Monthly Archives: February 2016

New Bench Storage

Posted on February 26, 2016 by jwk

Some pegboards, and wall mounting some parts bins, really cleaned up the benchtop!

Posted in Commentary, Photos | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

555 timer teardown (and a Retrovoltage drum trigger project)

Posted on February 23, 2016 by jwk

Ken Shirriff’s blog has a fantastic and detailed teardown of a 555 timer, the ubiquitous decades-old timer circuit that turns up in so many places: If you’ve played around with electronic circuits, you probably know the 555 timer integrated circuit, … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Commentary, DIY, Gadgets | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Antique Radio Shop near Kunming, Yunan, China

Posted on February 22, 2016 by jwk

My friends over at Crimson Lotus Tea sent me this photo of an antique radio shop near Kunming, Yunan in China they ran into during a recent trip. They’re stacked to the ceiling in the shadows. Looks like a fun … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Photos | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Building the SSTRAN Part 15 Low Power AM Transmitter Kit

Posted on February 21, 2016 by jwk

Have a bunch of old tube radios, but nothing good on the air in your area? That’s a common problem, and SSTRAN has the solution! I just built one of these to give as a gift, and thought I’d write up … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Electronics, Projects, Radio | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Retro 1956 Cyclometer VTVM – Hycon Model 615

Posted on February 19, 2016 by jwk

A pretty cool, very rare piece of test equipment turned up on eBay recently: a 1956 Hycon model 615 AC/DC VTVM. This was a precursor of today’s digital, using analog servo circuitry to drive the numeric digit display. These were … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Building a Better Voltage Regulator

Posted on February 17, 2016 by jwk

Glancing through my feeds, I stumbled across a note on The Paleotechnologist describing a new replacement for the venerable LM7805 linear regulator IC. It turns up in a ton of devices, pretty much anything with a medium-current 5V rail including … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, DIY, Electronics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Speaker Spotter – February 14th, 2016

Posted on February 14, 2016 by jwk

Another installment of the occasional series “The Speaker Spotter”, showcasing interesting speakers for sale right now on the local Seattle Craigslist. As always, I am not affiliated with any of these postings. If the linked ad doesn’t load, it’s likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Collections, Speakers | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

ARCANE RADIO TRIVIA: Electric Banana

Posted on February 13, 2016 by jwk

Arcane Radio Trivia found a really cool banana-inspired portable record player, allegedly from the Andy Warhol era. Plays in any position…even upside down! I’d love to see one of these in person. I wonder how many were ever manufactured in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Like Classic Receivers? Check Out This Blog

Posted on February 3, 2016 by jwk

If you’re reading this, you’re probably at least somewhat interested in vintage stereo gear, since that’s a huge amount of what I work on. There’s a lot of it out there! I just discovered a great new blog that showcases … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Internet | Tagged , | 2 Comments