Bob's Virtual Museum

The Past and Present of stuff that I have accumulated over the years. My biggest regret is that I didn't take pictures of everything. For each thing I have pictures of, there are at least 5 more without pictures.

The purpose of this page is to show you the more unusual items. Everybody knows what a computer or VCR looks like, but not everybody has seen a Beam-X tube or a homemade radio.

Fair warning - I sometimes go off on tangents, but I try to make it interesting.


Please note that items shown here are for display only - none of them are for sale.

Computer Stuff

Before Windows and PC's, there were Computers. Some of them were Home Made

Calculators
Clone Computers and Programmers
Old Computer Boards and Core
TRS-80 Computer


TV Sets with Tubes

A well designed TV has interesting things to see on the inside as well.

The 7 Inch Hallicrafters TV Set is one of the oldest sets I have come across - it has Channel One.
This old RCA TV with Channel One is another Oldie but Goodie.
The Dumont RA-103 features a continuous tuner.
I only had one old Philco tv chassis.
The Arvin TE-282 had a two-band continuous tuner and a 7 inch metal tube. The old sets that I have the most fun with are the 7 inch electrostatic sets from Admiral and Emerson and Motorola.
Here's a non-descript GE portable TV.
My first TV was a Westinghouse portable which needed some work.
Here's a portable TV that I just repaired back around 1968.


Transistor TV Sets

How can a TV work without tubes?

Singer made more than sewing machines - they put out some well-built TV sets.
These Candle and Delmonico were also built well.
Sinclair announced a 2 inch TV in a package about 3 inches square back in 1965. It never made it to market, but they did produce a lot of LCD sets.
Sony has always been a prolific manufacturer.
A while back, Fisher-Price got into the kiddie video market with the PXL-2000 system.
Here's a cute Panasonic transistor TV.
Modeled after the movie of the same name, here's a Brazil TV.


TV Parts and Related Stuff

More TV innards. Not for the squeamish.

The TV Parts Page shows a few items you don't see anymore.
Today we have remotes and VCR's. Way back when, they had Clickers and VTRs


Tube Radios

Real radios glow in the dark.

Mention old radios, and Philco comes to mind.
Radiola sets were also very popular.
Here are some ancient sets from Crosley and Ozarka
Belmont was lesser known manufacturer.
Motorola got into the game rather early.
Emerson made lots of reasonably priced sets.
Here are a couple of early FM radios.
Sears and Wards sold a lot of sets also.
Here are some Home-Made radios.
Japan got into the radio business long before transistors.
Typical of European radios, the Emud was well designed and built.


Transistor Radios

These things slip easily into your shirt pocket. They also slip out easily.

The Philmore radio kit
Transistor radios made in the USA
Japanese radios Part 1
Japanese radios Part 2
Other Foreign radios


Audio and Hi-Fi

Not to be confused with Lo-Fi

Recorders
Amplifiers


Musical Instruments

It's okay to clean the spit out of your trumpet, but not a keyboard.

A/D and DACs
Home Made Electronic Music Equipment
PAIA equipment.


Car Stuff

A car is to haul stuff back and forth between Hamfests. Any other use is frivolous.

Junk I hauled home in my Valiant
Junk I hauled home in my Ford LTD
Junk I hauled home in my Escort
Junk I hauled home in my Caravan
Miscellaneous Car Radio stuff


Electronic Components

Parts is parts, but some are wierd.

Old Parts from the past.
Old Batteries
Miscellaneous Parts


Tubes and Light Bulbs

A tube is biased like a depletion-mode NFET, for you whippersnappers.

Special Tubes
Power Tubes
Old Tubes
Eye Tubes
Foreign Tubes
Light Bulbs
Miscellaneous Tube Stuff


CRT's

Picture these.....

Smaller CRTs
Larger CRTs


Heathkit

I have collected a good amount of Heathkits, but among the items I have not photographed are the:

Heathkit Trainers
Heathkit TV Set
Heathkit Test Equipment
Miscellaneous Heathkit equipment.

Microphones

Not to be confused with really small telephones.

Mikes


Miscellaneous Electronic Stuff

Like most stuff, it's hard to categorize

Older Miscellaneous Stuff.
Newer Miscellaneous Stuff.
Philips Experimenter's Kit.
Piles of Stuff.


Wierd and Not-So-Wierd Stuff

If I say it's wierd,you'd better believe it.

Wierd Stuff I have collected
Wierd Stuff I have built


Speakers

These were a welcome invention in the early days of radio - ever see 17 people on one pair of headphones?

Odd and Unusual speakers.


Test Equipment

We've progressed beyond sticking our fingers in a light socket.

Meters
Home-Made equipment.
Equipment from DeForest's Training
Miscellaneous test equipment.


Miscellaneous Non-Electronic Stuff

Yes, I do collect stuff that doesn't have tubes or transistors.

OOPS!
Stuff from MAD Magazine
Unusual Records
The Pinball Machine
Last but not least, the Miscellaneous Miscellaneous stuff that defies classification.


Main page