Gallery: This 1973 RadioShack Catalog Is a Bonanza of Nerdy Treasures
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View the gallery in full screen to read more about this Radio Shack catalog.
WIRED02The best way to wirelessly communicate with your friends in the 1970s was via walkie talkie. With three separate channels and three watts of power, the TRC-99C could be used by three different groups of friends.
WIRED03Semi Conductors! – Pg 66-67
This was the Maker Faire catalog before there was a Maker Faire. You could order diodes, LEDs, resistors, transformers, switches, and nearly anything you needed to take that next step to building your own hardware.
WIRED04Mark VI Dual Track Label Maker – pg 87
The Mark VI Dual Track Label Maker could create labels with horizontal and vertical text. Even better, it resembled a Star Trek prop.
WIRED05Record Supplies – pg 118
You could order nearly all the supplies you needed for your turntable and record collection from Radio Shack. It was a record collector’s dream come true.
WIRED06Photo-electric Light Control – pg 135
The Photoelectric Light Control switched whatever was plugged into it on when the sun went down. It was the light-controlling Internet of Things before there was an actual Internet.
WIRED07100-in-one Electronic Project kit – pg 144
The $33 100-in-1 Electronic Project Kit let you play mad scientist without electrocuting yourself or your younger siblings. Thanks to this kit, a generation of tinkerers was born.
WIRED08Lie Detector Kit – pg 152
The Science Fair Lie Detector was a party game meant to determine the kissability of your date. Now we have the Lulu app to judge gentlemen on their date worthiness. Both probably offer the same results.
WIRED09Smoke sensing semi-conductor – pg 153
The Disaster Alarm Kit let you go to sleep at night knowing you'd be alerted by a loud buzzer in the event of a fire. It’s essentially Nest Smoke Detector without the soothing voice.
WIRED10Radio Medallion – pg 166
The Realistic Radio Medallion was a tiny wearable AM radio with a message on the speaker. Your necklace was now the life of the party.
WIRED11Instant Weatheradio – pg 170
Stay up to date on the local weather forecast with the Realistic Weatheradio. The $20 box got one channel: The National Weather Service. Push a button for the latest update in a monotone voice.
WIRED12Morse Code – pg 174
–. . – / .- .-.. .-.. / – …. . / … ..- .–. .–. .-.. .. . … / -.– — ..- / -. . . -.. / ..-. — .-. / .- / — — .-. … . / -.-. — -.. . / … -.– … – . — .-.-.-
