From the date given on Wikipedia I was born in the same year as Philips famous Compact Cassette. However the first cassettes I encountered were of the rival Grundig DC International system as my father bought one of their recorders back in 1968. http://www.thevintageknob.org/grundig-C100L.html Being in my mid 50s I am old enough to remember the boom in consumer electronics throughout the 1970s and 80s. Pocket Calculators, Digital Watches, Home Computers, Video Games, Boomboxes and Walkmen. I have seen them all go from product launch (at seriously expensive prices) through the mainstream high street stores to something you can pick up at a car boot sale for a couple of £s. From my other posts you may notice I have a bit of an obsession with how much things cost when new. I love looking through old catalogues and comparing the price of a the electronics with other items. My very first post on Stereo2Go was to point out that in 1980 my bottom of the range Sony CFS45L boombox had cost 1/6th of the price of my new Honda motorbike; the equivalent of about £400 in 2016. When I was at school the most the average school kid could hope for was a shoebox style tape recorder. However, in the 1970s there was a huge enthusiasm for electronics; Our physics teacher at school set up an electronics club where we made our own radios etc. Our enthusiasm for electronics extended to our taste in music, our heroes being people like Vangelis and Tomita who would list on his album sleeves how many Moog VCOs and VCFs he had used. Since 1978 I have worked in the electronics industry so if I give advice on Surface mount capacitors or lead free solder (yuck) it is based on experience. At the age of 16 my college project was building a stereo amplifier - the Practical Wireless "Texan" - so named as it was designed by a Texas Instruments field applications engineer. My Sony CFS45L was chosen as it could act as both Tuner and Cassette deck for that. HiFi separates (with the exception of a Garrard SP25 Mk6 record deck) were out of my price range back then. Technology of various kinds has always fascinated me. I am a licenced radio amateur although I am far more interested in the equipment than in contacting the world. Many of my audio acquisitions (and sales) have been at Amateur Radio Rallies. For the past few years I have been selling parts of my late Fathers huge Toy Train collection on Ebay so am also a fairly experienced Ebay seller. Finally, if you are wondering about the user name it was my Citizen's Band Radio "Handle". It was suggested, due to my height (6ft 4" - 1.9m), by one of the radio instructors at the Air Training Corps I belonged to, who on 2nd November 1981, the first day CB was legal in the UK, turned up with a newly purchased rig. For anyone interested in CB a bit of history: http://ukspec.tripod.com/rf/cb Within a couple of years I had 11 different CB rigs showing the collecting bug was strong then. As Stereo2Go is mainly about 1980s technology it seemed appropriate to use the same username / handle here.
Great write up Longman. 10-4 good buddy I remember the CB radio days fondly. In fact most electronic stores that carried HIFI equipment also sold CB/ HAM radio accessories as well. I also have the pleasure of receiving a Sony CFS 45L this year from our great member Samovar and I can tell you, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It's a well made, quality item. Welcome Longman!
