Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

[Buchholz]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

There was a digital multimeter in the late 1970s. My electronics teacher at college once had one.

I'm sure that Clive Sinclair came up with an affordable push-button phone some time in the 1970s but Post Office Telephones would not approve it for connection to their network.

Before 1984 when BT was privatised, AFAIK most phones were hard wired with no socket. So you couldn't easily change phones anyway.

We moved house in 1984, and we still had the old type black phone with a chrome dial.

Sinclair had been going for some time though. My dad used to get electronics mags in the 1960s, and Sinclair used to advertise the "Sinclair Micro 6" a miniature, earphone only transistor radio back then.

[staffslad]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

Yes, the Achilles' heel of handheld TVs was how long batteries lasted. In my Casio, Duracells lasted 30 mins and ordinary cheaper ones 5 mins.

I remember seeing Sinclair watches for sale. I got the impression that they were considered as being at the lower end of the market.

[philfrommancs]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

I was a tv engineer in the late 80s and bought a couple of these as non runners. Got one working but it was a pain trying to get a decent signal.and by the time you did the batteries had run out....

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[Richard1978]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

One if my relatives was fortunate enough to be working at Sharp by just when PCs took off and ended up moving upwards rapidly in the company - he was earning a ridiculous amount of money the height of their success ... celebrity style
wages ...

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I remember BBC4 had a documentary about the 8-bit era of computing a few years ago.

A few companies had boom & bust periods, often they did well until had more orders than they could handle, or else crashed (no pun intended!) when their niche was taken by a better machine.

[Zincubus]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

One if my relatives was fortunate enough to be working at Sharp by just when PCs took off and ended up moving upwards rapidly in the company - he was earning a ridiculous amount of money the height of their success ... celebrity style
wages ...


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[Richard1978]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

There was a digital multimeter in the late 1970s. My electronics teacher at college once had one.

I'm sure that Clive Sinclair came up with an affordable push-button phone some time in the 1970s but Post Office Telephones would not approve it for connection to their network.

I've not heard of the phone, but GPO / BT used to be very strict about any 3rd party equipment being connected to a phone line.

Clive Sinclair came up with a few prototypes over the years that never got into production.

[Twocky61]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

No that was Trevor Baylis.

oh ok thanks Richard

[Arran]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

There was a digital multimeter in the late 1970s. My electronics teacher at college once had one.

I'm sure that Clive Sinclair came up with an affordable push-button phone some time in the 1970s but Post Office Telephones would not approve it for connection to their network.

[Richard1978]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

Wasn't wind up radio's by Clive Sinclair?

No that was Trevor Baylis.

[Twocky61]

Re: Sinclair Radios, TV & other pre-computer products

Wasn't wind up radio's by Clive Sinclair?

[Richard1978]

Before Clive Sinclair started making calculators & later computers he produced a number of radio & other audio equipment kits.

This was followed by a range of portable TVs & an early digital watch.

Does anyone have any memories of these? The computers & the C5 have a few threads but the previous stuff from Sir Clive hasn't been mentioned much.