UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > General Vintage Technology > General Vintage Technology Discussions

Notices

General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc.

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 14th Apr 2020, 11:33 am   #341
Station X
Moderator
 
Station X's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,128
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

In last night's episode of "Quiz" a would be "Who wants to be a millionaire" contestant builds himself a "Fastest Finger First" keypad so he can practice. However instead of soldering the component leads he arc welds them.

I hope the devices weren't static sensitive!!

https://www.itv.com/hub/quiz/2a7854a0001
__________________
Graham. Forum Moderator

Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.
Station X is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th Apr 2020, 2:46 pm   #342
AC/HL
Dekatron
 
AC/HL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,636
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Watched an episode of Endeavour last night. The usual basic record player, with the addition of a Tandberg tape recorder for the ransom call. Unfortunately, the telephone monitoring was done on an AVO signal generator.
AC/HL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th Apr 2020, 3:30 pm   #343
Andrew2
Nonode
 
Andrew2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,032
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Station X View Post
In last night's episode of "Quiz" a would be "Who wants to be a millionaire" contestant builds himself a "Fastest Finger First" keypad so he can practice. However instead of soldering the component leads he arc welds them.

I hope the devices weren't static sensitive!!

https://www.itv.com/hub/quiz/2a7854a0001
Yes, I noticed this as well. We first see him through his workshop window and he's earing a leather apron which wouldn't look out of place in Frankenstein's laboratory! I wouldn't have been surprised to see a forge and an anvil...
__________________
Andy G1HBE.
Andrew2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th Jun 2020, 3:14 pm   #344
Andrew2
Nonode
 
Andrew2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,032
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Just watched 'Dancing with Crime' on TPTV. Towards the end we see a police radio operator instructing his cars via an R1155 receiver. I wonder where he plugged the mic? There was no matching T1154 to be seen, btw.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	R1155.jpg
Views:	199
Size:	115.7 KB
ID:	208622  
__________________
Andy G1HBE.
Andrew2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th Jun 2020, 10:30 pm   #345
Wendymott
Octode
 
Wendymott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,776
Default Sas ww2

I dont know if this has been posted else where.. but the CH5 series about the "Real SAS " story has been re gurgitated again. In part 3 they showed supposedly a clandestine radio.... wrong BC221 frequency standard.... even had the charts showing in the lid...Ahhhhh program makers..
__________________
Should get out more.

Regards
Wendy G8BZY
Wendymott is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21st Jun 2020, 5:01 pm   #346
Herald1360
Dekatron
 
Herald1360's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,515
Default Re: Sas ww2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wendymott View Post

In part 3 they showed supposedly a clandestine radio.... wrong BC221 frequency standard.... even had the charts showing in the lid...Ahhhhh program makers..
Wrong BC221 frequency meter?
__________________
....__________
....|____||__|__\_____
.=.| _---\__|__|_---_|.
.........O..Chris....O
Herald1360 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22nd Jul 2020, 4:23 pm   #347
Graham G3ZVT
Dekatron
 
Graham G3ZVT's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,668
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Agatha Christie's Marple (Joan Hickson) "A Murder Is Announced"

showing now on ITV2

A shot of an old Gents wall clock with a replacement quartz movement. No problem with that, but why did they include a red second hand, and leave the battery in so we could see it stepping once a second?
__________________
--
Graham.
G3ZVT
Graham G3ZVT is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 22nd Jul 2020, 6:07 pm   #348
PaulR
Dekatron
 
PaulR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Southport Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 3,208
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Using quartz clocks sometimes in genuine cases and sometimes not is a common annoyance. They did it in the recent programme about the Battle of Britain. Sometimes they would show one with a sweep seconds hand which would be perfectly in keeping but on other occasions there was one that was clearly stepping in second intervals.

On another point why is the use of American telephone ring sound and interval becoming more common in programmes set in the UK? Could it be that more and more of the people involved have never heard a UK telephone bell, or even a land line ringing?

I should "just enjoy the programme" as my wife is always saying!
__________________
Paul
PaulR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th Aug 2020, 5:07 pm   #349
its ur aerial
Hexode
 
its ur aerial's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK.
Posts: 413
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

The XYL sat watching another depressing episode of that dreadful Call the Midwife on Sunday, I understand it is supposed to depict London's Dockland in the 50`s, however during Sundays episode, high winds blew down the Convent TV aerial, nothing wrong with that, as we know a very common occurrence, but the aforementioned antenna bore a striking resemblance to a horizontal polarized Band 4 and 5 UHF Yargi !
I therefore rest my case for the prosecution, Milord.

Snowy picture....it`s`yr`aerial...`Luv`.

Ken, G6HZG
__________________
Life is not Hollywood, life is Cricklewood.
its ur aerial is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20th Aug 2020, 2:24 pm   #350
barrymagrec
Octode
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Morden, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 1,548
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulR View Post
Using quartz clocks sometimes in genuine cases and sometimes not is a common annoyance. They did it in the recent programme about the Battle of Britain. Sometimes they would show one with a sweep seconds hand which would be perfectly in keeping but on other occasions there was one that was clearly stepping in second intervals.
I would have expected that at the time of the Battle of Britain all the clocks in operations rooms would be controlled by a Gents or Synchronome master clock system which increments all the slave clocks at one second intervals. (If I remember correctly).
barrymagrec is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20th Aug 2020, 5:25 pm   #351
M0FYA Andy
Nonode
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 2,503
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

The standard Gents Pul-Syn-Etic or Synchronome system of the 1940's advances the slaves every 30 seconds, but both systems could be fitted with additional seconds switches if seconds hands were required on the slaves.

Andy
M0FYA Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th Sep 2020, 10:26 am   #352
slidertogrid
Octode
 
slidertogrid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Posts: 1,897
Default When is a Bush a Thorn?

When is a Bush Ranger mono portable a Ferguson TX9 ? When it's on TV it seems...
This is the TV programme "make me a dealer" The rear view of the set is a Bush Monochrome but then when you see the front view it suddenly becomes a Ferguson colour. What the motor trade calls a cut and shut !
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	20200917_145901.jpg
Views:	224
Size:	85.4 KB
ID:	215912   Click image for larger version

Name:	20200917_150017.jpg
Views:	225
Size:	86.1 KB
ID:	215913  
slidertogrid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th Sep 2020, 10:41 am   #353
Nanozeugma
Heptode
 
Nanozeugma's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: London, UK. Bury, Lancashire quite regularly :)
Posts: 608
Default Re: When is a Bush a Thorn?

I guess if this proves anything, it's an object lesson on how contrived these "programmes" are...
__________________
Thermionic Emission, warms the cockles of your tubes.
Nanozeugma is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th Sep 2020, 10:49 am   #354
Radio Wrangler
Moderator
 
Radio Wrangler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,761
Default Re: When is a Bush a Thorn?

It's the importance of 'The Look'

Just think how much the TV producers had to pay to get a technician to saw two sets in two and glue the front half of one to the rear of the other.

The telly lot hired the use of a schoolfriend's parent's house for the first 'Last of the summer wine' film. The tale of what they changed to get the look right, and then had to replace afterwards.... Well Paul's folk were very, very, pleased with the full redecoration (to their tastes) new shed and new greenhouse on top of the fee!

The ends these people will go to.

But getting that telly working, now that took skill

David
__________________
Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done
Radio Wrangler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20th Sep 2020, 12:03 am   #355
Graham G3ZVT
Dekatron
 
Graham G3ZVT's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,668
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

I caught the last 20 minutes of "Genevieve" on TPTV this afternoon, an absolutely gorgeous video transfer it is too, surprised me by carrying the "ITV Studios" end-cap complete with the two-note wind instrument , just like after "This Morning".

But I digress.

There are many technical goofs in this film but one I've noticed that hasn't even been catalogued by IMDb, is the BBC interviewer at the start of the run who's microphone changes to a completely different model between shots.
__________________
--
Graham.
G3ZVT
Graham G3ZVT is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 24th Oct 2020, 10:47 pm   #356
Graham G3ZVT
Dekatron
 
Graham G3ZVT's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,668
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Technically not an anachronism, but another kind of temporal error.

Wouldn't it have been better to spin the turntable at a sedate 33 rather than 78RPM?

It would help with the visual narrative, as well as preventing people like me suggesting that the production staff have never seen a record before...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3cX_PV2070
__________________
--
Graham.
G3ZVT
Graham G3ZVT is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 2nd Nov 2020, 8:19 am   #357
Malcolm G6ANZ
Octode
 
Malcolm G6ANZ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 1,028
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

I was watching 'The saint' a few day ago, as one does. For some reason the walkie talkie they were using was a Sinclair Micromatic radio. Needless to say it gave perfect transmission and reception over several miles.
Malcolm
Malcolm G6ANZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2nd Nov 2020, 10:58 am   #358
Richard_FM
Octode
 
Richard_FM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 1,996
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malcolm G6ANZ View Post
I was watching 'The saint' a few day ago, as one does. For some reason the walkie talkie they were using was a Sinclair Micromatic radio. Needless to say it gave perfect transmission and reception over several miles.
Malcolm
I remember Dusty Gizmos mentioning one being used in The Saint.

The same site identifies the tape recorders used in Mission: Impossible & Thunderbirds.
__________________
Hello IT: Have you Tried Turning It Off & On Again?
Richard_FM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th Nov 2020, 1:16 am   #359
Pete_1966
Triode
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Limerick, Republic of Ireland.
Posts: 12
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Look up the official music video for Holly Johnson's (he was the lead singer from 'Frankie Goes to Hollywood') popular 1989 hit: 'Americanos' - it features an American family living in a big house with housekeeping staff. The family are watching a lottery draw on a large console TV in their plush living room while the housekeeping and maintenance staff are watching the same lottery on a table top RCA 14-S-7070-G television on the kitchen table. One of the young lads on the staff wins big while the main family have no luck, resulting in their daughter marrying one of the staff to share the loot! Brilliant song and a 'happy' video. Would love to know what is the make and model of the large console TV is in the living room, though - should be a good test for the members here. Also check out the official video of Holly Johnson's song: 'Atomic City' - at the very start, a Hitachi miniature portable TV is being watched by a young couple having a picnic before being lured into the underworld by a mysterious character who happens to be Holly himself. Another test for the members here to identify that model!

Last edited by Pete_1966; 10th Nov 2020 at 1:24 am. Reason: Wrong song!!
Pete_1966 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th Nov 2020, 1:59 am   #360
broadgage
Nonode
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,124
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Something that I have noticed in several TV dramas, including Foyles war and others from that era is odd looking light switches.
Historically correct actual switches, but mounted on very over size wooden mounting blocks.

I suspect that these are non functional and affixed with blue tack or similar, and are very oversized in order to conceal a modern switch.

A very common error in TV dramas in general is when the actor turns on a switch and the room lighting comes up gradually over a second or two, obviously tv studio/stage lighting turned up on a dimmer.
In most cases, nothing important happens in that second or two, and the content could easily be edited to remove it.
broadgage is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 4:25 am.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.