Interesting Archive

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

I took "Practical Electronics" from it's first issue in Nov.1964 until sometime in the 80's when work pressures made it difficult to do stuff at home. I just did an internet search to see what happened to it and discovered this site. **LINK**

https://worldradiohistory.com/Practical_Electronics.htm

which is a full archive of the magazine until it's merger with "Everyday Electronics" in Nov. 1992.

The home page for this site has dozens of links to other archives including one to "Practical Mechanics UK" which may be of interest to those with no interest in old electronics.

Edited By Anthony Knights on 11/04/2022 07:29:37

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

which may be of interest to those with no interest in old electronics.

I’m sure there are many who are interested in both mechanicals and electronics.🙂

A useful site, btw.

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Thanks for the link, I found Practical Mechanics here: https://worldradiohistory.com/Practical-Mechanics.htm

Thor

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Although I never got round to building her, I remember following the constructional series for EMMA with great interest, and learning a lot.

I was particularly impressed by the devious design of her Random Number Generator.

[ not sure if this was borrowed from elsewhere, or original to the project ]

MichaelG.

[Ches Green UKParticipant @chesgreenuk]

Thanks for the links to both magazines…. amazing content.

The first PM of 1933 has many, many very interesting articles, and little 'white space' (unlike the current BBC Sports website, say! )

Ches

[David-Clark 1Participant @david-clark1]

That is a blast from the past. I took Practical Electronics for years and Everyday Electronics as I well.

Looking forwatd to a good read.

Everything I read brings back something long buried in my mind.

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

Posted by Ches Green UK on 11/04/2022 09:21:18:

Thanks for the links to both magazines…. amazing content.

The first PM of 1933 has many, many very interesting articles, and little 'white space' (unlike the current BBC Sports website, say! )

Ches

I found the "how to stimulate the eye with a spark" a bit frightening. Some very interesting Ads to browse through in these old publications.

regards

[Mike LondonParticipant @mikelondon]

Thanks for the link.
My recent house move compelled me to bin my quite extensive collection of Practical Electronics.

I would have posted sooner but having a quick look at the site and just randomly selecting a magazine to look at the quality of the scans, I ended up spending half an hour totally engrossed in an article about Radio Astronomy!

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I've visited that worldhistory.com site for quite a few years and have found many electronics magazines that I lost many years ago and I have even made one contribution to them. They do the Bernards and Babani books also, which I have found a couple of those that I also lost.

Regards Nick.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Great link. I have boxes of PE under my stairs from my last house move, in '87. Also remember 'Emma' and the silver nitrate random number generator. Funny how some brain cells are still dedicated to holding that non-essential information.
Around 1969 there were some articles on designing bistables and logic for model railway automation that have never been surpassed upon which I built my 40+ year career in electronics.

[Anonymous]

I've been following their Practical Mechanics content for some years after someone here put me onto them (I used to get the mag as a teenager). They have built up to almost the full set now the full set now (the remaining 1961issues must have been added in the last couple of days).

And I've downloaded the lot!

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 11/04/2022 18:41:14

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Great find thanks

[David-Clark 1Participant @david-clark1]

How did you download them.

I think the lack of this sort of magazine contributes to a society with no interest in how things work.

I did not remember reading Practical Mechanics but as soon as I saw the editors name, F J Camm, it came flooding back to me.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Dave-Clark 1, you can download them by right clicking on the one you what and then select "save link as" or you can click on the one you what and open it and go the the print or save icon at the top left.

Regards Nick.

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Great links – many thanks. I vaguely remember these from my youth and being fascinated by all the adds – always spotting odd things then thinking 'oh, I could make a super xxxx out of those parts – the imagination often running wild!.

What truly amazed me though when I looked at a couple of 1940 / 1950s P Mechanics was the sheer volume of stuff in them. The text was similar to the old fashioned broadsheet newspaper with pages of small closely spaced type which allows so much material to be included. In some ways, when looking at modern magazines (no finger pointing here), with lots of white space and large photos you realise the true scale of information presented back in those halcyon days.

Or is it that we nowadays haven't got the patience to painstakingly read through vast amount of text – but prefer the 'snapshot' approach driven by modern on-line media? Different era I suppose.

I forsee spending many happy hours in future reading past issues rather than doing the things I should be!

regards Mike

[David-Clark 1Participant @david-clark1]

I think my problem now is one eye is almost covered with a large cataract and the other is usable with glasses.

The real problem though is everybody has a short attention span.

[Anonymous]

Posted by Nicholas Farr on 12/04/2022 09:28:37:

Hi Dave-Clark 1, you can download them by right clicking on the one you what and then select "save link as" or you can click on the one you what and open it and go the the print or save icon at the top left.

Or better yet, get a decent download manager such as IDM (Internet Download Manager) and download the whole series of pdf's in one go while you're doing something else.

[Anonymous]

Posted by David-Clark 1 on 12/04/2022 09:39:45:

I think my problem now is one eye is almost covered with a large cataract and the other is usable with glasses.

Cataract surgery is such easy (for the patient) surgery these days – and such a life-changer – why don't you get them fixed?

[David-Clark 1Participant @david-clark1]

Been waiting for almost 2 years.

[Author]

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