Freedom4um - Article

#1: Ada To: Esso (#0)

Those things lasted forever. Wouldn't be surprised if there are still some in use.

Ada posted on 2020-12-18 12:26:38 Reply Private Reply

#2: Esso To: Ada, 4um (#1)

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 12:38:26 Reply Private Reply

#3: Lod To: Esso (#2)

Give'em the razors, and then sell'em the blades - genius.

Lod posted on 2020-12-18 13:38:57 Reply Private Reply

#4: BTP Holdings To: Esso (#2)

Edison

Nikola Tesla gave up his royalties to keep Edison out of bankruptcy. Tesla was a genius and wanted to make electricity free for everyone since he knew it was all around us and simply needed to be harnessed. ;)

BTP Holdings posted on 2020-12-18 13:48:50 Reply Private Reply

#5: Esso To: Lod (#3)

Give'em the razors, and then sell'em the blades - genius.

It's been 17 days since I've been face-to-face with another human.

Now I'm falling in love with an 83 year old electronics geek chicky- poo on the interwebs. I know I've got something she wants.

It's an old tube-type Wollensak reel-to-reel tape recorder that was my Dad's. It was working in 1976 when Dad passed. It's in the attic of my shop somewhere. Probably a lot of other ancient electronic junk too.

One of the things up there is a double-edge razor blade sharpener. It's a clever little, hand-crank device that strops the blade and flips it over with every crank to get the other side.

I don't know the "official status" of the lockdown here, seems almost everybody has declared their own personal/private lockdowns. Everybody but the big box stores. Going without a face diaper anywhere here is likely to get you killed or arrested. I'm too old for jail.

'Rona has turned the minutes to hours.

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 14:36:01 Reply Private Reply

#6: Esso To: All (#5)

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 15:10:51 Reply Private Reply

#7: Pinguinite To: Esso (#0)

Fran is an interesting character. She's actually 83 years old.

She's 83? Except for the gray hair, she could pass for her mid-40's in her face, and her alertness as well as her character.

A Texas Instrements TI-30 calculator, possibly a programmable calculator. I think my dad had one of them.

Pinguinite posted on 2020-12-18 16:05:53 Reply Private Reply

#8: Esso To: Lod (#3)

Here ya go, Loddy. This is very similar to my Dad's. His had a hammertone silver enamel finish and the blade holder is a little different. This seems to be a newer variant, cheapened up a little...

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 16:18:18 Reply Private Reply

#9: Esso To: Pinguinite, 4um (#7)

She's 83?

Yep.

Except for the gray hair, she could pass for her mid-40's in her face, and her alertness as well as her character.

That's what I used to think too.

A Texas Instrements TI-30 calculator, possibly a programmable calculator.

Not programmable, I used to carry one in my flight bag. It's still around here somewhere. It came with a little vinyl zippered bag printed in a denim look.

Why do you think I'm falling in love with the gal? She's me, with her Y chromosome changed to X. (That's before there were 72 genders)

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 16:25:59 Reply Private Reply

#10: BTP Holdings To: Esso (#0)

I wonder if Fran knows anything about Midland CB radios? Those are old timey electronics.

The big joke I always make about it is when someone asks how you are, you reply, "Fair to Midland." LOL

BTP Holdings posted on 2020-12-18 16:40:15 Reply Private Reply

#11: Esso To: Pinguinite (#7)

Some background from Big Clive on the Isle of Man...

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 16:52:51 Reply Private Reply

#12: Pinguinite To: Esso (#9)

Not programmable, I used to carry one in my flight bag. It's still around here somewhere. It came with a little vinyl zippered bag printed in a denim look.

Maybe I'm thinking of a TI-55. He could put small 3" magnetic strips through it to program it or some such. There was a calculator game we kids could play on it. Battleship type game where you gotta sink a sub. Put in coords for a depth charge and it tells you how far away it was and then it moves a little bit.

A game that was all just pure numbers. No fancy graphics, joysticks, or music playing.

Pinguinite posted on 2020-12-18 16:53:17 Reply Private Reply

#13: Esso To: BTP Holdings (#10)

I wonder if Fran knows anything about Midland CB radios?

My late friend Jack did. He was running a CB repair shop out of a little trailer behind his house a block East of where I'm living. He was an engineer for International Harvester, before that. He was also a dog-nuts crazy amateur radio operator. RF was his bailiwick. He died sometime in the 80s from asbestos (mesothelioma) that he probably got in the Navy during WWII.

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 17:08:38 Reply Private Reply

#14: Esso To: Pinguinite (#12)

Maybe I'm thinking of a TI-55.

I think that might be it.

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 17:10:07 Reply Private Reply

#15: BTP Holdings To: Esso (#13)

He died sometime in the 80s from asbestos (mesothelioma) that he probably got in the Navy during WWII.

That sucks.

Did you know the Twin Towers were contaminated with asbestos? It was not removed, but abated.

When the towers went down all of the asbestos went up into the atmosphere.

Also, in the old days they would cover hot water pipes with asbestos wrap to keep the heat in. If you punctured the outer wrap it would release some of the asbestos inside.

I imagine there are other sources for this type of hazard around that we have no idea exists. ;)

BTP Holdings posted on 2020-12-18 17:26:03 Reply Private Reply

#16: StraitGate To: Esso (#9)

The original TI-30 calculator (I had one) was fantastic, but it had a serious problem. After some use the more frequently used keys would when pressed sometimes repeat as if pressed more than once. (Engineers call this contact bounce, as you know.) The results were often catastrophic. An engineer I worked with told of a professor he had at Auburn University who had a collection of TI-30s nailed to the wall in his classroom. A student would blame his TI-30 calculator for a wrong answer on a test -- and even reverse engineer the incorrect result to prove it. And the prof would nail it to the wall.

My teenage bride bought me an HP calculator after my second year in school. I still use it every day. Changed the batteries only once or maybe twice in almost 40 years.

StraitGate posted on 2020-12-18 20:07:51 Reply Private Reply

#17: Esso To: StraitGate (#16)

Changed the batteries only once or maybe twice in almost 40 years.

I just went out in the garage and found my TI-30 in the case with manual. The zipper is pretty corroded, but operational. Thank God I didn't leave the battery in it.

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 20:18:43 Reply Private Reply

#18: StraitGate To: Esso (#17)

The original TI-30 was pretty hard on batteries. Adding a large electrolytic capacitor across it -- say 2,200 microfarads -- would effectively extend the battery life, as it allowed continued operation even when the battery's internal resistance had gotten too high to handle the transient currents by itself.

Does your old TI-30 still work?

StraitGate posted on 2020-12-18 20:33:29 Reply Private Reply

#19: Esso To: StraitGate (#18)

Does your old TI-30 still work?

I don't know, I don't have a 9V cell available. Probably wouldn't be a good idea anyway, it's probably condensing from coming in from the cold. I know, water's not conductive, better safe than sorry.

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 20:40:20 Reply Private Reply

#20: StraitGate To: Esso (#19)

I know, water's not conductive, better safe than sorry.

Yes, after 40 years there's probably plenty of contaminants that have leached from the parts on to the PCB that will get plenty conductive when wet. Your caution is good.

Have you tried drying it in the microwave oven on High for 45 minutes? (Not recommended! -- just messing with you, old man.)

StraitGate posted on 2020-12-18 20:49:16 Reply Private Reply

#21: Esso To: StraitGate (#20)

Have you tried drying it in the microwave oven on High for 45 minutes?

I'll get right on that. :P

Esso posted on 2020-12-18 20:53:14 Reply Private Reply

Source:	EweToob
Published:	Dec 18, 2020
Author:	Fran Blanche
Post Date:	2020-12-18 11:52:38 by Esso
Views:	2287

When The Holidays Went Electric - 1910 Mini Edison Carbon Bulb