Obsolete Technologies that baffle the modern generation.

[Sideband]

My eldest son was born in 1986. I used a 'traditional' Hi Fi system (CD player record deck separate amp and tuner). He would have been about 4 years old when he saw me take a vinyl LP out of its cover and put it on the turntable. With wide enquiring eyes he said 'That's a big CD Daddy'!

[kalee20]

How about a Vernier caliper?

Lots of people at work have calipers with digital readouts. If someone asks me if I have a "Vernier" that they can borrow for a couple of minutes, I hand it to them. They look baffled.

[ms660]

Knitting needle and some sheets of newspaper (firelighters) my daily chore when I got back from school.

Lawrence

[Station X]

I have both types. The great advantage of the digital one is that I can zero it at any point, say 0.5 inch. Then if I apply it to the work piece it will tell me how much material remains to be removed.

It can also be switched instantly between imperial and metric units. Very useful as I have machine tools with both imperial and metric leadscrews which I use with imperial and metric cutters. Saves having to use a calculator or work out things long hand.

Originally Posted by kalee20

How about a Vernier caliper?

Lots of people at work have calipers with digital readouts. If someone asks me if I have a "Vernier" that they can borrow for a couple of minutes, I hand it to them. They look baffled.

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by kalee20

How about a Vernier caliper?

And a dial-gauge.

[I have both - "Moore&Wright" brand, in a nice green-baise-lined wooden box dated 1937]

[trsomian]

The other thing about TV in days gone by were the strictly limited hours anything was broadcast - breakfast TV, not likely

[Junk Box Nick]

Originally Posted by kalee20

How about a Vernier caliper?

Slide rule anyone?

[Junk Box Nick]

To turn this on its head...

A few years ago it was time for a new mobile phone - the old one which came free with the contract was battered and worn out. I went to the shop of my contract provider to see what might be available - preferably free. The 14 year old (well he seemed about that age to me) sales assistant tried all sorts of tactics to try to get me to upgrade to a flashy handset (and more expensive contract)*.

One recommended model had a limited edition colour scheme as seen in some film or other ("this will impress your friends"), did this and that, and what's more "it will play all your music too".

I replied: "You mean I can play my LPs on that?!" The youth looked at me completely nonplussed.

*He failed.

[mark_in_manc]

I have a Polish friend about my age (early 40s) who has kids 4-14. His kids must have a particularly strange relationship with technology - as familiar with I-Pads etc as their classmates, yet with parents who grew up in an environment (70s-80s Poland) rather more similar to that of my own parents (40s-50s England), than my own upbringing.

My friend was telling me about the device they had at home when he was small for mains supply brown-outs - a step-*up* transformer with switchable taps, in-line with the supply to the flat. I guess one would have to have been alert to the shift-change at the nearest steel-plant, and switch it down quick to preserve the heaters in your radio valves!

[Station X]

I used my log tables, dated 1967, this very afternoon.

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

Slide rule anyone?

[vidjoman]

My other half was going through dozens of books last week and said "we don't need this book of log tables, it's got your name in it and dated as form 2B 1955". I had quite a struggle to stop it going to a charity shop. She gave in when I explained that most people wouldn't know what to do with them and it went back on the shelf, until the next time I need them. I can't actually remember when I last used the book, but that's another matter.

RPN calculator? My work one (new from HP a few years ago) never gets borrowed (for long). And the inch, we have a 30 year old 'CAD design engineer' (drawer of pretty 3D pictures, all coloured in too) who can't understand them.

Reading a paper map and using a compass. I do however like GPS, reading a map on a motorcycle is nigh on impossible.

[AndiiT]

Hi,
What an interesting thread! More interesting is that there is nothing in those Daily Telegraph photographs which used valves

My parents' never owned a television set till I was aged around seven years old (so that would be 1969) and, as it cost more to rent a telly with BBC2, we only had "5" (BBC1, Pontop Pike) and "8" (Tyne Tees, Burnhope) it wasn't until we owned a colour telly that BBC2 was available in our house.

My mother did all her washing in a Stella washing machine which has a wringer (mangle) that was always breaking down and as a result a stand alone Hotpoint spin dryer was eventually purchased from the local Co-op. Eventually these were replaced by a "Tates" Twin tub, which was just a re-badged Colston.

I have a Westminster radiogram nearly identical to the one that my parents owned and one of my younger friends and his mate, both in their early twenties, were enthralled when watching the autochanger in action - the same friend was amazed when I once mentioned to him that my mother did not have a fridge till I was around ten years of age, in 1972, and that she never owned an automatic washing machine till she moved in with my grandmother in their later years.

Andrew

[Alistair D]

Don't forget the one that was used by most if not all of those engineers that designed machines such as the Spitfire and Hurricane. The humble slide rule.

A long number of years ago I picked one up at a car boot sale and showed my wife how to use it. The seller had no idea what it was and was totally amazed at the calculations I could do without a calculator.

Al

[McMurdo]

I have alot of younger clients (dj's, band members etc) come to the workshop for the day job and the AVO 7 which is in daily use perched on top of the thurlby often attracts a 'WOW thats an old thing'. AT least I think they're on about the avo

[mark pirate]

Another piece of obsolete tech I have to explain to friends is Minidisc. I am amazed at how many people have never seen them before

I use it a lot, both at home and in my camper, far easier to change a Minidisc than a CD when driving, I never understand why it was not more popular?

Mark

[Biggles]

Not many younger folk can grasp the concept of the telly closing down at midnight after the National Anthem was ceremoniously played. Everything goes 24-7 nowadays. Also the thought of having no mobile phone signal can induce terror and disbelief in a lot of people. My kids are well used to seeing the insides of gadgets of all ages lying around so I would hope they would know what a valve was if someone asked them. They have never experienced a world without mobile phones.
Alan.

[Hybrid tellies]

I remember back in the mid 1980's I had some friends who came round to my flat and were totally stunned when I switched on my early 1970's Decca colour tv and it didn't come straight on, and the silence and look on their faces as they watched the picture gradually fill the screen after hearing the sound fade in. Transistorised colour tv's had been out for some years even that far back. I don't know what todays youngsters would make of my old Decca.

[Andrew2]

A good-quality slide rule is a thing of beauty. I remember when I attended the local Grammar in the 60's, some of the 6th formers had some beautiful ones, really sleek and attractive...ahem, to my eyes at least. I had to make do with one from Boots or somewhere.