new thread
There has been a lot of interest about my computer room from friends, so I though I would post them here too.
For those who don't know me that well, I collect old computer hardware, vintage audio, and older car tape decks. Some stuff is just here for display, other stuff, I tinker with on and off.
Enjoy,
Mike
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I see you have quite a collection of old hi-fi equipment too, very nice!
~JeffL
Jeff,
Old Hi-Fi makes up most of my audio collection. Pretty much all of the receivers and amps I have are Solid State. I do have a Bogen FM-400 that is a mono tube tuner from the 50s. I pulled that out of my Uncle's house along with a mid 60s Solid State Scott 342. I replaced the filter cap, wax / paper caps, and the dial lamps on the Bogen. It powers up and pulls in stations, but I have a feeling it may need one or two tubes replaced as that signal quality is weak, the audio output distorted, and the signal will fade in and out. Since I don't have a tube tester, I have not proceeded into troubleshooting it any further. I'll probably end up buying one of each tube and just do some tube swapping.
Mike
That's quite a collection! Is that KDE I spy on your desktop?
That is KDE you saw running on the desktop. I favor Linux over Windows, so a lot of my recent PCs run Linux. I do have an XP PC that I use for apps that need Windows.
Nice, sounds a bit like me. I only boot into XP for games and use Debian for everything else. And we're way off topic now, so here's a semi-related picture of Stallman. haha
-Robert
I got your e-mail too. I knew you had a lot of equipment, but I never knew exactly how much. Some of that stuff looks like it went for a pretty penny "back in the day". Evidently, you don't plan on moving anytime soon. :)
If you're ever out here, there is a computer museum around here someplace that's supposed to be really cool. I think you'd get a kick out of it; but if you ever do come out you should enjoy the natural scenerey too (see the link)
Big Sur
Steve,
I am sure a lot of this stuff did go for a pretty penny when new. Pretty much all of the computer stuff was just given to me. If not given, it bought off people who just wanted to unload it.
I would like to make out your way sometime. Not sure when, as funds are a little dry due to buying the house. I did enjoy meeting you in D.C. when me you an Chris G. all met up and had dinner. A good friend of mine does want to visit a good friend of ours in LA, so maybe I could make a trip down to SF to meat everyone.
Computer Museum! Oh man, I'd love to see that! :-)
Mike
Hey Mike,
Wow look at all that gear!!!Thats quite a collection as I would wonder if you remember all that you have.Yea I like old electronic equipment and being that I come from a Ham Radio family I had plenty of exposure to it.From my grandfather,uncle and my father and brother were all Hams.Most of that equipment is long gone as well as the operators unfortunately.My brother has his rig but is kind of out of the hobby at this time.Alas I do possess some of my uncles old transceivers which are tube run.I believe the best rig he had was the Swan setup.Anyway Mike cool setup you got there and thanks for bring back some memories.Take care my friend:)
Mark
Mark,
I am surprised I never got into HAM as a kid. Probably because it cost money and my parents didn't understand electronics either. I was into Hi-Fi as a pre-teen tho. Growing up, we were not allowed to have TVs in our bedrooms, but audio stuff was allowed. :-)
Mike
I always wanted to get into Ham radio, but never could get the
hang of morse code. So I never did.
Hi Mike,
Oh my goodness! I knew you were into electrnic gear, but I never realized you had such a collection, and so much history of the days gone by. You could open up a small museum!
David
David,
People are quite shocked when they see all this stuff I have. I have had friends bring up the museum idea before. LOL
Mike
That's an incredible collection! It is like a small museum.
Computer History Museum
Computer History Museum
Computer History Museum
Ed,
I have built up a nice collection haven't I? That's too funny that there is a shelf similar to one of mine at that computer museum. :-)
Mike
....I remember when all of that was (expensive) cutting edge technology..sigh..
I have one of the first hand held calculator (Casio)...no floating decimal, actual fluorescent display in lieu of LCD. At the time it was a novelty and "would never replace the slide rule" ! HA! sold for ~$100 in the early 70's
(Still works)
But seriously, that is a cool collection !
Thanks for Sharing
Walter
Walter,
I am glad you like my collection here. That is a really neat pocket computer. I almost took those florescent display tubes as nixi tubes at first. Now that would be really cool, but the power supply wouldn't make it portable if that was the case. LOL
Mike
Very nice collection of vintage audio gear, Mike!
Dang, I wished I kept some of the stuff I had collected like crazy in the '80s...
- Oren
Oren,
Glad you like! :-) I have lots of fun in that room. :-)
Mike
Wow, that's quite a collection you've got there, it looks really interesting. To bad I missed al that pc history, my parents didn't have a pc when I was young.
That's funny about the PC history. I didn't get into computer till the mid 90s. Most of the computer stuff was given to me by friends and cousins. I did learn on the old XT class systems though. :-)
WOW Mike that's an interesting collection and may be worth big money some day, you never know.
We have lots of old computers laying around simply because we haven't got around to tossing them. Time for spring cleaning.
Kevin
Kevin,
That's my problem. I can't toss anything that is still good. Next thing I know, I have too much stuff. LOL
Mike
Hi Mike,
An interesting collection and old bits and pieces.
I don't have alot of room and had always have a good clearout from time to time and I get to a point and thinking why do I want to keep old these old relics!
Cheers,
John.B
John,
I am sure I could clear a lot of this stuff and have more room. Problem is, I get attached to what ever I work on. I also have a lot of fun with all this stuff. :-)
Mike
Cool shots, Mike! Collecting "old iron" -- and actually running it -- is a fun pastime. I've got a decent collection from the 1960s and '70s that I keep in operational condition.