Remember When....

I do actually - only way we were able to watch Mash and Giligans Island.

Originally Posted by t00nces2

The aluminum foil on the rabbit ears had to point one way for channel 10 and another way for channel 13?

Showing my age I remember buying a crystal radio in the shape of a rocket the nose cone held an adjustable antenna by raising or lowering this you would find different radio stations, crystal radios did not require electrical power.

The radio waves being transmitted through the airwaves themselves are the power amplified by the germanium diode.

The crystal radio kit I build in my childhood was part of my life long interest in radio. Mike

Originally Posted by alloy2

If only I had the ability to see that these childhood toys would someday become collectables I would have saved a warehouse full.

I would have saved up the money from my jobs in high school in the form of silver dimes and quarters. I graduated from high school in 1971 but silver coins were still in circulation.

BTW I started working at the age of fourteen and always got paid more than minimum wage which was intended to allow high school kids to get a job not grown ups. Mike

Originally Posted by miked

I would have saved up the money from my jobs in high school in the form of silver dimes and quarters. I graduated from high school in 1971 but silver coins were still in circulation.

BTW I started working at the age of fourteen and always got paid more than minimum wage which was intended to allow high school kids to get a job not grown ups. Mike

My biggest problem is that I learned to hustle the neighbours at an early age first selling daffodils at a nickel each take as many as you wanted then graduated into Christmas trees so much a ft, ploughing snow and custom ploughing disking and harrowing with our tractor. money has always been much to easy and I never learned to have respect for it.

I had a paper route that taught me about child labour, I quit after a month and never looked back.

Which is the reason money burns a hole in my pocket.

I've always made the best money from other peoples trash either by scrapping or refurbishing, Some of the stuff I've bought or obtained for free to rework and sell older Lincoln portable welders and the Miller Big 40's, fork lifts, washers and dryers.

One time a guy phoned about a fork lift I had for sale then after asking me my name " Gill " which is also a prominent East Indian name the guy was a no show until a week later.

The asking price of the forklift got the better of him as he pulled into my yard a week later asking if the machine was still for sale which it was. After playing on the machine kicking the tires cut his deal paying me on the spot saying that he would send his truck around for it.

Just before climbing back into his pick up he turned say you know why I no come, I said no his reply. your name I thought you were East Indian and I don't like dealing with the bastardds. The fellow himself was of that nationality.

When I told this story to my father he cracked up.

I wasted my youthful wages on school lunches, gasoline($0.32/gal), school book rental, clothes for school, and a gallon of root beer everyday in the summer. I did share the root beer with my younger brothers. I don't recall any left over money so I guess I wouldn't have the silver coins to save up. Mike

I made huts in trees and rode my American chopper pushbike

At about age 9-10 Dad made me a 2speed gokart.
Amazing how the gearbox worked, two chains from different sized sprockets on a secondary shaft, driven by the 2.5hp motor, running onto two idleing sprockets on the drive axle.
In between them was a driving dog keywayed to the drive axle, I operated a colum change gear lever which shifted the dog from 'centre' (neutral) over to engage with either sprocket for 'low' or 'high' gear.

The clutch was a 'vee' belt driven from the engine pully, to the secondry shafts V pully, the shaft also held the two smaller sprockets for the gearbox.

A foot operated arm with a cambelt roller tightened the Vee belt up to give 'drive' or 'clutch open'. Also providing the first speed reduction needed.
I have a photo of it I will find soon.

I grew out of it about age 14 and I made my own 5hp one speed gocart.
Then got into off road motorbiking when Dad found a old friend who had gotten into it to go visit old abandoned Gold mines and such, with mates.
Got photos there too.

I was still using foil on antenna's until we made the change to digital. Do not know if it helped, but it was habit. One of my best toys as a child was the old potato gun. Advancing to the use of tennis balls was a milestone, but finding the ammo was always a challenge. Flashlight tag, sanding and waxing sleds, kick the can, etc. are great memories this thread brought back.

Those that depend on themselves for entertainment will have great memories, those that depend on others for entertainment will be deprived one of life's greatest pleasures.

I'm not certain where I got the idea from, a story in a book or perhaps a tv show but I made a sling out of hay bale string and untanned leather.

I was amazed how far and accurately a good sized stoned could be sent flying. No doubt it could have been used for hunting. It kept me occupied for hours one summer. Mike

Originally Posted by miked

I'm not certain where I got the idea from, a story in a book or perhaps a tv show but I made a sling out of hay bale string and untanned leather.

I was amazed how far and accurately a good sized stoned could be sent flying. No doubt it could have been used for hunting. It kept me occupied for hours one summer. Mike

Some cultures used them for hunting and warfare.

There is a famous story about David and Goliath