UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

ortek_service · 9th Dec 2022, 5:01 am

I got a ALS318A (NSA 1198 - CQYP95 ) BUBBLE MICRO INDICATOR RED NOS, back in Feb'21 from the USSR via a well-known auction site that said it was £11.68 inc. shipping. But I then discovered eBay were now adding 20% VAT to everything, irrespective of value, since the start of that year - Being made to collect the tax on behalf of the Government who'd made a rather unpublicised change to the previous tax exemptions limits.

So it cost rather more than that calculator did, even though it's a shame to have to raid it for that - but could always restore it, if you sudden found some more display cheap.
I must admit, back in the early 80's we'd even raid old calculators for the PP3 battery clip (well Tandy's charged quite a bit for not very good ones, and Maplin hadn't got any shps nearby yet) as they were rather thirsty on batteries compared to current LCD ones. And I built an audio amp into the case of an old Commodore Calculator PSU. But now these are getting much more desirable, then I'd try and restore these back to be complete / working order.

9th Dec 2022, 5:01 am	#15
ortek_service Octode Join Date: May 2018 Location: Northampton, Northamptonshire, UK. Posts: 1,444	Re: MK14 Display I got a ALS318A (NSA 1198 - CQYP95 ) BUBBLE MICRO INDICATOR RED NOS, back in Feb'21 from the USSR via a well-known auction site that said it was £11.68 inc. shipping. But I then discovered eBay were now adding 20% VAT to everything, irrespective of value, since the start of that year - Being made to collect the tax on behalf of the Government who'd made a rather unpublicised change to the previous tax exemptions limits. So it cost rather more than that calculator did, even though it's a shame to have to raid it for that - but could always restore it, if you sudden found some more display cheap. I must admit, back in the early 80's we'd even raid old calculators for the PP3 battery clip (well Tandy's charged quite a bit for not very good ones, and Maplin hadn't got any shps nearby yet) as they were rather thirsty on batteries compared to current LCD ones. And I built an audio amp into the case of an old Commodore Calculator PSU. But now these are getting much more desirable, then I'd try and restore these back to be complete / working order.