When an app is too much trouble: DIY Audio Remote! ACBMemphis 2022-10-10 | This is a custom wooden box that houses an ESP8266 module with Heltec OLED display. It sends POST requests to a Yamaha receiver, GET requests to an Arylic Up2Stream Mini, and On/Off commands to a TP-Link Kasa smart outlet. Why do all this? Well because it was fun.... Also, attaching a combination of requests to a physical button lets me quickly power on the outdoor audio system and select a stream, in less time than it would take to unlock a smart phone and find the app. Parts used in this project: MakerFocus ESP8266 OLED WiFi Development Board Starelo 5pcs 16mm Momentary Push Button Switch Cable Matters Right Angle USB Cable C2G USB Short Extension Cable The lid to an Ikea box... Random stuff I had such wire, resistors etc.Changes: Should have used a smaller plastic box with smaller switches. Might have looked into an ESP32 instead of an ESP8266.Future add-ons: Adding more speakers when I have time to run the wires Maybe add a "Next" button to advance the songThanks for watching!0:00 Intro0:22 What does this box do?0:37 Button Functions1:02 Phone sync up1:20 Cheaper than a Raspberry Pi1:40 Coding (Sketch) Process2:07 Reboots Connects in Seconds2:37 Some Simple Soldering3:10 A Case of Over drilling3:49 Smart Plug Control4:29 API Readability Comparison4:45 Begging for Subscribers
Repairing a Rail King Train (2011 vs 1950s Train) ACBMemphis 2022-08-15 | While the Rail King electric model train might have more bells and whistles (literally speaking), it can't beat the reliability of a 1950s Louis Marx and Company "Stream Line" electric train (Made in New York, USA!). Both trains send variable voltage through the tracks into the locomotive. The 1950s train simply sends that voltage to a motor, but the 2011 train passes it through a sound effects circuit in the coal car first. The wiring between the coal car and the locomotive uses tiny 10-pin connectors mounted on a PC board. After only a few uses, this connector had developed a loose connection. And it seemed to be the only "weak link" in an otherwise very nice looking "O Scale" train.0:00 A Ready To Run Set0:15 Family Train History0:42 The Dead Locomotive1:28 Tracing Power Connections1:47 Coal Car Circuits2:30 A Bad Solder Joint2:51 The Train Is Fixed3:35 Does the 50s Train Work?3:50 Yes it does!4:00 Conclusion
Review: $34 NiiZero Smartwatch / Fitbit Killer? ACBMemphis 2022-08-07 | My son was about to return to school and needed a basic watch. We got this "Amazon's choice" NiiZero smart watch. In this video, we show it next to both an Apple watch and Fitbit. Surprisingly, the watch seems to do just about all the stuff my old Fitbit does - monitor steps, heart rate, sleep, and control Bluetooth playback. It even has a couple of games! Unlike my Fitbit, you can swap watch faces on the device itself without using the app. Have not explored it much yet, but thought we'd share a quick video.... Thanks for watching!0:00 Intro and Unboxing0:20 Magnetic USB charger0:40 Color touchscreen demo1:00 Vs Apple Watch and Fitbit Indoors1:30 Vs Apple Watch and Fitbit Outside2:00 Switching to custom watch face2:23 Flappy (not Floppy) Bird2:45 Weather Display and App3:00 Controlling Spotify Music3:17 Phone Camera Control3:30 ConclusionHere's the link to the watch on Amazon. This video was not sponsored in any way--amazon.com/dp/B09J82W7DL
Ancient Answering Machines: Phone Mate 400S vs Panasonic Easa-Phone ACBMemphis 2022-07-10 | Comparison of 1970s Phone-Mate 400S and 1984 Panasonic Easa-Phone KS-T1415D answering machines. There's not really a need for having a personal answering machine in 2022, but curiosity got the better of me when I saw a Phone Mate reel-to-reel answering machine available for $10. In this video we compare it to the Panasonic answering machine of my childhood. These machines are strikingly similar in design, with the 1973 answering machine being controlled by switches and the 1980s one by logic circuits.0:00 Intro0:25 Machines in the movies0:53 History Lesson1:32 Tape Based Answerers1:47 Digital and VOIP2:03 Phone Mate Wiring2:30 Test call on Phone Mate2:50 Thanks for calling a 1973 Answering machine3:35 Test call on Panasonic Easa Phone4:15 You can't do this with Voice Mail!4:45 Dual Cassette Tape Transport5:05 Endless Loop Cassette5:35 Phone Mate Under the Hood6:03 The Tape Loop Control Switch6:58 Standard Reel to Reel Tapes7:22 No Belts No Capstan No Problems7:38 Panasonic shared drive mechanism8:05 Severe Battery Corrosion 9:03 The Message Received Flag9:20 Conclusion
A Retro Radio Kit ACBMemphis 2022-06-25 | This electronics kit was a birthday present for my son. It includes parts and instructions to build a working FM radio. It reminds me of the Radio Shack "all in one" electronics kits of my own childhood. Sound quality is not the point here, but education. Was a great father-son activity, and took a little over an hour to complete. Made by "Eight Innovation" company. Thanks to "Grandpa K" for sending this in the mail...0:00 Intro0:17 Enclosure and parts1:04 Step 1 The Amplifier1:37 Step 2 and multi-projects2:16 Final Circuit assembled2:30 Demo mounted in case2:55 Conclusions3:15 Vs a Radio Shack Project Kit
Quad Elvis! Panasonic RS-864S 8-Track Player ACBMemphis 2022-05-31 | A demonstration of our first quadraphonic 8 track player, the Panasonic RS-864S, part of their Series 44 systems from 1972. Got this working and tried out the only quad 8-Track I have, Elvis Aloha from Hawaii.. Thank you, thank you very much for watching!0:00 Intro0:23 An Elvis Connection1:02 Quad vs Stereo1:20 Baby Yoda, Audiophile1:48 Quad Tapes vs Discs2:50 Track Indicator Lights3:09 Tour of Control Panel3:24 Pana-Ject!3:50 Toggle Switches4:40 Volume Sliders5:08 Bass and Treble5:30 Quadraplex!5:51 Inputs and Tuning6:14 Quad to Dolby Digital7:05 Impressions of Quadraphonic8:00 Repairs8:25 Back Panel Hidden Stuff8:45 Nothing But a Hound Dog!
GE Profile PS978ST1SS Bad Keypad/Not recommended! ACBMemphis 2022-05-29 | Some of the keys stopped working on our GE Profile Electric Range (Model PS978ST1SS). Replacing the control panel assembly was easy, but the part was VERY expensive. However, it was still cheaper than purchasing a new double oven/stove. One reason we selected this specific model is the controls are up front - it does not have them on a "hump" sticking up in the back. Unfortunately, the design causes the heat to flow over the keypad, which is just a thin film stuck to the back of a glass panel. If you are thinking of buying this oven, based on my experience I would NOT recommend it! All of the appliances in my kitchen were General Electric stainless and put into service about 2013. They've all had fatal problems in the past year or two. Fortunately, I have been able to replace parts and keep them working, but reliability is still disappointing when compared to similar appliances from past generations...
Comparing Arylic S50 Pro+ (& Mini V3) to Volumio! ACBMemphis 2022-05-15 | In this video we compare a Volumio HiFi music player to an Arylic S50 Pro Plus. These devices allow connection of multiple network audio sources to a stereo system. That stereo system could be an older receiver or amplifier, or outdoor powered speakers, or even simultaneous multi-room playback. Volumio is free and can be installed on a Raspberry Pi, as we have shown in a previous video. Here we review Arylic's higher end S50 Pro+ as well as the more affordable Up2Stream Mini V3. I am a big fan of Volumio, but with all the positive buzz around Arylic I decided to give it a try. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. In my opinion, here are the "winners" in several feature categories:Ongoing Software Cost: ArylicUser Interface: VolumioMusic File Playback: VolumioStreaming Services: ArylicAutomation Capability: VolumioMultiroom: Arylic** Compared to the free version of VolumioOur original Volumio review from over a year ago is here: youtube.com/watch?v=PhFXgiklTMU0:00 Introduction0:20 Digital Music Streamers0:42 A look at the boxes1:05 Quick Impression1:20 Cost of Hardware2:00 Ongoing Software Cost2:24 Plug-In Policy Made me Unplug!2:45 Browser Specific Web UI3:16 Using the 4Stream App3:35 An Unbalanced Balance Control?3:57 Local File Playback4:27 Unplayable MP3 Files?4:55 Streaming Services5:25 Arylic Multi-room Demo6:40 Cassette Multiroom Streaming! 7:37 API Control and Automation8:25 Sloppy Software Examples9:08 Conclusion
4 Reasons to own a 1970s Combo Stereo... ACBMemphis 2022-05-07 | Have you seen stereos like these? Maybe in your parents' house, unsold at a yard sale, or sitting by the curb. They're known as "all-in-one" or "combo" systems and usually include an amplifier, turner, turntable, and possibly a cassette or 8-track tape recorder. This era and style of systems is almost universally looked down upon and has little to no re-sale value! So we wanted to ask the question "Why would you want to own one?" The majority of people who could not afford higher-end components back in the 1970s-1980s ended up with something like this, and it provided decent sound for the time. In this video, we discuss some possible reasons to keep one of these things around the house today.0:00 Intro0:20 Panasonic, Zenith, and Hitachi0:47 Plastic Platters1:05 Playing a 451:28 Record Changers2:24 Not a Crosley!2:55 Still working since 19783:15 Hitachi Problems5:11 Track changing5:38 Playing a 785:51 Conclusion
The Technology of Looker (1981) ACBMemphis 2022-03-29 | The Technology of Looker!0:00 Intro0:25 A Hypnotic Sales Pitch1:07 Film Imitates Computers1:24 A Very Enthusiastic Henchwoman!1:35 Today Computers Imitate Films2:27 Deep Fakes from 19812:55 A Dark Hour For Liberty3:45 What's for breakfast4:03 Tracking Eyeballs4:45 Chip in, please5:25 Robots!6:13 Screen time - worse than predicted6:45 When he says TV, think social media!7:06 Theatrical Edit Leaves a Plot hole7:45 Original Scene Order8:23 Captured by Moustache Man!9:11 Welcome to my lair Mr. Bond!9:35 Any of this sound familiar?10:00 Escape from Reston House10:40 Conclusion11:05 Bonus Promotional Record
Sanyo Stereo Cassette Deck (1981) Model RD S45 ACBMemphis 2022-03-12 | This Sanyo Cassette deck looks great, even though it is not as well-built as other brands of the day we've reviewed such as Pioneer. However, it's not so much "cheap" just "budget" and you can tell the features included were carefully selected. It's a great basic deck and has some features which you would not find in newer and more expensive decks years later. Positives include music search, nice level meters, output level, and of course metal tape support. Negatives include "soft touch" control performance and a flimsy box. 0:00 Intro to the Sanyo0:25 Main Feature0:42 Tape Type Talk1:08 Metal formulation (and content)1:47 Manual Settings in the 1970s2:02 Automatic Detection in the 1980s2:25 Tape Type Barely Mentioned in the 1990s2:37 No text or indicators the 2000s2:50 Not type really Bias and EQ3:35 Repairs: Tighten the belt3:50 Metal tapes, but a Cardboard box4:25 Recording problems4:50 An easy fix?5:33 Sanyo: A Budget Brand5:52 Bad Translation6:13 These Features Age like a fine wine...6:35 Unique Cassette Door Pivot6:50 Fine bias adjustment7:15 Bias adjustment demo7:49 Conclusion + Subscription beggingIf you are interested in the other tape decks mentioned in this video, here are links to some of those videos:JVC KD-A3: youtube.com/watch?v=VFG0H2e2kUUTeac R-555: youtube.com/watch?v=XLVbMzyCePMSony TC-WE435: youtube.com/watch?v=l5_bPO-A1wURadio Shack SCP-25: youtube.com/watch?v=8KSGkAZsbjk
Make an old Garage Door Smart with a Shelly Relay! ACBMemphis 2022-02-01 | In this video we connect a 1979 Sears Garage door opener to the Internet using a Shelly 1 Relay. It's a simple, enjoyable electronics project that did not take very long to complete. One criticism of this project might be that it requires a battery in the garage door opener. You could wire it in to the garage's wall switch and not even need the remote. However, this method does not involve modifying wiring, can be easily removed, and adds flexibility of placement anywhere within WiFi and radio range. The battery should last as long as it would if the remote was in a car before changing.0:00 Intro0:37 A Simple Circuit1:08 Basic Switch1:20 Momentary Switch1:45 Wi-Fi Relay Switch2:00 Project Diagram and Concept2:37 Unboxing the Shelly Relay3:34 Step 1 - Provide Power4:30 Step 2 - Configure Wi-Fi with app5:35 Step 3 - Configure Momentary Switch6:00 Step 4 - Wiring up Garage Remote6:54 Final Project Completed7:27 A Closer Look at the Shelly Relay8:50 Conclusion
The Free 8 Track Tapes included with a 1970s car! ACBMemphis 2022-01-23 | A bit of automotive audio history: New Car Demo Tapes. Let's try putting an 8-track player in a modern car! They don't include CD players in new cars these days, since physical media is less common. But another automotive sound artifact lost to the sands of time was a demonstration tape included with a new car factory stereo. As recently as the mid-1990s, a demo cassette was included. But by 2003 my new car included a CD with no demonstration media. So where did these demonstration tapes come from, and why did they go away? In the 1960s, the timing was right: Lear Jet invented the 8 track format, and Ford included it with their new cars. Most people had records at home, and the only their portable option previously might have been a tinny sounding AM transistor radio. As the doomed 8 track format gave way to the more versatile cassette, the trend continued for a few more years. But demo CDs were never included with new cars at the same rate as tapes. (They seemed to be mostly for higher-end systems.) One thing I like about the whole concept of providing a demo tape is the people who made these 8 track players and sent them into the world felt they had to make sure that the products worked independently. Today, we're at the other extreme, where we buy hardware that's useless without an underlying connected service, i.e. satellite radio. I also find it interesting that as car audio has put us in more control of what we hear, it seems like we're headed toward less control of the car itself! Now we're able to make our own very individual music choices so it's unlikely an auto maker in the future would attempt to produce a "mass appeal" selection of songs and distribute them on physical media... 0:00 Acura's little known 8-Track Option?0:28 Custom Auto Manufacturer Tapes0:54 Pontiac's Exciting Sound for 19721:24 A Splice-less repair2:08 Cadillac 1974: Across the Wide Country3:03 Chevrolet Concert Sound Stereo3:21 Don't try this at home3:33 Ford Audio Systems Demo Tape (1990)4:00 Kenny G Driving Hazard4:15 A brief historical search5:30 Conclusion (with real horse!)Playlists with the songs I could find:Chevy: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvdr2fcSSucdGXHLfcVTaw1HNPJPoKP-qCadillac: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvdr2fcSSucdQNxUvD1GWZpM5r66UQEvuPontiac: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvdr2fcSSuce5k9FYVYJS4A8KaXDSjVM7
Good Speakers from Goodwill? You bet! ACBMemphis 2022-01-09 | Is it ever OK to buy second hand speakers without hearing them first? Under certain circumstances you can find a good deal if you are very patient. Speakers that are "projects" such as outdoor speakers, in-wall speakers, and car stereos are often given away "new in the box" when the project is abandoned. Bluetooth speakers are cheap and ubiquitous, but some more unusual finds may appear online as well.Here are some examples: (1) Yamaha NS-AW570 Outdoor Speakers(2) Polk RC-60i In Wall Speakers(3) Star Wars Rechargeable Bluetooth Speaker(4) ...and for some reason new Marshall Emberton Bluetooth speakers ($149 value) online are being auctioned on shopgoodwill two at a time. 0:00 Intro0:44 Deal 1 - Outdoor Speakers1:12 Deal 2 - In Wall Speakers2:03 Never trust the box2:32 Deal 3 - Bluetooth Speakers3:42 Conclusion
Review: Drew Barrymores Touch Panel Toaster (vs Hamilton Beach) ACBMemphis 2021-12-29 | I was surprised to learn that actress Drew Barrymore has a line of Walmart kitchen appliances. This is a review of the Beautiful Kitchenware 2-Slice Toaster with Touch-Activated Display, model TA1741-UL in Oyster Grey.0:00 Intro0:20 Psychic powers not required!0:38 Touch Screen Controls1:05 Fit and Finish1:13 Heating a bagel2:15 The Results2:30 Toaster vs. Toaster2:48 Toast Test3:23 And the winner is..3:53 Re-heating toast4:15 Touch Screen Toast4:51 Closing Thoughts
Review: $20 Feit Electric WiFi LED Smart Bulbs ACBMemphis 2021-12-22 | Are "smart bulbs" a smart idea? These WiFi enabled light bulbs can be used independently, without a large system purchase. You can control them with a free phone app, or use a smart speaker such as Google or Alexa. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that they are "backwards compatible" and gracefully fall back to "standard light bulb" behavior with an attached wall switch. I am not normally one who would be interested in smart devices due to (1) privacy concerns and (2) not wanting to over-engineer a light bulb. However, in spite of those concerns, I found this to be a fun experience.0:00 Intro0:35 Setup Mode and Instructions0:55 Guided Setup Fail - Fifty Demerits! 1:44 Bluetooth setup - success!2:48 Smart Bulb Control with the Feit app3:22 Set up Google Home on the iPhone4:25 Smart Bulb Control with Google app4:40 Smart Bulb Control with "Hey Google"5:15 One bulb, three controls!5:45 Using the smart bulb like a normal bulb6:37 Spying on the spies...6:56 Closing thoughts
Dolby in a Box With the Realistic DNR-1 (1974) ACBMemphis 2021-11-22 | If you have used a cassette deck, you have probably seen a switch to enable Dolby noise reduction. This Radio Shack audio component from the 1970s provides that same capability for any tape deck (cassette or reel-to-reel) and is designed to work through a receiver's tape monitor loop. The letters in the model number of this device, the DNR-1 undoubtedly stands for "Dolby Noise Reduction" and was the only external Dolby processor I am aware of ever sold by Radio Shack. At the time of introduction in 1974 Radio Shack was already selling a tape deck with Dolby built in so this unit was not even in the 1975 catalog. (Also interestingly another type of noise reduction called "DNR" was available in GM cars in the mid-1980s and has nothing to do with Dolby.)0:00 Intro - Dolby in a Box0:45 Designed for top loaders1:08 Encoding and Decoding1:30 Pieces are missing1:45 Beep Beep! Tone generator2:00 Suppresses hiss... and highs2:20 Dolbyizing Mozart2:36 Dolby Alphabet Soup3:00 Did the average user care?3:17 Shameless Celebrity Name Dropping!3:38 ((Scene removed due to copyright claim.))3:47 Dolby FM on a 1976 Sansui4:32 What's in the box?5:17 Dolby on a board5:45 ConclusionUnfortunately, my line out quality comparison of the box to the cassette deck triggered a copyright block, so I trimmed that section and moved it to a separate non-monetized video here: youtu.be/Ar6lm3CxPq4
A Sharp Humanware Talking Clock Boom Box (1987) ACBMemphis 2021-11-14 | The Sharp QT-F60 portable AM/FM radio cassette player has a very unique feature for a boom box: a talking clock! Aside from that, it's very basic and has little in the way of notable functionality. However, the overall look is atypical since it's the result of a corporate design experiment from the late 80s. Sharp's Humanware philosophy sought to move away from production-led approaches to user-centric design.0:00 Intro0:20 Talking Computers Then and Now1:10 A Unique Looking Box1:40 Curves not Corners2:01 Slim and Light2:38 Looks like a Purse2:50 Decent Paint Job3:05 Controls and Usability3:23 Pop-out Tuner Knob3:38 Tape Recording Questions4:40 Setting the Voice Clock5:06 A Look on the Inside5:40 Overall Thoughts6:00 Sound Quality6:25 Conclusion
Mitsubishi 7-Tape Cassette Changer (1985) and others! ACBMemphis 2021-10-24 | Cassette changer decks like the Mitsubishi DT-156 (from the mid 1980s) are fun to watch. Tape changers never gained the popularity of record changers. In this video, we explore why and compare the 3 changers we currently own: the Denon Cassematic 12, the Pioneer CT-WM62R, and the Mitsubishi DT-156. 0:00 Intro0:22 The Collection0:40 Changer vs Changer1:52 A Clear Winner Here2:12 As Needed As Record Changers?2:38 Drawer Mechanism Variations 3:21 The Elements of Style3:55 Features in Odd Places4:15 Mitsubishi vs Pioneer5:15 Inside Gears and Motors6:06 Cleaning House6:25 Track Programming Test6:45 A 'Dirty' Experiment7:00 Loading and Programming8:11 It's not moving 'Like the Wind'9:20 Experiment Results9:45 ConclusionRelated Videos:Denon Changer Video:youtube.com/watch?v=s2Al0HIJSy8Pioneer Changer Video:youtube.com/watch?v=eHPc17zOD4I
Honeycomb Cereal Cassette (Nakamichi/Personics) ACBMemphis 2021-10-08 | The Taste is In the Shape! This cassette is from about 1993-1994. You picked 4 songs from a list on the back of a cereal box. Post cereal created a custom mix tape with your selections, and of course their awesome "Honeycomb rap" commercial. I did not know until recently that it was actually a remnant of something called the "Personics" system. Personics corporation created a unique device in 1988 that made custom mix tapes on the fly. It was put in record stores such as Tower records in the form of a refrigerator-sized kiosk. The kiosk was computer-controlled. It contained a bank of specialized CDs with thousands of songs, a custom Nakamichi high-speed cassette deck that dubbed at 8x speed, and a laser printer to put your name and selections on a cassette label. You could pick your songs and walk out with a high bias Dolby B mix tape recorded from digital sources and only costing about $1 per song. Unfortunately the industry was not ready to sell songs in this manner, and the kiosks soon went away. The mail order option remained a while longer, and thus the Honeycomb mix tape was born! What was interesting to me about Personics was how technically advanced it was for the time: it used custom hardware and software, they worked with the record labels to rotate available songs, they could vary price for new songs and track popularity, etc. Lyrics:The taste is in the shape (Oooh Oooh)It's in the shapeThe taste is In the shapeOf HoneycombYo I'm in the mood for the munch (Honeycomb)So give me the taste that goes crunchBrunch lunch breakfast you can ...?A cool shape A big tasteSo let's beginA honey sweet taste in the milk that stays crunchyBowl after bowl it's the taste that gets meFunny and roundIn my mouth it makes a crunchy soundMom yells "Honeycomb"I'm coming down!You can buy a box honey taste you can't missPart of this balanced nutritious breakfastThe taste is in the shape...
JVC KD-V40 Stereo Cassette Deck with Spectro Peak Indicator (1983) ACBMemphis 2021-10-03 | A quick review of a JVC tape deck that features a "Spectro Peak Indicator" - a level meter broken up into individual frequency segments, much like a spectrum analyzer on a graphic equalizer. This deck presents an interesting light show, but unfortunately all the plastic parts were worn out and I couldn't do much with it. 0:00 Intro0:20 A Peek at the Spectro Peak Indicator0:45 Purpose of a VU meter1:09 Three types of JVC Peak Levels1:37 Spectro Peak Variations From 1979 - 19842:26 Turns out I bought a lemon!2:47 A look inside the box3:50 Unusual Reverse Mode Switch4:17 Conclusion - Don't Buy It!
DIY Custom Volumio Plug In to Power On My Receiver ACBMemphis 2021-09-04 | When combined with a DAC, Volumio provides for a high-quality listening experience on a home sound system. Another great use is controlling background music in your kitchen, on the back porch, or by the pool with outdoor speakers. All you need to control Volumio is a Web browser like Chrome, Edge, or Safari's -- you don't need to install an app. It's easy for anyone on your network to queue up songs on their phone. It does almost everything I need to allow convenient control of a stereo system. However, I still needed to remember to turn my receiver on, and set it to the correct input... or at least .... I did until now! Since the Yamaha R-N301 receiver is a networked receiver, I can send commands to it. The http POST requests can be made from a custom Volumio plug-in. The code checks the receiver status and turns it on when a song is being played. Between songs, there are several consecutive start/stop events, so I use elapsed time to smooth out the state changes. This video describes the development process, which is easy to replicate using the on-line instructions. 0:00 Intro0:17 The Music DJ QR Code0:45 Receiver Manual Power On1:00 Receiver Automatic Power On1:28 Development workflow example2:27 A Simple Volumio Plug-In2:45 Enabling SSH access3:30 Demo Auto Power On and Off4:04 Subscribe Like and Comment!(Note: I just got this working and have not released the source code yet, after a couple of days I might release it. If I do, please keep in mind no warranties use at your own risk, etc.)#HomeAutomation #Hifi
Arthur Fulmer 8 Track Player Portable (1970s) ACBMemphis 2021-08-16 | This portable Arthur Fulmer 8 Track player (and Elvis eight-track set) was purchased for a very reasonable price. It dates from the early 1970s. The cheap-looking plastic exterior hides a surprisingly solid tape transport mechanism. The 2-box device allows stereo separation, and can be powered by AC or DC. Like most 8 track players, the only playback control is a track-change button. There are also knobs for each speaker volume and tone. It's not a particularly impressive piece of hardware, but it gets the job done.When you think of audio equipment, the name "Arthur Fulmer" is not as well known as say, "Henry Kloss" in the audio world, but it has a special significance for me. Way back in the early 1980s, most of the kids in our neighborhood played a bunch on his land. (In the 1980s, we weren't glued to our screens as much....) The Fulmer property was where where we rode bikes, built treehouses, and explored the woods all day. "Mr. Fulmer" was a very nice man and didn't mind us running all over his land. I had no idea he even had a company, until I started seeing branded 8 track players show up on eBay and thought "Hey that name sounds familiar..." Thanks for accompanying me on this trip down memory lane...0:00 Intro0:20 A Big Name in Audio? 0:40 Call it Boom Box...Or Not!1:33 Cicadas are a Good Audience1:45 A Neighborhood Playground2:15 Arthur Fulmer Audio Products2:47 Automatic Radio SEP 98003:02 GC Electronics Rockford Illinois3:49 Disassembly4:09 Track changer4:30 Slow Start with the Original Belt5:06 Ready to Rock with a New Belt!5:37 A Peek inside the second speaker6:05 Conclusion
A Tape Cassette Format You Never Heard Of? ACBMemphis 2021-07-30 | The Stuzzi Memocord Mini has a most unusual cassette cartridge. It is longer and slimmer than the Philips compact cassette, but has some numeric markings and a "fuel gauge" needle-style indicator. Stuzzi was an Austrian company that distributed products in the United States through Norfolk Hill of New York, from the 1960s through the 1980s. These products were used for voice dictation, where a letter is dictated verbally before being typed, then the recording is discarded. So the recordings made on these devices were temporary in nature and not designed for long term preservation. And while a rim drive, rather than capstan-driven, mechanism does not lend itself to good sound quality, this one sounds decent for voice.I purchased this for a very, very low price from a thrift store. And there was a recording already on the cassette. A man speaking was dictating letters regarding his divorce, and construction on the University of Washington Physics and Astronomy Building in Seattle, about 1994. He also makes reference to the retirement of John Skilling, an architect or engineer who helped design the twin towers of the World Trade Center, as well as many skyscrapers that make up the Seattle skyline. I find it very interesting through the use of some Internet searches on key phrases in the recording one could find out a lot of information. 0:00 Introduction1:12 History, Typing, and Dictation2:13 The IND-X-MATIC Tape format3:00 Repairs and idler strobe4:10 Internals and line output5:00 Detective work, part 15:33 Detective work, part 26:20 Conclusion
Sony TC-FX707R Stereo Cassette Deck - Totally 80s ACBMemphis 2021-07-24 | A quick look at a Sony tape deck that was sold from 1983 to 1985, the model TC-FC707R. This is a prototypical 80s deck in that everything is "computer controlled" and "digital" technology, whether it needs to be or not!0:00 Intro0:22 Look ma, no knobs0:52 Why do you need ball bearings?1:13 Tape Type Setting Memory2:36 Repairs6:19 Are Digital Level Controls Better?6:38 Audio Memory7:10 Function Memory7:25 Other Features7:40 Construction Quality7:55 Conclusion
Hacking New Features into a Teac R-555 Tape Deck ACBMemphis 2021-07-15 | This Teac R-555 stereo cassette tape deck from 1984 actually contains some dormant logic circuits for a more expensive model. In this video, we activate those extra features. A few months ago, we repaired this deck by replacing a belt, some bad resistors, and shorted capacitors. Shortly after that repair the cassette player died. Using a second deck we were able to get it going again. During the process, we noticed several circuit boards (and the manual) had notations for the next most expensive model, the Teac R-666X. As it turns out, we could just add 3 switches and and L.E.D. and get those music search features - a simple but effective hardware hack!0:00 Intro0:33 Previous Failed Repair0:50 Comparing to a Second Deck1:48 More hidden features inside?2:05 Switch and LED Placeholder test2:25 New Time-Based Counter2:45 Computronic Program Search3:10 New Memory Start Button4:10 New Block Repeat Feature Demo4:37 ConclusionHere's the original repair video and review/look at features:youtube.com/watch?v=1ic_EWfVcSg
Even Dad can make these fast not-too-sweet cookies! ACBMemphis 2021-07-10 | Amateurs Making Cookies with a Go-Pro! We took a break from technology reviews, and decided to make some chocolate chip cookies with the new GoPro Hero9 action camera. I can't take credit for the recipe, this is from my wife's Magnolia cook book. The cookies are good. Spoiler alert - we got more milk from the grocery store the following day.0:00 Getting started0:22 Gathering ingredients0:40 Preheat to 3500:52 Make flour mixture1:40 Brown sugar and butter2:47 Two large eggs3:33 Vanilla extract3:48 Add flour mixture4:14 Mix it up a bit4:45 Add chocolate chips5:20 Cookies on the baking sheet5:52 Cookies in the oven6:45 On the cooking rack7:09 The Finished product7:25 What? No milk!
Moode Vs. Volumio: Comparing HiFi Music Players ACBMemphis 2021-07-01 | A comparison between "Moode Audio" and "Volumio" - two music streaming software products that are absolutely free and can run on a Rasperry Pi 3. When downloaded and written to a microSD card, they turn the Pi into a dedicated audio streamer device that can be connected to an amplifier and speakers. We have been using Volumio for about 6 months, and wanted to try a similar product. On the surface, Moode Audio has more features. However, I found Volumio had a better organized UI, and was more stable on my hardware, so I am sticking with that. Volumio is a professional product with a "free" version, while Moode appears to be entirely community supported. Despite my opinion you might find Moode better if you are into tweaking and jumping into the Linux command line (both products have ssh capability).0:00 Intro0:23 Purpose of these products0:55 Affordable and Headless Audio Players1:36 Attaching a supported touchscreen1:52 Overall Impressions2:30 NAS File Playback3:00 Thumbnail fail...3:15 Windows Casting and File Type Test3:39 iPhone Airplay and Android Test4:30 UPNP order re-arranged by Moode5:15 Bluetooth only available on Moode5:50 Volumio Plugins - better organization6:05 Stability Notes and ConclusionVolumio Video (Prequel to this video):youtube.com/watch?v=PhFXgiklTMU
Sony Watchman 2 in. Portable TV model FD-2A (1985) ACBMemphis 2021-06-05 | How about some Nintendo on a 2-inch TV? Not very fun, but we tried it. This old Sony Watchman Portable Television set has been sitting in a back yard storage shed for years. We decided to put in some batteries and turn it on. In this video we show a couple of easy hacks to get a picture on an analog TV like this.0:00 Intro0:15 Unboxing0:33 The Batteries and the Bag0:55 Safety Pamphlet Included!1:25 First Power Up1:48 A Quick Look Inside2:08 Our very own Safety Notice2:32 OTA Channels in 2021 on a 1985 TV!3:47 A Clearer Picture with External Antenna4:43 Connecting an Nintendo Game System5:03 Super Mario Brothers on a 2 inch TV5:30 Concluding Thoughts#Sony #Vintage1980s #Watchman
Best Beach Boombox - Panasonic RX-C45 vs. RX-C52 ACBMemphis 2021-05-29 | We’re taking two 1980s boom boxes to the beach! A new vacation, but old school cassette technology. These Panasonic boomboxes were both part of the "Platinum Plus Series" offered in the early 1980s. They are nicer than a typical boombox of the era, due to their small size, soft-touch controls, auxiliary inputs, and detachable speakers.While they might sound louder than an average Bluetooth speaker, a 1980s boom box full of batteries is very heavy! After spending a day at the beach with these two stereo systems, our conclusion is the RX-C45 offers a superior user experience. This is due to its more intuitive arrangement of controls. The RX-C52 uses very small similar sliders for treble, bass, balance, and volume. The RX-C45 has a large volume control that is different from the others. (I'd prefer a volume knob, but of these 2 options the RX-C45 wins). Also, in my opinion the style of the RX-C45 just looks better. It is a slightly taller boom box, the darker gray still looks new after 38 years and doesn't exhibit the faded yellowing effect like I can see in RX-C52. I don't expect much reliability from a 38-year-old used portable stereo. (Using this as we did would be like someone from the 1980s using 1940s technology....) However, I would recommend the RX-C45 over the RX-C52 due to its _potential_ for greater reliability. From looking at pictures online, I see the 45 uses more internal wired connections than the 52. Also, it uses standard speaker wire instead of plugs (which won't short as easily when flexed). A couple of interesting things not mentioned in the video were- (1) The erase head on the RX-C45 does not move into place during play mode. I can't see a wire going to it, which might mean it's magnetic. (2) The RX-C52 has a timer rec/play switch just like a component deck, so it can start playing or recording when power is applied. (3) The 52 has Dolby B NR and the 45 does not. (4) The 52 has the smaller-style headphone jack while the 45 has a larger one. (5) Overall the model 52 has a nicer cassette mechanism, but for casual listening at the beach with waves and people in the background I can't hear a difference in audio quality.0:00 Intro0:30 A 1980s radio on the beach in 20211:20 With great power comes great weight1:35 Features - Mic Mixing and Repeat2:18 The RX-C45 is cheaper but better3:01 It's hot we need some H20 (Hall and Oates)4:03 They're Def! They're Run DMC!4:38 Common Features5:30 The Repair Section6:40 Short in the connector7:04 Radio Tuning Indicator7:50 Conclusion#Boombox #Destin #1980sThanks for watching this video. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to check out other videos on our channel, and subscribe to be notified of future postings.
Old 1969 RCA TV - New 2021 Extended Version! ACBMemphis 2021-05-22 | This is an old 1969 RCA "New Vista" Color Television. I had two of these huge consoles, but had to give them away due to downsizing to a smaller house. So before I got rid of them I did a quick video, which was originally uploaded in 2013 and was extremely popular. As a matter of fact, this is probably the thing that got me started doing YouTube vintage technology videos... Unfortunately, when the video got really popular like 700K views, the copyrighted Beatles audio had to be removed for it to be unblocked. So please enjoy this new new improved, extended 2021 version with restored audio (Snicker ha ha ha note I said "restored" didn't say improved :)....Some related videos of other technology items shown in this video:(1) Closer look at that Beatles Album: youtube.com/watch?v=Cimd-5_tqTA(2) The vintage VCR: youtube.com/watch?v=TFVe1oMGv6Y(3) Original upload: youtube.com/watch?v=ptVyFS8T9QINote: 7 years later, our production quality has improved. Here is one of our most recent vintage tape deck reviews:youtube.com/watch?v=kwe3Pyu32lg#RCA #ConsoleTV #1960s
Fixing an Unresponsive Grace Digital Internet Radio ACBMemphis 2021-05-08 | A quick video documenting my attempts to fix a Grace Digital WiFi Internet Radio (Model GDI-IRC600 aka the Grace Digital Mondo). The radio is a little computer with alarm clock and built-in speaker that lets you listen to Internet radio streams, Pandora, Sirius XM, and local MP3 files. Inside, I was surpised to find a modular system of components, even with a standard USB port! Replacing the motherboard battery got it going again from a dead state, but even then it continued to "lock up" until I moved the WiFi card to the rear USB port. Not sure if the problem is heat, the card itself, or the USB port. I did try swapping the power brick with one from another working radio and it made no difference.
6000 Subscribers! Thanks! ACBMemphis 2021-04-22 | We hit 6K subscribers this week, and just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of our viewers and subscribers!
Five Fun Forgotten Facts about 1980s Cable TV ACBMemphis 2021-04-19 | Remember converter boxes (legal and otherwise)? Memorizing and tuning channels by number only? Cable-Ready TVs and VCRs? Services offered by a cable guy "gone rogue"? In this video, we get those nostalgic juices flowing by recalling 5 things from early-to-mid 1980s CATV that are no longer part of our media entertainment today...0:00 Introduction0:10 (1) Channel Number Memory Exercises1:30 (2) The Ubiquitous Cable Converter Box2:50 (3) Cheating the System6:05 (4) Low Tech, Text-Only Channels6:30 (5) CATV Competition with the VCR Boom7:10 Request Pay-Per-View Intro Clip and ConclusionI left cable TV in the 1990s when I acquired a DirecTV system, and then left that in 2010 for a Home Theater PC setup. Now, it seems we've almost come full circle in that we buy cable-like packages from multiple online streaming subscription services. Thanks for watching! Remember any other quirks or stories from using those early 1980s cable systems? If so, feel free to leave them in the comments!Clip art from openclipart.org.Video Clips from mostly YouTube and C-SPANMagazine images from archive.org, radioshackcatalogs.com, americanradiohistory.com, and Google books search.#Nostalgia #1980s #VintageTech
A Multi Car Stereo Box ACBMemphis 2021-04-10 | What do you do with an old car radio? Well one option is to use an old PC power supply and a pair of speakers and make a "garage sound system" - we've done that before. However, this time I wanted to connect 2 stereos to 1 set of speakers. Just like the "good old days" where you could walk into a shop and press buttons to connect any number of store display stereos to any number of store display speakers. 0:00 Old vs new car stereos0:40 Honda tape or CD radios1:00 Solution for electronics hoarder1:19 Multi Cassette Capabilities, Think of the Sound!2:06 Bag of Relays2:51 Flip the first toggle!3:32 Antenna and Aux In3:53 Business in the back...5:15 Diagram of relay power5:50 Conclusion
Realistic Astronaut 5 Radio (1969) Fixed w/DeoxIt ACBMemphis 2021-04-03 | Have you ever turned a volume knob on an old stereo, and gotten that scratchy static sound? If so, an easy fix might be a can of DeoxIT. This is a cleaner that fixed those problems for me, and made my old radio sound much better! In my opinion this is product is a one of the best things to own when working with vintage audio equipment. In this video, we show how easy it is to make an old Radio Shack radio work better. This Astronaut is ready to fly again!0:00 Intro0:20 Dirty contacts in volume control0:40 Volume Control is a Potentiometer1:25 Radio volume does not crackle anymore!2:10 Fixing the band switch2:52 Conclusion#RadioShack #VintageRadio #1960s
Teac R-555 Cassette Deck Real Time Reverse Demo ACBMemphis 2021-03-27 | In tape deck repair, it’s NOT always the belts! Restoration of this Teac stereo cassette deck to working order also required replacing a few electronic components. Afterwards, I was left with a very nice machine, although I felt it was not Teac's finest effort in terms of quality. In the 1984-1985 audio products catalog, they offered 14 cassette decks spread across 3 lines. The R line of tape players was in the middle, between the more expensive Z Series and lower-end V series, and the R-555 was at the bottom of the R series. It looks like they took a lot of ideas from 1982's V-95RX such as the green digital counter and large stop button, and added their "marquee" feature: Real Time Auto Reverse. Real Time Auto Reverse, or just "Real Time Reverse" as stated in the logo, was a special infrared sensor that detected the leader tape. As I show in the video with an A/B comparison, this reduced the time from switching sides of a cassette from about 10 seconds down to under a second. However, a lot of tapes had blank sections at the end, so there was another feature "blank scan" that could be enabled so the deck automatically fast forwarded past them. Overengineered? A solution looking for a problem? Maybe... My concluding thoughts on the deck were... in the 1980s we all thought "computers were the future" - this deck was the result of computerization, and it shows. There is all sorts of logic happening I didn't even mention in the video, like when you start the deck the capstans run for a moment and then "time out" if no cassette is in, or the real time reverse only kicks in after a tape plays for several seconds. One thing that hurt the R-555 model in my opinion was the crippling of features, such as music search. The logic board inside the deck and the service manual are for this model and the next one up, yet this one does not have buttons for memory repeat or number of songs to skip.0:00 Unboxing and Safety Instructions0:52 Views and Audio Sample1:37 Normal Auto Reverse - How It Works2:35 Real Time Reverse Demonstration3:20 Was Real Time Reverse Useful?3:58 Two layers of Record levels4:20 Intro Scan is "Music Search Lite"4:44 Lengthy Repair Section Begins5:38 Capstan Belt Replacement6:20 Previous Repair Attempt Evidence6:49 Power transistor replacement7:10 Jump starting the level meter and pilot light8:16 Bad components in the power supply9:12 Shorted capacitor in the logic board9:31 Summary of repairs10:40 Final thoughts on this deck11:41 Audio sample and comparison
Basic Cables for Hooking Up To Vintage Audio ACBMemphis 2021-03-17 | If you're working with old stereo receivers and tape cassette decks from the 1960s through 2000s, there are some useful cables, cords, and accessories that will make working with this equipment much easier. I've found these to be very helpful when connecting to vintage audio equipment. If you can think of any others, please leave a comment. 0:00 Intro0:16 Headphone to RCA cable1:00 Headphone splitter1:25 RCA cable couplers2:05 Headphone adapter (1/8 inch to 1/4 inch)2:21 Headphones with volume control2:55 Cheap test speakers3:11 Speaker wire connectors3:35 Long Length RCA Cable3:57 DIN to RCA Cable4:30 Car cassette adapter4:45 ConclusionNotes: RCA jacks are also called "phono plugs"Most of the price estimates are based on a quick Amazon search
Costco Flashing Light - A Different Fix! ACBMemphis 2021-03-13 | These Costco outdoor LED lights (by Altair) started flashing after only a few years of operation. I don't expect a bulb by itself to last years, but these are sold as 1 unit with non-replaceable bulbs! We tried a well-documented fix: replace the LED driver circuit. However, a better fix is to remove the complicated LED circuit and put in a simple incandescent bulb socket. This way the fixture should last much longer. These two model AL-1250 coach lights had been running since 2014. When one started flashing, I ordered a new circuit (Mean Well APC-16-350) to fix it. While the new power supply was being shipped the other fixture started flashing too! Unfortunately, after repairing both fixtures, the L.E.D. lights looked inconsistent and dimmer than before. We replaced all that over-engineered stuff with a Harbor Breeze fan bulb socket. Now we can use any bulb we want. Not to mention, it's probably better for the environment, since most people would discard the entire fixture with all of the parts every time it breaks. Financially, the socket upgrade is better-Cost of 2 new coach light fixtures: $80Cost of 2 LED power supplies: $32Cost of sockets and washers: $10At the end of the video you can see my LEDs might have had problems too. So, if you have only one of these lights, the power supply fix has a greater chance of being a solution. But having the bulbs "built in" to the fixture so limiting I would recommend using the socket fix....0:00 Intro 1:00 Common failure1:50 Disassembly3:00 Fix Attempt New Power Supply4:00 Bad Results4:24 A More Permanent Fix5:25 Good Results6:42 ConclusionThanks for watching! If you like this video, please like it and subscribe. We mostly do videos about vintage technology but occasionally repairs like this or new product reviews.
Pioneer VSX-451 Receiver with Analog Surround Demo ACBMemphis 2021-03-05 | The Pioneer VSX-451 Stereo Receiver has 80 watts per channel and Dolby Pro Logic Surround Sound. As we demonstrate in the video, the receiver is impressively able to "extract" (or decode) a surround signal from a standard analog stereo track. (This was very effective for those of us who had purchased a HiFi VCR and were just getting into home theater in the early 1990s.) Of course, this "matrix surround" technology is all now obsolete since the surround systems we use today (like Dolby Digital or DTS) support multiple independent signals for each channel. 0:00 Intro0:33 Pioneer 1992 Lineup1:05 Surround Modes1:36 Dolby Surround - What's that about?2:57 Analog Encoding Processing Demo3:50 Other interesting Features4:53 Repair and Cleanup7:07 Final thoughts and Compare to Sansui 70708:25 More piano crazinessThanks for watching. We hope you enjoyed the video as much as we did making it. If you subscribe and "ring the bell" it encourages us to continue to produce videos!
Lego World War 2: D-Day Battle for Omaha Beach ACBMemphis 2021-03-02 | Lego Animation! (My son is studying World War 2 and watched a D-Day documentary recently...)
Review: Frigidaire EFIC235 Countertop Ice Machine ACBMemphis 2021-02-17 | This is a review of the Frigidaire EFIC235-AMZ Countertop Crunchy Chewable Nugget Ice Maker. We purchased it last week on the coldest day of the year! This ice machine produces the "Sonic Ice" that everyone loves to chew on, and does not require any special plumbing for installation. It's great for my small kitchen, since I cannot let an entire cabinet go to an under-the-counter device. (This is also about is 1/3 of the price of one of the larger models I could get at a big box hardware store.) The amount of ice it produces (44 lbs per day) is plenty for my family. 0:00 Intro0:30 Removal from the box1:05 GE Opal vs Frigidare1:36 More removal from the box2:27 Quote from the user manual2:50 Parking in the Appliance Garage3:41 Pressing the ice button4:43 First ice harvest from the machine5:14 Minimum clearance requirements6:26 Draining the water reservoirs7:00 New location and UV Cleaning7:43 How it works diagram and conclusion
Fisher CR-25 (Father Son Cassette Deck Repair) ACBMemphis 2021-02-16 | In this video, we repair the belts in a Fisher CR-25 Stereo Cassette Deck from 1984. Usually we find interesting tape decks, but in this example the interesting thing was we were able to obtain three of them! So what better way to see if the "student has become the master" than to have a father-son tape deck repair session.0:00 Intro 1:18 Determine the Problem1:45 Open the case2:07 Fisher vs The Fisher2:32 Internal differences?3:03 Removing cassette mechanism5:00 Clean up old belt gunk6:22 Flat vs Square Belts7:10 Two days later...7:41 Repair and Re-assembly8:12 Where does this piece go?9:45 Conclusion and Audio SampleThanks for watching. Our "Old Technology" Playlist is here:youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvdr2fcSSucd6hFidGPdOIOYVkEqTTeoA(Just noticed a couple of spelling errors when reviewing this - the tip at 1:54 should be "Keep a plastic bowl handy" and at the end the brand name of the cassette is "Maxell")
Reel-To-Reel Bad Deal (80s Pro Tapes vs. 70s Home Tapes) ACBMemphis 2021-02-06 | These tapes look good to the eye and seem like a good value, but unfortunately many of them are suffering from "sticky shed" syndrome. We'd never bought used open reel tapes until this collection of 16 reels from eBay. I assumed something newer than my existing stock of Scotch/Realistic tapes from the 1960s and 1970s would be more reliable. I was wrong. It's odd that my consumer-level tapes, some of which are 60 years old, seem to be longer lasting than this lot of 16 "professional" reel to reel tapes from the 1980s. Although most of the tapes were deteriorated and not usable, the clear plastic reels are in good shape (except for the one I baked too long in the oven!) and price per tape was under $3. What makes these tapes stand out from the usual offerings online? (1) Writing indicates professional use ("Tails" "dbx" "Duplicating master").(2) Dates were new- (1986 to 1990) - consumers would have converted to cassette by that time. As it turns out, these were probably recorded by someone to make tapes for a company (Huthwaite) that appears to have been in the business of sales training classes. Some of the quotes on there are hilarious, like being unable to justify the HUGE expense of "installing an e-mail system" because the employees are used to voice mail. We have not listened to all of them yet, but I have included some samples throughout this video. You can tell many of them are severely degraded, but a few sound fine, especially the (maybe Maxell) tape that shows no signs of problems. 0:00 Intro0:30 Audio Sample 10:46 My Tape Collection2:12 Audio Sample 22:47 Decoding the labels4:47 Problems with the tapes5:50 Baking Tape in the Oven!6:30 Conclusion6:50 More Audio SamplesThanks for watching this quick video about our experience buying reel to reel tapes! If you'd like to see more vintage technology videos, check out this playlist:youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvdr2fcSSucd6hFidGPdOIOYVkEqTTeoA#VintageTechnology#ReelToReel
Side Load US Military 3-Head Cassette Deck (1988) ACBMemphis 2021-01-30 | A very unusual tape deck, probably paid for with your tax dollars! There was almost no information about it on the Internet. In this video, we explore the CR1002 Communications Recorder, which is "engineered to operate under the severe environmental conditions found in airborne, mobile and manpack operations" - whatever that means. Despite its ruggedized build, it actually incorporates some features seen in audiophile stereo cassette decks such as 3 head design and direct drive capstan. From what I can tell, it was produced by a United States military contractor at great expense back in the late 1980s... If you have seen this model, or a similar one used let us know in the comments where how and why it was used - I'm curious!0:00 Intro1:00 Front Panel Controls2:15 Rear Audio and Power Connectors4:10 So how old is this?5:20 Test of Recording and Playback7:05 How do I hack the setup menu?7:48 Engineered Tough for the Military10:25 What was on the included cassette?11:05 ConclusionThanks for watching this video. We are grateful for any new subscribers because that means we'll continue to produce more videos! To see other videos about cassette decks, receivers, stereos, old video games, old TV sets...#Militarytech #Cassette #1980s
Yamaha K-960 Stereo Cassette Deck with DBX (1981) ACBMemphis 2021-01-20 | Today we're looking at and listening to the Yamaha K-960. This tape deck was sold from 1981 to 1983, available in silver or black, and has soft touch electronic controls. It also has a wired remote control. Although it lacks some top-end features like 3 heads or dual capstan, in several catalogs it was the listed as the nicest cassette deck. It has a great combination of sound quality features and solid construction over the lifetime of the cassette. If you look at tape decks from the 1960s through the mid-1970s, they generally have very solid cases and big motors, but they don't have nice heads and advanced sound quality features. If you fast forward (pun intended) to the end of the cassette era in the 1990s and 2000s, the sound quality features are all there, but the cases and buttons are cheap plastic. This deck of the early 1980s is a perfect balance, at a time before CDs were available and manufacturers were competing on sound quality. One of the key sound quality features here is DBX, a noise reduction competitor to Dolby that lost out in the marketplace due to lack of backwards compatibility. By the time I purchased my first component cassette deck, Dolby B and C noise reduction had become a de facto standard. However, the dynamic range expansion that dbx provides is impressive.0:00 Intro and Audio Sample1:03 Design and Style2:27 Wired Remote Control3:00 Why did Dolby beat dbx?4:26 A Look Inside and Repairs8:05 Conclusion
GhostBed Adjustable King Bed: Setup and Review ACBMemphis 2020-12-31 | This is a 2-minute review of the most high tech bed I have ever owned! This GhostBed from Costco has a "hybrid memory foam" mattress. (It's slightly firmer than my old memory foam mattress - a 7-year-old Serta iComfort which seemed to be wearing out.)Our "split king" configuration arrived in 2 separate shipments of 4 boxes total (2 mattresses and 2 bases). The bases are where all the high tech stuff is: motors, USB ports, LED light strips, etc. The remote is backlit and activates movement, massage, and under-bed lighting! Setup was easy. In the split king configuration, these two bases and mattresses operate independently. We can also sync the bases with an included cable if we ever want to switch to a single mattress on top. It's definitely more comfortable than my previous mattress, and has eliminated my morning "alarm clock" of lower back pain. I didn't foresee myself using the massager at all, but it's very relaxing and I have used it a lot. The USB ports I have not really used yet. The remotes are easy to use in the dark, especially with the backlit keys. For some of the modes like flat/reading/TV, you just press the button once and it goes to the right spot. But there are also 4 main buttons that work like momentary switches to set your own custom position. There is a way to memorize a position, which I am sure my wife has figured out, but I haven't bothered with yet... It is a good value? For this mattress and base combination, Costco had the best price, even better than GhostBed itself. And if you get a "high end" mattress in this class (such as the Purple) you could easily spend this much on a mattress alone. In about a month of use the novelty of an adjustable bed has not worn off and we're still enjoying our GhostBed. Thanks for watching!#MemoryFoam#Ghostbed0:00 Intro0:25 Base Information and Assembly1:15 Mattress2:00 Too Many Pillows!2:15 Conclusion
Review: Volumio HiFi Music Player Software ACBMemphis 2020-12-12 | This is a review of the "Volumio" music player software. With this software, you can play your local music files, and also stream/cast to it from a variety of sources. While you can buy hardware, you can also just download it and install on a Raspberry Pi like I've done here. One surprise for me was the need to buy an external DAC. I figured the PI's headphone out would be good enough for non-audiophile use, but it was noticeably bad with some distortion. Adding a DAC fixed all that, and it sounds excellent, running through our vintage Sansui 7070 receiver. 0:00 Intro0:21 Screenshots0:49 Features and Plugins1:15 Advantages1:35 Airplay and Spotify2:10 Setup2:30 Older Pi Test2:47 JBL Speaker Test3:03 Using an External DAC3:30 Is it freeware?3:54 ConclusionVolumio's Web site:volumio.orgThe site I got the DAC from:hifimediy.comIf you like technology videos, be sure and subscribe. Our channel contains vintage and new technology videos. Thanks!#HiFi#VintageAudio
Pandemic Theater Experience: CovIndiana Jones ACBMemphis 2020-12-12 | One of the ways you can support the movie industry during the pandemic is to rent an entire theater! A family member did that and we saw Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) on the big screen for the first time ever...
