What about old equipment attracts you?

[Eric H]

I can't decide which I like best about old gear, the smell of 50 year old Lucky Strikes or the Mouse Droppings/Urine I find inside.

Maybe it's the thrill of courting the Hanta Virus or getting a Black Widow bite that's most exciting, of course cadmium Oxide and Asbestos are pretty exciting too, not to mention getting knocked on your butt by 400 volts of B+

[Tim R.]

I'm surprised at the number of young people here with an appreciation for vintage electronics. I'm 21 myself and don't really know anyone in my age group with similar interests.

However, I have noticed more and more young people dissatisfied with what is being pushed on their generation and the general state of society. People are recognizing TV, pop music, Chinese made goods, and media brainwashing for what they are and a backlash is starting. Many of my friends have dumped TV and are discovering classic movies and TV shows -things historically seen as "uncool"- via the Internet and Netflix. Classic rock and oldies is getting a new audience - young people sick of Britney Spears, Kesha, rap, and whatever else passes for music these days. They see it for the crap it is and look to the past to find decent music. One of my fraternity brothers even had some Frank Sinatra on his iPod!

This is a growing trend, and I believe that as more young people learn about the past, interest in its technology will also greatly increase. As a result, I have a feeling we will see a lot more people interested in vintage TV and radio, and the hobby may just start to grow exponentially...

This, as well as excellent design, construction and the ability to repair, is the reason for my attraction to old electronics.

[marty59]

Tim R.,
You give me hope! Glad you posted your viewpoints and refreshed this thread.

[Sandy G]

Another thing-TVs remind me of being a Widdle Boy WAY Back When, curled up on Mama's lap, watching Huntley-Brinkley on the B/W Zenith, on a stifling summer night-No A/C then-& remembering the warmth-literally & figuratively, & the SMELL those old TVs had...Hot Tooobs & all...That feeling can't be duplicated at any price anymore. But I can still have an old TV & at least SOME of it comes back...

[compu_85]

Originally Posted by Tim R.

I'm surprised at the number of young people here with an appreciation for vintage electronics. I'm 21 myself and don't really know anyone in my age group with similar interests.
This, as well as excellent design, construction and the ability to repair, is the reason for my attraction to old electronics.

I'm 26 and have similar views. I'm a huge fan of quality engineering. I like to understand how things around me work: When I know that, I know how to fix them, and I also know how to operate them to the best of their potential. I also don't like how disposable modern society is.

Plus, when you get older high end items, you get all of the quality at a fraction of the price. You also save energy because a new item isn't having to be produced. That's also why I drive an older car (another one of my passions ). People don't stop and think how much work it is to make something new.

-J

[jbivy]

I recall my parents tv set, an early sixties? roundie color, that my ole man kept having repaired till the early 90s. My uncle having a color tv set (tube era) with no case in his garage that he swore he was fixing and would one day make a case for. that he watched and hid from my aunt. The farm radio that my family has had since the late 30s. That i sat with my brother, mother and father and listened to programs. Some station out of L.A that reran the old serials.

But then again, my family never tossed anything out. The guns my gran dad had, my dad had and now i do, we just add to em. The radios have stayed the same. The tv's get tossed when they must (before my time), the cars.. well my gran dads 53 merc died in 94.. when the old man upgraded to a 67 chrysler. first overhead engine id seen up close and running.

My upbringing was screwed up in a lot of ways, but id never trade it. Ive the radios my family has had for 70 odd years, wish i had the tv's, wish id the cars, but i like to keep the memory alive. heck, im even building a still. so anyone near washington, if ya want a jar of moonshine in a couple months, its free to you.

but for tv's.. i dont find much woth watching now. i mainly watch retro tv, antenna tv, tv land.. the rest is near garbage, most good shows are in black and white anyhow. I like to sit back and watch, pretend were in a better time in america, when quality, meant something.

[GeorgeJetson]

Actually,I have the opposite problem!
I can't understand why anyone would be interested in anything "modern day"!

In my opinion everything started going downhill in the early '60's when the last of the "big fin" cars were made and we gave up on our optimistic vision of a Jetsons like future.
The "future" is now here and it's ugly.

The designs and quality of the old Tv's as well as Nostalgia for the past are big reasons why people here love them and collect them.

Just as a 1959 Buick,1957 Dodge or 1960 Plymouth can still be taken out on the road and driven just like a modern car,so can these sets still be used for their intended purpose.

I'd rather watch Jackie Gleason on a vintage tv the way he was meant to be seen,than on a modern day Chinese flatscreen.
I dont watch current tv,modern television programs are crap,just like the "music" currently on the radio,and if I wanted a new tv,I'd probably choose one of the Telstar color Predictas.

Everyone likes different things,there are people who collect 80's ghetto blasters and VCRs,and even a couple people here who are fixing up 80's cars.

I am glad there are people here who take the time to preserve and restore these old sets and devices so the past will continue to survive for future generations see.

[Telecolor 3007]

Since I was a kid/teenager I was intrested in steam locomotives, old cars, tube radios, vynil records. The eletcronic tubes or lămpi (lamps) where something special - I wonderded if it ever extisted electronic tube radios with F.M. or color tvs with electronic tubes - and I dreamed owning such things. Vynil records where something special. They where (and are) something special and I may say something sacred for me; I dreamed having music from the '90's on vynil record. Yeah, i know Euro-Dance isn't good music, but it remebers me about the old days and it sound better the today boring R & B (like Beyonce Knowled) or that stupid Lady Gaga (she haves a good voice, yes, but her crap sucks).

Originally Posted by jhalphen

DarkLife wrote:

"Long post, so I will wrap it up... What is it that makes you interested in old TV sets?"

For me:
- Technology history
- Build quality
- Easy repairability
- Active resistance to modern crap

Best Regards

jhalphen
Paris/France

Repairing an old thing is not always so easy. And the old Japanese radios and some cassette decks are not so easy to repair. Man, sometimes you have to get out everything in oder to get to the heart of it.
In the rest, I agree with you. I can't stand modern crap. And I'm not talking only about electronic stuff. I'm talking about allmost all stuff. A modern car may have some better features, but I feel better in an older car. I ryde some German trams (streetcars) made in the '50 and '60's and a Swiss tram made in 1951 or 1952. Man, those thing are something awsome. You can't compare a modern plastic s%¤t with that. And the Czech ČKD "Tatra" trams (streetcars) (P.C.C. type trams), throu all they are qutye rudge, are very good. The Romanians still can't make a streetcar as good as the Germans or the Swiss made in the past (an 1951 Swiss tram knocks out a today Romanian made tram). And those old Hungarian buses, "Ikarus" wheren't luxury buses, but they very simple and easy to repair; and with a 6 gears + reverse gear manual gear box they where very fast!; only bad things about them was that loud noice made when the bus was vibrating (usually when it was stoped) and the fact it wans't so eco frendly. I got a jacket from my father. Is more than 16-17 yrs. old (brand "Twin Peaks", like that s.f./horror/mistery series) and still in good qyute condition.

I'm one of the young that aren't corupted by the consumerist and "make you stupid" propaganda. I don't need theyr crap. I'm glad to see there are some young fellows thinking like me. Hope they will be more one day.

Why to buy me a new radio when the old one is still good? Why replace my old C.R.T. with an L.C.D. one (H.D. or not) when I got allmost nothing to see on tv? Why to get me every year a new mobile (cell) phone when I use it only for talking; I'll get me a newer one when I'll use the mobile internet! (b.t.w., I use some 6-8 yrs. old cell phones!).
The only new technical stuff that I would buy would be an m.p. 3/m.p. 4 player, and D.S.L.R. camera, an digital video camera, rechargable batteries and of course I.T. stuff.

[CoogarXR]

As was mentioned by others, I also love the quality! You can find an item that cost a week's (or a month's or more) wages back in its prime, and have all of that well-built goodness for pennies. This applies to everything, TVs, stereos, houses, cars, etc.

I also like to vicariously reminisce... Like when I picked up my last zenith porthole, I wondered who bought it originally. Where did they buy it? Imagine how happy and excited the family must have been when they brought it home. It was probably their first TV. How long did they use it? When they got a new one, did this one go into the attic, or the yard sale? Ahh, so many questions. I just like to wonder about things that I will never know the answer to, and just imagine all of the history that surrounds an item.

I like big old houses too. I live in one, heh. I like to wonder what has happened in this house over the years. Did anybody watch a porthole TV in my living room? LOL

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by CoogarXR

As was mentioned by others, I also love the quality! You can find an item that cost a week's (or a month's or more) wages back in its prime, and have all of that well-built goodness for pennies. This applies to everything, TVs, stereos, houses, cars, etc.

I also like to vicariously reminisce... Like when I picked up my last zenith porthole, I wondered who bought it originally. Where did they buy it? Imagine how happy and excited the family must have been when they brought it home. It was probably their first TV. How long did they use it? When they got a new one, did this one go into the attic, or the yard sale? Ahh, so many questions. I just like to wonder about things that I will never know the answer to, and just imagine all of the history that surrounds an item.

I like big old houses too. I live in one, heh. I like to wonder what has happened in this house over the years. Did anybody watch a porthole TV in my living room? LOL

EXACTLY !! I often wish my old military Boatanchors could talk...Wonder what stories THEY could tell...Like my R-389...What happened to it to cause that awful "Whang" on its backside, that caused it to go unused & stashed somewhere in a closet for most of its life, until I rescued it & sent it to Rick Mish, who nursed it back to health ? Or my '55 contract Collins R-390A that was pretty much in PRISTINE shape when I got it, w/all Collins sub-assemblies ? Was it some big-shot's pride 'n' joy ? Or the EK-07-Did it see action on some lonely outpost near the GDR border, trying to ferret out some fleapower Soviet station that hey DELIBERATELY placed in the "skirts" of some Western blowtorch ? Did one of my Sonys show JFK's assassination/funeral ? The Moon landing ? Where did the people who owned these things live ? Who were they ? Were they young or old ? So many questions, that can never be/WILL never be answered...But it sure is fun to "Speckle-Ate"....(grin)

[compu_85]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

So many questions, that can never be/WILL never be answered...But it sure is fun to "Speckle-Ate"....(grin)

I think about this a lot too. I guess we just like history too much. If only the walls could talk...

-J

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by darklife

I have an old Zenith TV made in the early 80s and can't give the thing away.

I dont blame him.......... Older stuff is made better and runs better!!

Ill take 2 radios as an example

1) Super radio III - All kinds of noise on the AM band
2) An older model (I think Super radio I or II) - Haridly any noise on the AM band!!


Older stuff is gold if you can get it and keep it maintained...........

[Telecolor 3007]

Oh, now I can add: it was made by the people. They put soul into old stuff. Some of the old stuff can be crap. But most, it isn't. You can see the crafts of it. Nowdays, even the luxury stuff can be bad. So I do preffer things with soul.

[Dude111]

Xcellent reply mate!!