Your first rechargeable gadget?

[Beekeeper]

Casting back our memories, what was your first rechargeable thing you ever used or owned?

I remember my dad bring home a rechargeable calculator in the 70s. I thought it was the most incredible thing ever.
The first rechargeable thing I actually owned was a radio controlled car which took forever to build but great fun.

 

[Paul Mac]

Similar to you, I had the Holiday Buggy in about 1981.
I used to have a car battery on a shopping trolley and a rapid charger, for on the fly charging!

 

[Beekeeper]

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Similar to you, I had the Holiday Buggy in about 1981.
I used to have a car battery on a shopping trolley and a rapid charger, for on the fly charging!

Haha! All my mates had the Holiday Buggy. I also had the rapid charger. Not sure how good it was for battery health. Took 15 mins for a full charge. Used my dads car for the 12 volt supply and and was always worried that I’d run his car battery flat.

 

[Beekeeper]

I was always envious of the kids who had the Sand Scorcher with its full suspension. My Sand Rover was a hard tail. Forward on 40 years and nothing really changes ?

 

[steve_sordy]

It was a shaver. I cannot tell you what year it was, but I believe it was a Remington. I never bought another Remington, ever!

The next thing was a mobile phone, what was termed a "luggable". It had a big carrying handle, a curly cable connecting the normal sized handset to the base station, and an aerial that had to be erected before use. If I wanted to use it in the car, I had an extension lead to a magnetic aerial that clamped on to the roof "Kojak style" (that dates me even more!). No texts, no pictures, no roaming, just phone calls. With an extra 7 added at the front, I still have that phone number on my current mobile (and yes it's a modern one).

 

[Beekeeper]

I’m sure in 20 years we will look back at our ebike batteries and think “oh my god, do you remember those giant bricks we used to cycle round with?”

 

[steve_sordy]

We will probably have Thorium powered Graphene bikes.

 

[Beekeeper]

We will probably have Thorium powered Graphene bikes.

And hopefully not Suntour coil shocks

 

[steve_sordy]

And hopefully not Suntour coil shocks

No suspension required, haven't you seen "Back to the Future"? Hoverboard technology will be in widespread use. Really! where is your imagination, get with the program!

 

[Pdoz]

No suspension required, haven't you seen "Back to the Future"? Hoverboard technology will be in widespread use. Really! where is your imagination, get with the program!

Nah, it'll be virtual riding AND suntour coil shocks unless you pay to upgrade the app.

 

[Paul Mac]

I was always envious of the kids who had the Sand Scorcher with its full suspension. My Sand Rover was a hard tail. Forward on 40 years and nothing really changes ?

My mate had the sand scorcher, real metal gears, suspension and a sealed clear plastic chassis, that was the daddy ?

 

[Beekeeper]

My mate had the sand scorcher, real metal gears, suspension and a sealed clear plastic chassis, that was the daddy ?

It also had the RS540 motor and larger Nicad pack (7.2V) that made a huge difference to performance.

 

[Beekeeper]

No suspension required, haven't you seen "Back to the Future"? Hoverboard technology will be in widespread use. Really! where is your imagination, get with the program!

Hoverboard tech on a bicycle? But surely that’s cheating ?

 

[Trail-Niels]

I’m sure in 20 years we will look back at our ebike batteries and think “oh my god, do you remember those giant bricks we used to cycle round with?”

I remember my first car phone (yes a fix mounted mobile phone) - my boss said to me "Don't forget to turn of phone at the end of the day or you wouldn't have enough juice to start the car in the morning!"

 

[R120]

Definitely some form of Tamiya RC car for me too - think it was a Grasshopper

 

[outerlimits]

Definitely some form of Tamiya RC car for me too - think it was a Grasshopper

Are, the Grasshopper, the lower powered option to the Hornet.
Still have the ole Hornet in the cupboard

 

[wepn]

Casting back our memories, what was your first rechargeable thing you ever used or owned?

I remember my dad bring home a rechargeable calculator in the 70s. I thought it was the most incredible thing ever.
The first rechargeable thing I actually owned was a radio controlled car which took forever to build but great fun.


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Similar stuff that helped me become the wannabe geek I am today

 

[Doomanic]

Tamiya Subaru Brat. Used to love my RC Cars and raced them in the early '90's and again in the early to mid 2000's when I had a model shop that specialised in race-spec RC Cars.
I still have a few kicking around and occassionally did out my LiPo converted Associated RC8 for a blast round the pump track.

 

[Gary]

Probably a solar powered calculator or possibly casio watch.

And most likely from Kays catalogue

 

[StevoKickstart]

The Kays catalogue didn't have chance to hit the doormat in our house

 

[StevoKickstart]

there was a very interesting section in the catalogue that most teenage boys wanted to peruse......

 

[Gary]

completed it Bro

(age 5)

 

[StevoKickstart]

completed it Bro

(age 5)

I’m talking about the lingerie section though Gary…..which section were you referring to?? Or don’t you want to say…?

 

[Gary]

Yeah. Dude. I'm well aware what you were referring to. The bathroom section was also a place to find sideboob.

#Nextlevel

 

[urastus]

I'm just here to see what zimmer's gadget was

 

[apac]

2009, early Ebike conversion....

Before that was probably the Tamiya Falcon...

 

[Planemo]

I was always envious of the kids who had the Sand Scorcher with its full suspension.

Lol, I had a Rough Rider (ooh er) which was the same chassis and just as heavy. Later I had a Tamiya Lancia 037 (same chassis as Brat and some others I think) that I wish I had kept. By that point - around 14 years old I think - I was a proper geek, ended up with a Boomerang and for shits and giggles made up a 12v NiMh pack for it. Fuck me that thing flew (at the time), but went through tyres and diffs like they were made of cheese.

 

[DrStupid]

Somewhere in my fathers basement is the original. Bought at Nankin's Hardware on Ford Rd, 40 years ago. Its trashed. When they relaunched it, I grabbed one to keep it real.

I've never stopped playing, for 20 years even my career felt like playing. It started with that box.

 

[JetSetDemo]

Boomerang for me, I always wanted a Hotshot but alas we could not afford independent front suspension. Also we didn’t have a car so no fast charging meant I could only use it once a day. Until I started going to the model car club racing on a suday and other peoples dads would adopt me for the day for some Nicad action.

The problem with Kay’s was the false expectation it gave you about what delights awaited for you under the collar so to speak. Then as you get older you realise it’s all a shame and M&S white cotton is all your actual going to get.

 

[Beekeeper]

Somewhere in my fathers basement is the original. Bought at Nankin's Hardware on Ford Rd, 40 years ago. Its trashed. When they relaunched it, I grabbed one to keep it real.

I've never stopped playing, for 20 years even my career felt like playing. It started with that box.
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View attachment 73416

Emptied my savings account and mum helped me to buy a Sand Rover. Couldn’t afford the Sand Scorcher. It looked absolutely amazing, better motor, battery, suspension and water proof. Those were the days!