gfalls Loc: Great Falls Montana

I went to electronics school and after studying vacuum tubes we were into pnp and npn transisters. We were told how they work but were told in our lifetime we won't see them used much.

Pepsiman Loc: New York City

[quote=jerryc41]1944 is fine. That's when I was born. It's when I hear about people being born in the 1930's

. 1933 was my year...

Catnlion Loc: Arizona City, Arizona

The house w my parents had built in 1959 had an electronic oven in it. It was built in over a traditional oven. We would stand in front of it to warm our hands and look at the giant blue vacuum tube as mom warmed water for tea. Now everybody has a microwave.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

That issue was covered in the first "Superman" movie with the late Christopher Reeves as the "Man of Steel." By that time phone booths had become wind breaks.

old hippy Loc: Kentucky hills

In 1957 I listened to the first stereo radio broadcast. 2 different radio stations each played a side of the record. You had to hook up 2 radios and play at the same time. Later they made the fm multiplex which was a radio with a B component that acted like a second speaker. As time went on stereo FM was incorporated into one device, Then it was a week or two of wages to buy, now you can buy for $5:00.

RichardQ Loc: Colorado

Hi, old hippy! I thought this might interest you. While I worked at AT&T Bell Labs, during January 1980, they issued a remarkable pair of demo LPs assembled from secret test recordings made in April,1933, with the cooperation of Leopold Stokowki (who "loaned" the Philadelphia Orchestra to Bell Labs without the orchestra knowing what was going on). The audio engineers had devised an "auditory perspective" system for recording music. Until then, and for about 25 more years, all disc music recordings were monophonic. The test recording equipment was located one floor below the stage. One engineer sat in the empty audience and signalled the crew when to turn the equipment on. The system used a cartridge with two stylii creating two parallel grooves at 33-1/3 rpm. Of course, two loudspeakers were needed for the stereo effect in playback. When Bell Labs demonstrated the system to the rest of the industry, they rejected it, because the Great Depression was in full swing. "We can't sell the systems we have, and you want us to change to a system twice the size that's not compatible with the existing records on the market? Forget it."
Bell Labs distributed the LP samples to the hi-fi press and other interested parties free, on a first-come basis. Some enthusiasts proposed issuing them on a commercial basis, but some of the orchestra members were still in the Phila. Orch. and began talking about suing for royalties. That killed it. The recordings are remarkable.

NIKONUT Loc: San Diego

T

I'm one of the "older" people and I at one time used a WEBCOR wire recorder. I still have it (in storage). As I remember, it weighs "a ton" or so. If you had to splice the wire, all you had to do was tie a square knot and trim the ends very close to the knot.

cday Loc: North Carolina

Yep...in photography class. Three of us knew what film was!!! We laughed...

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Wasn't it fun, though, in the "good old days". I etched circuit boards and made electronic devices from scratch. I built a shortwave radio from scratch (well - from a kit) when I was about 13. Turning it on and tuning in to radio stations on the other side of the planet was awesome!

But then growing up in Kansas in the 50's, if you stayed up late you could play with the AM radio and get skipped stations from Chicago, crazy radio preachers in Texas, and even stations in Mexico. That was excitement!

One of the problems with our society these days is that people do few things that make them feel good about themselves. No one makes anything anymore. Few people have creative hobbies. We are bombarded by false experiences - life as a theme park. Even photography - if you want it to be - is fully automatic and will do everything by itself. No wonder we are so troubled.

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

I can't wait to see what technology will give us in 100 years.

James Slick Loc: Pittsburgh,PA

Although they may not be "rabbit ears " External TV antennae are making something of a comeback among "cable cutters" Free HD OTA tv and "sub channels

Carl 383 Loc: Southampton UK

Or, Yes.

Ransch Loc: O'Fallon MO

Thanks, RichardQ. That was a fascinating lesson in history, and I'm no spring chicken.

Carl 383 Loc: Southampton UK

I remember as a kid getting a Phillips Electronic Engineering set EE1003, it had three transistors a BC147 and two BC148, I can't remember which was PNP and which was NPN but it was about 45 years ago. With the set I was able to make all kinds of stuff, ranging from a radio, a rain sensor, burglar alarm, light sensor and other amazing things (for a thirteen year old) I looked for something similar for when my boys were growing up but it seems such things were too complicated for todays kids to get their mind around.

capsar050 Loc: Piedmont in North Carolina

I thought I felt old before... I didn't know if I wanted to share my astonishment with the question my Granbaby had ask, But now I am. I know that for a bunch of us time marches on and we have all had a chance to see some of the most wonderful things and amazing events happen. (Like the moon is NOT made of green cheese)
I think I will set down with my kids AND my grandchildren and relate some of the wonders I have see come true. Perhaps in doing so I will awaken a dream within their minds and perhaps, albeit in the future, we will see another wonder presented to the world.