Topic: Radio Shack (Realistic brand) weather radios from the 1980s

[cpufrost]

Anyone remember these where the ALERT "siren" is just that, sounds similar to RED ALERT from the original Star Trek?!

Loved that sound.  I know the tremolo hi/lo wig wag whatever you call it they have now probably can be heard by human (and dog!) ears further away, that siren noise just was something else to have!

Caution if you have headphones!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=104&v=Qg6S0m-KbIw&feature=youtu.be

[Garth Bock]

I had one of these....

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/realistic_12_181_b12181.html

[fkapp]

I had the cube one too.
Brings back memories listening too when storms approached when was kid with first weather station science set kit.

Thanks for sharing..

[cpufrost]

Mine was the Weather Radio Alert with LED clock, cat no. 12-153.

It's on page 150 of the 1983 catalog:

http://radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1983_radioshack_catalog.html

[CW2274]

http://radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1983_radioshack_catalog.html

Holy tech flashback Batman!...and I just started on it! 

[cpufrost]

Yep, love that site, wish there was a way to archive it into a searchable PDF locally in case it goes poof one day.

Love going through the catalogs especially in the 70s.

If there was a genie that could grant a wish it would be to shop from those catalogs.  Even if I had to spend my own money.

It was quite annoying at times, like CSRs wanting your address every damn time you buy something.
Free battery card, worst batteries ever.  OK carbon zincs but hey they came apart easy and having a supply of essentially free carbons (for DIY carbon torch) was nice.  And those crappy, horrible 5D flashlights they gave away for free!  Ugh!  But I had a six cell D light and I used to put the bulbs from them in that and even with tired batteries it was super bright and white.  With new duracells it looked like, dare I say, Xenon or LED?!  Short lived, of course.  Oh the days...

[Garth Bock]

Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I lived at Shady Rack.... bought IC's (7400 family) , switches, circuit boards, etc. TRS 80 mod 1,3,4,4P.....reel to reel tapes....I spent a lot of money there and almost left my Field Engineer to run 2 of their computer training centers....glad I didn't.

[davidmc36]

This can is only a bit over 20 yrs old......but the pack of small perf board I just opened for a project was much, much older.

Ah, Battery Cards. And the fun of roping your Dad into taking you to another mall so you could skirt around the "Only one Card" rule....or something like that it went. [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

[cpufrost]

That tuner cleaner had a sweet smell!

Of course nothing beats the smell of cold dittos fresh off the machine!

And for those old enough to remember...Carbon Tetrachloride! 

[chief-david]

I worked at Radio Shack 2000-2006

We had old magazines, they were great to look through.

They had great electronics.
The once great RS was driven into the ground by bad management and not understanding the new shopping ways. Also the recession.

I believe Tandy Towers is gone-at least converted into new space.

But RS lives on and is being revived online!!!!! It will never be the same as what it was.

[cpufrost]

Yeah they never really come back in their old form unfortunately.

Also for nostalgic electronic geeks:  Lafayette and Heathkit!

Out of all my Heathkits the only thing that works fully is a 2410 HF frequency counter I built in 1986.  It hasn't been powered on in years but I'm sure it still works.  I do miss the HP counters with nixies.  I swear walls of nixies with the numbers moving in and out could hypnotize one who spent countless hours monitoring things.  Now we have to deal with a similar effect that's obnoxious with smart phone cameras!  Focus hunting!

[Garth Bock]

My old school Radio Shack weather monitors. The left one has an outdoor sensor and is from 2007. The right one is from the late 80's and is an indoor temp/ barometer. Both still working fine.

[cpufrost]

That reminds me, I remember the Micronta indoor outdoor electronic thermometer from the 80s.

This one:

https://www.ebay.com/c/1523681822

I almost got one but was OK with my Springfield Palisades.