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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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7th Dec 2018, 5:57 pm | #21 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,748
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
As a boy I was always tasked with unscrewing the dozen 20 volt bulbs and testing them on my Tri-ang trains transformer.
More recently I restored two sets of these lights for use at a museum, but I used the lampholders from a scrap set to make them into 15-light sets, which are bright enough for the window display with hopefully much longer life. Phil
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7th Dec 2018, 6:38 pm | #22 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Spalding, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Posts: 2,859
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
I remember a Christmas day afternoon using my home brew am tx and calling CQ on top band for ages and ages, with no replies. Just the "fishfone" to listen to, exchanging all the loved ones greetings. Then a kindly local old timer very briefly made contact to tell me it was most unlikely anyone would be on the air at all that afternoon as all were too busy doing other things. For a fifteen year old having held a callsign less than a week, that was a big disappointment to me. Never mind, I would be 16 the very next day!
Rob
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7th Dec 2018, 7:06 pm | #23 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
Wasn't having birthday and Christmas so close together a bit of a downer on the presents side? Lots of scope for 1+1= only slightly bigger 1......
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7th Dec 2018, 7:45 pm | #24 |
Heptode
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Duffort, Gers, France
Posts: 714
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
Ah yes, I remember my first Lego light brick. I had great fun with it making things light up. I also had a one-valve record player which I still have although I can't remember the make and it's too cold to go and have a look (Alba?). Then someone gave me a Dansette transistor radio as a Christmas present. Must have been one of the first pocket-sized transistor radios. Full of AF117s. I still have it here on the shelf. Maybe one day I'll put a battery in it and see what happens. It hasn't been used for getting on for 50 years. Later on I got a Philips Radio Engineer (is that what it was called?). I still have that as well, along with the Interphone Engineer.
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7th Dec 2018, 8:47 pm | #25 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Mansfield, Notts, UK.
Posts: 77
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
Earliest memory at about 5yrs of age is a set of Pifco 12 fairy lights which every year always had at least one solder connection that had come adrift. These were bought to go on my grandparents small tree that until then had small candles at the end of the branches which were only lit on Christmas eve. No fire risk there then !!!!!. When I was around 8yrs old in 1958 I was given a house Advent calendar. I fitted an old torch bulb to light it up. It has come out every year since although my grandchildren are not impressed as they always ask where the chocolate goes !!!!
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I think I have repaired this radio beyond repair !! |
7th Dec 2018, 10:56 pm | #26 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Royal Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 471
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
A tradition we (I) appear to have influenced in recent times (past eight years), picking a vintage set from our small collection, tuning into Christmas merriment with the fire a-glow, something festive in a glass and gift wrapping in subdued lighting.
Even the youngsters appear to enjoy the mood, 50Hz hum and occasional crackle/fade. Who knows, they may cheerfully reminisce about me & my old radios when they're parents ... Mark |
8th Dec 2018, 8:19 pm | #27 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 2,074
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
We didn't bother very much with a fuss over Christmas till we had a daughter. When she became old enough to be aware of all the paraphenalia associated with the festive season one Christmas eve she said 'Daddy have you got some Christmas music we could play?' I am afraid to say the best I could do was 'There's no lights on the Christmas tree mother - they're burning Big Louie tonight!' by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band !! She looked a bit bemused by it........but it has since become a tradition to play it!
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8th Dec 2018, 10:50 pm | #28 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Barnstaple, N.Devon, UK.
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
Roj, I just had to say that is probably the best laugh I have ever had at a post on here . I do like a bit of Alex Harvey too.
I will add that to my christmas essential listening this year. Thanks for that and Merry Christmas. David. |
9th Dec 2018, 12:32 am | #29 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 2,074
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
Old Alex was a bit of a one-off, wasn't he. I loved the way he took Jaques Brel's rather arch, sophisticated post-war 'Next' and gave it the punch it merited.
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'....don't go mistaking Paradise for that home across the road!' (Bob Dylan) |
9th Dec 2018, 1:15 am | #30 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Barnstaple, N.Devon, UK.
Posts: 557
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
Yeah, a friend got me into him after seeing him on the OGWT.
A year or two later we were offered the chance to go see him in Bristol as a friend of a friend had two spare tickets. Our parents weren't keen as we didn't know the people we would have been going with so it didn't happen. Not many years later he was dead and I always regret not going. A bit OT. Feel free to delete. David. Last edited by teetoon; 9th Dec 2018 at 1:27 am. |
9th Dec 2018, 1:20 am | #31 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Tintinara, South Australia, Australia
Posts: 2,340
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
The swapping of bulbs to find the dud one is still happening, just went through the process setting up the Christmas tree for the Men's Shed.
Mention of the orange juice outside to freeze reminds me of when we lived in West Wickham in the early 60's. The path from the front gate to the front door was so long, the milkman would leave the milk half way along the path and our job was to go and retrieve it in the morning. It was always frozen and pushed the cap off or the wildlife got to it first, which didn't seem to matter in our house. Scraped the top off and used it anyway. |
9th Dec 2018, 11:59 am | #32 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,560
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
I can clearly remember being able to buy rubber or plastic caps, which you left out for the milkman to put on the tops of your bottles as he delivered them. Their sole purpose was to stop thieving little Blue-Tits from breaking the foil tops.
Nowadays we'd much rather suffer that minor loss than see them starve to death in the cold. |
9th Dec 2018, 12:52 pm | #33 |
Octode
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,723
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Re: Festive vintage technology traditions/memories.
My first experience of Health and safety was at Christmas. As a keen 7 year old thought that paper chains between two pendant lights in the classroom would look nice. Can’t remember how I got up that high. Anyway when the teacher returned I had to take them down as she considered it was unsafe.....
....good job since they were bare 200 watt bulbs with just a green metal shade above. On all the time during most of the year. Peter |