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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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17th Jun 2020, 10:28 am | #1 |
Nonode
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( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
Hi all,
In the March 1958 Practical Wireless, page 18, there's an article for a Super Sensitive Transistor Receiver, by Clive Sinclair. Presumably, this is THE Clive Sinclair? Cheers Aub Sorry if this has been discussed before
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17th Jun 2020, 10:38 am | #2 |
Octode
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
Most probably.
My former boss at a broadcast organisation worked with Clive Sinclair briefly when he was at the BBC, would have been early sixties. Said he was brilliant but never bothered to finish anything. |
17th Jun 2020, 10:53 am | #3 |
Octode
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
It's highly likely, early on he was quite well known as a writer in magazines, technical journals (while still at school he wrote his first article for Practical Wireless) and several books before he became so well known. e.g. Transistorised Test Equipment and Servicing Manual – 1 Jan. 1961
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17th Jun 2020, 10:53 am | #4 |
Nonode
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
I've heard that he wrote articles to a few radio and other technology magazines while he was getting Sinclair Radionics up and running.
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17th Jun 2020, 10:56 am | #5 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
He would have been 17 years old in March 1958.
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17th Jun 2020, 11:15 am | #6 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
I'm pretty certain it's him, I think I read he was selling kits and surplus components to his school friends
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17th Jun 2020, 12:04 pm | #7 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
He started as a technical author aiming at amateur publications... writing books for Babani. The well-advertised kits came later.
A boss I had told a tale that he was in Cambridge at some firm or another for an interview, and there was a lot of shouting and banging coming from the room above (a different firm) and the interviewers apologised 'That's Clive, he does a lot of that' I have no idea of the veracity of this tale, but it's stuck with me. David
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17th Jun 2020, 12:10 pm | #8 |
Octode
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
He's pictured on the front cover of a PW holding a tiny transistor portable with crystal earpiece plugged in. Early '60s I'd guess.
Graham
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17th Jun 2020, 12:13 pm | #9 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
I first came across Clive Sinclair's name when reading this booklet which was published in 1960:-
https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSH...e-Sinclair.pdf
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17th Jun 2020, 12:41 pm | #10 |
Octode
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
Yes, the very same Clive Sinclair.
There were several Bernard's books by him using MAT (Micro Alloy diffused Transistors) for example https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSH...e-Sinclair.pdf Even valve ones on making a radiogram.
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17th Jun 2020, 12:52 pm | #11 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
oooh and this one: https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Ber...o-Handbook.pdf
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17th Jun 2020, 2:53 pm | #12 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
Yes, it's him, I worked at Sinclair (Milton Hall, Cambridge) in the mid 80's and Clive would pop round have a look and ask questions etc. he knew (and probably still does) his electronics to the finest detail. A bit posh at first meeting but once talking electronics this all fell out of the window.
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17th Jun 2020, 4:33 pm | #13 |
Nonode
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
Thanks all. A fascinating man then. It always seemed to me that he was a good inventor but not a good businessman.
Cheers Aub
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17th Jun 2020, 4:45 pm | #14 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
On a few of his products there were some clever ways of achieving things with limited resources. Some of his marketing spin built up some items too much, especially when there was barely a working prototype on the test bench.
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17th Jun 2020, 4:51 pm | #15 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
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17th Jun 2020, 4:55 pm | #16 | |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
Quote:
Personal computer, ZX series, QL, Spectrum series Clamshell Laptop (well that didn't quite get there*, I was involved in the prototype) the Pandora PDA (nearly) the Z88 Electric vehicle, the first idea was a 50 mile range at 50MPH two person job, then the law changed allowing 250W motors unlicensed, guess what happened? Mobile 'phone (another nearly, involved in the telepoint system) Portable TV (now in the mobile 'phone) a few of those. *Not my fault! |
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17th Jun 2020, 5:00 pm | #17 | |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
Quote:
Sorry to rabbit on over a few posts but this has brought back so many happy memories. |
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17th Jun 2020, 5:12 pm | #18 |
Nonode
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
Sinclair products have their own reputations, but the significance of Clive Sinclair's company in the UK's 'Silicon Fen' tech revolution is much greater than many might imagine.
Once Sinclair started to build audio hardware around 1965, he hired one Chris Curry as his marketing/ technical partner. Chris Curry subsequently in the 1970s got together with Hermann Hauser and Andy Hopper to found Acorn Computers. Cutting a very long story short, Acorn subsequently became ARM, whose technology is now in practically every smartphone worldwide. On a personal note, my first job interview in Cambridge in 1975 was with Geoffrey King of Cambridge Recruitment Consultants, notorious for their rigorous psychological assessment regime. They were based in the old River Mill in St Ives which had been the Sinclair factory making, I understand, the original Sinclair calculators. In fact, I believe that cashflow from those burgeoning calculator sales had helped establish Geoffrey King's business. Martin
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17th Jun 2020, 5:22 pm | #19 |
Octode
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
I guess most people have seen 'Micro Men'?
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17th Jun 2020, 5:27 pm | #20 |
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Re: ( Sir ) Clive Sinclair ?
One of my school friends built one of those miniature FM radio kits circa 1960. No On/Off switch, you had to bend the switched contact of the skeleton earpiece jack so that it made when the earpiece plug was inserted, thereby turning the radio on. AFAIR it worked well, but we did live in a strong FM signal area. It seemed miraculous compared with the valve radios I was used to.
Last edited by emeritus; 17th Jun 2020 at 5:29 pm. Reason: Typos |