r/retrotech

I've been collecting dial phones for about 20 years. Finally have a shelf to display my favorites!

From someone who set out with his 40-year-old SX-64 to visit an equally ancient Commodore 64 BBS - not old-school with a modem, but through a DIY null-modem cable hooked up over the internet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3csC9z7oPSY

It turned out to be much more difficult than expected, with all sorts of cable shenanigans that of course refused to work - and ultimately even resulted in the SX‑64 needing repairs.

This is my dad's camera for when i was just born into this world, it stopped working in 2021 and i decided to fix it 5 years after, google said this is a rare camera, is it tho? How rare?

Sorry for the potato quality picture. Bought a house that was built in 2000 and it has a wired intercom system. I didn't even know that this was still a thing (in 2000). Bonus is that the lower device is a 6 disc CD changer. And yes, I intend on keeping it and cleaning/restoring the color of the plastic. Every room has a panel and one on the back patio.

Would love if someone could tell me what year this is from, also it's so unbelievably clean it was hidden in a box in the caravan, don't worry everything was just rotting anyway so I didn't technically steal it, I think it will absolutely switch on if I get a battery and some of my tapes as I actually own a 1980s walkman that was fresh from the box and works perfectly, also found some old brick Phones and was wondering if anyone could help identify/ tell me how knackered they are and if I could by a miracle replace the battery get a charger and turn them on, questions are welcome!

It’s so awesome I wish it still worked

For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by watches and watch design.

What started as sketching dial ideas as a kid eventually led me to restoring watches, studying their design, and understanding how they work both mechanically and visually.

Over the past few months, I've been working on a concept of my own.

The Monochrome Series draws inspiration from the design language of early digital technology.

A time when products were unapologetically functional, geometric, and purposeful.

The square hour markers are inspired by the rigid buttons found on early electronics, left unrotated to preserve that structured, industrial feel.

The square detail within the hour hand echoes this theme, creating a subtle connection between the hands and dial furniture.

To contrast the monochrome palette, the seconds hand is finished in red with a circular counterweight, inspired by the bold accent colours often found on vintage electronics and recording equipment.

The render itself is surrounded by objects that helped shape the design direction: a Sony Walkman Professional WM-D6C, a Kodak Ektar H35, and a GMK Monochrome keyboard set — products that embody simplicity, functionality, and have timeless design elements.

This isn't a product launch (at least not yet). I'm still exploring the design and trying to refine the idea.

I'd genuinely appreciate feedback from people here: Does the concept read clearly?

• Do the square markers feel effective?
• Is there anything you'd change before taking the design further?

Thanks for taking a look :)

I picked up this clear plastic phone the other day (Spartan Hi-Tech NP-8902) but it didn't come w/ a power cord. The only reason I'd want power is to see if the cool neon light at the bottom works. I did some preliminary searches but not sure how to find a matching power cord online. Can someone point me in the right direction or give me a tip for how to find one?