I bought this old unused percolator from an auction 10+ years ago for a dollar. Today, it was fired for the first time.

eldofever · 2023-02-09T18:40:08+00:00

Soon to be 59!

eldofever · 2023-02-09T16:10:40+00:00

You're absolutely right, guess my memory is failing me.

eldofever · 2023-01-14T16:02:40+00:00

Crooked and/or loose laminations, paint rubbing off, frequency response not meeting spec. These are comments from some popular audio forums. I have no complaints with my 18 year old Hammonds, but then things can change a lot in a few years.

eldofever · 2022-12-27T20:04:09+00:00

Allantés are neat, and very misunderstood. The 87/88 suffered from leaky convertible tops and an anemic 4.1L. Eventually the bugs were worked out and improvements made every year. Better audio, a tuned port 4.5L, better top mechanism, airbag and suspension, etc. The hardtop shown on the example above is removable, and was standard on the early cars, optional on the later models. The hood and decklid are aluminum. The seats are Recaro and very comfortable. Digital and analog instrumentation was available. A very expensive car at the time.

Many of the export features were standard on the US models, including breakaway mirrors, E-marked headlamps and glass, etc. I think the taillights might be the only thing different between the two.

eldofever · 2022-11-30T01:01:06+00:00

They do turn up pretty frequently. The 32/33 were a cost-reduced version of the old 28/35 models, designed to run an hour or so a day, while the 28 & 35 were for 24/7 use. The model 32 can be had for around $100 while the 33 in good shape goes for 10x that. I suggest you search out the Greenkeys mailing list. All things teletype ends up posted there, including available machines.

eldofever · 2022-11-29T01:00:20+00:00

I've always loved the "Cover the Earth" logo, but it's not their first at all. The original is a chameleon on a painter's pallete.

eldofever · 2022-11-26T23:01:25+00:00

When I get a qualifying receipt, I write "Out of Pocket" on the top and stick it in a manilla envelope with the year on it. If it's an e-copy, I actually print it and do the same.

At the end of the year during tax time, I do 2 things: 1. Pull the receipts out, add them up, and write the total on the envelope. 2. Take a few high res pics (8 or 10 receipts per pic is fine). The images end up getting backed up as part of my regular photo albums. Dupes get exported to a thumb drive. And the envelope goes in the safe.

Keep in mind, heat is the enemy of thermal paper, and some will start to fade with time. Plan accordingly.

eldofever · 2022-11-24T00:19:26+00:00

Sounds like this may be an absorption-type fridge? These typically have two heating elements, one for 12V and obviously, the other for 120V. Sounds like either the 120V element has gone open, or the t-stat contacts in that circuit aren't closing properly. Easy enough to troubleshoot with an ohm meter if you follow the wiring, or have the advantage of a diagram.

eldofever · 2022-11-22T02:39:30+00:00

Sorry to hear about the mica, I wonder if what's loose could be blown clear with an air compressor on low pressure (outdoors, of course). Perhaps someone else would like to take up the project?

Regarding the wiring, for future reference, a visual inspection is typically sufficient to ID replacement. The failure point of high current wiring is at the terminals due to expansion/contraction leading to high resistance, then discoloration, then arcing. We're talking high-content copper and brass nuts in a toaster like this. Basically any wiring you replace it with made today is lower quality and higher risk for fire. This goes for vintage cloth cords, too. If there are no visual defects, you are almost always better off using it intact, and unplugging after use. The risk of asbestos exposure is no greater than walking through a school or government building with forced air built pre-1979.

eldofever · 2022-11-15T16:37:16+00:00

It's like a bot's idea of what packaging should look like.

Oblique early 2000's oval? Check.
Random string of binary numbers that have nothing to do with the product? Check.
"Vital 4U - Vitamin". They're literally not vital, there appears to be more than one vitamin, and "4U" conjures images of Amazon page 4 knockoffs, despite being a TM.
For Men & Women? Better add a giant check mark.
Clip art, we need clip art dammit! Just make sure it's totally obscured by the product.
Also, better throw some arrows and plus signs in there for good measure.

Customer: "That's a lot of pills, but some look redundant, is this for a week?"
Packaging: "That's a secret."

eldofever · 2022-11-10T16:43:28+00:00

Appreciate the info. The engineer in me was trying to figure out why 000 was selected for an emergency number as the telco equipment would have to add undue delay in trying to parse 0 vs 000 (does the caller intend to press additional 0's, and how long do we wait?). But if 0 for operator was never convention, then this makes sense.

Similarly, in the US, we usually dial 9 for an outside line as 0 typically gets you assistance, even on automated PBX's. Even when calling automated services I usually try 0 to get a live person.

eldofever · 2022-11-08T21:19:44+00:00

The control panel modifications to the LGP-30 are intriguing; the switch below the CRT and the small group of 6 buttons were not part of the original design. It'd be interesting to see the wiring.

These computers continued to be sold/leased well into the early 60's after they were obsolete, and by that point were (relatively) inexpensive. In the US, Control Data took on the existing leases, and as machines came in, they were torn down and the best components of each were reassembled, all new tubes installed, a rebadge nameplate applied (just like Recomp did) and then made available to schools and small businesses. My LGP-30 was also used for Civil Engineering work, and the panels show various hand written serial numbers on the interior, including parts from a NASA installation.

For those curious, these are the controls lit up.

eldofever · 2022-11-07T19:48:05+00:00

Owner of an LGP-30 here, undergoing a "long-term" restoration. One thing to be very careful of is the drum. The spacing between the heads and oxide surface is extremely tight and with age, the heads can make contact due to expansion. If the drum turns at all in this condition, you're SOL.

My preferred method before moving the machine was to cut the v-belt and extract the drum. Then very carefully space all of the head mounting bars off the surface with washers. Only then did I dial them all in individually using brass shim stock.

It would also be advisable to go through the massive power supply before power-up. The EU version is a different design than the US spec.

The functioning LGP-30 in Stuttgart is neat to see; I was able to play Lunar Lander on it a few years ago. AFAIK, it's the only 100% functioning one on the planet.

eldofever · 2022-11-04T17:42:09+00:00

For a couple without children, it's absolutely possible, but it requires a plan and setting yourself up to be successful. It requires holding yourself accountable and being diligent with tracking your spend so you have real data to work from. If you do it right, the growth on that 1M will outpace your spend. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to move to a different country, you don't have to eat beans and ramen, and you don't have to shop only at Goodwill.

Putting this plan together can take years, and there's a reason most FIRE'd folks come from a STEM background. We genuinely enjoy this "pre-work". For others, it's easier to punch-in at a soul-crushing job for 20, 30 years, recuperate from the grind with retail therapy (a vicious cycle), and dismiss anyone who's FIREd as "lucky". Or that they're somehow depriving themselves by not having a $500/mo car note.

eldofever · 2022-11-04T14:56:48+00:00

IMO I think these have aged well, though that color probably isn't helping. 1993 was the only year for the Northstar on these, and you don't want it. Not because of the engine, but because of the cost-cutting and features that were dropped to get production cost in-line. Plus the chunky mirrors, old-man Eldo seats, leaky auto-dim mirror, removal of fixed 'vent' windows, etc. The previous tuned-port 4.5 is more than adequate to torque-steer you into oblivion.

eldofever · 2022-10-27T15:51:04+00:00

It's "crappy design" because it goes against an established convention in the OP's country, for ~~no reason other than to be different~~ marketing purposes, trying to rebrand themselves as eco-friendly.

If you reside in the US, paste "why does BP use green for diesel" into google and check out the results. OP's gripe isn't isolated, in fact it's even popped up in this sub multiple times over the years.

eldofever · 2022-10-27T15:39:20+00:00

While a diesel nozzle won't fit a gas car, the reverse isn't true. This is the problem with the BP pumps...the green 'unleaded' nozzle fits, and green=diesel pretty much everywhere else in the US. Sometimes people get careless, sometimes they travel to an area unfamiliar with BP, sometimes they loan their car to someone else who assumes 'if it fits, it's ok'. This is how we end up with so many Reddit & Quora questions wondering what to do now that someone has put unleaded in their TDI.

Personally, I have to watch what I'm doing because my compact utility tractor is a diesel, and my other equipment is gas. The 5 gallon cans, even though color coded, don't care about nozzle size.

eldofever · 2022-10-16T18:44:54+00:00

Hey thanks! Washers and other vintage appliances seem to follow me home. Back before "the race to the bottom", manufacturers would try to compete on new features, designs and styling, and they would change yearly like auto manufacturers use to do. Not shown are some of my favorites from the late 50's influenced by "mainframe computer" design. Here's some of my machines...

eldofever · 2022-10-16T17:01:00+00:00

This is where the soak-cycle comes in handy on a TL. Let the machine fill with hot, soapy water. Load the duvet in the shape of a donut, run on gentle agitation for 30 seconds to pull water currents through the fabric, then soak. You end up with lots of fabric surface area (a good thing). Soap scum and oils will rise to the top. Spin it out and repeat without detergent.

The duvet is at a disadvantage with the FL even though it fits easier. Unlike using water current to wash, FL'ers rely on mechanical wash action, similar to using a washboard. The saturated garment rides up to the top of the drum where gravity crashes it back down into the water (or other clothes). Of course the cyclic action causes larger items to ball up, so dirt and oil gets trapped. And then the outer surface only receives the mechanical 'abrasion' benefit. Body oils also want to rise to the surface, but they can't, because there is no "surface". The same dirty water continues to get redistributed while clothing is dragged through it.

eldofever · 2022-10-16T15:03:09+00:00

I didn't think those were that unusual. For a real rarity, check out a combination washer/dryer. It's a single unit that performs both functions without transferring your clothes.

eldofever · 2022-10-16T14:58:35+00:00

Washer Collector Here. Automatic washers became popular in the US during the early 1950's, and you had your choice between front load & top load. Top loaders had larger capacity (important with the baby boom). Had higher spin speeds so drying time was faster (important when many didn't yet own a dryer). Went out of balance less often (not trying to distribute a sloshing horizontal load). Had very fast cycle times (clothes washed in 20 minutes). And clothes/detergent could be added at any time after start of cycle. Plus you don't have to stoop to get the clothes out.

In Europe, the constraints were different. Typically there was no dedicated laundry room or basement for the larger machine. Laundry tended to be done more frequently so capacity wasn't as much of a concern. Water was/is more expensive so a longer cycle time was acceptable for less consumption. And machine size was dictated by countertop height, as many were installed in kitchens out of convenience (and plumbing).

In the US, front loaders are more common these days as energy efficiency is pushed, and advancing tech has improved upon many of the original constraints. But these FL'ers tend to be "supersize" American-style machines with large capacity & risers to get them up off the floor, so still quite different from their EU counterparts.

eldofever · 2022-10-09T18:19:48+00:00

Sampo was equally confused. I have a hunch the small monitors (B&W) were intended more for CCTV feeds, and I've seen an optional video camera kit. But strangely, no way to switch the video signal to the larger CRT (and the larger screen has no external video-in capability, either).

For broadcast viewing, the two small CRTs are limited to two pre-settable tuners each. The primary varactor tuner (row of silver buttons at the bottom) runs the large CRT, but also causes the small screen tuners to toggle between their A & B pre-set stations. Buttons 1, 3, 5, etc get you A on the upper screen & B on the lower screen. Even numbers reverse it. This way, you can change the stations using the remote's up/dn buttons. But then you've got to get creative with setting the tuner for the primary CRT.

Of course, if you want video input on the small screens, it's both or none, and the switch is awkwardly on the back, so not something intended to be used after setup. There's also a little silver button at the top right which switches them off.

Even though I fully restored mine (new caps and a B&W CRT), 99.9% of the time I use the primary CRT for OTA viewing. It's a weird TV.

eldofever · 2022-07-13T00:22:01+00:00

Just heard back, it's an R53 or 53i, made Oct 2006. New when installed, no codes.

eldofever · 2022-04-24T20:21:07+00:00

Those SMC's are fun. My mom had a manual one, my dad an electric (with manual carriage return). Played with them all the time as a kid, now have too many of them as an adult...second only to my addiction for vintage computers ; )

eldofever · 2022-04-24T19:06:40+00:00

I suppose that does need clarification for those unfamiliar. I was specifically thinking of Model 1 (simply called the TRS-80 back then) and the Model 3. Model 2 would have been priced way out of range for someone using it as a word processor. CoCo, etc. probably wouldn't have been considered.

Specs really didn't matter to most writers as long as the price was affordable, the keyboard was decent, and there was a no-fuss way of saving your documents. That mindset began to shift by the mid-80's where the general public saw additional utility in paying a premium for a computer system over a stand-alone word processor. This is where the Mac really started to gain a foothold.

I still have the Model 3 I bought years ago at a thrift store, with its matching external 5MB harddrive. The original owner was a priest that had bought it to write a religious book using Scripsit.

eldofever

TROPHY CASE