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Tim Vickerstaff (8BitTim)

@timvickerstaff.bsky.social

https://timvickerstaff.co.uk/

131 Followers  |  163 Following  |  167 Posts  |  Joined: 13.11.2024  |  1.979

Latest posts by timvickerstaff.bsky.social on Bluesky


A topless Technics RS-B355 cassette deck

A topless Technics RS-B355 cassette deck

A lovely Technics tape desk back in working order. A couple of replacement belts and freed up a sticky solenoid.
Tested with a little David Gilmour :-)

22.02.2026 15:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Sinclair ZX81

Sinclair ZX81

I still have a ZX81 knocking around. Rarely fire it up these days though.

13.02.2026 22:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
The Stud Soundtrack LP

The Stud Soundtrack LP

An odd choice perhaps for a Friday afternoon listen, but a great soundtrack album for an odd film from the 1970's.

#TheStud #nowplaying #record #LP #vinyl

06.02.2026 16:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Sony Mini Mini Disc Walkman MZ-N710

Sony Mini Mini Disc Walkman MZ-N710

Still have three MD players.

Here's one of them!

28.01.2026 16:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
BBM - Around The Next Dream, LP

BBM - Around The Next Dream, LP

Now playing...

Around The Next Dream - BBM

Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Gary Moore, from 1994

Always had a soft spot for this record.

12.01.2026 20:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Freshly baked open reel tapes

Freshly baked open reel tapes

A little bit of baking this morning.

Tape baking, I mean.

#tapetransfer #openreel #vintagetape #scotch

04.01.2026 13:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Teach A-3340S 4-track tape deck

Teach A-3340S 4-track tape deck

This New Year's Eve I be mostly doing ancient tape transfers!
Bring on the Isopropyl Alcohol and cotton buds!

For the curious, its a Teac A-3340S 4-track 1/4" tape desk from the early 1970s.

31.12.2025 11:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Christmas greeting on a BBC Micro

Christmas greeting on a BBC Micro

Merry Christmas everyone!

24.12.2025 09:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Pick & Mix - Christmas Ain't The Same Without Woolworths - Vintage Telly Version! What better way to watch a vintage inspired music video than on an actual vintage television set!

It even still works too! Oddly the AM reception on it is amongst the best reception on any radio I have in the house!
For a bit of fun, I did run a music video I made for a mate's charity christmas single through it, for that proper vintage look!

odysee.com/@HollowMoonM...

30.11.2025 13:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Crickey, that's niche.....

19.11.2025 11:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
BBC Master Compact Computer

BBC Master Compact Computer

I love my Masters, I have a couple but I mostly have my Compact set up. Always really loved that mad little old thing.

19.11.2025 11:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
HP 3438A Digital Multimeter - front

HP 3438A Digital Multimeter - front

HP 3438A Digital Multimeter - back

HP 3438A Digital Multimeter - back

This is a fab find, lovely working HP 3438A Digital Multimeter I plan to put to some good use!
Spotted the HP-IB interface port around the back so now I'm on the lookout for the Acorn IEEE488 cheese wedge interface so I can hook it up to one of my BBCs!

01.11.2025 12:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Crown TV/Radio receiver from 1970

Crown TV/Radio receiver from 1970

I was very surprised when I fired up this lovely old Crown TV/Radio set from 1970, that it still worked! ....and remarkable radio reception on it too.
Managed to pull in Radio Derby on AM. A feat that some of my more modern digital tuned radio receivers can't do from where I live!

01.11.2025 11:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
Post image Post image

In today's episode of 'Cool Stuff That Comes My Way'
...this wonderful Sinclair Digital Multimeter, from way back when!
and just look at that beautiful display!

31.10.2025 14:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

My dad bought a TRS-80 Model 1 Level 2 and used it to control theatre stage lighting with an electronic interface he built, so that was the first computer I used. My favourite was the computer that replaced the Tandy, a BBC B.

28.10.2025 21:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ah. I have that very book!

25.10.2025 17:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

Lovely tape transfer project came my way.

A collection of tapes from local music legend Les Hunt. Most dating back to the dim and distant 1970s.

First one is a live recording of a gig in 1978.

Cotton buds and a bottle of IPA at the ready! These old tapes make a mess of the playback heads!

16.10.2025 15:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image Post image

If IKEA made BBC Micros.

10.10.2025 16:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Technics SL-L20 Turntable

Technics SL-L20 Turntable

A lovely bit of hi-fi kit found its way to me this past week.

A Technics SU-V550 Stereo Amplifier, SL-L20 Turntable and an RS-B355 Tape Deck.

This stuff was so dirty. A lot of cleaning required and a replacement drive belt for the turntable.
The tape deck needs belts too, but one job at a time!

20.09.2025 13:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

If you can get hold of one, a Gravis Ultrasound will lift the sound and music in Doom to another level!

27.05.2025 07:41 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Quote post this with a picture of the aircraft youโ€™ll accept as a bribe.

14.05.2025 12:17 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Jet2 Boeing 737 to UK makes emergency in Hungary following engine issue A Jet2 flight from Turkey to England was forced to make an emergency landing in Budapest. The flight LS622 departed Dalaman in Turkey Saturday, April 26 2025 East Midlands Airport. The Boeing 737-800 ...

Imagine being on this flight...

airlive.net/emergency/20...

Turns out a friend of mine was on it! Everyone ok, but very much as they say, a 'brown trouser' moment.

27.04.2025 18:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Beautiful to look at! Impossible to play! ๐Ÿคฃ

24.04.2025 12:01 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Kids today with their inkjets and laser printers just donโ€™t understand the horror ๐Ÿ˜‚

21.04.2025 16:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I'm feeling quite left out tbh.

21.04.2025 15:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Fortunately I've nothing code-wise that's in any way important! But I'm often surprised that floppy discs have survived as well as they have! I mean we were pretty flippant with them back in the day.

21.04.2025 15:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thanks Kevin, that actually sounds quite therapeutic! Useful to know. Maybe I should take a peek at some of my floppies and see what state they're in. Though I did get rid of my Wabash discs many moons ago!

21.04.2025 15:07 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

What do you clean them with? Iso alcohol or does that fetch the magnetic coating off?

21.04.2025 14:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Signed!

21.04.2025 14:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Defend the Internet Archive.
Protect the Wayback Machine.
Tell the music labels: Drop the 78s lawsuit.
Sign our open letter on change.org

Defend the Internet Archive. Protect the Wayback Machine. Tell the music labels: Drop the 78s lawsuit. Sign our open letter on change.org

๐Ÿ“ข The Internet Archive needs your help.

At a time when information is being rewritten or erased online, a $700 million lawsuit from major record labels threatens to destroy the Wayback Machine.

Tell the labels to drop the 78s lawsuit.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Sign our open letter: www.change.org/p/defend-the...

๐Ÿงตโฌ‡๏ธ

17.04.2025 16:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 19585    ๐Ÿ” 15738    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 120    ๐Ÿ“Œ 458

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