone36
electronics packrat
And of course the Fuller Brush salesman.
