Weird Old Stereo Accessories [Hackaday]

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Some people trick out their cars. Some, their computers. There are even people who max out their audio systems, although back in 1979, there was more of that going on, probably, than today where you discresionary income is split so many ways. Case in point: [Alan Cross] remembers how excited he was to get the Radio Shack catalog that year. He was working at a grocery store, saved his money, and — over time — picked up a haul ranging from an equalizer to a strobe light.

Who didn’t need a power meter or a “light organ?” These gadgets seem cheap until you realize it was 1979 and [Alan] was a student working at a grocery store. He points out that the $20 power meter is about the same as $80 today.

Not that he got everything he wanted back then, either. He also wanted an Atari light synthesizer known as the C240. This oddball device converted sound from your stereo into video patterns on your TV. What did that look like? An old video from [World One Video] shows it off:

If you could find one in 1977, the $170 price tag might have put you off.

There are other gadgets to explore. A tiny TV/oscilloscope, an audio expander, and quite a few other period gizmos.

We are suckers for old tech around here, although usually towards electronic hobby gadgets. Not that we didn’t take an interest in mobile record players or 8-track scanners.