I was digging in the back of a cupboard in my cellar and came across a number of things from the past. I wonder how many people remember, still have or still use any of these?
Dad's and grandad's sliderules
Grandad's 'multimeter'
Flexicurve and adjustable square (now replaced by CAD)
Dad's AVO model7
Case and U2 battery adaptor he made to get away from the strange square battery for the ohms range.
I have an AVO model 40, still in occasional use. I was interested in Robert Bryant's collection, and particularly his dad's improvised battery holder as an alternative to the special type supplied for these instruments. For mine, I took the easier way out and purchased a battery holder from Maplin, to take a common cell size U11 (alias LR14, alias MN1400, alias C - why do these designations bear no relation to physical dimensions?).
I've shown this picture before but I'll show it again.
I spotted this collection, all now obsolete, at the Amberley museum, near Arundel. At the top left of the pile there is a type R1662 cell, with screw terminal and free wire, as used in AVOs. Many portable radios of that era used two batteries, one at 1½ V and one at 90 V (which could certainly give you a shock). Towards top right is a type 800 "twin cylinder" cycle lamp battery, very common in bicycle lamps in the '50s and into the '60s.
The Ever Ready brand dominated the battery market in those days. After successive reorganisations it has become Energiser, though the Ever Ready stamp still appears on odd occasions.
Drydex was a brand name used by Exide for its dry battery range.
Another popular brand name of those days was Vidor. It was subsequently absorbed into Crompton Parkinson, but has now disappeared from the market place.
I have an AVO model 40, still in occasional use. I was interested in Robert Bryant's collection, and particularly his dad's improvised battery holder as an alternative to the special type supplied for these instruments. For mine, I took the easier way out and purchased a battery holder from Maplin, to take a common cell size U11 (alias LR14, alias MN1400, alias C - why do these designations bear no relation to physical dimensions?).
I've shown this picture before but I'll show it again.
I spotted this collection, all now obsolete, at the Amberley museum, near Arundel. At the top left of the pile there is a type R1662 cell, with screw terminal and free wire, as used in AVOs. Many portable radios of that era used two batteries, one at 1½ V and one at 90 V (which could certainly give you a shock). Towards top right is a type 800 "twin cylinder" cycle lamp battery, very common in bicycle lamps in the '50s and into the '60s.
The Ever Ready brand dominated the battery market in those days. After successive reorganisations it has become Energiser, though the Ever Ready stamp still appears on odd occasions.
Drydex was a brand name used by Exide for its dry battery range.
Another popular brand name of those days was Vidor. It was subsequently absorbed into Crompton Parkinson, but has now disappeared from the market place.
