A motley collection of ideas
I inherited this device from my father—he brought it from the Soviet Union at some point. It was manufactured in 1974 and is a typical example of the simple yet extremely robust Soviet devices. It doesn’t contain any “smart” electronic circuits, so there’s nothing in it that could burn out or break. It’s simply built … Read more
The handheld meter has been a staple in almost every technician’s toolkit for nearly 100 years. Today, the majority of handheld meters have digital displays. However, until the 1970s, most meters featured analog readouts. These were typically multimeters capable of measuring voltage, current, resistance, and occasionally capacitance and frequency. “Pocket watch”-style measuring instruments were popular … Read more
The phenomenon of resonance has many examples in physics, engineering, and everyday life, and the reed frequency meter is one of them. Surprisingly, such instruments are still in use here and there, although they are certainly considered rarities today. I picked up this specimen, manufactured in 1961, for a few coins at a swap meet. … Read more
I’ve always been fascinated by gas-discharge lamps. I don’t know why—perhaps simply because they glow in the dark. Or perhaps because they don’t always shine with a steady light, but sometimes flicker a little, as if they were alive, or burning like a flame. Or maybe because it seems as though the light is created … Read more