Glad to see Tricky Dickie still going strong and getting involved in community gatherings. Don't agree with everything he does or says but gotta admire the down to earth nature of the bloke. Thanks for sharing Dave.
@skeggjoldgunnr3167
Жыл бұрын
I lived in the US started tinkering in electronics when I was 6 in 1970, built one tube regenerative shortwave radios for my friends and I when I was 8. Grampa took one and we caught him listening to it years later. He took me to flea markets and swap meets hundreds of miles away, just to stock me up on tubes, parts, 69V B batteries, headphones, trimmers, air variables, etc. There was a HUGE warehouse the size of an aircraft hangar full of old parts for sale. The 1970's were WONDERFUL for the young tinkerer to learn in. I've watched this stuff die off. Seeing fellow engineers and hobbyists sharing the old memories brings up such wonderful feelings.
@VK2AAK
Жыл бұрын
The VHF amplifier at the 18 minutes mark ... and which won Dick's award ... I designed that!! :D DE Andy Keir VK2AAK
@waynegill6198
Жыл бұрын
Dick won me over back in 1978....not many blokes can tow an iceberg into Sydney Harbour.
@steviebboy69
Жыл бұрын
Wow really I didn't know that, but it sounds like something he would try to do hehehe.
@johncoops6897
Жыл бұрын
My best memory of Dick Smith was in the 1970's, going to the original St Leonards store with my dad. Dick was there on the Saturday morning, riding his infamous 2-stroke petrol powered pogo stick inside the store full of customers. The noise, smoke and smell is something I have never forgotten. In those days, Dick was always pulling stunts to get publicity.
@VK2MB
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for coming along Dave, and for posting the video: it was a great night!
@AshenTiger
Жыл бұрын
His old DSE breadboard kits (where you screw down the parts) are what got me into electronics!
@arnotek
3 ай бұрын
You know Dick Smith?! Wow! He is one of my heroes. Many years (decades) ago I was learning to fly helicopters and I read his book “The Earth Beneath Me” about how he bought a JetRanger, went to Texas to pick it up from Bell, and flew it home to Australia! Very inspiring.
@ForTheBirbs
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Dave for this fantastic video. So many memories. My first job was part time at the electronic alley Tricky Dicky store while at school. Cheers
@jimtekkit
Жыл бұрын
Dick Smith is a great bloke. People like him with initiative and a "fair go" attitude are becoming increasingly rare in society these days.
@beachsidetech
Жыл бұрын
There was no Jaycar in Melbourne back in the 80’s so it was all DSE and some Tandy. I spent a lot of time there and flicking though the catalogues drooling! That and Colin at TE showed me the ropes. Feeling old now! 😀 Thank you Dick and Colin!
@TradieTrev
Жыл бұрын
Grey beards show and tell! Always brings a smile on my dial!
@heathwellsNZ
Жыл бұрын
My first taste of electronics was Funway Into Electronics! I have very fond memories of Dick Smith stores here in Christchurch, New Zealand!
@KiwiCatherineJemma
Жыл бұрын
Thanks to all involved in the video and audio recording of this event. I am NOT complaining that every moment of audio & video is not "professional, studio quality" . The quality is plenty good enough to follow along. Looks like about 25 people in the room. Thanks for putting this on KZitem. At the time of writing this, it seems about 5,000 extra people, who could not attend on that night, have been enjoying this video since. And that number sure to climb daily. Cheerio Dave, Dick and all the rest. Catherine ZL3CATH
@EEVblog2
Жыл бұрын
I just had my portable video kit. It's hard to film stuff like this which happens rather impromptuly.
@KiwiCatherineJemma
Жыл бұрын
@@EEVblog2 I, and (now one day later, 5,000 people viewing has become 11,000 people !) are very happy indeed that you had your portable video kit. My point was that even if recordings aren't perfect, this event was really precious to so many of us who grew up involved, learning etc, in electronics, CB and Amateur Radio and Electronics etc. A small community club event with about 25 people crowded into the Girl Guides Clubroom, has now been shared by over 10,000 extra people from around the world, and the number is climbing daily. Thank you ! I was glad to see that a man who was a transistorised godfather to many of us, is still alive and kicking.
@harveycreekin
Жыл бұрын
The real dynamic duo, SuperDick & DaveBoy 👍
@EEVblog2
Жыл бұрын
I'm the young whipper-snapper.
@andrew051968
Жыл бұрын
So many memories! I had Flashbacks spanning from my first radio shack crystal radio kit in the 1970’s through to the all the Dick Smith Fun Way in Electronics kits I built in the 1980’s and the Amateur Radio Action stuff in the 1990’s. I often wonder what happened to Tom Moffat.
@ronan4681
Жыл бұрын
My best friend (and now brother-in-law) bought an oscilloscope back when we were at school. recently when visiting their home i helped one of his sons who was going through all the things stored in the ceiling (my brother-in-law is a hoarder) and found this oscilloscope still in the sealed box. That makes it at least 43 years old.
@TrevorsBench
Жыл бұрын
I still use my Dick Smith ESR - Low Ohms Meter today. Bought it as a kit from DS in Australia and I was ecstatic that they would ship me the kit to Canada. Thank you!
@JonnyMac351
Жыл бұрын
Me too had it for years
@kevingreen1311
Жыл бұрын
Dave this is gold. Thank you to all involved. A great trip down memory lane. Wounderful to is everybody looking so well. Cheers to all. Kevin From Downtown Wilcannia
@TobyRobb
Жыл бұрын
Couple of friendly faces i know! Dave thanks for covering such an important part of my life in electronics here in Straya!
@HamRadioDX
Жыл бұрын
Dick Smith is a living legend! I think he has influenced each and every one of us in some way to get interested in electronics and radio in Australia. Thanks Dave for filming this.
@englishrupe01
Жыл бұрын
What a great bunch of blokes. Great stories.
@David5467
Жыл бұрын
This is 'Gold'. Thanks for posting Dave.
@bernardwhipps7558
Жыл бұрын
Wonderful memories, and wonderful to see Gary Cratt my old boss (Service Manager) at DSE Head Office. Plus some familiar faces!
@susanbutcher696
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for showing and telling, Carmel, wonderful stuff!
@sarbog1
Жыл бұрын
Very cool I was allowed by my high school physics teacher to take home and use an analog osciliscope over the summer. used it to build my radio teletype demod about 1968...... using tubes back in those days.
@johncoops6897
Жыл бұрын
You need a new keyboard - your spacebar is sticking really badly 😅
@rangercv4263
Жыл бұрын
Its not a sticky space bar. Stephen wrote his comment on teletype mate.
@johncoops6897
Жыл бұрын
@@rangercv4263 - probably had the secretary transcribe it from a fax.
@cptlooney
Жыл бұрын
I've still got all my original DS kits and books. A heap of Tandy and Radio shack stuff as well. All siting in a box in the Attic - so I'll have to dig them out now and see what revision they are.
@Fess_goat_problem
7 ай бұрын
This was just fantastic to relive the past. I made made kits from, dick smith which I had to mail order to Ballarat in the mid 70s. I still have EA mags for the kits.
@sw6188
Жыл бұрын
My first full time job straight out of school was at the newly opened Dick Smith store in Hamilton, New Zealand. I had been into electronics since I was about 5 years old and getting the chance to work in an electronics shop was amazing. I still have a number of units built from kits - 4 digit capacitance meter, 1 GHz frequency counter, LOPT tester and various others. Also have a number of NZ and Aussie DS catalogs but always on the lookout for the ones I don't have as I can scan them and return to their owners if they want them back.
@pete3897
Жыл бұрын
Good pick Dave, Carmen's contribution was fantastic. Glad she came along and spoke! :)
@Fanta....
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely, what a treat!
@sausage5849
Жыл бұрын
Dick Smith fostered an interest in electronics for me from an early age. He's a bloody legend! I was also helped along by Kit Parts Australia and David Reid in New Zealand and not to mention all the magazines. I've also written some articles for the SiliconChip mag which wouldn't have been possible without Dick and his stores.
@bigwave_dave8468
Жыл бұрын
We had a Kim-1. my dad used it to translate output from our Commodore PET to a repurposed IBM airline terminal-printer. In 1978 or thereabouts, we went to the weekly PET User Group (PUG) meetings at the Philco Ford building in Mountain View, California and traded software with other nerds. Good Times!
@codebeat4192
Жыл бұрын
People get older and have memories, that is what I see.
@mwethereld
Жыл бұрын
I have a stack of old dick smith project kits here from the 80s to 2000s. Love busting out the soldering iron every now and then. Have also had the pleasure of a QSO on 40m with him many years ago. Hes an aussie legend. I wish him 73s, DE VK4FAKE....
@M0XFXUK
Жыл бұрын
Wow I loved every minute and brought back some great memories. I lived in Australia for a few years during the late 80s early 90's and I was always at the local Dick Smith store, there was never a shortage of interesting kits, parts and everything you needed to play electronics. Really got my interest in radio and electronics at this point. Thanks for posting Dave, another great video.
@markziza
Жыл бұрын
Fantastic :) Makes me want to find my 200 in 1 kit and build the electronic cricket!
@pfb3264
Жыл бұрын
So many memories . Remember DSE and Jaycar just starting up . DSE was very good for technical help. There were more stores like Force Electronics. It was awesome going to Sydney Electronics alley next to QVB . A great archive video . Thanks Dave for sharing
@skyline1skyline115
Жыл бұрын
Wonderful video it takes me back so many years I am the same sort of age as many of these gents I remember the days as a teenager when I was learning to solder and put these things together When I put my first audio preamp together and it actually worked ! the buzz was amazing this was pre PCBs and built on old fashioned tagboards like valve gear (BC109s for anyone old enough to remember them) Regards Mark
@whatevernamegoeshere3644
Жыл бұрын
This was awesome! 43 minutes and I'm still sitting here wanting more! I could watch this all day
@cuteswan
Жыл бұрын
This was a lot of fun. Would have been fun to see folks' reaction to the Radio Shack ProbeScope too, but there was already enough good stuff.
@2oqp577
Жыл бұрын
I make it a point to visit multiple hamfests every year, just to be entertained or entertain with stories amongst radio and electronics enthusiasts. Yeah sometimes scoring a good deal on a piece of equipment is also part of it.
@JamesCutlervk2tim
Жыл бұрын
I still have a working K-6400 2M FM transceiver that I built when I was in high school. I designed and installed a CTCSS board using a PIC 12F675 to allow repeater access with that radio today.
@leonwilliams5175
Жыл бұрын
Dave, thank you so much for this video. It brought back so many memories. I wish I had been there.
@jordanclarke2996
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting this Dave. Another fantastic video.
@n5yiz
Жыл бұрын
Fantastic presentation!
@simonkormendy849
8 ай бұрын
6:09 Oh I remember those masthead amp kits, also remember those kit boxes too, that one looks just like I remembered.
@simonkormendy849
8 ай бұрын
I still have my old DSE Q-1804 20Mhz Dual-Trace Analog Oscilloscope I bought with help from my dad in the late 90's, it still works to this day, it arrived in the post just after I got home from doing my Tech in Port Hedland at the Pundlmurra College, I was doing a three-year apprenticeship with my dad as a Fitter and Machinist at the time, think it was about 1997 or 1998.
@simonkormendy849
8 ай бұрын
My Dad and my stepmum bought me a Funway Into Electronics 1 set including the book and everything to build the circuits, as well as the Funway Into Electronics Book 2 and two kits for Christmas one year, I was about 13 years old at the time, geez I'm showing my age now, I'm 54 years old.
@Zanzubaa
Жыл бұрын
I have a 200 in one in my parents loft still. Lots of fun.
@kick1ass20
Жыл бұрын
Well that was fun. Interesting to see and hear about kits being designed and put into good use. I have a whole bunch of old kits at my workplace (altronics, jaycar, and a few others (including a soviet electricity and magnetism kit made of timber and metal)). Makes me wonder if anyone would appreciate them (I'm currently the only person saving them from the dumpster). In our electronics classes, we only dabble a bit in circuit level components, jumping pretty quickly to Arduino kits thereafter. Fits the bill a bit better these days (our students go on to teach electronics and technologies at high schools here in Australia).
@e74av
Жыл бұрын
One of the loveliest videos so far. History!
@peterschmidt9942
Жыл бұрын
The Playmaster amps were terrific. I built the 200/300W mono board back when I was probably 16/17yo for a guitar amp 😂🤣. Chucked a "Versatile Guitar Pre-aamp" board in front and coupled with a home-made quad box fitted with 4x 100W 12" Dick Smith speakers at the time (basically to handle the power). I still blew a few speakers as I think they were 50W RMS, but worked there and got a bit of a discount. That thing used to break windows (I'm not kidding). Then I think I separated the pre-amp and power amp and used the power amp for a bass amp. That didn't last too long as the pre-amp I built for bass wasn't terribly good. So the power amp become a PA amp. Still working to this day 35 years later.
@kennuimuffins2426
Жыл бұрын
I don't understand any of the radio stuff but it was very cool to see.
@KeritechElectronics
Жыл бұрын
Cool meetup. I never realized you had a knack for vintage electronics, apart from some teardowns or Nixie and VFD projects. Never heard of Dick Smith, but he seems like a real deal expert, electronics promoter and all in all a very dedicated guy.
@ThermoCoupleNZ
Жыл бұрын
wait a minute... never heard of "Dick Smith" ????
@KeritechElectronics
Жыл бұрын
@@ThermoCoupleNZ no, never! I must be living in some backward country on the complete opposite of the world. Hahaha.
@mycosys
Жыл бұрын
@@KeritechElectronics Dick Smith Electronics was the Australian 'Radio Shack', was in every Mall in the 80s. Dick Smith was the head of the Civil Aviation Authority as well for many years and is well known as a helicopter adventurer/explorer.
@KeritechElectronics
Жыл бұрын
@@mycosys yeah, I read the Wikipedia article after watching this video. Quite an entrepreneur and activist!
@EEVblog2
Жыл бұрын
Check this out: kzitem.info/news/bejne/x4FosXZ6qGl6ho4
@Anth369
Жыл бұрын
I had the 160-in-one kit, and the dicksmith funway books as a kid!
@dingalarm
Жыл бұрын
Radio Despatch Service (9:20) - where I bought my SN76477 and matching EA sound synth PCB (78n6, I think). Both of which I still have 😋 It's too bad they (like DSE, David Reid and Sheridan Electronics) no longer exist.
@danmoon4661
Жыл бұрын
The gray breads are strong in this video. Good on ya Dave.
@ZeroHarry
Жыл бұрын
I seem to remember in one of the early Dick Smith catalogues, in the car antenna section there was an image of coat hanger (as a car antenna) with a cat number of F-001. Does anyone remember seeing it?
@volvo09
Жыл бұрын
That's hilarious! I totally remember seeing cars with coat hanger antennas
@vk3ye
Жыл бұрын
It was called the Co-Tanger I believe. In another catalogue there were energy saving (ie blown) light globes.
@Mr.Unacceptable
Жыл бұрын
I wish these kits were still available. They are so useful to teach fundamentals. I wouldn't know half what little i do without these kits. Doing beats memorization any day. How many electrons are permitted to pass a 1k resistor per second? was a question I never knew existed to ask.
@ncot_tech
Жыл бұрын
Dave the young player earning his grey beard award 😁
@richardbrobeck2384
Жыл бұрын
great video !
@krisztiannemeth6148
Жыл бұрын
About the analog display instruments: I've seen a nuclear reactor recently, and older one, where the control panel was full with these kind of instruments. They say they prefer these analog displays, as if something changes, the needle moves. Humans are pretty good at identifying movement, so they can immediately turn they attention to the change.
@simonkormendy849
8 ай бұрын
I would absolutely love to see both Tandy Electronics and Dick Smith Electronics stage a huge comeback to re-invigorate/restart Australia's DIY Electronics scene all over Australia, because to be honest, the Australian DIY Electronics scene isn't looking too healthy at the moment, about the only place I can by parts and kits is from Jaycar Electronics and their range of kits is very limited and mostly consists of PIC based kits, would love to see the return of all those good old kits that Dick Smith Electronics used to stock and sell.
@tonygardner4077
Жыл бұрын
thx Dave
@bertblankenstein3738
Жыл бұрын
Very interesting and nice.
@s8wc3
Жыл бұрын
Kogan doesn't even use the D head! They should return it to it's rightful owner, Dave. I can't say his name because youtube warns me it may be inappropriate to post, and the feedback form won't submit properly. Good one youtube.
@Taaazu
Жыл бұрын
wish they start to put the whole DSE book sin PDF for free download ..
@rwbishop
Жыл бұрын
Excellent!
@mycosys
Жыл бұрын
Did anyone NOT go to Ultimo tech? lol I feel a little better about my unbuilt projects, at least they havent been hanging round for 40 years XD
@stevenbliss989
Жыл бұрын
I wish I could go back in time, they were wonderful. Thanks for the look back! :):):) btw, amazed at how fit DS is, a man with a special place in my heart because like all those theer I grew up with DS kits and part, it defined me to be the engineer I am now! WOW!!!!!
@EEVblog2
Жыл бұрын
He's still in great nick and as sharp as a tack.
@QsTechService1
Жыл бұрын
Wow This is so Cool Thanks
@tgfcujhb7583
Жыл бұрын
Nostalgic 👍👍👍👍👍
@Crazy--Clown
Жыл бұрын
Haha Dick Smith sold desoldering wick back in the days and called it Dick Wick
@pete3897
Жыл бұрын
Great to see you doing a bit of radio club stuff Dave! Out of interest, do you have an amateur call sign?
@EEVblog2
Жыл бұрын
I don't. HAM isn't my thing.
@Graham_Wideman
Жыл бұрын
Dave hams it up enough as it is without being on the radio!
@xjet
Жыл бұрын
Where were all the *YOUNG* faces????
@EEVblog2
Жыл бұрын
Well, it WAS a vintage kit evening. All the young HAM's turn up to the Arduino Hour, I'm sure...
@sw6188
Жыл бұрын
At home sitting in front of their computers or playing games on their Playstations. That's the problem with the young of today - unless the item has a touch screen or it plays games they're not interested.
@PartTimeLaowai
Жыл бұрын
who remembers that truck of his with "the electronic dick" sign on the sides 😄
@paulstubbs7678
Жыл бұрын
And I still have my DSE 2M amp, mind you mine has done way less miles.
@ThaVoodoo1
Жыл бұрын
Great Video Dave. Are you an amateur radio operator?.
@dennis8196
Жыл бұрын
Even I as a brit knows who Dick is.
@stargazer7644
Жыл бұрын
Even I as a yank know who Dick Smith is.
@magicwoody
Жыл бұрын
73
@honeyroastednut
8 ай бұрын
I just got my hands on a brand new sealed funway into electronics volume 1 gift box, would anyone know who would be interested in this item?
@ticktock7483
Жыл бұрын
Why did they trash such a great brand? Dick smith was such a great shop. The old advertising was really interesting.
@pldaniels
Жыл бұрын
Ask Woolworths (AU) since they bought it off Dick many many years prior (1980~1982) and then really the market for DSE collapsed after the GFC and by 2012 Woolies pretty much had enough. I think it's fortunate though that most people understand that the current DSE is just a "branding" and not affiliated with Mr Smith directly.
@sw6188
Жыл бұрын
After Dick sold to Woolworths in the early 80s, the stores started a downhill slide from there. Woolworths wasn't an electronics company and didn't have the same vision as Dick had. In the early 90s, the Dick Smith stores here in New Zealand started removing quality parts and tools from the shelves and either not replacing them, or replacing them with cheap offerings mostly from china. Subsequent to that, they started to branch out into things like home appliances in an attempt to capture more of the market but this was never going to work when there were already established home appliance chains across the country.
@topherteardowns4679
Жыл бұрын
malcoms gettin a bit dusty on top.
@Mr.Unacceptable
Жыл бұрын
I this was available for kids to day we would have an explosion of functional IOT and other unimagined devices. Combined with AI making new circuits and new ways to use components. The future could be amazing. It's the only way to get out of the era of horrible UI half working and busted devices. Into standardized UI and functioning long term devices. Most stuff now is not what is promised at best. Cloud based so they can take it away and fails most times you need to use it. So much electronics is scammy junk like most of the IOT systems.
@michelle5for
Жыл бұрын
Pool room
@HeiseSays
Жыл бұрын
Crony capitalism. Lol 18 channels.
@Okurka.
Жыл бұрын
Sausage fest.
@michaelslee4336
Жыл бұрын
Press the translate button and see what pops up. Hilarious.
@jimmybrad156
Жыл бұрын
Dick, not Sausage.
@espero7757
Жыл бұрын
So grand as I have started like you 😅 - today I am working for a 10 MHz reference oscillator based on the RedPitaya FPGA system 😄 Vy73 de DF4IAH, Uli
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