Hopping Cars and Picking Trash

YamadudeXS650C

YamadudeXS650C

Central New York XS650
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I’ve been picking trash since I was about 6.

I suppose it came naturally to my brother and me, as we grew up in a low-income family, completely unsupervised, given no allowance and were taken to “thrift stores” where were fitted with other people’s discarded clothes. We stole candy from the corner store and threw eggs at the nasty dry cleaner who labelled us, along with 5 other kids, “The Hoodlums at the Corner.” During the winter we “hopped cars” and buses (now called bumper surfing) at stop signs. And we picked through our neighbor’s trash on Tuesdays.

These days I no longer make a pastime out of it :), but if someone puts stuff out on a table with a sign saying, “Free Stuff”, I’m game.

I was riding through Skaneateles on the ’83 a few days ago, and just such a sign caught my eye. This is the town where Bill and Hillary vacationed at their friend’s house during his presidency, so the pickings can sometimes be “upscale.” I went for the gizmo, a Radio City signal generator, Model 701. I hadnt brought the knapsack along, so I was sorta stuck on the transport issue. It was heavy. But I spied a large spool of bell wire (free) and a some silk tablecloths, and voila !

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Question : I have only a vague idea what this signal generator would be used for. I'm sure that at least half the members could tell me.....

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And there was an Army surplus tube PA system amp, which I passed over, as I'm into 70's stereophonics.
I also left the 1980's Carver Sonic Hologram Generator.

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SO, I know what a visual hologram is; who could forget Data's holographic remembrance of Tasha Yar ??

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But, what the heck is a sonic holographic generator ?
 
I remember the Carver thing from the '80s. It was a high-end stereo thing to enhance stereo image, I think.
The signal generator looks more sophisticated than 90% of them. Maybe it's a ham radio thing. In general they provide an input so you can see or measure what an amplifier or filter is doing to a signal.

I would have tried to get the rack tied on. Probably a standard 19" rack useful for all kinds of things. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19-inch_rack
 
Yes the signal generator would have been used by a ham radio operator. Used to inject a signal into a ham radio transmitter or receiver to detect at what point the signal is lost or attenuated. Looks like 5 rf frequencies plus a 400 hz audio frequency. The 400 hz audio could be used to modulate the rf frequency to simulate AM transmission, or if the 400 hz audio was not used, it could simulate CW transmission (morse code). Looks to be very old, as maybe from the 1930s or 1940s.
 
Thanks RG and XJ.
Its cool to know what the gizmos function is, even tho they are just cool as shelf items. The SG clean up very nice and is impressive on the shelf.
The Carver was easier than I thought to study. Yup, it creates 3-dimensional effects within a classic stereophonic system, which is what I use for music. It sounded interesting, so I went back just now to see if it was still up for grabs. The owner had put $25 on it. We settled on $10 and now, I have a Carver C-9. Will hook it up tonight.

Yeah, I liked the rack, too, but I couldn't imagine where I'd put it.

And I got him interested in XS650's and this forum. He's moving to Italy; I suggested he connect when he gets there.
 
That signal generator would make pretty cool garage art. I like stuff like that.

That's what I envision trash day looks like in front of 2M's house , old flux capacitors, 50 jigawatt carbonite generators , sonic transducers, you know , just the junk he doesn't need anymore. :cool:
 
Do you think that Carver still works? It looks really cool , it's a good conversation peice anyway.
What is your classic stereo system?
I started looking at 70's era Marantz , Kenwood, Yamaha, Pioneer stereos and such a few years ago on Craigslist you could pick up complete stereo systems that originally sold for well over $1000 for a couple hundred. There are still some amazing deals on real high end stuff.
 
Mailman said:
Do you think that Carver still works? It looks really cool , it's a good conversation peice anyway.
What is your classic stereo system?
I started looking at 70's era Marantz , Kenwood, Yamaha, Pioneer stereos and such a few years ago on Craigslist you could pick up complete stereo systems that originally sold for well over $1000 for a couple hundred. There are still some amazing deals on real high end stuff.
Click to expand...
Mailman,

Cool that you are interested in vintage Hi-Fi ; and you named some of the more sought-after labels. Lots of them on EBay, too. In Syracuse, there is a store that sells only vintage equipment and vinyl.
The seller said the Carver works, as he just tested it. I sensed that he is honest. Got to study it a bit more before I hook it up, then I'll tell you what I think of the effects.
I've been collecting 70's components since I was in my 30's, and sometimes refurbish them.
In the living room, I've currently got a GA212 Philips (Dutch) manual turntable, a Marantz CD, and a "monster" JVC receiver in order to push a set of rare real walnut Dynaco A-35's, plus a pair of (modern) Cerwin Vega SL-12's. I like the late 70's JVC's because of their industrial design, integrated 5-band graphic equalizer; got a bunch of them. Got this set up on my father's (inherited) 1950's walnut stereo cabinets.

EBAY.5 010.JPG
The Dynaco A-35's, with smaller A-25's behind them:
EBAY.5 022.JPG

In the winter workshop I've got a Pioneer receiver, Philips GA 312 turntable, Aiwa cassette deck, Onkyo cd, and Dynaco A-25's
EBAY.5 014.JPG

In the garage I've got the actual JVC and Dynacos that I bought when I was 20 years old. I just keep replacing the little lights when they blow. They didn't know what "planned obsolescence" was back then.
 
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Mailman said:
Dude, you have some really cool hobbies! I love the stereo systems. There are some pretty interesting units up on Phoenix Craiglist right now. Remember quadraphonic systems? This Sansui unit is going for $250
View attachment 103992

Here's a couple other interesting audiophile items

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/ele/d/jbl-ranger-metregon/6239293576.html

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/ele/d/ayon-scorpio-integrated-tube/6238740894.html
Click to expand...
I DO very much remember the quad period, with the quad vinyl records. And Dynaco made their own version of quad. I had a very nice stereo Sansui receiver in mint shape, walnut cabinet, which I bought from a Navy Lieutenant who got it in Vietnam. I adored it, but all the sweet front panel lights were meant to go out unless the FM was on. Sounds crazy, but I love looking at the panel lights at night. So I sold it; stupid reason to sell it, but we all have our preferences :laugh2:
Those JBL speakers are amazing; I've never seen them before.
 
Last edited:
Mailman said:
Dude, you have some really cool hobbies! I love the stereo systems. There are some pretty interesting units up on Phoenix Craiglist right now. Remember quadraphonic systems? This Sansui unit is going for $250
View attachment 103992

Here's a couple other interesting audiophile items

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/ele/d/jbl-ranger-metregon/6239293576.html

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/ele/d/ayon-scorpio-integrated-tube/6238740894.html
Click to expand...
BTW, when I went back to get the Carver, the guy gave me the tube amplifier. Can't wait to get that fired up; he said that it worked well.
 
I had a bunch of stereo stuff back then, I've had at various times, Dynaco ST-70, Quad ESL-63, Large and small early Advent speakers, YAMAHA NS-10M, AR turntable with Grace tonearm, 25W Heathkit tube integrated that was pretty good, Dynaco FM-3 receiver, couple of different Adcom power amps, Adcom preamp/tuner. Also built lots of stuff from Wireless World magazine in the 80s - Doug Self Precision Preamp, and J.Lindsey Hood mosfet power amp. Built the latter using free Motorola semis sampled to me from Motorola France. Also built early computers with parts obtained the same way :)
 
YamadudeXS650C said:
I DO very much remember the quad period, with the quad vinyl records. And Dynaco made their own version of quad. I had a very nice stereo Sansui receiver in mint shape, walnut cabinet, which I bought from a Navy Lieutenant who got it in Vietnam. I adored it, but all the sweet front panel lights were meant to go out unless the FM was on. Sounds crazy, but I love looking at the panel lights at night. So I sold it; stupid reason to sell it, but we all have our preferences :laugh2:
Those JBL speakers are amazing; I've never seen them before.
Click to expand...

You were saying how much you liked the way they looked when they were lit, that's one of the things I liked about the Marantz tuners, those blue lights. Kenwoods were green , I believe. I didn't really like it when all the stereos turned to all metal cabinets and white lights, or worse yet, no lights.
 
I went into the USAF in the summer of '76. Got moved into the barracks and everyone had reel to reels,8 tracks, cassette players and turntables. Marantz, JBL's, JVC's, Pioneer, Blaupunt and more. The BX shelves were full of everything stereo, even for cars. Speakers? 2 to 4 ft tall. Don't get me started about the stereo wars on Friday and Saturday nights. Now the BX hardly has a stereo section.Its computer and cell phones and thier accessories
 
azman857 said:
I went into the USAF in the summer of '76. Got moved into the barracks and everyone had reel to reels,8 tracks, cassette players and turntables. Marantz, JBL's, JVC's, Pioneer, Blaupunt and more. The BX shelves were full of everything stereo, even for cars. Speakers? 2 to 4 ft tall. Don't get me started about the stereo wars on Friday and Saturday nights. Now the BX hardly has a stereo section.Its computer and cell phones and thier accessories
Click to expand...

I remember in the 70's , Air Force guys had all the best equipment! No joke!
 
Mailman,
The JBL Metregon speakers look pretty awesome alright. I'll bet they could be replicated without too much trouble, using contemporary components that would sound amazing! Granted, plywood (void-free) as opposed to solid hardwoods, and you could laminate veneers over a form to recreate the curved section....
My brother and sister-in-law gave us a pair of speakers for a wedding present, I called "The Buicks", because the speakers were almost as big as....
'Dude,
Back in the early-mid '80s I had a pretty neat Technics system that I put together from a place out on Erie Blvd. Separate receiver, equalizer, dual cassette deck, for $79.00 each (at the time), and later, I found a matching CD player. They stood up to nearly 10 years of continuous use. I got my money's worth.
 
59Tebo said:
Mailman,
The JBL Metregon speakers look pretty awesome alright. I'll bet they could be replicated without too much trouble, using contemporary components that would sound amazing! Granted, plywood (void-free) as opposed to solid hardwoods, and you could laminate veneers over a form to recreate the curved section....
My brother and sister-in-law gave us a pair of speakers for a wedding present, I called "The Buicks", because the speakers were almost as big as....
'Dude,
Back in the early-mid '80s I had a pretty neat Technics system that I put together from a place out on Erie Blvd. Separate receiver, equalizer, dual cassette deck, for $79.00 each (at the time), and later, I found a matching CD player. They stood up to nearly 10 years of continuous use. I got my money's worth.
Click to expand...
Tebo,
I still have a Technics reciever, that I love, great front panel lighting.
Am I correct that you are thinking of that shop on The Boulevard, across from Clark Music (the upscale shop) that was called, as I recall, TechHiFi ? I was in and out of that store a lot, drooling over the equipement. Great listening room
 
Yeah lived that equipment. At one time I had over 8' of rock n roll LPs, Had tube equipment in the early 70's, it was already antique, everything is gone now. I can no longer concentrate when the music (or muffler) is loud. Shhhhh!
Had a big pair of Mitsubishi speakers that are still thumping away in my step son's rec room.
 
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