techmoan

Proof Of Life

Still kicking

I’m still alive. I think I’m on that bit of the sickness slope just before officially “starting to feel a bit better”.

While I’ve been dead on the couch, the garden studio has been installed. They finished lunchtime today. I haven’t had a good look at it yet. There’s still plenty to do, most notably electricity hook up.

It’s going to be quite a few days before I can concentrate on anything properly. This post has taken the best part of an hour to write.

Thanks for all the well wishes, reading through them has revealed how widespread this flu strain is.

Apologies - no new video this week

I’ve been horrendously ill all week and I still am - this is the worst thing I can remember having - it’s a fever but it just keeps on going. This is all I can type right now.

The B&Oombox (UPDATED)

As soon as I found out that Bang & Olufsen (the high-end Danish audio company) had once sold a lowly portable stereo radio cassette recorder, I just had to try it out. I’d feel much the same way If Rolex had made a plastic calculator watch. Of course the B&O name meant that their take on this common device wasn’t cheap, but is it worth a premium now?

Here’s the video https://youtu.be/0_gyA_qfZz0

In other news, a couple of people were wondering how my garden studio was coming along. There’s nothing to report yet, the build is only in a few weeks. All that’s happened so far is the site clearance. As soon as there’s anything new worth talking about I’ll make a video just for patrons. It’s possible though that I’ll do another regular update before then, we’ll see. Take care

UPDATE: I’ve added in an extra five minutes showing a repair on the cassette door, this starts at 20:37

I also added in a few seconds at 07:04 to mention the slim case and the wall bracket as these features were considered especially noteworthy.

The updated video is the one embedded and linked to above

MP3 Cassette - Mixxed Feelings

Remember being a child and thinking that a flying car would be cool. Sharing that thought with an adult immediately brought it crashing down to earth.

What about the pilots licence? Flying a plane isn’t something anyone can do. Who’s doing all the extra air traffic control? You wouldn’t be allowed  to land a flying car on a residential street or in a city centre, so you’d still need a normal car to drive to where you landed your flying car. What about insurance? ... and so on. 

Yes, some simple ideas just don’t stand up to any scrutiny.

Here’s my video about an MP3 Cassette adaptor.

https://youtu.be/qzrLWnfI4b0

Oh and a quick update on the results of the test and survey regarding the Patreon Video Player. No, I don't plan on using it again. The next time a Patreon survey asks me why I choose to embed YouTube rather than use their player - I can give them more feedback than I was able to before, so thanks for the responses.

Take care.

Is the Patreon video player rubbish?

It seems that there isn't much love for the Patreon video player. The only way to find out for sure though was to post a video using it and see how well it was received.
So I've just done that and I'd appreciate your feedback on this survey.

New Studio Digs - UPDATE: Added a Youtube link

I could benefit from having more studio space so here’s what I’m doing about it.

A short (yet still verbose) video exclusive just for Patrons.

For anyone who wasn’t able to view this impromptu short extra video on Patreon but wanted to - here’s a new Youtube link. https://youtu.be/obuLG80tQzA

Note - I’m trying out the Patreon video player with this one. I’m aware this means that the video will not be playable via the usual YouTube app on a Smart TV or via something like an Apple TV box.

Have a good weekend.

Cantata 700 - Techmoan Nil

In this video I revisit the 3M Cantata 700 BGM tape system in an attempt to resolve some unfinished business.

https://youtu.be/fgwIs1QaJms

Behind the scenes I’m experiencing a bit of disruption at home while I get some work done. It’ll mean that eventually I should have more room available for working on projects and perhaps I’ll finally be able to set some things up that until now have had to remain in storage. I’ll explain more in the next update but I just wanted to let you know now, just in case in the meantime it creates some delays. The last time I had some guys round they cut through the fibre optic broadband…twice.

I hope you’re well and you’ve settled into 2025. It still sounds like a date from a cheesy science fiction film to me.

The smallest ‘Walkman’?

Which was the smallest personal stereo Compact Cassette player?

https://youtu.be/nTwbpHp0TFI

I’m snowed in today, or to be more accurate, iced in. I’d have to be a nutter to try driving down the steep road from my house, especially when I have no need to.  Instead I got to stay in and finish off this in-between type of video which is about very little.

Sometimes these simple videos work, sometimes they don’t - it’s all in the lap of the gods now.

Hope you are doing well and avoiding any of the carnage 2025 has managed to wreak in record time. Take care.

DTS 5.1 CD - I missed this one

Here’s a format that I either missed or I forgot about - I suspect it’s the former, but I can’t remember.

I might be twenty five years too late but I’m finally up to speed on this now, so let me share everything I now know about the DTS 5.1 Music Disc before this all goes out of my head.

https://youtu.be/ECp8cAJUVSc

Many thanks to Brad for the video suggestion.

I'd best wish everyone a belated Happy New Year. My apologies if I haven't responded to any messages. I really just wanted to get this video completed before going though my emails etc - hopefully there’s nothing urgent in there.

Take care.

December mini update

Due to enforced downtime around Christmas I took the opportunity to make a short extra video just for Patrons.

https://youtu.be/tLWVed9nKPM

Many thanks for all your support in 2024 and here's to a new and improved 2025.

Below are the links to other YouTube videos mentioned at the end.

•Macrohunter video https://youtu.be/sJrw5geAqlo

•TM Bird records music video   https://youtu.be/Y3wic20yhtU

•Wheelie yellow https://www.youtube.com/@WheelieYellow

New Oscilloscope Music

I’m really happy to be able to show you something new today. It’s been eight years since I last featured oscilloscope music on the channel but a new EP has finally given me an opportunity to revisit it.

https://youtu.be/VqM84RJzGq4

You’ll probably have noticed that I’ve released fewer videos in December. If anything I wanted to produce more videos than usual, but I’ve been rotten ill, as has the Mrs - it’s been an unpleasant couple of weeks in the house.

Thankfully we both appear to finally be coming out of the other end, so I can now move on and see what other projects I’m able to complete before the end of the year.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get one more video out before ad-revenue falls off the new year cliff.

Take care and have a good one.

Two twin tapes - UPDATED

The Twin-Tape, Personal Stereo is a product category that only has two members. That's probably two more than make sense.

In this video I look at one of these that you’re most likely already aware of and one that you are far less likely to have encountered.

https://youtu.be/8D91uIirQ9Q

Unfortunately so far December hasn’t been conducive to video production. This is a big problem as if there’s one part of the year where I really wanted to get more videos completed, it was in the weeks running up to Christmas.

I hope you’re fairing well, take care and try to avoid anyone with a cough.

UPDATE: - I’ve redone the video using my own voice. It’s not perfect, but I need to move onto shooting the next video, so I couldn’t wait any longer for things to improve. Thank you for your understanding.

Travelogue Xmas Special

You may have seen me mention that there would be a slight gap between my regular video uploads, this video shows what I’ve been getting up to.

https://youtu.be/X_W6Cmequ9Y

Since I don’t have any other video to put out this week, I’ve left this one open to the possibility of being released on YouTube as a regular upload. Not sure how well people will react though - it’d probably be a train crash. 

But as they say on all the best shopping channel informercials…that’s not all… I’ve also uploaded a video of a walk around of the Arosa Sena - this extra video is definitely just for Patrons and can be viewed by clicking this link.  https://youtu.be/pPHE_fGne1M

Update: I’ve managed to shave nine minutes off the runtime as well as added a few more explanatory captions and now this video is about as ready as it’ll ever be to subjected to the scrutiny of the Complaints Department. I’ll leave the longer version embedded above but the shorter YT Gen Pop edition is accessible here: https://youtu.be/7M58eqRlRSc

Big Bad? Bose

This is the last of an unplanned three part series looking at relatively recently discontinued Bose Products.

I liked the Bose Wave Sound Touch IV, so surely its big brother will be even better…

https://youtu.be/wd2dLg7D92U

I’d just like to give advance warning that there will be no video on Patreon next week. I’ve got quite a few off screen tasks to attend to so I won’t be able to get a new video made. I aim to get things back on track the week after.

Have a good couple of weeks, we’ll speak again in December, take care.

P.S. Apologies if you got an early version of this post in your feed. I double clicked 'Next' instead of single clicking...however the video hadn't finished processing to 4K.

A stereo with a twist

Here’s a compact video about a neat little portable stereo radio cassette recorder from the mid eighties. It’s unlikely you’ll have encountered this model before, I certainly hadn’t, which is why I thought it deserved a video.

https://youtu.be/aqc9akDIE_g

I really wish that ‘Portable Stereo Radio Cassette Recorder’ formed a better initialism than PSRCR - it would be nice to have a simple one-word phrase that could be used when talking about smaller versions of these devices.

I didn’t want to use the term ‘Boombox’ not because of the usual chorus of ”We used to call these Ghetto Blasters’ - but because anyone calling this little thing a Boombox or a Ghetto Blaster would have been laughed out of the 80s.

I’m sure there were some better names used internationally, I’ve always appreciated the fact that Cassette can be abbreviated to K7 in French - so if you’re aware of any concise non English language phrases for describing a small portable stereo radio cassette recorder, let me know and I’ll see if I can use it in the future.

I hope you enjoy the video and have a good weekend.

UPDATE: Video swapped out due to typo correction.

UPDATE 2: Video swapped (again) . This time it was to fix a verbal typo(verbo) - (thanks to Mike for spotting it.) Also took the opportunity to do a few nips and tucks which should slow the pace down to a more palatable level.

November 2024 AUDIO Oddcast

An unflashy (as well as wheezy) Patreon update this time, looking back at the last few videos and assorted irrelevance.

LINKS:

My disappointing video about the Kanto Syd speaker: https://youtu.be/w7SpLrATpUE

A playlist of previously unseen lunchtime food reviews:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVZPwr7OlVE&list=PLewCvXBilqv6IX_hM_4R6c1RQ_8WzyrrA&pp=gAQBiAQB

As usual the video version can be found in a separate post.

November 2024 VIDEO Oddcast

An unflashy (as well as wheezy) Patreon update this time, looking back at the last few videos and assorted irrelevance.

https://youtu.be/VAdqIeLvjyg

LINKS:

My disappointing video about the Kanto Syd speaker: https://youtu.be/w7SpLrATpUE

A playlist of previously unseen lunchtime food reviews:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVZPwr7OlVE&list=PLewCvXBilqv6IX_hM_4R6c1RQ_8WzyrrA&pp=gAQBiAQB

As usual the audio version can be found in a separate post.

DVD = RetroTech

DVD was launched a day over twenty eight years ago on the 1st November 1996 in Japan.

There have been hundreds of different DVD players launched since then, but in order to show you the one that I feel has the most Techmoan-esque aesthetic we need to travel back to 2001 and take a look at the unique Sony D-VM1 DVD Walkman.

https://youtu.be/1STcX5IEuJM

That’s it for this time. After the mammoth Muntz 4-track video I needed a simpler topic and this one seemed ideal. I’m just glad it was still working when I got it out of storage.

As I type this, the 4-track video has been live on YouTube for about seven hours and based on the view counts it seems the length might have frightened away some of the more casual viewers. Hopefully a few of these have added it to their ‘watch later’ playlist to view on the TV when they find the time. Hopefully.

I trust you’re well. Nothing of significance to report here - it was just a normal uneventful week, so I’ll cut this one short and wish you the best for your coming week. Take care.   

UPDATE: I’ve trimmed a few seconds, tidied up a few bits and re-uploaded the video. The one you see above is the latest edit.

The story of the 4-Track cart

I’ve wanted to tell the story of the Muntz 4-track cart for years, but I needed to find sufficient time to spend on it, to do the topic justice.

I think this might be the video that’s taken me the longest time to research, assemble, shoot and edit. I’ve been concentrating on nothing else for the last couple of weeks and as a result I’ve been seeing 4-track carts in my sleep. This is now on the verge of becoming a madness now so I hope it was all worthwhile.

Here’s the video https://youtu.be/Uqoglkbe9sc

I’m going to need to take a couple of days away from the computer to get this topic out of my head, so that I can then move on to something fresh.

In the meantime I hope you’re well, enjoy your weekend and take it easy.

The fetid Pong of nostalgia

Some people here will be old enough to remember a Christmas Day at the end of the 1970s when you opened up ‘the big present’ - and found your first games console inside.

For most of us outside the US it wasn’t an Atari - it was one of the many cheaper alternatives with names like Binatone, Grandstand and Radofin.

After sending the smallest member of the family crawling behind the back of the TV to swap aerial wires and twiddling a tuning wheel, eventually a stark image would appear on the screen. From that point on, the rest of the Christmas period consisted of numerous tournaments of Pong (or Tennis as it would be known on these machines) much to the annoyance of anyone who wanted to watch anything else on the TV.

If you have any memories similar to these  - I suggest that you hang on to them but also just leave them as memories. With the benefit of hindsight my decision to revisit the classic game of Pong in the 21st century now seems about as wise as John Hammond’s decision to reintroduce Dinosaurs. It’s not as big of a disaster, but it’s still not something I’d recommend.

Here’s the video. https://youtu.be/YKPbvAnvtpA

Anyway, that’s it - just a simple video this time. Admittedly it’s a bit rough around the edges, but (hopefully) I can now move on to the making  the next one which will take a bit longer. I trust you’re all well, take care and have a good week.

UPDATED - A quick re-edit mainly to remove heavy breathing, but I took the opportunity to tighten up a few sections too.

Update - Bose 500 UK stock.

Just a quick message for anyone in the UK who is looking to buy a Bose Smart Speaker 500 after my last video. Bose UK has just restocked these online in their refurbished store at £260 in both colours. I suspect these will be the last of them.

The Bose Smart Speaker 500

I think I might be getting worse at making videos that appeal to a wide audience. Spending a week on a video about a discontinued, unpopular, expensive, smart-speaker is probably not the way to fame and fortune. Nevertheless, that’s what I’ve been doing. I don’t dislike the video, but I just feel I might have been making it for an audience of one.

https://youtu.be/4zT53LJk0EE

A day off might help to reset things and perhaps I should aim for a more frivolous topic and a shorter video next time. Although this one was originally envisioned to just be a quick project and look how it worked out.   

Anyway while I’m wrestling with getting my brain back in gear, I hope you’re all faring well. Take care of yourself and I’ll give this another try next week.

The self-erasing 2View Video Tape (UPDATED)

Today I’m able to share with you an almost mythical failed format, the 2View, the pre-recorded videotape that erased itself after, you guessed it, two views.

https://youtu.be/iH4UFUdlmSo

I was aware of these but due to its limited release I’d never seen one in person and thought it unlikely that I ever would. That was until a kind Patron named Sebastiaan spotted one being sold on Marktplaats and offered to send it over.  So thanks to him, we all now get to have a good look at this one…it’s a doozy.

I like this video - I think it came together well. There were a lot of different elements that I needed to combine and I’m never able to tell until the edit stage whether a video feels like it’s all going to gel so I was happy to discover that this one did.

It might be difficult to believe but this one was recorded over three days and then edited for another two.

I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again to Sebastiaan and to everyone take care and enjoy your week.

UPDATED - The number one request from early viewers was to see the mechanism defeated by the paperclip. As a result I have inserted the appropriate clip (literally) at around the 19 minute 41 second point in the video. The updated video is the one now embedded and linked to above.

Oddcast September 2024 AUDIO

Here’s the audio track from the September 2024 patron exclusive video - provided for those who prefer listening rather than watching.

The video version is available in a separate post.

Oddcast September 2024 VIDEO

Here’s a Patreon exclusive video for September 2024. Join me as I run some errands while reminiscing over the vagaries of the past few weeks.

An audio only version of this is available in a separate post.

2D Holiday snaps in 3D - with the Looking Glass Go

My new video is finally ready to share.

Remember digital picture frames? Well they're back and can now show your 2D photos in 3D.

This is just a temporary thumbnail (not any more). I thought it better to share this video now, rather than have you wait while I twiddle my thumbs.

https://youtu.be/NcSJF5v-9d4

I should really get to work on a Patreon update video soon, but I might need to wait for more interesting things to occur otherwise it could be a rather brief chat. We’ll see. In the meantime take care and have a good week.

UPDATED

Made a few tiny tweaks to the video before it goes live. The new version is the one embedded and linked to above.

The next video is running late (and doesn’t yet exist) 

Just a quick note to say that this last week has been a productivity write off so I’ll only be startling work on the next video in the morning.

I was sick for a few days, then I needed to visit someone in hospital and finally I had to build a shed. You’ll appreciate that none of this involved pressing record on a camera, therefore I’m starting from scratch tomorrow.

I’m aiming for a shorter video so that I’ll have something to share sooner rather than later.

Sorry about this, it’s just that sometimes life gets in the way. It’s when death gets in the way that productivity takes a real nosedive though. (Fortunately this is not the case this time).

That’s it for the moment, as always thanks for reading.

EDIT - Just to clarify, no one I know has died this week - however it’s always a looming spectre. I should remember that my sometimes morbid sense of humor (inherited from my mother) doesn’t always travel.

A classic mistake?

I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to fix up an old Sharp GF-9191 portable stereo radio cassette - here’s the video.

https://youtu.be/2qvTFYMlXY0

This took quite a while to record and almost as long to edit. Just out of interest I pulled all the footage I’d shot into one timeline and it ran over six hours long. The video still has a long running time but compared to how things started out, this version is positively a blipvert.

Since repairs are rarely a thrilling roller coaster ride, I’ve decided to focus on the process with this one. I’m hoping it’s like one of those three hour movies where nothing significant really happens but as it doesn’t offend, you just end up going along with it.

I trust your week is going well so far. If you’re in the UK I apologise for the recent weather. I bought an outdoor pizza oven the other week and ever since that arrived it’s not stopped raining.

Anyway have a good one and take care.

UPDATE

Taken another pass at the edit to clear up some confusing sections.

The new version is the one linked to and embedded above.

The Tuneshine

A short video where I’m taking a look at the Tuneshine, an album-art display device for digital music. This one came about following a suggestion received under the ITIC2 video back in July. After looking at the website it intrigued me, so I put in an order and it turned up early this week.

A few more people have since recommended the Tuneshine to me, so I suspect this one has been doing the rounds on social media.

https://youtu.be/6Y_AfSzjjL0

It’s only a quick video, but I feel it's enough to cover everything that needed to be said.

I can’t think of anything else of note to add this time so I’ll just say, enjoy the weekend. I’m going to take my weekend off - then next week I’m going to move straight on to attempting a fiddly repair… belts at the ready.