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Homebrew Equipment A place to show, design and discuss the weird and wonderful electronic creations from the hands of individual members. |
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24th Sep 2019, 4:46 am | #21 |
No Longer a Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia.
Posts: 2,679
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
I did the same thing with a small camera VDU, more or less, back in the early 1980's, but mine was more Blake's 7 inspired, at least at the time I thought so:
http://worldphaco.com/uploads/ORAC.pdf |
26th Sep 2019, 6:36 am | #22 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Northampton, Northants, UK.
Posts: 380
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
@Argus25 That's really impressive, especially for the time you did it!
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26th Sep 2019, 1:00 pm | #23 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia.
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
Quote:
At the time too it did seem that quite a few people were impressed with it. Still it would not have been possible without the miniature Japanese made camera VDU, so I rode on their coat tails. At that time surface mount components had only just started to turn up in commercial electronic equipment, making that sort of miniaturization possible. I remember hand etching the pcb with ferric chloride. I'm glad I put the date on the pcb artwork. It is easy to forget when you did something. Now I look at it I can hardly believe myself that I made it 36 years ago, and yet it still looks kind of modern. Except for the CRT of course, which has rapidly become ancient history as a display technology, sadly, because in many ways a good CRT is hard to beat. |
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26th Sep 2019, 4:27 pm | #24 |
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Bridgnorth, Shropshire, UK.
Posts: 787
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
I am in awe of your miniature telly.
Most certainly a thing of beauty I wouldn't know where to start with the RF/IF circuitry. Talking of Orac: did it inspire the Oric computer? |
26th Sep 2019, 6:10 pm | #25 | ||
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,723
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
Quote:
Grease, Olivia N-J and all that?
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26th Sep 2019, 7:57 pm | #26 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Bridgnorth, Shropshire, UK.
Posts: 787
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
I once tried making a Predicta out of one of those Chinese mini tellies. It didn't work; the tube is just not in the right proportions (far too deep). A miniature mirror lid telly is a possibility though...
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27th Sep 2019, 1:18 am | #27 |
No Longer a Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia.
Posts: 2,679
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
Oric eh ? I had to look that up, I had not heard of Tangerine Computer systems, interesting! Maybe it was the inspiration, a little akin to IBM-#### (4 digits typically, like IBM-5155 computer) and HAL-9000. H>I, A>B, L>M, even though I think they denied it. Its the old excuse: "The subliminal messages made me do it"
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27th Sep 2019, 1:26 am | #28 | |
No Longer a Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia.
Posts: 2,679
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
Quote:
The Predicta was an interesting item of industrial design, but I don't think it would make them easier to service, I have never actually laid eyes on one, except for photos. |
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27th Sep 2019, 5:28 am | #29 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,894
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
I'm keeping an eye out for a triangular LCD so I can skip the Predicta and go straight to the interocitor.
David
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Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
27th Sep 2019, 5:44 am | #30 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Northampton, Northants, UK.
Posts: 380
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Re: Orton PIC video clock
I remember in the computer magazines at the time the Oric was launched it was explicitly stated that the inspiration came from Blake's 7, changed to "Oric" for obvious trademark/copyright reasons.
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