March Audio HPA1

[rebbiputzmaker]

LOL. look for the fourth leg.

I wonder how many thousands of us got our start in electronics with kits like that. Can that sort of thing even be sold today?

No way they would stuff like that today, just like chemistry sets when we were kids.

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

Oh cool, lots of memories connecting stuff together with those spring terminals.

Was it called Tandy here in Oz?

Tandy was originally from Texas started making leather goods.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Electronics

 

[restorer-john]

No way they would stuff like that today, just like chemistry sets when we were kids.

Can you imagine the disclaimers you'd need to sign before getting your kid one of those?

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

Absolutely. I worked for and managed Tandy Electronics in Southport Qld for several years from 1987 to 1990/1. Intertan was the company (Barrie Canada) covered the international operations of TC (Tandy Corp).

At that point, there were 9000 stores worldwide.

Some of the best times of my life to be honest. The annual conferences were hang-the-expense.

Did you guys give out free batteries, Or was that just a US thing?

 

[SIY]

No way they would stuff like that today, just like chemistry sets when we were kids.

I had one of these. It set my career path.

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

View attachment 70636

I had one of these. It set my career path.

I think we probably all did. Lol

 

[DonH56]

I found my old chemistry set when we cleaned out my Dad's house a couple of years ago. I had several; this was the last, a big double metal folding box of goodies. Never found my old Radio Shack (Tandy) electronics kit, though. The later ones went to the white perf strips or whatever you call them. You can still get those today (electronic kits), not sure about chemistry kits.

Re. LDR as volume controls: I wish I had kept my old measurement data -- most of my early notes were lost in a move (small truck filled with papers and such crashed, I think, and we lost most everything in it -- insurance covered the "value" but not the memories and much was irreplaceable). It was noisy and not terribly stable. I made a fancy regulated supply (fairly new thing then) for the light source, and was working on a feedback loop to control intensity that helped, but ultimately decided it was not worth it. A couple of manufacturers used them, briefly, with nice marketing to match, but they only lasted a year or so before being replaced by stepped attenuators and such. It was years later I learned the films used were intrinsically noisier than standard resistor materials, and some of them had fairly high voltage coefficients as well so would modulate with signal.

 

[restorer-john]

Did you guys give out free batteries, Or was that just a US thing?

Yes. The battery a month card. As a little kid I used to get my free battery and then ironically as a young Tandy store manager I used to hand the batteries out to little kids, old ladies and sometimes a whole family would come in for several free batteries each month.

Hold the presses: I've dug out the Radio Shack Science Fair electronics kit I found a few years ago in a thrift store. It is the deluxe 150 in 1 set in the wooden case in absolutely time machine condition. The wire bundles were not even undone apart from maybe enough to do the first few projects. Some kid got it Christmas 1979 (judging by the date code on the manual), didn't use it and I picked it up nearly 40 years later.

Don't know why I bought it other than reminiscing I suppose. It even had 4 AA batteries (not leaked either) old Eveready and Comet- made in Australia.

Note. All the wires are perfect, ends perfectly tinned and even the little black cover for the cds cell is there. Absolutely 100% complete. Not a rusty or stretched spring anywhere.

 

[restorer-john]

LOL. look for the fourth leg.

Sorry, in the four legged variety, we only have AF-135/138 BF-182/4, BFY-90.

A pile of AC-xxx and a ton of old ITT, Sanyo and Fairchilds. The gold plated ones look like new. And even some BC-158 "miniature" plug-ins for your visual enjoyment.

 

[March Audio]

Yes. The battery a month card. As a little kid I used to get my free battery and then ironically as a young Tandy store manager I used to hand the batteries out to little kids, old ladies and sometimes a whole family would come in for several free batteries each month.

Hold the presses: I've dug out the Radio Shack Science Fair electronics kit I found a few years ago in a thrift store. It is the deluxe 150 in 1 set in the wooden case in absolutely time machine condition. The wire bundles were not even undone apart from maybe enough to do the first few projects. Some kid got it Christmas 1979 (judging by the date code on the manual), didn't use it and I picked it up nearly 40 years later.

Don't know why I bought it other than reminiscing I suppose. It even had 4 AA batteries (not leaked either) old Eveready and Comet- made in Australia.

View attachment 70734View attachment 70735View attachment 70736View attachment 70737

Note. All the wires are perfect, ends perfectly tinned and even the little black cover for the cds cell is there. Absolutely 100% complete. Not a rusty or stretched spring anywhere.
View attachment 70738View attachment 70739

Yep, I had the 150 in one