Out with the old, in with the new

[Dave2002]

Sometimes older technology is just so outclassed that there's hardly any point in keeping old kit or "consumables".

One example is NiCd rechargeable batteries. Is there any point at all in keeping NiCds when more modern NiMH batteries store much longer charges?

Last call before they go to recycling.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

[Anastasius]

Lithium-ion....that's the way to go plus you have the benefit of being able to warm your hands

[Dave2002]

Yes - and there are hotlines to Samsung I'm told.

Doesn't help with devices which still use some of the standard size batteries, though.

Next candidate: MiniDisc players and MiniDiscs.

Over to you for the next one after that.

[Bryn]

Yes - and there are hotlines to Samsung I'm told.

Doesn't help with devices which still use some of the standard size batteries, though.

Next candidate: MiniDisc players and MiniDiscs.

Over to you for the next one after that.

DAT was fun while it lasted.

[Dave2002]

DAT was fun while it lasted.

Yes, but did you get rid of your tapes and the recorder/player?
Or are they still lurking in some dark recesses of your abode?

[Bryn]

Yes, but did you get rid of your tapes and the recorder/player?
Or are they still lurking in some dark recesses of your abode?

Well, actually both minidiscs and DATs remain, as do their related machines. The minidisc deck has mechanical problem which mean it will only play trough whole discs (no track selection) and has to be stripped down somewhat to eject a disc after playing. I plan to transfer everything to hard discs once I eventually retire. Maybe in around 18 months, or so.

[Pulcinella]

Is it true that some battery chargers work only with their own brand of battery?
I think I heard that the Energizer was one such.

[Bryn]

Is it true that some battery chargers work only with their own brand of battery?
I think I heard that the Energizer was one such.

An urban myth. I use Energizer chargers with a wide range of cells of different brands and capacities.

[Pulcinella]

An urban myth. I use Energizer chargers with a wide range of cells of different brands and capacities.

Thanks.
That's what I suspected: a pernicious ploy to try to get us to buy only their own batteries.

[umslopogaas]

Of course, if you need longer battery life and more modern batteries would provide it, then you have reason to buy them. However, if the old ones last long enough to serve, why go to the expense?

My cordless Makita drill is pretty old and uses NiMH batteries. A modern version would probably give me twice the battery life, but the old one suits me fine: by the time the battery has run out of power, so have I and am in need of a cup of tea while the battery has a recharge. In fact the drill is on the blink at present, not because of the battery but because the charger has stopped working: the local Makita agent is trying to repair it. If he cant, I'll have to dump a perfectly serviceable drill. A new charger would be nearly a hundred quid, more than enough to buy a modern drill.

[MrGongGong]

DAT was fun while it lasted.

DAT was hopelessly fragile and lacking if compatibility
A tape recorded on one machine would often refuse to play in another
and the Sony potable machines which looked like cassette walkman's were so fragile that they kept going out of calibration.

Mini disc on the other hand was wonderful but sadly abandoned

[Bryn]

Sony were far to slow in bringing out a non-lossy option for the minidisc. By the time they eventually got round to it, solid state recording devices were already beginning to appear. ATRAC was a pretty good lossy compression regime though. I was never tempted by the Sony pocket DAT machines. Mine was/is a domestic Hi-Fi type unit. Not top of the range, but not the bottom either. I had very few drop-out problems with it.

Talking of incompatibility, remember Dolby C on cassette recorders? That was disastrously sensitive to minimal differences in tape speed. The chances of getting decent results from playing back on a machine other than that used for the recording were practically nil.

[Richard Barrett]

I was never tempted by the Sony pocket DAT machines.

I had one that gave fine service for quite some years. I used to think of it as a miracle of mechanical miniaturisation - it must have had about half a million moving parts. By the time it gave out I didn't need it any more... or at least I thought so until I started thinking about all those tapes that needed transcribing. This is still a work in progress.

[Stunsworth]

I had one that gave fine service for quite some years. I used to think of it as a miracle of mechanical miniaturisation - it must have had about half a million moving parts. By the time it gave out I didn't need it any more... or at least I thought so until I started thinking about all those tapes that needed transcribing. This is still a work in progress.

I had one too, or rather have one - it's no longer working. I've kept the tapes (mainly off air recordings from R3 at half speed). These days it's far easier, and cheaper, to capture/download broadcasts digitally.