Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

Hi,

First off, first time post, so hello to everyone

Secondly I was recommended this forum as I came across 4x tdec and 3x sdec prototype boards, I've been told they were the first of their kind...and that some people on here may have an interest in them?

I haven't a clue what they are worth...if anything. Can anyone advise a value?

I look forward to your replies

Shaun

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

I have no idea what they're worth, but I do remember the S-DeC being the foundation for a book called 'Adventures with Electronics' by Tom Duncan in the 1980s. They were quite readily available then, and even sold by people like RS for prototyping use. There was a plastic piece which slotted in to one edge which had three teardrop-shaped holes in, into which controls like potentiometers, switches and variable capacitors could be mounted. I think I've still got my S-DeC and I don't need another one at the moment :-)

Duncan's followup book, 'Adventures with Microelectronics', used a 0.1" pitch 'Verobloc' type prototyping board of the sort that's still popular today for Arduino projects and the like. I've still got that one too...

Chris

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

There was also a u-dek with an IC socket in the middle.
They all fitted side by side like Leggo bricks.

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

To be frank, they're not worth anything.

I've still got one somewhere if I haven't binned it, which I used decades ago to try (fruitlessly) to interest my two sons (now aged 49 & 53) in electronics.

Modern versions of S-Decs are used extensively - particularly with Arduino projects - for electronic solderless bread-boarding using 'jumpers'. If you do a google search for 'solderless breadboards' you'll get almost 2 million hits. E-Bay is awash with them - I won't give any, links so as to comply with forum rules, but typically here are a couple of descriptive examples on E-Bay:

1) Solderless Breadboard 400 Contacts Electronic PCB Test Bread Board 400 contacts. £1.00 post free 'Buy it Now' from China.

2) Arduino Breadboard Solderless Protoboard Test Board 400Contacts Tie Points. £1.20 plus 89p post Buy it Now from a UK seller.

There are countless others, some larger, some smaller.

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

I've got an S-Dec after getting the Tom Duncan book aforesaid for my seventh birthday.

I have seen them described as "A plastic box of frustration" and won't argue very loudly. They are easier to use than modern breadboards as there's more space between the holes, so less chance of shorts, but there are too few holes for anything beyond the most simple circuits; ones so simple I throw them together on Veroboard and avoid the problems of shorts and poor connexions.

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

They originally had gold plated contact strips, which was OK when new, now X number of years down the line, the gold has worn/fell off and made the once intermittent contacts permanantly bad.

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

I have both S-Dec and U-Dec.

On recently checking I found tht the contacts on the S-Dec had obviously become tarnished, and with the U-Dec I found one IC socket had some faulty contacts. On taking it apart I found very messy soldering with some OC terminals. I occasionally use them, but they can be more trouble than help. "A plasic box of frustration" seems an apt term!

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

Value as useful devices: zero.
For their 'vintage' interest: I'd buy them (although not for much!)

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

This brings back memories....

There were actually 4 breadboards (at least) in the series :

Sdec, which was for discrete components only and had quite widely spaced holes.

Tdec, which could take a single 16 pin DIL IC carrier or a pair of 10 lead metal can IC carriers in the middle. These carriers were little PCBs with pins fitted (not too well, I remember soldering them to the PCB to avoid bad contacts) and a suitable IC socket. I only ever had one 16 pin DIL one, and I wore out the socket, so I just soldered a new one to the PCB.

Udec A. Like the Tdec, the same size, and acutally much the same moulding. But with some of the contact strips cut in half and extra locating holes in the top plate so you could use twice as many IC carriers as with the Tdec (2 off 16 pin DIL, 4 off 10 lead metal, or 1 off 16 pin DIL and 2 off 10 lead metal).

Udec B. This had a pair of 16 pin DIL sockets built in, but was otherwise the same as the Udec A.

At one point I had the set of 4 Sdecs and a Tdec. I think I saw the Tdec the other day, no idea where the Sdecs are now. Probably at least one is still around somewhere...

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

I remember having a set of these [including the plastic upstand with the 3 teardrop-shaped holes for control-mounting] in the late-1970s - bought from Walton's in Wolverhampton.

They were OK for quick games with simple DC/audio-frequency stuff - indeed I used them to build some of the "Take 20" circuits from Practical Wireless. 2- or 3-transistor low-level audio amps, multivibrators, photocell light-sensors-that-triggered-a-relay.

Given that my interest was always more in the radio-frequency area the 'stray' inter-strip capacitances of sDeC etc. meant they had limited long-term appeal!

Re: Tdec and sdec prototype boards solderless breadboards
 

One post moved to a new thread here:-

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=144918.