"What's a landline?"

[AdamAnt316]

Sounds like my vintage Fisher receiver, which I moved back into the office last winter.


And don't get me started on the speakers . . . even though they're not very tall, they are solid boogers. No wonder shipping companies charge by weight.

That looks like it's one of Fisher's better '70s receivers. Fisher made some very nice equipment back in the '60s under the original owner, but got sold a bunch of times, and ended up producing largely low-end gear. I'm hoping to find one of the original Fisher tube-based receivers (400/500/800) someday.

Really, the better speakers out there are going to be heavy by default. The idea is for the cabinet to not have any resonance to it, and that typically takes some dense wood. Tap a speaker cabinet, and it should produce a dull 'thunk'; a hollow sound means that the cabinet is cheap, and likely to resonate.

All you fellow gamers...how many Xbox 360s have red ringed on ya so far? My video game consoles (NES, SNES, GEN, N64, etc) are up to 20-25 years old and still work like a dream.

The little whippersnappers don't know what they're missing...

To be fair, even the classic video game systems have their issues. Take, for example, the venerable Nintendo Entertainment System. Nine times out of ten, when I come across a vintage NES, the system exhibits the 'flashing screen of death' due to the pins in the cartridge socket loosening up over time. I've generally had good luck bending them back up carefully using a dental tool, but it can be a pain. There are replacement 72-pin sockets available, but quality varies.

As far as other systems go, vintage Pong systems/clones tend to exhibit dirty paddle controls (again, fixable). Colecovisions apparently exhibit video issues; I've never had this happen with mine, but it's apparently a thing. I do have an Atari 2600 (original "heavy sixer" with a weird color issue, but that can probably be fixed if I find out what IC is the issue. All in all, nothing overly difficult, but still, this stuff does show its age from time to time. I will say that video game systems based on solid-state media (i.e. cartridges) are likely to last longer than ones that employ moving parts (i.e. optical media).
-Adam

[Chromatix]

On that front, 68000 and 68030 based Macs generally get "dead capacitor syndrome" at about this age - roughly 20-25 years old. Usually quite easy to fix if you know how to solder. I've got an old IIcx that needs that sort of attention.

[ADeMartino]

Those Marantz receivers can be very nice; the larger examples sell for a pretty penny, but the smaller ones are still good.

Indeed. The 2245 has been in my possession since the early 1980s, and I've resisted several offers for it. It never ceases to amaze me at how good it is at pulling in weak stations that more modern equipment can't even 'see'. And I truly think it's better at only 45 watts per channel than modern stuff is at 100+ watts.

have a 2252B myself, though I don't use it a lot since I mainly run separate components (power amp/preamp/tuner). Which turntable do you have? I'm not sure that a lot of belt-driven TTs were made with both 78 AND 16RPM speeds (16RPM disappeared in the mid '60s, and 78RPM disappeared after the early '70s).

I apologize - I was mistaken. I had it confused with a turntable I sold earlier this year. The one I have now has only the three speeds - 33, 45, and 78. As for age and make - that's a mystery. I inherited the thing from my cousin when he enlisted in the Army in 1980, and there's nothing on the unit to indicate who made it, or when. There's a little rectangular spot on the dust lid where I'm pretty sure a badge used to be, but it's long gone. As for when it was built, the styling of the unit appears to be early 1970s. Once on eBay, I saw a LaFayette unit that was very similar in appearance, but not quite identical. One interesting feature of mine is it has a built-in preamplifier.

I know 78 rpm survived until the early 1980s, at least in some lower-end equipment. In 1984, I bought a cheap Fisher all-in-one stereo (turntable, AM/FM, and dual cassettes) that had a 78-rpm setting.

[wolfie]

I know 78 rpm survived until the early 1980s, at least in some lower-end equipment. In 1984, I bought a cheap Fisher all-in-one stereo (turntable, AM/FM, and dual cassettes) that had a 78-rpm setting.

A lot of the lower-end equipment used a BSR "changer" rim-drive turntable assembly. Wouldn't make sense to drop the 78, since that would involve BSR having to re-do the motor to have only 2 "steps" on the drive shaft (moving the speed lever pulls the motor away from the rubber transfer roller, raises/lowers it to the next step on a brass shaft sleeve with 3 or 4 "steps" of different diameters, then puts it against the transfer roller again).

[AdamAnt316]

Indeed. The 2245 has been in my possession since the early 1980s, and I've resisted several offers for it. It never ceases to amaze me at how good it is at pulling in weak stations that more modern equipment can't even 'see'. And I truly think it's better at only 45 watts per channel than modern stuff is at 100+ watts.

Yeah, Marantz gear is typically considered to be under-rated. Your 2245 can probably manage something like 55-60WPC before it truly starts 'clipping' (distorting). Their tuners were quite nice as well; their original 10B tuner is considered to be one of the finest tuners ever made (and priced at $555 in 1963, which is something like $4,106 today, it damn sure ought to have been! ). I'd like to find something of theirs which uses an oscilloscope display in it.

I apologize - I was mistaken. I had it confused with a turntable I sold earlier this year. The one I have now has only the three speeds - 33, 45, and 78. As for age and make - that's a mystery. I inherited the thing from my cousin when he enlisted in the Army in 1980, and there's nothing on the unit to indicate who made it, or when. There's a little rectangular spot on the dust lid where I'm pretty sure a badge used to be, but it's long gone. As for when it was built, the styling of the unit appears to be early 1970s. Once on eBay, I saw a LaFayette unit that was very similar in appearance, but not quite identical. One interesting feature of mine is it has a built-in preamplifier.

If you post a picture of it, I might have an idea of who made it. Probably nothing spectacular, but who knows.

I know 78 rpm survived until the early 1980s, at least in some lower-end equipment. In 1984, I bought a cheap Fisher all-in-one stereo (turntable, AM/FM, and dual cassettes) that had a 78-rpm setting.

See below. The vast majority of consumer turntables dropped the 78RPM speed after the early '70s. Dual started eliminating it from their lower-end changers starting in 1973 or so, but their high end models kept it until they switched from idler drive to belt drive around 1975. Elac's "Miracord" line sported 78RPM AND 16RPM speeds well into the 1970s. The vast majority of US and Japanese manufacturers, however, dropped the 78RPM speed around the same time they started making single-play turntables instead of record changers.

A lot of the lower-end equipment used a BSR "changer" rim-drive turntable assembly. Wouldn't make sense to drop the 78, since that would involve BSR having to re-do the motor to have only 2 "steps" on the drive shaft (moving the speed lever pulls the motor away from the rubber transfer roller, raises/lowers it to the next step on a brass shaft sleeve with 3 or 4 "steps" of different diameters, then puts it against the transfer roller again).

Makes sense to me. BSR did eventually redesign their cheapie record wreckers, errm, changers, to only accomodate two speeds. Such units typically had a wider tonearm than the older 3-speed types, I think. BSR made some surprisingly competent turntables (like the Quanta line), but the vast majority of what they made was mostly crud, IMO.
-Adam

[DGoddessChardonnay]

That looks like it's one of Fisher's better '70s receivers. Fisher made some very nice equipment back in the '60s under the original owner, but got sold a bunch of times, and ended up producing largely low-end gear. I'm hoping to find one of the original Fisher tube-based receivers (400/500/800) someday.

If you google vintage Fisher receivers, you can find several websites that offers those for sale. Some are the vintage tube style, others are the later built solid state ones.

Mine is the RS-2004A model, which came out in the late 1970's. Purchased it over a decade ago on eBay for around $125.00

The one I had growing up was the RS-2002 model, which only differences were the power button (on the 2004 model, it has the raised rectangle shape, as opposed to solid round on the 2002) as well as a 20 watt power difference (the 2004 handles 200 watts, while the 2002 handles 180.)

The 2002 was part of a rack system my Mom purchased back in 1979 brand new (also had the MT-640 turntable, and the ER 8150 8-track/cassette deck combo unit with remote. Pic of one similar here) Unfortunately, everything wore out and the places that used to repair those vintage electronics around here went under around early 90's.

Right now, I have the RS-2004A, a 5-disc CD carousel and a pair of Fisher 100 watt speakers right now. One day I'll add the turntable back on (needs new cover and needle) and maybe, just maybe I'll find another one of those 8150 decks.

[PepperElf]

I bet showing her a rotary phone would be fun.

I want one! Seriously, if I ever get a landline I'd be tempted to use a rotary. And I don't mean those fake rotary phones but a real one.




but I'm not surprised either. In one of my computer classes the teacher liked to showcase changes in technology & trends. (introduction to digital multimedia)

Teacher: Who here has a landline
Students: *two or 3 raise their hands*
Teacher: You know, if I'd asked that question 10 years ago most of the class would have raised their hands.

[AdamAnt316]

If you google vintage Fisher receivers, you can find several websites that offers those for sale. Some are the vintage tube style, others are the later built solid state ones.

Yeah, I know they're around; the tube ones tend to go for a lot of money, unfortunately. Someone offered me a Fisher 400 once, but I haven't heard back from him in a long time. Also, I spotted a Fisher 500 (original mono model) at a flea market a few months ago, but didn't have a chance to talk to the seller, and it was gone by the next weekend. Oh well, I'll have to console myself with my Fisher FM-50B tuner for the time being...

Mine is the RS-2004A model, which came out in the late 1970's. Purchased it over a decade ago on eBay for around $125.00

The one I had growing up was the RS-2002 model, which only differences were the power button (on the 2004 model, it has the raised rectangle shape, as opposed to solid round on the 2002) as well as a 20 watt power difference (the 2004 handles 200 watts, while the 2002 handles 180.)

You're confusing audio output power with total power draw, I think. The wattage rating listed on the back of a receiver denotes how much power the unit draws from the wall at maximum. The standard rule of thumb is to take that number, divide it by four, and you have a rough estimate of the audio output power per channel. So a receiver with a 180W power draw rating would probably put out around 45WPC, or watts per channel (websites I've seen call the RS-2002 a 20WPC receiver, so who knows), and one rated for 200W would probably put out 50WPC (again, websites I've seen call the RS-2004A a 40WPC receiver. The last digit(s) in the model number denoted output power in the RS series, from what I've read, the largest being the RS-2010 at 100WPC).

Right now, I have the RS-2004A, a 5-disc CD carousel and a pair of Fisher 100 watt speakers right now. One day I'll add the turntable back on (needs new cover and needle) and maybe, just maybe I'll find another one of those 8150 decks.

Turntable needles are available from several sources. If it's belt drive, it'll probably need a new one (ditto). As for the 8150 (or just about any vintage tape deck), it'll probably need belts of its own, methinks. There are still places around which fix stuff like that, but you'll have to consult the Yellow Pages (or a modern equivalent).

I want one! Seriously, if I ever get a landline I'd be tempted to use a rotary. And I don't mean those fake rotary phones but a real one.

*looks at pile of vintage rotary phones*

......I could probably stand to let one go.

-Adam

[wolfie]

Teacher: Who here has a landline
Students: *two or 3 raise their hands*
Teacher: You know, if I'd asked that question 10 years ago most of the class would have raised their hands.

And if the teacher had asked the question 20 years ago, only class members with truckers in the family would have raised their hands. Of course, 20 years ago, people didn't use the term "landline" to refer to "normal" phones - they were just phones. As for why truckers' relatives would have raised their hands, "Landline" is the monthly publication of the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association, so there's a high probability of there being a copy laying around.