Elektor's Attic... now this is old school!
In the more than 60 years history of Elektor we must have build hundreds of projects! A lot of old hardware got lost in our move to our new offices, but a few items saved our cleaning drift. In our dusty attic we still have secured a nice collection of typical hardware and projects that defined the history of Elektor.
In the more than 60 years history of Elektor we must have build hundreds of projects! A lot of old hardware got lost in our move to our new offices, but a few items saved our cleaning drift. In our dusty attic we still have secured a nice collection of typical hardware and projects that defined the history of Elektor.
Click on the image to see it in high resolution!
Many of you must recognize some of the stuff here - we have the Formant, the Elektor Junior Computer, the Mondrian Plotter, the Audio Series, the Edwin amplifier, the Filmnet decoder, the Elektor Scope, a whole pile of measurement equipment... you name it.
The picture is available here in high resolution, so you can browse around and have a look yourself... only look, don’t touch!
We love stories, please post a comment, story or whatever with the project below, and we have a nice today’s piece of hardware (J2B board) for the posting/comment/story we like best.
Diskussion (2 Kommentare)
mkstevo vor 7 Jahren
The decoders we had been selling were rather unreliable, often giving up after just a few days partly down to poor design, partly down to Filmnet continually changing the encryption methods. Then came the Elektor design.
Just as we contemplated getting some PCBs made, a local engineer approached us to sell his version, based upon the Elektor design. It was a near copy, with only minor mods to reduce the total chip count. Not only did these work much better, with dramatically improved anti-dispersal flicker removal and vastly improved picture quality but they were markedly more reliable both electrically and in their decoding. As we had a near copy of the circuit diagram we were also able to implement modifications as Filmnet altered the encryption system rather more quickly keeping our customers happy.
We managed to keep them working beyond the point when Filmnet semi encrypted the audio (having exhausted the video modifications available to them) into a modified NICAM digital stream (which we produced an additional audio decoder for) and only gave up when Filmnet went totally digital.
By this time, the designer and I had started producing D2MAC receiver and dish modifications following the collapse of the UK broadcaster BSB which left a large supply of old BSB hardware in desparate need of a home. Shame we fell out and didn't work together again.
Still, I have very fond memories of that original Elektor decoder. Happy days.
[Image links still not working 3rd Sept.]
CJ Cameron vor 7 Jahren