Today people might download 200 songs via internet torrent, slap the digital copy onto their I-Pod and walk around oblivious to the world around them. Back in the 80's though you'd have borrowed a copy of Diary of a Madman or Pyromania on cassette. You'd then put a blank cassette tape into the dual deck and dub the album in full. Initially this process took as long as the album did to play - until high speed dubbing was introduced.

While today's digital media may be better quality, there was always a certain thrill playing with the Dolby, Cr02 and assorted switches. The VU meters would jump to the beat of the music. When the album was finished the tape might even auto rewind.

The tape deck of the 80's is about the most recent item you'll find in this abandoned farm house. The house sits vacant in a farmer's field, unused and uncared for. There was an addition built onto the rear of the house but has been removed or vandalized within the last year. The area in which this house is located has seen arsons during recent years so we'll keep the details to a minimum. The owner lives down the road however I was not disturbed during my visit even with neighbours close by.

This is a popular spot for people living in the area. While exploring this house, a car pulled to the side of the road and a couple joined me in photographing this beauty. Amazingly the stained glass has remained intact.


1.

Standing Ever So Proud


2.

You Have Such Glassical Taste


3.

A Glimpse Beyond the Frame

4.

Four out of Five Odds


5.

VU Meters, Cr02 tapes and lots of switches trumps your I-Pad


6.

Fit for Duty


7.

Eyes in the Attic


8.

Going off the Rails


9.

Stairway Ap-peel

"Four out of Five Odds" is an awesome shot. The definite winner of the set, for me.

That dubbing deck is the same one that my father bought for a few hundred dollars when I was about seven. Even after the cheaper replacements started hitting the market, I always went back to that one. The sound quality was far superior to any of the 'improved' decks that followed for a decade.

Posted by Intrinsic The house sits vacant in a farmer's field, unused and uncared for. There was an addition built onto the rear of the house but has been removed or vandalized within the last year.

Maybe the addition had the bathroom.

Posted by Ground State "Four out of Five Odds" is an awesome shot. The definite winner of the set, for me. That dubbing deck is the same one that my father bought for a few hundred dollars when I was about seven. Even after the cheaper replacements started hitting the market, I always went back to that one. The sound quality was far superior to any of the 'improved' decks that followed for a decade.

Thank you, I liked that one too. On the right evening you can catch the sun setting in a blaze of orange, making for some nice photographs.

It was always a sense of fascination walking through Radio Shack and admiring their amplifiers, tuners and decks. I used to read their catalogue like it was the Sear's Christmas Wishbook. The free "battery of the month" club was a big deal as was sitting down in front of their TRS-80 to play with it.

Music at home was provided with a Realistic tuner/amp connected to a record player (Motorhead on a 33 rpm vinyl and a free poster) and a standalone tape player.

It was exciting to watch the VU meter bounce to the music and the "magic tuner" capability - by merely putting your finger against the tuning dial, the display changed colour (light blue, I think) and would fine-tune the FM station.

And of course when the parent's were away, these would go up in the window so that the entire surrounding neighbourhood could hear Motorhead as we played outside.


I loved the smell of vinyl records, or more likely the cardboard covers that held them. I'd go through by parent's old records and smell the different scents from the covers. I guess it explains a lot hmm.

And when we managed to purchase two more speakers, well connecting them to the amplifier and having an A and B output was a big deal. Now we could hear music on 2 or 4 speakers.

Edit: One of those huge speakers ended up in the back of my first car, connected to a computer amp and subwoofer and powered by a power inverter. The amplifier I left outside my door, intent to throw it out. A few days later I saw it in my neighbours apartment where they'd hooked it up.

And then things went all digital and now you can hold 200 songs on a tiny piece of metal a little larger than an SD card. Boring as hell.

I've hijacked my own thread but it was worth it. Great memories the 70's and 80's are.

Intrinsic... I have those exact speakers at home and they still sound excellent!!!

Great Post.

I want that tape deck! I had one like it before that I scavenged from the trash as a kid- didn't work, but it didn't actually have a pop open "drawer", the tape just sorta clicked in there.

beautiful home and great photo set!

Beautiful find, I can't believe how well-preserved that house is. The tape deck is a handsome hunk of metal, too.

Posted by Intrinsic It was always a sense of fascination walking through Radio Shack and admiring their amplifiers, tuners and decks. I used to read their catalogue like it was the Sear's Christmas Wishbook. The free "battery of the month" club was a big deal as was sitting down in front of their TRS-80 to play with it.

I used to get the canadian and american catalogs, compare prices and items. After i built my component system in the 90s with pioneer equipment imagine my frustration at seeing rebranded pioneer equipment just like mine at radioshack with the Genexxa (in canada) and Optimus (in the us) brands. My buddy still has a set of Cerwin Vega's he bought at radio shack with the realistic name. It was only when we turned the buggers around and saw the CV logo on the magnets through the airport did we realize the deal he got. My friends all call me old fashioned, but i like a big component stereo. I have some ancient Sony 3 ways, pioneer 6 disk magazine player (they were the shit in the 90s) a dolby pro logic reciever with a LASERDISC button and my dads 1985 Pioneer tape deck.

I can remember when a friend received a cassette recorder for his birthday at about the age of 12. We used to spend hours talking into it and playing it back. Radio Shack sold beginner electronic hobby kits which you could learn how circuits worked and build projects such as a light timer, police siren, and temperature monitor. I had only the basic version without the LED numeric display and always wanted to get the better kit.



At the end of the project you'd tear out the wires and start over. I also made my own arcade game using a small bulb and toggle switch. It was very basic but I learned all by myself how a circuit worked and how a toggle switch could be used to control the circuit.

I can recall rummaging through Radio Shack's garbage bin (years later they'd use locked sheds) and taking home power adapters and other gadgets.

Many days were spent reading the catalogue and being in awe of the newest home gadgets (eg. a home alarm that used a light beam switch). Despite not having the money, I still dreamed about one day owning such items.

And of course when my father purchased his home stereo system (record player, single cassette deck unit, receiver and two large speakers) that was all I wanted to do for the next few days - learn how it worked and play with it.

Today you'll find Radio Shack is nothing but a carrier of brand name items, cell phone accessories and if you look way in the back of the store you might find a bag of assorted resistors and a few LED's but no more hobby kits. There are still some diehard audio fans out there who have large stereo systems, dual cassette decks and believe vinyl has a superior sound quality.

1.

^ Congrats on the Full Membership.

Thanks.

It would be hard for me to leave that tape deck behind. (Pioneer CT-F1000) They sold for around $650 in the late 70's.