2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

RE: 2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

ochikov — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 08:38:40 GMT

Hello,

I was born in 1989 in Bulgaria. A time that the Soviet Union was falling apart. I don't remember my toys, but I don't have a lot of! I remember my first electronic game (russian game) and metal constructor, something like Meccano, but was build in Bulgaria. I am attaching puctures:

[View:/resized-image/__size/620x373/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/6888.contentimage_5F00_180471.jpg:620:373]

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[View:/resized-image/__size/585x438/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/3240.contentimage_5F00_180473.jpg:585:438]

RE: 2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

pettitda — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 21:32:53 GMT

My first foray into electronics was this radio. I wanted a shortwave receiver for Christmas and this one appeared under the tree for me. While I didn't modify it, I was fascinated by the fact that I could hear radio stations from around the world with this small device. From shortwave listening, I branched out into ham radio where I ultimately started learning how electronics worked.

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RE: 2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

ndera — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 00:06:54 GMT

I started at age 9 when I built my first crystal set and connecting to clothesline or gutter as aerials. Then at age 15 I built my first 5 valve superheterodyne receiver and I was so proud of what I achieved and became hook on electronics ever since and still on at age 69.

RE: 2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

COMPACT — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 07:26:33 GMT

I started at age 3 when I pulled out all of the values (tubes to American folk) from our black and white TV in the 1960s when my uncle had removed the rear Masonite cover.

For some reason I remember it having a lot of tag strips within it.

RE: 2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

bwelsby — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 18:51:35 GMT

My earliest memory was when I was 4. My father put together a cycle lamp battery, a bulb and a few switches with screw terminals that I could wire myself. Although I didn't know at the time I was experimenting with boolean logic. [View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/5187.contentimage_5F00_1.png:16:16]

When I was a little older Phlips came out with these kits which I got for Christmas over a three year period.

[View:/resized-image/__size/400x300/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/0207.contentimage_5F00_180466.jpg:400:300]

[View:/resized-image/__size/620x407/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/7144.contentimage_5F00_180467.jpg:620:407][View:/resized-image/__size/620x307/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/5001.contentimage_5F00_180468.jpg:620:307]

RE: 2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

dougw — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 01:41:36 GMT

Where I grew up in South America (it was a jungle out there), there were no toy stores, model stores or electronics stores, so we often had to design and build our own "toys", like sail boats and weapons of mass destruction. We did however have a Meccano set and I wanted to be a mechanical engineer until I discovered it was going to be much cheaper to build electronics as a hobby than outfit a machine shop.

[View:/resized-image/__size/620x463/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/0726.contentimage_5F00_180463.jpg:620:463]

Doug

RE: 2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

DAB — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 19:19:33 GMT

I was ten when my father brought home a 3-inch reflector telescope.

He knew I was interested in astronomy and he got a deal on the scope at an Army-Navy store.

I spent many a night just staring a objects in space.

DAB

RE: 2015 Year in Review: Technology of Christmas Past

shabaz — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 11:23:32 GMT

For me it was this!

[View:/resized-image/__size/501x319/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/8737.contentimage_5F00_180459.jpg:501:319]

Modern replacement:

[View:/resized-image/__size/620x414/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-ef9c899c-82f5-4a7e-9633-9b71c9a56787/6683.contentimage_5F00_180460.jpg:620:414]

(http://www.element14.com/community/groups/roadtest/blog/2013/11/30/christmas-gift-ideas-part-2--analog-kit )