Retro tech

Leela25 · Global Moderator

RE: Retro tech

retroistic · Veteran Member - Level 2

I would hardly call it hoarding considering that the rest of the house is very clean and organized. Even his trailer has coherent organization with all of the stuff in it. Looks like a normal, proud collector showing off his prized possessions like any other. Though granted, stuff like this takes up lots of space and it definitely shows with some of the other rooms.

Travis, based on things you've said in the video, I take it you live with your parents? I can't help but express my curiosity how they feel about your collections.

Leela25 · Global Moderator

Well living with parents could be why its mostly neat. :/

Srry Stingy I don't mean to get too much into your personal life and I'm only jesting about the hoarding thing. (I heard you say it in the vid and thoight Id add on it)

Pepper · Veteran Member - Level 3

Someone's really into horses...

Stingray · Administrator

Leela25 wrote:
Srry Stingy I don't mean to get too much into your personal life and I'm only jesting about the hoarding thing. (I heard you say it in the vid and thoight Id add on it)

It's okay. I thought it was funny.

retroistic wrote:
Travis, based on things you've said in the video, I take it you live with your parents? I can't help but express my curiosity how they feel about your collections.

I live with just my mother at the moment. She's fine with it as long as I'm organized about it (which I usually am), and she thinks the stuff I find is pretty cool too.

I should clarify that most of the things that are boxed up in my room are like that because we planned on moving a long time ago, but it never happened. Once I get a bigger place in the future, on my own, things will look less piled-up.

Pepper wrote:
Someone's really into horses...

*nicker-whinny-snort*

Stingray · Administrator

This message posted using the iMac G3. I was able to hack it and create a new administrative account and set up a network connection by connecting locally with my laptop via ethernet cable and bridging the connection to my wi-fi.

(Though I'm sure you'd be more impressed if I got those older machines online, but it's a start...)

retroistic · Veteran Member - Level 2

If you have the latest version of whatever pre-installed browser compatible to the specs of the machine it's really no surprise that you are able to render most modern webpages with it, but with only a gig or less of RAM don't expect it to be as streamlined as your laptop.

-- Edited by retroistic on Friday 30th of January 2015 08:04:29 AM

Leela25 · Global Moderator

Stingray wrote:
connecting locally with my laptop via ethernet cable and bridging the connection to my wi-fi.

Gamers do this all the time when hooking up older consoles to the internet. Network bridges are easy to set uo.

Stingray · Administrator

Funny you should say that, I recently got my PS2 and original Xbox online using that method. Unfortunately their respective services have been discontinued. There's user-based services now, but I'm too busy/lazy to figure them out.

--

1. Old Super 8 film editor.

2-3. Broken Lloyds radio. Someone was foolish enough to leave this poor thing out in the rain and sun for years until it became... this.

4-8. I gutted the radio for useful parts and threw the rest away. In the process I expanded my vacuum tube collection (yay!).

Stingray · Administrator

1. Sears LXI series clock-radio/cassette player.

2. Sony CFS-B11 boombox. I've had this since I was a kid.

3-4. 1983 JVC R-K11 stereo.

5. WebTV... my very first introduction to the internet as a kid.

6-7. Container of 3½-inch floppy disks. I've also had these since I was a kid.

8-9. 100MB ZIP-100 disk.

10-15. Container of 5¼-inch floppy disks.

16. Vibration protector for 5¼-inch floppy drives.

jrbirdman · Veteran Member - Level 1

Just remember Sting, I'm moving in soon so make way for all my things lol. :p

Stingray · Administrator

Oh man, I forgot to update this thread with all the other stuff I've found. I'll do it later.

On a side note, I was talking with Malcolm J. Brenner on Facebook a while back and I told him about my adventure with the iMac G3, to which he responded with being able to get online with a Commodore 64. Now THAT'S damn impressive.

retroistic · Veteran Member - Level 2

I don't think he was talking about loading normal IPv6 because that is impossible due to the hardware limitations on the C64. He must have been referring to BBSs and other primitive webpages or protocols that are still up right now. "Online" message boards existed before the internet we know today. It's really not that hard to do if you have the right tools.

Stingray · Administrator

1-4. I can't believe that I had this for all these years and completely forgot. I suppose that's due to it being boxed up and left in a closet back when I had no concept of value, thus allowing it to slip from my memory. When the adult retro-tech-loving me opened the box out of idle curiosity, you can imagine how it felt to discover it.

This is the original Atari Video Computer System (VCS) CX2600A of the 1980-82 era, before it was rebranded as the Atari 2600. As you can see it came with 12 controllers, a Video Touch Pad, original owner's manual, lots of game cartridge manuals, and exclusive mini-comics that I suppose came with specific games. Unfortunately, I don't have any of the games. cry

5. 1976 National Semiconductor Adversary pong console. I found this in the same box that the Atari 2600 was in. Doesn't seem to work, though.

6. "PSone", a later "slim" variant of the first Playstation model.

7. External Iomega ZIP-100 drive. I goofed and inserted one of my Zip disks before discovering that it needed its own power cord to run (something it didn't come with when I got it). I thought the cord plugged into the XP desktop I was using would be enough... Shame on me for thinking it would be like a plug-and-play USB type of thing, lol.

8-9. More Zip disks, with different color options.

10. Bob Seger 8-track.

11-13. 1984 Dyna-Tone PL05B portable TV/radio with VHF/UHF coaxial converter attached to the respective screws, so I could input feeds directly from other devices like on my Sampo TV.

14. 1986 guidebook for using the Microsoft BASIC programming language.

Leela25 · Global Moderator

Ok the mini comics are an wesome find, might be worth something! Also why so many controllers? xD

Stingray · Administrator

So much now lost forever.

Leela25 · Global Moderator

Its only stuff Stingy. you'll rebuild with time. :/

Stingray · Administrator

And I have. Behold, the new setup:

(I'll go in-depth with my new stuff later)

Stingray · Administrator

The big TV shown in the pictures above is an RCA ColorTrak Stereo Monitor. The Dish, VCR, Atari 2600, and other game consoles are connected to it.

1. Four TVs here: the two on the bottom are both RCAs of different generations. The one on the left is an old black-and-white one that I found at a dump. Even has the original loop antenna. The one on the right is an XL-100 color TV from the early 80's. I use that one as a monitor for my Commodore 16. The portable TV on the top left is a Sony black-and-white. The one on top the right is a Montgomery Ward color TV, which I have connected to the Dish receiver for fun. At the very bottom is a dual VCR deck for playback, recording, and copying of VHSs. All of these devices are connected to these two old power controllers (the white things with red/orange switches, sandwiched between the dual-VCR and TVs). Next to the Sony portable is an RF modulator and a Zip drive without power cord. On top of it is a CB communicator. Above the MW portable is an 8-track player for car stereos.

2-12. Commodore 16. A lady at an antique store gave me this for free, almost brand new in the box, never used. Came with everything (adapter, manual, tutorial cartridge, etc.).

13-15. Compaq Portable III computer with carrying case. Still works and I bought it for just ten dollars. What a score.

16. Blue and Red iMac G3s that I found at the same dump as the RCA TV. The blue one runs OS X 9 while red one runs OS X 10.

17. Old Zenith black-and-white TV that I have the Dish connected to for when I'm in bed and still want to watch something.

18. 2-way VHS rewinder with counter (goes forward and backwards).

Stingray · Administrator

1. A couple of home stereo receivers I found at the dump where I got the RCA TV and iMac G3s. One on top is a Scott Stereomaster 344-C and the bottom one is a Montgomery Ward Airline with 8-track player.

2. Montgomery Ward GEN 6322 stereo with turntable, cassette player, and 8-track player.

3. 1963 Nordmende/Sterling Fidelio-Stereo V300 Ch= 4/630 from Germany. Someone glued German coins to the knobs.

4. 1974 TEAC A-360S cassette deck.

5. 1985 General Electric 7-1600B portable stereo headset radio.

6. IMA portable cassette player.

7. The 8-track player for car stereos that I mentioned earlier.

8. Cassette adapters.

9. Building the cassette collection back up.

10. 8-tracks in a special carrying case.

11-12. Two of the cartridges that came with the 8-tracks in the carrying case are not 8-tracks. They are actually Fidelipacs (probably 4-tracks) also known as NAB cartridges. Note the physical differences when compared to an 8-track. Fidelipacs have a hole in the bottom corner to allow access for a pinch roller built into the machine, while the later 8-tracks have a pinch roller already built inside the cartridge.

13. Rare 80's AOR album for Airrace. Found other CDs too, but this one is most special.

14. Building the vinyl record collection back up.

15. Late 70s/early 80s ViewMaster Model L.

16. Old alphabetical telephone index.

17. Old Boston Model 18 electric pencil sharpener.

Stingray · Administrator

1-3. New Atari 2600 with two joysticks, two pong paddle controllers, Video Touch Pad, and games: Pac Man, Combat, Astroblast, and Star Raiders (note the Star Raiders overlay on the touch pad).

4-6. Super NES with wireless controller and games.

7. New Nintendo 64.

8. Nintendo GameCube.

9-10. New Sony Playstation with games.

11. New Sony PS2.

12. Controllers and extensions.

13. Sega Dreamcast controller, even though I don't have a Dreamcast yet.

14. Sega Genesis game, even though I don't have a Genesis yet.

15. NES games, even though I don't have an NES yet.

16. Unisonic XL-131X printing calculator with paper.

17. Casio HR-8A printing calculator.

18. Toshiba LC-840WA calculator/electronic calendar.

19. Old computer security kit.

20. Wireless PC card for laptops.

Stingray · Administrator

1. Atari 5200 with accessories and original box. Came with everything except the special UFO-shaped switchbox.

2. Atari 5200 games.

3. Atari 5200 manuals and other papers.

4. Atari 520ST computer with box.

5. Apple Power Macintosh 6100/60

6. Toshiba Tecra 510CDT laptop

7. Cisco Linksys wireless gaming adapter.

8-9. Two more Playstations I got for free with my purchase of both Atari systems. Note that they are both different models with varying features in the back.

10. Nintendo Game Boy.

11. Sega Genesis games.

12. Datassette games for systems with datassette drives (basically a cassette that holds computer data rather than audio), such as the Commodore 64 for example.

13. Betamax movies.

retroistic · Veteran Member - Level 2

Ughh the Atari 5200.... I actually had one of those. Worst non-pong console I ever had the displeasure of using. That "UFO shaped switchbox" came close to giving me heart attacks with the sparks shooting out of the socket. You could hear the electrical arc inside when the console was powered on. The controllers were sometimes unresponsive too. I thought for the longest time that I just had defective parts but it turns out that these were normal occurrences with the 5200. I was glad to part with it.

So just a heads up if you get a hold of the switchbox and plan on playing with it.

Leela25 · Global Moderator

Casettes with computer games on them?? Now I've seen everything. lol

retroistic · Veteran Member - Level 2

Cassettes are a basically a magnetic medium like floppies. The only difference (and ultimate downafll) is that datassettes are strictly sequential access rather than direct access (random) which means longer loading of programs due to a specific loading sequence. Did you know there is still debate about using VHS tapes as analog data storage? I'm not talking about alternative digital tapes that are designed for this purpose. Even back then it was hugely impractical but hypothetically if you were to go this route, a standard 4 hour VHS could possibly hold 2 GB of data. Of course no one actually tried because why the hell would you? Its about as pointless as using a vinyl EP as data storage, which believe it or not is also plausible.

Stingray · Administrator

As a matter of fact, the four-hour E-240 could hold 4 GB while still having a few minutes of tape extra for sync purposes. Others held six, probably even more depending on speed and compression settings.

VHS data storage is not just hypothetical, in fact it's been done more often than you think. Have you heard of ArVid (Archiver on Video)? It's a data backup solution that was developed by the Russians in the mid-90's. Basically it was an ISA board that was connected to a VCR via RCA video cable, which recorded digital data to VHS tapes. It was very popular actually, and still available today. The Video Backup System (VBS) was another option made possible for the Commodore Amiga, which allowed you to connect a VCR to the computer and write, say, basically hundreds of floppy disks to one VHS.

Data generated in radio astronomy was known to be transferred between telescopes via VHS before direct fiber connections due to the low cost and high storage capacity at the time. Corvus Systems and Alpha Micro were among a few companies that promoted VHS as a data storage medium. Even Altos computers used VHS for data backup, mostly at the hands of businessmen who viewed libraries of floppies as impractical over just a few VHS cassettes.

But despite its many uses for that purpose in history, it still didn't catch on to the mainstream for a couple of key reasons:

VHS tape deteriorates very easily, especially when written to and read many times over. Same reason watching a video over and over again would cause the picture to degrade. This is mostly due to the hardware itself causing wear and tear, though, considering how roughly they were designed.
Retro's comment on sequential access also applies here, and it's especially a problem on VHS due to inaccurate time referencing, which file-allocation requires to start a specific string of data. Betamax actually had a more accurate reference, which made it a likelier candidate for this sort of usage, but look how well that format did with the mainstream culture in whole.

On the matter of EP or LP records for data storage, I'm not as well read up on that, but it wouldn't surprise me considering the mechanics behind analog data reading and writing, and popularity of punch-cards once upon a time. Grooves would probably work just the same as physical holes in paper.

Stingray · Administrator

1. 1989 Pioneer CLD-1070 Laserdisc player. Got this for just 20 dollars and it still works (not sure about actual playback, though... just ordered some laserdisc movies on Amazon, so I'll know when those get here).

2-3. Sanyo MW225 boombox with detachable speakers.

4. Sears Tradition Model 47198 alarm clock.

5. Sparkomatic 8-track adapter.

6. More vinyls.

7. Loose inclusion here, but I found it pretty odd enough to share anyway: it's called the Eddie Bauer 4-In-1 35mm "Quad Cam". The guy at the thrift store gave it to me for free with my purchase of the Laserdisc player.

8. Good things to have when dealing with retro tech: lots of TV flatwire and a couple of RF transformers.

Jemiba · Veteran Member - Level 1

Stingray wrote:
... Good things to have when dealing with retro tech ...

Retro tech ??

I'm just thinking about this piece of retro tech : Shall I keep it, or sell it ? It's a heirloom from my

parents and its sound is really good. No wonder, when having a look at those big speakers. It still

works and I'm still fascinated by the "magic eye" tuning eye tube. Was the reason, that I as often

fiddled around with it, as I could, illicitly, of course .... hmm

And it actually has a remote control, tethered, of course, with a cable diamter of about .05 inches ! biggrin

Leela25 · Global Moderator

Stingray wrote:
trimmed Stingy's lecture on videotapes for computer backup

OMG, this why I come here. learn something new every day XD

Stingray · Administrator

Jemiba wrote:
I'm just thinking about this piece of retro tech : Shall I keep it, or sell it ? It's a heirloom from my

parents and its sound is really good. No wonder, when having a look at those big speakers. It still
works and I'm still fascinated by the "magic eye" tuning eye tube. Was the reason, that I as often
fiddled around with it, as I could, illicitly, of course ....
And it actually has a remote control, tethered, of course, with a cable diamter of about .05 inches !

Thanks for sharing, that's a nice classic radio! Looks like it's in good condition too.

I wouldn't know the worth of it, nor do I even know what model it is to search, but the collector in me says keep it. On the other hand it might be worth something, so I don't know. I'm sure I'd have trouble parting with something like that as well, especially with it having been in the family.

I also have a German radio of similar design, from 1963. Scroll up a bit through my posts and you'll see it in one of the pictures.