Are you a "gadget" collector ?

[AstroLaser]

I have always liked neat "gadgets" and stuff since I was a kid.

I remember having a chemistry set, telescope, microscope at about 9 or 10 years old. (I probally would have ordered most of the stuff in an "Edmund's Scientific" catalog back then if I was able to

I probally could not think of everything right now, but just some of the neat "stuff" I have had (and some stuff I still have now include:

telescopes (60mm refractor and Edmund Astroscan reflector)
microscope
chemistry set
binoculars (10x50 great for astronomy)
prism
various optical lens
glow in the dark paint
glow in the dark stars on ceiling
diffraction grating
fiber optic light pen
radiometer
Estes model rockets
various magnets (including magnetic "marbles")
walkie talkie
shortwave radio
digital camcorder
wind up LED flashlight / phone charger
a red laser pointer (about 10-15 years old - just recently stopped working !)
.....and now of course - my first green laser pointer (5 mw)

(and probally a lot of other "stuff" I can't think of right now

Of course there is always other neat "gadgets" on my "wish list" when (and if) my budget ever allows:

a 4" refractor telescope on a computer driven mount
25x100 binoculars with a chair mount for astronomy
a large 46" or bigger 3D LCD screen
an Aiptek 3D-HD High Definition 3D Camcorder (I think this just recently became available)
a Nisson "Leaf" all-electric car (way too pricey though)

(my wife likes the old saying "the difference between men and boys is the price of the "toys" we get" - as we get older, the prices of some of us guy's "toys" are sometimes more

.....it's all just "stuff" though, I can be happy without it, but it is still neat to have anyhow

 

[Psychopatic]

Of course I am...!

It started with chemistry, when I was 11-12 years. My dad was boss for a pharmacy, and I figured out how to order chemicals. Ordered concentrate nitric acid, pure sodium, white phosphorus and pure bromine...

Now I can't order more, but have ordered for my own money, pure cesium, thallium, arsenic, selene, cadmium, mercury, uranium, beryllium and a lot of other not so dangerous elements, from Germany and Austria. I collect elements!

And I had alot of the things you list! Then now, the lasers, a geiger-counter, and some other "unnecessary" stuff!

 

[00Giorge]

Yes I are, I have all kinds of things, I had a chemistry set in the 60's when they were still good. I have a small steam tractor that actually runs on steam I have always liked unusual things, I also have a 14" plasma light. the list is too long to list everything.

 

[AstroLaser]

Of course I am...!

It started with chemistry, when I was 11-12 years. My dad was boss for a pharmacy, and I figured out how to order chemicals. Ordered concentrate nitric acid, pure sodium, white phosphorus and pure bromine...

Now I can't order more, but have ordered for my own money, pure cesium, thallium, arsenic, selene, cadmium, mercury, uranium, beryllium and a lot of other not so dangerous elements, from Germany and Austria. I collect elements!

And I had alot of the things you list! Then now, the lasers, a geiger-counter, and some other "unnecessary" stuff!

Mercury is neat, I had a sealed plastic maze puzzle with mercury in it when I was a kid.

Later I got some from an old thermostat.

(got to be careful with it though

 

[AstroLaser]

Yes I are, I have all kinds of things, I had a chemistry set in the 60's when they were still good. I have a small steam tractor that actually runs on steam View attachment 29984 I have always liked unusual things, I also have a 14" plasma light. the list is too long to list everything.

My chemistry set was in the 60's also.

A plasma light globe, now that is something I thought would be neat to have, when they first came out they were rather pricey but you can find the smaller ones fairly cheap now. (another gadget my wife will think I'm silly for getting if I get one, but she loves me anyhow

 

[Psychopatic]

Yes I know that I be careful with mercury. My dad has always worked as a pharmacy-boss, and he collect old pharmacy-things. He went almost mad when I emptyed some of his barometric intruments (or something) on mercury, from about 1920.

Then when I was very sick, I took all his ampulls wich contained morphine, secobarbital, strychnine and many more drugs, also from the 1920:s, and injected it... He said the value was over $1 000... :yabbem:

But we are good friends today! It was he who fixed my practice on the hospital-physicsian.

 

[wbp]

Oh, this could get *very* competitive ...

I'd have to include at least one decent GPS (I currently own 3).
The fully computerized telescope is great, especially when paired with a computer (or iPAD).
What about a decent home theater? Gadget opportunities abound there.

I love the steam tractor. I had one when I was a kid and spent hours playing with it...

William

 

[AstroLaser]

Oh, this could get *very* competitive ...

I'd have to include at least one decent GPS (I currently own 3).
The fully computerized telescope is great, especially when paired with a computer (or iPAD).
What about a decent home theater? Gadget opportunities abound there.

I love the steam tractor. I had one when I was a kid and spent hours playing with it...

William

Welcome to the forum William !

Yep, GPS is neat, and one with a voice module would really be neat.

My humble telescopes are non-computerized but still fun nonetheless.

Gadgets - I'd have to ponder for a while to try remember all of them I've had (and some I still have).

I have a cheap pen-cam, optical stuff like a prism, burning magnifer lens, fiber optic pen light, radiometer, microscope, also a shortwave radio, ect., ect.

The "HUE" webcams are cool, they have a long gooseneck and can be found fairly cheap now. I have a video projector = large picture for a reasonable price, just add popcorn

It would be nice to have a wireless cam hooked up to a computer driven telescope and have it where you could control the scope from indoors and look at the night sky from inside. (at least sometimes anyway, because it is still neat to see the night sky outside in person too

Another "gadget" I'd like to have is an observation chair with binocular mount and 25x100 binoculars !

A gadget I wish was on the market: a holographic 3D video cam and projector !
(and an inexpensive all electric, all terrain hovercraft )

 

[boosted_4cyl]

for some reason I bought brand new versions of every cell phone I have ever had just to keep. I dont know why, maybe because they were cheap.
I also have the urge to buy some of the meteorite samples from united nuclear

 

[wbp]

Meteorite samples are very cool. I have 3, 2 purchased, one found (Canyon Diablo).
One favorite pastime with computerized telescope mount is asteroid hopping. With Starry Night Pro on the laptop and a bluetooth connection to the mount, I can hit 5-6 asteroids in an hour.
Another favorite gadget of late is a UV LED flashlight for hunting scorpions.
AstroLaser - did you know there are several robotic telescopes that you can use over the 'net?
William

 

[Don't Laze Me Bro]

Yes I are, I have all kinds of things, I had a chemistry set in the 60's when they were still good. I have a small steam tractor that actually runs on steam View attachment 29984 I have always liked unusual things, I also have a 14" plasma light. the list is too long to list everything.

I have that exact tractor! A Mamod Te1a I got the meths burner for mine aswell

 

[AstroLaser]

Meteorite samples are very cool. I have 3, 2 purchased, one found (Canyon Diablo).
One favorite pastime with computerized telescope mount is asteroid hopping. With Starry Night Pro on the laptop and a bluetooth connection to the mount, I can hit 5-6 asteroids in an hour.
Another favorite gadget of late is a UV LED flashlight for hunting scorpions.
AstroLaser - did you know there are several robotic telescopes that you can use over the 'net?
William

I believe I have at least one small meteorite sample that was included with samples of other types of rocks I had gotten a very long time ago.

The UV LED flashlight sounds neat, was it expensive ?

It could also be used for checking for places indoors where you might need to disinfect as I think I remember reading where bacteria will glow under UV light.

Yea, I remember hearing about those remote control telescopes before, I just did a search online and here is a free site where you can watch thru telescopes elsewhere:

SLOOH - SpaceCamera

 

[borgqueenx]

yes sir i am.

I have:
lasers.
flashlight.
iPhone.
iPad.
one of the best gaming notebooks.
Newest X-mini capsule speaker.
Infrared light.
Spy camera pen.
Lama v4 RC helicopter.
RC ormithopter.
about 10 kinds of batteries and chargers.
oh and 2 living pidgeons.

 

[AstroLaser]

yes sir i am.

I have:
lasers.
flashlight.
iPhone.
iPad.
one of the best gaming notebooks.
Newest X-mini capsule speaker.
Infrared light.
Spy camera pen.
Lama v4 RC helicopter.
RC ormithopter.
about 10 kinds of batteries and chargers.
oh and 2 living pidgeons.

Reminded me of a rc helicopter with a wireless cam I heard about recently, if you're not already familiar with them Google the following: "dragonfly helicopter cam youtube"

 

[cd520]

I will reply to this question with a short answer. YES. :yh:

 

[AUTO XX]

The purpose of life is simple: The one with the greatest number of worn out/used up toys wins :friend: