In part one of the Apple II weather display I quickly went over how data is fetched and phrased. Now its time to do something with it in part 2. In the order of functions I do the text parts first, and though its very similar to the process that the radar image goes through, its in monochrome and a bit simpler to explain. Before I go into how it works I should explain how I am dividing the Apple … [Read more...]
Apple II Weather Display (part 1)
April 18, 2011 By 23 Comments
Due to computer issues I had to rob some parts from my “electronics” computer, which wasn't bad, since I was not working on anything at the time and I felt a software project itch. I also wanted to do something with my Apple //c, which resides on my computer desk, so this ghetto brute force “solution” to use the 25 year old computer as a weather display came about. In a nutshell there … [Read more...]
Portable gaming for retro console lovers
February 28, 2011 By 10 Comments
There have been a fair share of portable video game console conversions over the years, but few tug at our retro-loving heart strings more than this one. Modretro forum member [Mario] constructed a fantastic looking portable Atari 2600 using a Flashback 2 Atari console clone. He hacked apart the Flashback board to fit inside a small plastic case, then added a 3.5" LCD screen, as well as some … [Read more...]
Calc is high-tech for 1970′s homebrew
January 1, 2011 By 19 Comments
Just one look at that banner image and you've got to be thinking "that's old"! This 1970's era home made calculator used a 4-function calculator IC that was quite advanced for its time. The only problem is that the chip couldn't do anything other than calcuations, which left it up to the maker of this dinosaur to get the display and keypad working. Circuit boards were made by drawing on copper … [Read more...]
Step by step antique radio repair and upgrade
November 6, 2010 By 18 Comments
[M3talhead] takes us through a very informative repair of an old tube radio. In this case, his radio was from the late 30s. He was able to find the original data from Radiomuseum.org. He painstakingly dismantles the radio components and the cabinet. Instead of completely modernizing the internals, he replaces the bad parts and brings it back to functionality. He wanted to do an MP3 upgrade, but … [Read more...]
Hacking TVs in 1954
October 19, 2010 By 32 Comments
This gem was published in Mechanix Illustrated magazine in may of 1954. AT that time, a remote control was the stuff of science fiction. This article shows the modern man how to modify his television to include a fancy button to stop all noise. This button, affectionately labelled the "SHADDAP" was marketed as a way to relieve the pain of long winded commercials. Basically, it cut the connection … [Read more...]
Lee Hart’s “Memebership Card”
August 19, 2010 By 35 Comments
In an act of retro revival, [Lee Hart] has created this "Membership Card", an altoid tin sized tribute to the 1802 CMOS chip. Made popular in the late 70s in the RCA COSMAC ELF computer, the 1802 stole many a hackers heart. There's tons of information available if you explore the site, from history to kit building experiences. [via Retro Thing) … [Read more...]
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