Vintage Tech: Part 3, Build-It-Yourself consumer electronics
Back in the 60/70s, consumer electronics catered to the masses. If you wanted something different, or high-end, you had to build it yourself.
One company was Dynaco – founded in 1955 (first offering a 50 watt tube mono amp.) Later they offered super powerful 500 watt amplifiers. In fact my friend Rich and I bought a couple of used Dynaco amps on a rogue shopping spree in Syracuse (long long ago.)
Another kit company prospered in those days – Heathkit. They offered all kinds of products. Pictured here is one of their last ads – vintage 1986. It features a typical modern family: projection TV, Digital mantel clock, Robot babysitter, Coffee-table laptop, Coffee-table oscilloscope… yeah I also like to keep my oscilloscope handy!
The problem with all these products is you had to build them yourself. This was no IKEA job! You got a baggie full of resistors and capacitors, etc…
Tags: DIY, consumer-electronics, vintage
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