Ask HN: What's your oldest piece of electrical equipment?
There's a strong possibility I'll be moving from the UK to North America this year. I've found myself looking at all my "stuff" and thinking about what's actually worth taking with us. It's only now that I've noticed my TV is from 2008, my toaster from 2000 and my SNES from 1994!
I still use these things frequently, even daily in the case of the toaster (my wife doesn't like it though, it takes ages to toast sourdough).
What electrical goods did you buy new, that you still have and use?
50 comments
[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 99.7 ms ] threadThe some of our solar PV system is 2008!
(sadly, the RadioShack soldering iron bought around the same time just shorted out)
Bought used and still use: 1950s ToastMaster toaster
i look at my desk ...
TI 30 galaxy solar calculator - bought in 1985 for high-school and still in use: maybe not daily, but at least once or twice a week :))
cheers v
ps. also a multimeter and a soldering-iron from the 2nd half of the 1980ties ...
I'm so used to UPN that I always struggle to use a "regular" calculator.
yes ... the HP calculators where really great, but also prohibitively expensive ...
the TI 30 in all its variants was the "cheaper" scientific calculator for the masses in the 1980ties :))
cheers, v
Edit: Prices seem to have increased and a 42S sales used on Ebay from $150-259. So still quite some money.
Hmm old 27" 1440p Dell monitor seems to be still working most of the time. And I think I got even older Lenovo L220x...
Also old HP Color Laserjet from 2010 did print things recently.
Also old fridges inefficiency mostly comes from two things. The seals on the door, which you can replace, and 2nd the compressors are less efficient. Why are they less efficient? Mostly because they use thicker oil which causes more drag. However, that's partly why they last so long. Oil in modern compressors looks like water.
If buying new is a requirement, then it is my digital multimeter which I have bought maybe 20 years ago for $15. It has survived roughly 5-10 batteries mostly because it has no auto-off option and turning on is as simple as to press one button. Everything plastic is already broken - standing support, latches and standard probes. I am planning to replace it as soon as I start anything serious because the display flickers sometimes, probably due to careless usage.
technically a hand me down but still!
They’re extremely cool but useless now. They charge just by being used on POTS lines, and the clips, tiny beds of nails, can attach right into the middle of a cable leaving no noticeable mark.
Similar device on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineman%27s_handset
The connected speakers are probably also from the same era. I can't confirm the age of either since the amp is from my late father and the speakers from some past neighbour.
I left a National NC-105 tube radio at my last employer along with some telephone test equipment that predated the invention of the transistor.
The last electronics class I taught used some resistors from a Heath Kit package. They looked into repairing a Heath Kit Hero Jr robot.
Bought originally by my father, most likely when he was on contract in Kuwait in the 80s. It fell out of use as he stopped doing any sort of electrical work citing typical age-related issues.
The battery cover is gone and the plastic body feels kind of loose, but otherwise it's fully functional(even if de-calibrated). The original fuse is still there, but I wouldn't use it for any high-voltage applications.
It's a bit of a work in progress as the assembly needs adjusting and degunking in order to run. However, when hooked up to a generator, the motor spins right up
What country do you live in where spring retractable power cords are forbidden on vacuums? And for what reason?
If we're not just talking consumer goods, I have a Textronix oscilloscope from the 80's that I use occasionally.