Retro Cool Technology

[Urwumpe]

That is really cool. I am guessing that without some sort of clutch mechanism there is no way to keep the engine going once you stop at a traffic light, though. Kind of a design flaw lol.

The description sounds does like it was intentional. The engine needed to be restarted after a stop, but the bike was designed as the 1920s equivalent of a modern superbike, feeling more at home on the race track. Once the engine was running, it was the best engine of its time with 14 HP and a very low weight.

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NTRS is really full of some historic treasures, if you just ask it:

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19800018803.pdf

:blink:

EDIT: And some pages further....Hell yeah, the ZR-3 Los Angeles:

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930086540.pdf

 

[Artlav]

Were there even traffic lights in the 20s?
Much less on the roads between cities, where such a contraption is likely to be used?

 

[Urwumpe]

Were there even traffic lights in the 20s?
Much less on the roads between cities, where such a contraption is likely to be used?

Yes. Berlin, 1925, at the Potsdam Square:

The first traffic light in history was installed in Cleveland, USA, in 1914.

 

[dbeachy1]

Commodore 64 Is Still Being Used to Run an Auto Shop in Poland

We need to learn a lesson about needless consumerism from this auto repair shop in Gdansk, Poland. Because it still uses a Commodore 64 to run its operations. Yes, the same Commodore 64 released 34 years ago that clocked in at 1 MHz and had 64 kilobytes of RAM. It came out in 1982, was discontinued in 1994, but it’s still used to run a freaking company in 2016. That’s awesome.

The full article is here.

 

[Andy44]

Oh man, part of me really misses monochrome screens with green on black text. I still set up my terminal windows and text editors to look like that at work, so much easier on the eyes. Can't say I want to ever go back to faded low-res CRTs though, except for the occasional retro nostalgia project.

 

[dbeachy1]

I know what you mean! For monochrome monitors, I love the amber monochrome monitors the most. :tiphat:

 

[dbeachy1]

Too cool!

 

[Andy44]

Researchers restore the first ever computer music, made in Alan Turing's lab.

Listen to it here:

https://soundcloud.com/guardianaustralia/first-ever-recording-of-computer-music

Story:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/26/13058638/listen-to-first-ever-computer-generated-music

 

[Artlav]

Nixie tubes, being made again:

 

[Andy44]

Techmoan strikes again with his HP watch:

 

[MaverickSawyer]

 

[Fabri91]

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Oscilloscope Music - Pictures from Sound - YouTube

Now I want to see what the THX "Deep Note" looks like on an oscilloscope. :lol:

 

[Fabri91]

I bet it shows as a THX logo. :lol: It has been seared into my memory forever thanks to Need for Speed: Underground 2.

 

[Notebook]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38252232

A YouTuber has recreated the Atari 2600 games console - by building a virtual version of the device's hardware out of Minecraft blocks.
Seth Bling, from Seattle, described his project online in a video.
The ones and zeroes used by computers as the basis for all programming are represented by alternating blocks - either dirt or stone.

 

[Andy44]

This is my old tube radio:

I'm pretty sure it was refurbished, as the paint on the metal case is nice and fresh and that handle on top doesn't look stock to me. But it works fine.

So yesterday the dial light on this radio stopped working, so I decided to open it up and replace the bulb.

Some things I found out:

It's an RCA radio with a number on the sticker. Googling this number doesn't yield much info. Id like to figure out when this thing was made and what the model number is if possible. Will have to keep digging.

This is a classic "All American 5" design, common from the 30s onward, which uses 5 vacuum tubes (aka valves) and uses no power transformer, resulting in cheaper construction and less weight. The implication of this is that the chassis is directly connected to one prong of the AC wall power socket, which means touching any metal part of this radio while it's plugged in is dangerous.

Looking more closely at the inside of the case, I now see that it is not metal as I had previously thought, but is actually some kind of hard plastic, possibly Bakelite, which makes it safe to handle when plugged in, except for the heads of the screws that mount the chassis to the bottom of the shell. The metal handle is not electrically connected to anything.

The lightbulb is a common "number 47" type which can be found all over the internet, so I ordered a replacement which should be here soon.

The old capacitors will need to be replaced someday, I am thinking. The entire thing is hand-wired, with no printed circuit boards in sight. The variable tuning capacitor is very cool.

 

[Notebook]

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mag-lev-audio-the-first-levitating-turntable-vinyl#/

Retro-ish...!

I'll have to get my gold-plated phono connectors, and oxygen-free cables out.

N.

 

[Andy44]

Very nice film showing how RCA made records in the 1950s. Very cool old recording electronics and factory vinyl-pressing machinery.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otR-MGsmCeE"]Sound And The Story - 1956 RCA Victor Vinyl Records Educational Documentary - WDTVLIVE42 - YouTube[/ame]

---------- Post added 12-16-16 at 12:22 AM ---------- Previous post was 12-15-16 at 02:20 AM ----------

Well, the new light bulb for my radio arrived today, so time to install it and get her running again.

Here you can see the new bulb installed in the socket above the dial. Behind the dial you can very clearly see the blades of the variable capacitor tuner.

I put it back in the casing, plugged it in and switched it on. Light came on but no sound. Uh oh, what'd I do now!

Opened it back up and noticed an old wire shorted to the chassis. This old wiring has brittle, crumbling insulation. It really needs to be replaced soon. But for now, a bit of electrical tape will do the trick.

Back together, powered up, and running like a champ again:

This radio is borderline dangerous until I get that wiring replaced, so I will have to be extra careful with it until then, but it is once again functional and will go back in regular service receiving news and weather and maybe some talk radio now and then. I have basic soldering skills, so if I get the time I might do it myself.

Also visible in that shot is my old Simpson 260 multimeter which I got from a surplus sale somewhere. Never mind that digital stuff, real test equipment has needles!

 

[Notebook]

Just what you need for your vinyl collection?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pinkdonut/rokblok-a-new-spin-on-vinyl

N.

 

[Andy44]

Just what you need for your vinyl collection?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pinkdonut/rokblok-a-new-spin-on-vinyl

N.

That looks pretty cool, but I notice that none of the photos or videos show the part of the device that comes into contact with the vinyl, which raises alarm bells in my head.

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For some retro type stuff that isn't really retro, check this out:

https://www.gramovox.com/