Ring Counter Clock: still running after 40 years

Re:Ring Counter Clock: still running after 40 years by LVB on Wednesday November 02, 2011 @01:35AM (#3185581)

I love computers and programming, and that's pretty much what I do now. But years ago I was far more into electronics, and seeing schematics and old layouts is powerfully nostalgic (I can smell the solder). Building even simple devices with analog and basic digital electronics is incredibly fun and interesting, but also relaxing and a great solitary experience. Sitting in front of my laptop with IRC, Twitter and 30 chrome tabs open while hacking is a different experience than sitting at a garage bench with some old photocopied article/schematic from a magazine and a pile of parts.

They're different things, neither better than the other, but they both stoked this engineer's interests. I hope kids today are exposed to the electronics field like I was.

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Re:Ring Counter Clock: still running after 40 years by dhimes on Wednesday November 02, 2011 @08:19AM (#3186316)

I hope kids today are exposed to the electronics field like I was.

It seems harder to me. Your past days are reminiscent of mine, but I could get on my bicycle as a sixth grader, bike to Radio Shack, and grab some parts (light-activated SCRs, transistors, timers (555!) and logic chips and make stuff. Sometimes I'd get a grab bag of 'unknown' digital pieces and try to figure out the pin-outs (always could rely on +5 and ground being standard).

I'm not sure how kids go about doing that today. I don't know of any store a kid can get to (without a credit card, that is) that has that kind of hobby equipment any more.

I recently had occasion to go through the house where I grew up (my father still owned it) and saw all of my old play stuff. I told my tale but the kids (teenagers now) didn't seem so impressed (old CRTs lying around!). I grabbed the old Radio Shack IC guidebook and left the rest behind. Quite a sad day, actually.

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Re:Ring Counter Clock: still running after 40 years by ominous_prime on Wednesday November 02, 2011 @09:30AM (#3186534)

I'm lucky that I live in the Boston area where we have "You Do It Electronics"!

It's like what RadioShack used to be, except many times larger.

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Re:Ring Counter Clock: still running after 40 years by dhimes on Wednesday November 02, 2011 @09:49AM (#3186610)

I live here too. I've never heard of that, though. Seems it's a little far for the kids to bike (from Marblehead). Maybe I should take them out there some day and see if anything "clicks." Thanks for the tip.

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Re:Ring Counter Clock: still running after 40 years by gamache on Wednesday November 02, 2011 @11:45AM (#3187308)

Not that it's a shorter bike ride or anything, but the Radio Shack near MIT has a pretty good selection of components.

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