element14 Community
element14 Community
    Register Log In
  • Site
  • Search
  • Log In Register
  • About Us
  • Community Hub
    Community Hub
    • What's New on element14
    • Feedback and Support
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Personal Blogs
    • Members Area
    • Achievement Levels
  • Learn
    Learn
    • Ask an Expert
    • eBooks
    • element14 presents
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Spotlight
    • STEM Academy
    • Webinars, Training and Events
    • Learning Groups
  • Technologies
    Technologies
    • 3D Printing
    • FPGA
    • Industrial Automation
    • Internet of Things
    • Power & Energy
    • Sensors
    • Technology Groups
  • Challenges & Projects
    Challenges & Projects
    • Design Challenges
    • element14 presents Projects
    • Project14
    • Arduino Projects
    • Raspberry Pi Projects
    • Project Groups
  • Products
    Products
    • Arduino
    • Avnet Boards Community
    • Dev Tools
    • Manufacturers
    • Multicomp Pro
    • Product Groups
    • Raspberry Pi
    • RoadTests & Reviews
  • Store
    Store
    • Visit Your Store
    • Choose another store...
      • Europe
      •  Austria (German)
      •  Belgium (Dutch, French)
      •  Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
      •  Czech Republic (Czech)
      •  Denmark (Danish)
      •  Estonia (Estonian)
      •  Finland (Finnish)
      •  France (French)
      •  Germany (German)
      •  Hungary (Hungarian)
      •  Ireland
      •  Israel
      •  Italy (Italian)
      •  Latvia (Latvian)
      •  
      •  Lithuania (Lithuanian)
      •  Netherlands (Dutch)
      •  Norway (Norwegian)
      •  Poland (Polish)
      •  Portugal (Portuguese)
      •  Romania (Romanian)
      •  Russia (Russian)
      •  Slovakia (Slovak)
      •  Slovenia (Slovenian)
      •  Spain (Spanish)
      •  Sweden (Swedish)
      •  Switzerland(German, French)
      •  Turkey (Turkish)
      •  United Kingdom
      • Asia Pacific
      •  Australia
      •  China
      •  Hong Kong
      •  India
      •  Korea (Korean)
      •  Malaysia
      •  New Zealand
      •  Philippines
      •  Singapore
      •  Taiwan
      •  Thailand (Thai)
      • Americas
      •  Brazil (Portuguese)
      •  Canada
      •  Mexico (Spanish)
      •  United States
      Can't find the country/region you're looking for? Visit our export site or find a local distributor.
  • Translate
  • Profile
  • Settings
Test & Tools
  • Technologies
  • More
Test & Tools
Forum Show us your junk!
  • Blog
  • Forum
  • Documents
  • Files
  • Members
  • Mentions
  • Sub-Groups
  • Tags
  • More
  • Cancel
  • New
Join Test & Tools to participate - click to join for free!
Actions
  • Share
  • More
  • Cancel
Forum Thread Details
  • Replies 143 replies
  • Subscribers 366 subscribers
  • Views 11539 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Related

Show us your junk!

neuromodulator
neuromodulator over 6 years ago

I love junk, specially when it can be fully restored, has interesting parts or uses interesting technology. Most of the junk I get, comes from the university, its dumped because its either too old or it doesn't work anymore. I'll start this thread by showing one of my latest junk acquisitions:

 

imageimageimage

 

 

This is an autotransformer made by a company called "The Superior Electric Co" from Bristol, Connecticut. It was apparently build in the 60s (according to what I found in the net) and supports a max of 1.2 kva. The autotransformer works as expected but of course it shows its age, the rubber cable is not in the best condition and so isn't its paint. In the future I may repaint it and replace the cable but for now its good enough as it is.

 

Have you also found nice junk? Show us!

  • Sign in to reply
  • Cancel

Top Replies

  • michaelkellett
    michaelkellett over 6 years ago in reply to neuromodulator +13
    Here is the first processor controlled instrument I designed. Intel 8748, code hand assembled on paper and entered into Intel desktop dev system by hand in hex. Not really junk, but not very useful now…
  • dougw
    dougw over 6 years ago +12
    While looking for something else deep in the "archives" I came across my favourite scientific calculator. (circa 1975) It still works fine. The LEDs were so power hungry I eventually built a power supply…
  • genebren
    genebren over 6 years ago +11
    In the spirit of your original request (show us your junk!), here is some of my junk. One of my many past jobs was working for a life sciences company that built instrumentation for various forms of testing…
  • balearicdynamics
    balearicdynamics over 6 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

    As far as I know, there is a company that has restarted the Polaroid system, maybe a startup or anyway a very young company.

     

    Enrico

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +4 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • Gough Lui
    Gough Lui over 6 years ago in reply to balearicdynamics

    Fuji resurrected the idea of instant-photography with their Instax range, mostly appealing to the younger demographic, but not offering much in the way of quality.

     

    Polaroid film was resurrected by Project Impossible many years back, which is now known as Polaroid Originals, although it seems that it can be rather expensive and difficult to acquire.

     

    - Gough

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +5 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • balearicdynamics
    balearicdynamics over 6 years ago in reply to Gough Lui

    Thank you Gough,

     

    The Polaroid Originals, has recently launched a new model updown connected to the stranger things series of Netflix. it seems that they are almost ready as there is massive advertising spam on the socials.

     

    Enrico

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +5 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • shabaz
    shabaz over 6 years ago in reply to balearicdynamics

    Casio pocket computers were awesome : )

    The BASIC was very good, and the batteries lasted for years!

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +5 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • balearicdynamics
    balearicdynamics over 6 years ago in reply to shabaz

    It is true shabaz ! And I really plan to connect it to the real world. I am thinking of the most useful kind of application, like collecting data and sending feedback as well as processing them in some way.

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +5 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • ntewinkel
    ntewinkel over 6 years ago in reply to dougw

    Those are great! and what excellent build quality, that it still all works today!

     

    We bought one of those little Instax cameras a few years ago and it stopped working shortly after. I might try to fix it one of these days as it appears to be a common problem.

     

    Here's an original we picked up a few years ago. Also needs film image

     

    image

     

    -Nico

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +3 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • balearicdynamics
    balearicdynamics over 6 years ago in reply to ntewinkel

    Hello Nico! Very nice model. I am searching for one of these; past Saturday I explored a couple of junk stores (here they call them vintage shops) to search for a Polaroid for a project but I have found only one in so bad conditions that it was impossible to recognize it as the original model.

     

    image

    Instead, I found this nice stuff that suggested another idea.

     

    Enrico

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +7 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • shabaz
    shabaz over 6 years ago in reply to balearicdynamics

    Hi Enrico!

     

    Great find : ) What do the inscriptions inside the dial mean?

    It looks like maths homework if it were on a sheet of paper, but on a phone, I cannot guess!

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +4 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • balearicdynamics
    balearicdynamics over 6 years ago in reply to shabaz

    Hey Shabaz! Me too I can't imagine what this can be. There are two options:

     

    A) The keys to decript a sequence of numbers to be converted in letters to activate something connected to this phone that really it is NOT a phone but a sort of Crypto or Enigma machine used during the cold war in the end of 60's

    B) A way to call some extension codes when a call arrives from outsides as this device was originally connected to some sort of electromechanical phone center of a company.

     

    I guess A and will try to do something to use it for securing connections ...

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +4 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
  • e14phil
    e14phil over 6 years ago in reply to dougw

    That is fantastic.

    dougw

    ntewinkel

    Correct me if I am wrong.. but that model of camera does not hold batteries?

    There is a certain type where the Film/Print cartridge had a little battery in it, just enough to push out 10 shots and a few flashes.

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up +4 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • Cancel
<>
element14 Community

element14 is the first online community specifically for engineers. Connect with your peers and get expert answers to your questions.

  • Members
  • Learn
  • Technologies
  • Challenges & Projects
  • Products
  • Store
  • About Us
  • Feedback & Support
  • FAQs
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal and Copyright Notices
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies

An Avnet Company © 2025 Premier Farnell Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Premier Farnell Ltd, registered in England and Wales (no 00876412), registered office: Farnell House, Forge Lane, Leeds LS12 2NE.

ICP 备案号 10220084.

Follow element14

  • X
  • Facebook
  • linkedin
  • YouTube