RIP Clive Sinclair

[mercalia]

Yours, not Uncle Clive's.

He worked for Eastern Gas and oversaw housinng estate installations so got around

 

[mercalia]

One of Sinclair's earliest products was a Plessey power amp chip with heat sink wings. They were Plessey reject batches that were hand tested and the "good enough" ones had a Sinclair label stuck over the Plessey marking and reject stamp.

I seem to remember having that I remember the heatsink wings. I think you describe Sinclairs attitude well

 

[Guinnless]

He worked for Eastern Gas and oversaw housinng estate installations so got around

You've missed the point completely but I'm not surprised.

 

[Mike Reed]

Memories can be jogged here.

Thanks for that, but it just confused me as I only knew of two, and the name 'Butterfly' sticks but wasn't mentioned in the list. I owned one a long time after my association with Richard Torrens, who joined Sinclair around '65 when he was in London and formed a two-man band. It was a very pretty looking amp (hence 'Butterfly'?) Appreciate the link.

 

[Tony L]

Job done. Jetpac running on the Microvision!

PS In the finest tribute to Clive Sinclair imaginable my BBC B has just died! It started with some character corruption on screen and is now doing the long beep of death. Arrgh. Trouble-shooting these things is a right PITA!

 

[david ellwood]

Start with the psu

 

[Tony L]

Start with the psu

Fully rebuilt and reliable, I’d be amazed if that has failed as it has been fully recapped and voltages tested fairly recently (I did it within the past year). It will be something on the mainboard, maybe just a dirty socket somewhere (a lot of the chips are socketed). I can’t be bothered now so I’ve just put it away. The fact it started with character corruption (i.e. letters wrong on the display) is significant, so I do have something to work with when I get to it. Could well be a RAM chip or one of the RAM addressing chips (one of which have failed before).

 

[Seeker_UK]

Thanks for that, but it just confused me as I only knew of two, and the name 'Butterfly' sticks but wasn't mentioned in the list. I owned one a long time after my association with Richard Torrens, who joined Sinclair around '65 when he was in London and formed a two-man band. It was a very pretty looking amp (hence 'Butterfly'?) Appreciate the link.

Is it this one from another thread? https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/vintage-audio-magazine-ads-etc.177609/#post-2679716

 

[mercalia]

You've missed the point completely but I'm not surprised.

Unlike most here I don't rate Sinlclair as highly ( which offends you)- Chris Curry & Hermann Hauser of Acorn were in a different league.

 

[Mike Reed]

Is it this one from another thread? https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/vintage-audio-magazine-ads-etc.177609/#post-2679716

Well done that man !. Yes, that is the one I had, and as it was advertised with the Cambridge address, obv. came out later as it's not on the list linked by Marchbanks. Restored my faith in what little hifi memory I have left! Ta.

60 w.p.c. (at 8 ohms?) was pushing it for a miniscule box when most/all other amps of the period were much larger (even Mission, Nytec etc.)

 

[Marchbanks]

Well done that man !. Yes, that is the one I had, and as it was advertised with the Cambridge address, obv. came out later as it's not on the list linked by Marchbanks.

In fact it is, it’s the ninth one on the list!

 

[Mike Reed]

In fact it is, it’s the ninth one on the list!

Apologies, Marchbanks, yes it is; missed it (eyesight). Surprisingly it came out in '68, but was maybe marketed for some years as I think mine was nearly new in very late 70s/v.early 80s. Funny that I remembered it by the butterfly if it was called the Neoteric.