Progress in electronics - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

'LIVEWIRE?' · 11th Jul 2019, 12:18 pm

It's a sobering thought, with this being the 50th. Anniversary of Apollo 11, that today there is probably more computing power in the average laptop or mobile phone than was available to NASA at the time of the 1st. Moon landing!

electronicskip · 11th Jul 2019, 2:40 pm

That's progress for sure.
I do remember that when the Sinclair ZX80 was being advertised that one of the key sales points was it had enough computing power to run a Power Station .
No idea if it was true however !

avocollector · 19th Jul 2019, 6:44 pm

I repaired stuff for a hobby from the age of 11 onwards when I got my first multimeter and soldering iron- books were great, valves were still king although transistors were coming in (1963ish). Managed to keep up through transistors then integrated circuits (digital and analogue) until smd's when you needed exotic things like heat guns etc. But recently you tube videos have sparked my interest in the latest smd stuff again and although I wear glasses, I can use a microscope happily enough. The great improvements IMHO have been the internet and you tube videos - it is rare you cannot get some ideas of the practicalities of doing a diagnosis/repair from them. Annoyingly I kept my Chinese made 1k per volt multimeter in good nick until the mid 90's when I loaned it to a now ex-friend who wanted to check his motorbike wiring - needless to say he managed to burn it out and returned it without telling me. Fortunately by then it was my backup but was infuriating to go for it one day and find it dead.

valvekits · 19th Jul 2019, 8:01 pm

My usual barber was out for the day so I let the apprentice have a shot. She was a little nervous so to give encouragement I mentioned that I was an apprentice TV engineer in my youth. She then asked me what a television engineer was as she had never heard of that one. I suppose that is a measure of progress in electronics.

Graham G3ZVT · 19th Jul 2019, 9:24 pm

I wasn't an apprentice, I was a "Junior Improver", which I suppose amounts to the same thing.

Refugee · 19th Jul 2019, 11:08 pm

I have a special "borrowers" meter with burned out ohms ranges that still function.
It usually comes back still working

11th Jul 2019, 12:18 pm	#21
'LIVEWIRE?' Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N.W. Oxfordshire(Chipping Norton) Posts: 7,306	Re: Progress in electronics It's a sobering thought, with this being the 50th. Anniversary of Apollo 11, that today there is probably more computing power in the average laptop or mobile phone than was available to NASA at the time of the 1st. Moon landing!

11th Jul 2019, 2:40 pm	#22
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Re: Progress in electronics That's progress for sure. I do remember that when the Sinclair ZX80 was being advertised that one of the key sales points was it had enough computing power to run a Power Station . No idea if it was true however !

19th Jul 2019, 6:44 pm	#23
avocollector Heptode Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Posts: 653	Re: Progress in electronics I repaired stuff for a hobby from the age of 11 onwards when I got my first multimeter and soldering iron- books were great, valves were still king although transistors were coming in (1963ish). Managed to keep up through transistors then integrated circuits (digital and analogue) until smd's when you needed exotic things like heat guns etc. But recently you tube videos have sparked my interest in the latest smd stuff again and although I wear glasses, I can use a microscope happily enough. The great improvements IMHO have been the internet and you tube videos - it is rare you cannot get some ideas of the practicalities of doing a diagnosis/repair from them. Annoyingly I kept my Chinese made 1k per volt multimeter in good nick until the mid 90's when I loaned it to a now ex-friend who wanted to check his motorbike wiring - needless to say he managed to burn it out and returned it without telling me. Fortunately by then it was my backup but was infuriating to go for it one day and find it dead.

19th Jul 2019, 8:01 pm	#24
valvekits Pentode Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Nottinghamshire, UK. Posts: 239	Re: Progress in electronics My usual barber was out for the day so I let the apprentice have a shot. She was a little nervous so to give encouragement I mentioned that I was an apprentice TV engineer in my youth. She then asked me what a television engineer was as she had never heard of that one. I suppose that is a measure of progress in electronics.

19th Jul 2019, 9:24 pm	#25
Graham G3ZVT Dekatron Join Date: May 2010 Location: Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 18,713	Re: Progress in electronics I wasn't an apprentice, I was a "Junior Improver", which I suppose amounts to the same thing. __________________ -- Graham. G3ZVT

19th Jul 2019, 11:08 pm	#26
Refugee Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK. Posts: 5,553	Re: Progress in electronics I have a special "borrowers" meter with burned out ohms ranges that still function. It usually comes back still working Attached Thumbnails