Four things I know better than most
Pick your interest and I'll point you straight to the best content and the gear worth buying.
This isn't a content farm.
It's one person's obsession.
I've worked in electronics for 25 years and at various points I've owned nearly every home computer and games console you can think of. It started with a Sinclair ZX81 and honestly, it never really stopped.
Every recommendation on this site is based on gear I've personally tested or owned. When I say something is worth buying, it's because I'd buy it again. When I say avoid something, it's because I've made that mistake so you don't have to.
Latest from the lab
How to measure stylus pressure on vintage turntables using a borrowed postage scale
You pull a rare pressing from your collection—something you’ve been wanting to spin for years—and place it on the turntable. The needle…
How to diagnose damaged vintage PCB traces: identifying corrosion patterns versus mechanical fracture
You’ve pulled a vintage audio amplifier or arcade board out of storage and powered it up. The circuit hums, but there’s something…
Why vintage arcade game screens shift and drift: the engineering behind geometry problems and how to adjust them
You’re playing Galaga on a cabinet you restored six months ago. Everything was perfect when you finished—clean monitor, new power supply, fresh…
How Vintage Receiver FM Discriminator Alignment Affects Tuning Accuracy and Signal Capture
You’re restoring a 1970s stereo receiver. Everything powers on, the display lights work, and you can hear music through the speakers. But…
Why Vintage Synthesizer Keys Go Dead and How to Recover Them: The Engineering Behind Key Contact Failure
You’re three bars into a Minimoog solo you’ve played a hundred times, and suddenly the high C stops responding. You hit it…
How Vintage Receiver AM Radio Ferrite Antenna Cores Degrade and Why Your AM Signal Keeps Getting Worse
You’ve owned that beautiful 1970s receiver for five years now. The FM stations come in crisp and clear. But AM radio? It’s…