Sounds of the past

[greatbear]

The other day, while I was fixing up the basement workshop and tossing out junk, I ran across one of my geeky gadgets I would build on a whim. This one was from about 1980, it was my version of a portable FM stereo receiver. Not exactly portable by today's standards, it measures about 2x3x6 inches, built in a blue plastic project box. Tonight I decided to dust it off to see if it still works. It does, and I am reminded of just how I would engineer my audio gadgets. The thing has very high fidelity, and it's loud. This thing is but a small link in a high-decibel chain of audio gear that has left me with tinnitus these days. Oh well. Just crank it up over the background racket and enjoy.

As with most of my throw-together, experimental pursuits of the day, it lacks finish, with no labeling or dial scales, it is meant to simply function and not look like much. Like me:



Appropriately, when I first powered it on and began listening, the local JackFM station was playing music I would have heard on the radio when I had originally built it. I closed my eyes and listened to the Supertramp and Steve Miller Band coming through the cans and thought of better days. I then tuned it to the frequency of my FM transmitter connected to the studio PC and listened to my own choice of music, bereft of the insane compression and processing plaguing broadcast FM these days. It's such a treat.

I unwittingly took part in "Wifebeater Wednesday" with the photo too.

Comments

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

That is so cool, I once half built a crystal radio via a kit I got for Christmas one year, my Dad helped me put it together but I lost interest at the time.

Supertramp, one of the fun memories was listening to them on the radio doing the Logical Song ('78) and then found a prstine copy of Breakfast in America on vinyl around 1980 at a thrift store along w/ Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd on the original Harvest label as far as I can tell.

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

The Supertramp song that played on the radio earlier was "The Logical Song". I still have my vinyl copy I got when it was originally released, along with several earlier and later Supertramp albums. I re-bought a lot of it on CD, so they also exist in digital form in my music library.

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

About 8-10 years ago, I found several of the other Supertramp LP's at the Goodwill, one of which I recall at the moment is In the Quietest Moments. I have It's Raining Again on a 45 Single that I bought sometime around the time it was released if I'm not mistaken, which meant, in the early 80's.

WICKED COOL!

[beartech420.livejournal.com]

I would love to look at the insides and see all the 80s discrete components!
You know the baby boomer music will be around for a long time!
If the boomers were born between 1946 to 1966 and you go by the tunes they liked when they were young we are talking about the range from 64 to late 80s.
I feel sorry for everyone else, this music will be around till 2030!
BestRegards,
Pete

[budmassey.livejournal.com]

Sexy beast.

[progbear.livejournal.com]

Funny you should mention this, as I found my “blueprint for an electronic organ” flowchart today, and I wonder if I’ll ever get around to building it.

[liftinmoose.livejournal.com]

Wow that's so cool. Your talent is limitless!

Also, we all know that men built to function is way more appealing than those who're just built to be looked at!

[2stroker.livejournal.com]

Wanna fix my Dyna Kit amp and pre amp fpr me?

[champdaddy.livejournal.com]

Some of us find the no-frills, stripped-down look of basic mechanics very appealing.

[cpj.livejournal.com]

I like the industrial, and almost sinister look to it.

The wifebeater isn't bad, either.

[thegreenbear.livejournal.com]

Personally, I like the whole picture. And also, personally, I think you look like quite a lot. Then again, you've known I thought that for a long time now.

:-)

[kymutt.livejournal.com]

Well, given the fact that there are quite a few folks (myself most assuredly included) who couldn't do what you've done...here, and in other occasions...you sell yourself short.

[beardoc.livejournal.com]

That's way more electronics than I was ever able to get my head around. I did well in my year 11 Physics class when we talked about electronics, but I still just couldn't get my head around the concepts required.

So I'm impressed!

[truckerbear.livejournal.com]

Waves at Phil!

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

And where have you been, young man? *taps toes* ;)