techmoan

A look at the first talking clock radio

I've wanted to take a look inside one of these for years. It's the Panasonic RC-6900, a talking radio alarm clock from 1971. If you've seen my videos about the Panasonic 20-cassette carousel and Akai's overly complicated Auto Reverse deck  you'll understand the reasons behind my fascination with this device. Its electro-mechanical early 1970s Mission Impossible-esque pre integrated-circuit ingenuity piqued my interest. 

How did they make an alarm clock Talk fifty years ago? Pr...

Light Entertainment

In this one I’m testing out two rack-mountable audio display devices.

While it’s a quick simple video, I think it came together well. There are a few shots in here that I’m really quite happy with.

https://youtu.be/CKvP4GjoLZc

Many thanks for all your well wishes over the last few days, it really means the world. I thought I’d put this quick video out before taking that brief break I mentioned in th...

Patreon Exclusive - Car Chat

As requested I’ve made a video talking about how I ended up with an electric car in 2020. It’s a poorly structured video. Perhaps I’ll try to clear up a few points in future updates...but for the moment, here it is.

https://youtu.be/Cimcw_5Hrcc

I hope things stay cordial, I wouldn’t like to see a repeat of the rinsing plates controversy from yesterday. So I’d best say that all opinions expressed in the ...

Bob’s doing the washing up

Random January continues with me trying out Bob, the ‘World’s Smallest Dishwasher’. This is a portable unit designed for two people that can be used without plumbing in. It sounded like an interesting concept, but not the kind of thing I’d buy on a whim, so uncharacteristically I agreed to accept a review sample.

https://youtu.be/hVup5ya0WVQ

I’ll likely post something e...

It’s Curtains

I’ve automated my curtains using little curtain robots.

I don’t really have anything more to add about this one - it is what it is. I hope no one does any ‘pull yourself together’ jokes. Neither I, nor 2021 could handle it.

https://youtu.be/bLPNFNeCsrU

In other news, the LIDL record player video seems to be doing fine so far.

I also continue to be surprised at the positive reaction to the Den...

A DJ Turntable from Dual (that’s really neither of those things)

I’m starting off the year by reviewing a budget ‘DJ’ turntable picked up from the discount supermarket chain LIDL. Despite sounding multiple warning bells due to dubiuous branding practices and overstated abilities, there’s definitely still something of merit here.

https://youtu.be/28lHS0r5cIw

This was a relatively straightforward video for me to make over Christmas. With little to go wro...

Densha de Go! - A Plug & Play Train Simulator

I’ve had my head buried in putting this video together for the past few days. It’s only now once I’ve reached the end that I can see I’m probably the only person here remotely interested in this topic.
Well never mind, it’s done now, no going back. Here’s the video. Enjoy the remainder of your Chrimbertween and thanks again for all your Christmas wishes over the last few days.

https://youtu.be/Do-ZBPWhhbQ 2020-12-27 10:24:26 +0000 UTC View Post

December 2020 Patreon Exclusive Audio Oddcast

It’s the December update (Audio edition) - the video version which makes slightly more sense is available in a separate post.

EXTRAS 

Skip Intro’s Movies Vol 3  https://youtu.be/xqOs41V1oF0 

Links  

Light Dims http://lightdims.com

Descript 2020-12-22 18:29:13 +0000 UTC View Post

December 2020 Patreon Exclusive Video Oddcast

Hello, good evening and welcome. I’ve only gone and done another one of these here update things again. Enjoy/endure almost an hour of mean-spirited irrelevance from a greedy man.

https://youtu.be/GGN39d4hzX4

An audio version is available in a separate post.

EXTRAS 

Skip Intro’s Movies Vol 3  https://youtu.be/xqOs41V1oF0 2020-12-22 18:28:47 +0000 UTC View Post

Listening to pictures - 3M Sound-on-Slide system

A long overdue look at a quirky old piece of tech combining slide photos with sound.

https://youtu.be/gO8Kx5CfKUs

I hope to get to work on an update video in the next few days, aiming to have this out before Christmas, so we’ll chat more then.

Have a great weekend and keep hanging in there.

Appy Christmas Lights from Twinkly

With this and the previous video I fear that I’m giving off the impression that I’m someone who gets unduly giddy about Christmas. In reality I’ve got nothing against the event, but I can also take it or leave it.

I’m not one for parties (not that anyone is at the moment), there are no kids in the house (unless I’m being particularly unobservant), and my whole lack of taste and diabetes combo means that the indulgent food and drink aspect is a wash too. But with all...

If records are ‘Vinyls’ then this is a Chocolate

In this short video I’m attempting to play a record made out of chocolate.

https://youtu.be/pZmWS1ER-z0

Given the Christmas connection, this video might seem a bit premature, but then again we are living in the future here on Patreon. It’ll be more appropriate when it hits youtube in a week, although I started working on this back in October. As you’ll see in the video, there was a complication.

To ke...

Three meters apart

In this one, I'm passing an eye over three more audio meters. Normally these are just for fun, but this time one of them also performs a useful function.

https://youtu.be/U05WbbE5vrM

In loosely connected news, I reluctantly spent a full day reorganising my HiFi this week in order to swap out a cabinet. I'd been putting this job off for a while and I’ve attached an anxiety inducing picture that gives you an idea...

DCC in 2020 - and beyond

If you saw the last Patreon update you’ll be aware that I’d fallen behind a bit due to some video false starts.

I hope you don’t mind me attempting to catch up by making a couple of simpler videos like this one where there's relatively little to go wrong.

https://youtu.be/YfktjZp1m6E

In this, I’m taking a look at a couple of new releases on Digital Compact Cassette.

Now there’s niche and the...

Walkman hacks

Thanks to an email I received from ‘Mr Walkman’ my NW-A55 digital music player now thinks it’s an £8000 music player from Australia. Not the usual type of video…but I thought it was interesting enough to share.

I hope you're all doing well. 

UPDATE 

https://youtu.be/7VPaXdQoKXs

Removed one word ‘European’ as while accurate it seemed to be a sticking point.

November 2020 Patreon Exclusive Audio Oddcast

Here's the November update - a few extra bits and pieces just for Patrons. 

This is the Audio version - a video version is available in a separate post. 

As an extra treat for lovers of cheesy 1980s movie promos - here's a link to Skip Intro's upload of Movies Vol. 2. https://youtu.be/Nqij6l5gg4A

Link - The Uher chaps  ...

November 2020 Patreon Exclusive Video Oddcast

Here's the November update - a few extra bits and pieces just for Patrons.

This is the video version - an audio only version is available in a separate post.

https://youtu.be/0F_3crAZNVo

As an extra treat for lovers of cheesy 1980s movie promos - here's a link to Skip Intro's upload of Movies Vol. 2. https://youtu.be/Nqij6l5gg4A

Link...

The ‘King of Boomboxes’.

A little bit later than planned - here’s my (long) look at a classic Boombox - the RC-M90.

https://youtu.be/MTq4-fHFSk8

To get myself back on track, if there are no issues  I may make this video live on youtube on Sunday.

To make up for any reduced window of patreon exclusivity, since I’ve still got everything set up for the to-camera sections I’ve recorded for this video, I’ll...

Japan’s Minidisc Packaging

A quick in-between video. 

Until very recently I had no idea that Sony Japan had employed different packaging for their domestic Minidisc album releases.  I’ve bought some examples and after quite the delay they’ve finally arrived.

https://youtu.be/7_hRRXLnd_s

Sony XEL-1 The first OLED TV

When I first started a tech blog - I hoped to regularly feature cutting edge, innovative technology like the then newly released Sony XEL-1.

Then almost over night the smartphone changed everything. The once consistent flood of a wide assortment of cool new tech devices dried to a trickle.

In the absence of interesting new gadgets, I started to focus more on innovations from the past. Thirteen years on from launch of the Sony XEL-1 it‘s now earned a place in that tech history cu...

Tapete - The enduring audio format you (probably) haven’t heard of

A year or so ago one of the regular contributors here on Patreon altered me to the existence of this tape player on ebay. An exchange of messages took place in which I mentioned that whilst I’d seen the players offered up for sale a few times - the tapes for them though seemed impossible to find. A player with nothing to play isn’t of too much use.

https://youtu.be/DiaMxU01Rrg

Nevertheless the machine appeare...

Audities 5 - Playing with the media

In this simple video I’m showing a few unusual music titles I’ve acquired during 2020.

https://youtu.be/_isqd6X-F_Y

I hope you’re all well, I feel I need to somehow recharge and refresh before I start work on the next video. It feels like a very long year without any break.

Take care. 

Down the rabbit hole of pocket records

When I first considered making a video on this subject a few years ago I didn’t think there would be enough to talk about for more than a couple of minutes, so I decided to hold off until I could find some relevant hardware to beef it up a bit.  That decision ultimately wound up changing the whole video into something way more complicated. 

https://youtu.be/ExKj1vS6FVc

I ended up investigating two (or...

Quick question about Japanese tech with French labels

My apologies for interrupting whatever you were doing, I‘d just like to pose a question that may help me with the next video. 

I’m working with a piece of Japanese made technology that dates from the late 1960s (probably). I imported it from Japan and it came with a Japanese record.

The slightly unusual thing is that the controls on it are labelled in French (arret  pousser marche lever).

I’m familiar with English language labelling being used on Japanese dom...

October 2020 Patreon Exclusive Audio Oddcast

For anyone who is interested, here is the October Patreon exclusive audio rip of the October Patreon exclusive video.  The video version is available here: https://youtu.be/w-6H-o30sAc

At the end of the audio I mention how a totally random and unconnected stranger has posted a rip of Movies Vol.1 from VHD - here’s a link to his/her/their video http...

October 2020 Patreon Exclusive Video Oddcast

For anyone who is interested, here is the October Patreon exclusive video. 

https://youtu.be/w-6H-o30sAc

It’s a touch over an hour long - but you’ll find chapter marker in the video description on youtube. 

At the end of the video I mention how a totally random and unconnected stranger has posted a rip of Movies Vol.1 from VHD - here’s a link to his/her/their video 2020-10-04 09:05:43 +0000 UTC View Post

ION Street Rocker Retro Boombox Review

Apologies if you’ve had enough of these modern boombox reviews. They have been surprisingly well received, but you’ll likely be relieved to know that this is the last one I’ll be featuring for a while. I explain why at the end of the video. 

https://youtu.be/Dd9S9eCtMQc

The most positive thing resulting from making this video is that it’s enabled me to get back on schedule. I can now return to invest...

A random record with ‘Sixteen Sides’

A shorter video this week but one featuring something I’ve wanted to cover for quite a while. 

https://youtu.be/I5l75romOXY

Behind the scenes I’ve been doing a lot of admin jobs this week, things like taking a load of polystyrene to the tip and swapping projects in and out of my storage locker. I also had a day trip out with the Mrs and shot a segment for the next Patreon exclusive. This only left enough...

HitClips - The truth behind the toy.

In 2018 I made a video about the toy/music tape cartridge format Pocket Rockers. At the end of that video I mentioned that I also planned to make a video about the later digital-age equivalent ‘HitClips’. Two and a half years later...here it is. 

https://youtu.be/X8568_3amO4

There was a bit more to this one than anticipated, so I’m later than usual in putting this video out. 

In other news, ...

Techmoan 09/20 Patreon Exclusive Audio Oddcast

It's the September 2020 Patreon exclusive behind the scenes chat (Audio Version). 

The video version can be found in a separate post -  that one also has a picture and link attached to it.