Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

[Peter.N.]

I found a couple of PD500's in a box of valves in the garage loft the other - the memories come flooding back. We must have used gallons of carbon tet back in the day, mostly 'Radiospares switch cleaner' funny how we are still here Jim. Brake and clutch dust was another thing, we must have inhaled lungfuls of asbestos in our time.

Peter

[CitroJim]

Keep hold of those PD500s Peter, they're worth money as they are not very easy to obtain

We must have used gallons of carbon tet back in the day, mostly 'Radiospares switch cleaner' funny how we are still here Jim. Brake and clutch dust was another thing, we must have inhaled lungfuls of asbestos in our time.

And most of us smoked too! What amazes me is that I have a VO2 max. of 52 currently. That's remarkable for one of my advanced years

VO2 Max is the rate of maximum oxygen consumption during hard exercise... A person of my age normally averages around 25-30!

My heart rate and blood pressure is also rather silly too. I have a resting heart rate of under 50 and blood pressure is around 110/60...

And I can still poke my heart rate up to 170 bpm if I really go for it!

The lungs are one of the most rapidly replaced organs in the body. Our lungs are the youngest part of us and because they so vigorously rebuild themselves they are very susceptible to cancer if mis-treated...

Sorry, that's off-topic. If I don't get this thread back on-top I'll be feeling the wrath of the mods...

So... On my morning runs I always have my eyes open for interesting things and a phone camera at the ready...

A few weeks ago I spotted this amazingly well preserved Band I/III 405 line TV aerial array in town. This array is at least 40 years old and possibly older. 405 line TV transmissions ended in January 1985...

Closer inspection shows both the old, newer and the very new. On the pole is a very modern 'digital' Freeview aerial and a more traditional Band IV UHF array

Band I/II 405 Line Array

Paggers is very much a fringe area for TV reception and in 405 line days special TVs were needed in fringe areas. Those had more IF gain, usually courtesy of one more valve in the IF strip, and flywheel line sync so that they could cope with weak, fading and distorted signals.

The old 405 aerials are pointing at Oxford and the newer UHF ones at Sandy Heath. Both TX sites are about equidistant and both very distant.

Until the 90s we were in a fringe area for VHF radio reception too. A few Band II FM aerials can still be seen here and there..

That all changed when the Bow Brickhill TX site came online... We now enjoy very strong reception and no aerial at all is now required

We still suffer with iffy TV recepton. I don't watch off-air TV at all now. All mine comes down the Internet pipe...

[NewcastleFalcon]

. All mine comes down the Internet pipe...

As does mine Jim we have let the amazon firestick into our home! I'm sure it spies on us!

Is the aerial on the top of the chimney going to be as redundant as the chimney itself ...half the energy of Great Britain must dissapear up draughty and nowadays unnecessary flues. We have 8 altogether in our house. Back boilers are surely virtually extinct and probably illegal for new installations or boiler replacements.

I suppose once an aerial is up on the chimney like ours, even though its now redundant I'm not inclined to pay someone to remove it, and less still to go up on ladders and a hen walk to remove it myself. I bet theres loads of redundant aerials on chimneys right across the country.

Regards Neil .

[Peter.N.]

You should be like Superman Jim with all that exercise. I think carrying CRT TVs for 50 years has had some benefit to my bones and respiratory system. I have had a number of falls, one through the woodshed roof - never broken anything - so far.

We have a very old house Neil with an inglenook fireplace, we have a multifuel stove - plenty of free wood here, the flue is lined with stainless steel pipe so no draughts. No gas available, 3 miles from the nearest main road so have an oil boiler - it's probably as cheap as gas - at the moment!

Peter

[NewcastleFalcon]

Anyone seen the July 1971 copy of "The Short Wave" Magazine

https://hobbydocbox.com/114875498-Radio ... ber-5.html

Check out one of the Classic Car Spots on the Mick and Bob's Stroll. The very same little Austin Seven graced the pages of "The Shortwave Magazine"......

Radio Buffs invited to describe the equipment!

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

Anyone seen the July 1971 copy of "The Short Wave" Magazine

https://hobbydocbox.com/114875498-Radio ... ber-5.html

Check out one of the Classic Car Spots on the Mick and Bob's Stroll. The very same little Austin Seven graced the pages of "The Shortwave Magazine"......



Regards Neil

Wow! That's magic

[Peter.N.]

I assume that was probably valves and a rotary converter, need some battery power for that!

My ten thousand and oneth post, do I get a red star?

Peter

[NewcastleFalcon]

I assume that was probably valves and a rotary converter, need some battery power for that!

My ten thousand and oneth post, do I get a red star?

Peter

Of course Peter but needs announcing to a more general audience than the Vintage Audio Activities thread, needs putting on POTD! Wilco Roger and out!

REgards Neil

[myglaren]

My ten thousand and oneth post, do I get a red star?

Peter

No! Go and stand in the corner

[Peter.N.]

[doctle]

I actually did go in once and came out with a paper bag with little crocodile clips and a few 2 to 2.5 ohm resistors

Gosh! What a treasure Neil Shops like that are now virtually extinct sadly... Look after it!

The Internet comes up with the goods so easily it's driven shops like that right to the brink. Amazingly, almost everything you need is available for old radio and audio stuff. Still lots of NOS about. It's easier to find a part for a 50 year old Leak amp. than it is for a ten year old Citroen...

As winter encroaches, more projects will find themselves on the bench in my little electronics workshop

Are you sure that shouldn't be plumber's shed Jim?

Yes, good point well made! Especially as most capacitors are replaced because they've gone leaky...

If you're looking for a project Jim, I have a Yaesu FT726R in need of some attention

Paul, I have a vague belief they can be a bit of a 'mare when they display an 'E'. Something about the backup battery that maintains the memory having failed and caused the memory to loose all its data. The memory needs to be reprogrammed... An interesting one. Let me do a bit of research on that

Try spraying that £5 label with some isopropanol alcohol (if it would not adversely affect you, Jim), let it soak in, and then see if (with care) that label will come off. You might need a few applications of IPA for it to work.

James, thanks! That's worth a try. I do have some label remover but I'm very allergic to it so cannot use it. Goodness only knows whats in it. It smells very strongly of oranges...

You know the "illegally parked" stickers private parking companies put on your windscreen? The come off easily with lighter fluid. If you have sensitive skin wear rubber gloves.

[CitroJim]

You know the "illegally parked" stickers private parking companies put on your windscreen? The come off easily with lighter fluid. If you have sensitive skin wear rubber gloves.

The stuff we used to run our Zippos on? If I can find any I'll give it a go... Thanks

[doctle]

Yes it's "Swan" brand I use but same thing. When I smoked I used an Imco lighter

[myglaren]

You know the "illegally parked" stickers private parking companies put on your windscreen? The come off easily with lighter fluid. If you have sensitive skin wear rubber gloves.

The stuff we used to run our Zippos on? If I can find any I'll give it a go... Thanks

Aren't you allergic to it Jim?

[CitroJim]

Aren't you allergic to it Jim?

I don't know Steve, I've not been exposed to it for several decades now...

Only one way to find out I suppose