Waves of emotion.
In a Patreon update a while ago I mentioned my years' long fruitless search for one of these. Well I finally landed this great white whale, so here’s a silly little video about this soon to be complained about, distracting background shelf filler.
https://youtu.be/2mJL152QdS8
In other news, scaffolding is still up on the house following the roof replacement. I haven’t been able to go out as the scaffolders have threatened to turn up at any moment to take it down. They won't nail down a specific time and day. It’s like being under house arrest and I’m going slightly stir crazy. When they do finally turn up I won’t be able to get anything done for that day because of the disruption. This has been a very wearing couple of weeks.
I hope things at your end are far more relaxing. Take care.
Comments (64)
The other thing I’ve been wondering about is that cassette tape (plushie? Is that the word/type of thing?) up at the top left. If you’ve talked about it before then I’ve missed it, apologies! The dog has a cassette soft toy but I don’t… Not sure if the one you have is still available but I’d love to get a clearer look at it/more info to try and have a search. Tried Google images etc without success. For me, not the dog (she’s more into vinyl now).
It’s from Jelly cat. They tend to be limited editions to drive up the collectibility aspect and the prices are crazy. The Mrs bought it for me as a gift. The only issue is that it has an unnecessary set of eyes when the cassette reels do that job fine on their own.
Ah, it *is* a Bronica behind you! I was 99% sure, but that last 1% of uncertainty has been bugging me for ages and I didn’t want to bother you by asking! Used to sell the ETRS back when it was new, it was always a favourite. I’d love to have one now - wouldn’t get much use but it’d be a sentimental ornament :)
Love the wave machines, and so much respect for actually showing the who and where for these things
Oh that brought me right back to circa 1980, and walking through the local mall- the Northridge Fashion Center (still doing well, unlike most indoor malls in the U.S.). My favorite window- because my mom Would Not let me go inside- was the Zippo lighter/cigar shop. In their mysterious dark display window were my favorite things to oggle: lava lamps, fiber optic sculptures, and of course a wave machine. The shop vanished before I was big enough to wander the mall with friends, and the message I got from older siblings was "that stuff is tacky, we don't buy that sort of stuff!" but to me it was simply magical. Thank you for bringing that memory back. And perhaps there is room in my house for a lava lamp :^D
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have figured out that air trap thing myself. I'd have probably just shrugged my shoulders and said, "well, it is like that, so... fine." lol
I’m glad I spotted it, because sure as heck everyone else watching would have.
I like your childhood memory of your mum. You already know of my memory of the hifi my uncle had (that I’ve spent the past couple of years recreating). I think your mum went in that shop for you, as my mum used to do the same thing. We was poor, but that didn’t stop her taking me in to the very expensive light & lamp shop in town every week. It’s a nice memory. Cheers Lee
Bronica ETRS is a nice camera and absolutely worth using. KEH camera in the US has them at decent prices. Mine came off eBay I think. The mirror coming up sounds like a gunshot so it is not for candid camera
My equivalent was going into the chemist, about the same age, and seeing those tear-shaped glass things full of coloured liquid. Definitely in my local Boots growing up.
Thank you for the fond memory - The Marlets, Burgess Hill.
A very enjoyable little video, thank you. I particularly enjoyed the information that the desire for this tied into a childhood memory of fascination with these. I love how things like that get burned on your memory. For me (though I hadn't actually thought about it in the longest time, until you showed that fibre optic lamp) it was the coffee table my gran had - rectangular, aluminium or steel-framed with a smoked glass top, and inside, underneath the glass, lots and lots of little circles, like miniature versions of that lamp, of colour-changing optic fibres, Absolutely captivated me as a child, and that must be one of my earliest memories also. Always looked forward to visiting because I wanted to see the table.
That sounds exactly like the kind of thing that would fascinate me too. I suppose it would be described as kitsch nowadays.
lol I genuinely thought the circular LED arrangement was some sort of Casino souvenir. I did not recognise the beast it's resting on.
Yeah, these are pretty hypnotic. I'm glad you figured out the air trap. That bubble at the top ruined the whole effect. He should include a link to your video now as a public service to future buyers!
I think there’s only ever going to be a handful of us. That website looked dead for the longest time, so I’m not sure he’s the kind to add links. It’s all a bit odd. No instructions, no communication, it really feels like a hobby for one retired chap. It was either this or whittling wood.
Seeing you working with the knife, the adapter and the flaky repair just one week after we had a SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) check the in workshop at work... 😬 And with the bubble trap I thought... RTFM? Or was there no manual included? As for the voltage? I don't know of any country that uses europlugs and 110 V BTW, should all be 220 - 240 V... But it looks indeed cool, very impressive! I can totally understand how that must feel as a little kid, I was (and in fact still am) also always very fascinated by these kind of things 😃. Thank you very much and get well soon!
There’s no manual. Being a hobbiest made device all recognised voltage standards were off the table. He could have put any plug on one end and any voltage motor on the other end…better to check than gamble. You should see some of the mismatched devices I’ve had from China over the years.
Oh wow, what a nostalgia trip. I had one of these in my dorm room in college circa 1992. I enjoyed it a lot, but unfortunately it didn't survive the move back home at the end of the school year, and I never got around to replacing it. I moved so often during the rest of the '90s that any replacement would probably have suffered the same fate anyway. :/
"just a quick video" ... checks time ... 15 mn... YEAH! thanks! Very nice wave and lovely story with your mom. Next time you have alphabet soup, she will send you the answer.
Mat, I love this video on several counts. First, the endearing story about this being your earliest memory, and the realization that your Mum made this possible 🥰 The wave motion gadget looks lovely. I liked the unboxing, and the troubleshooting and repair. Lastly, the tour of items on your shelf backdrop reminded me of some videos I'd like to rewatch and some that I missed. My parents had a large one of those fiber optic lamps (it spread out into a globe shape more than the example you showed - shaped about like the Sphere in Las Vegas... Which I saw up close this year and am enthralled by it!). My parents also had a soda syphon with CO2 cartridges in their 'drinks' cabinet that I was fascinated by (later, we got a Sodastream when they came out in the 80s). You and I are about the same vintage, and I grew up not far from you, SE of Stockport - now live in NE Ohio. I lost my Mum 5 years ago now, so, like many I'm sure, I was touched by your remeberance of your Mum 🥰
I'm pretty sure my grandparents had one of those when I was a kid. But it was themed, I seem to remember there being like a beach at one end so it looked like waves hitting the sandy beach. It sure was mesmerizing.
Didn't those wave machines feature in Innovations catalogues?
Probably, but unfortunately it's been a while since one fell out of a TV Times.
At a small age I was out shopping with my Dad looking for a Christmas gift for my Mum and a gift shop had one of these wave machines in the window. I remember my Dad saying that Mum would probably not like one for Christmas.
I think he was wise.
It is funny how things stick in your memory. I remember a couple of things from weekends in StHelens. The museum near the bus stop we got off at in town, the big wooden snake in the shopping centre outside marks and sparks, and the thing that Mat's story about his mum really reminds me of was the "miniature" Britannia stream train they had in the window of Britannia building society. It always boggled my mind they had such a thing in their window! Lovely story Mat, thank you for sharing. ♥️
That thing puts a big smile on your face. I remember the hand operated ones as a child. Nowadays I do a lot of work on sloshing. Visualisation is for the most part simulations, which is kinda comfortable. However I've always wanted to go to a wave channel. I've seen them in museums of course, but playing around with them is very much frowned upon. The Petru visualisation stand is cool, I might get one...
What a nice add on
I haven't even gotten to the wave machine yet but what a lovely story about shopping with your mum! Thanks for sharing those memories.
Great video this is Mat! I'm in ti the kitchy type stuff. Turns fresh eyes on to the different. Thanks for all you do!
You getting solar panels installed
Roof required repair.
I used to remember going to the doctors as a kid and him having one of these and other similar gadges
I remember my dentist had a picture of a chimp dressed in clothes sat on a toilet brushing his teeth.
It’s amazing that, though we live thousands of miles apart and are nearly 20 years difference in age, we have so many shared experiences. When I was either in high school, or just starting college, we had a high-end audiophile store that sold stuff like Bang & Olufsen, MacIntosh, and Klipsch. There was some new technology they were promoting that was called, “The Wave,” (it might have been, “New Wave,” I can’t remember). Anyway, they had that exact same wave machine in a display. I was as mesmerized by it as you were. Maybe not to pay as much as you did, but I can vicariously through you. Thanks.
When I had solar panels installed on my house in London, the builders ignored me and didn't show up for weeks to take down the scaffolding. They hope to avoid you until they are ready to move it to their next job so they can use you as free storage. Finally, I had to call the phone number on the scaffolding itself and tell the owner they had abandoned it and that the neighborhood kids looked interested in it, and it was gone the next morning.
Oh the fun of scaffolders using the house as free storage for the stuff they don't need for another job just yet! I eventually had to point out they were breaking the law by not sending someone round each week to do a safety check - coincidentally it all disappeared the next day...
Enjoyed the story about your mom taking you to the jewelry store just so you could look at all the gadgets there. Might have been what piqued your interest in unique audio (and video) gear. I checked out the Wheelie Yellow channel after you'd mentioned it last time. Actually a fun channel. I'm a bit of a film photo hobbyist and I hope you'll show us the photos you take with that Bronica. I bought my first medium format film camera earlier this year--a Mamiya 645. I really like the higher resolution images you get with the 120 film when compared to 35mm film.
I am very tempted by a medium format, but the prices... Recently I watched Playtime, which is shot on 70 mm and it just looks awesome.
Lovely story.
I had one of these as a kid. No idea what happened to it, but it is one of those objects that left an impression on me even now. Congrats on the find 👏🏻
Thanks for the plug Mat. I haven't sold any in months but I did have to limit postage to only the UK a while back as I was having issue after issue with almost everything sent abroad.
It’s been a real hassle getting things into and out of the country recently. You’d think it was an island or something.
Wave Motion Gun from Star Blazers!
• The wave machines are very mesmerizing. Your story reminds me of an art deco fountain in a building that's since been torn down. As a child I remember absolutely loving staring at the flowing water, for whatever reason, and now it's gone forever. The thought of your mum stopping at the jeweler's especially for your enjoyment is heartwarming. • Your voice sounds good despite you probably feeling downright miserable 😣 • For your sake I'm glad the roof repairs are coming to a close. The bummer about home repairs is that on the one hand you're happy to have a sound roof over your head, but on the other hand you don't have anything immediately tactile to examine despite all of the money you've spent. 🫂 Take care 🤍
When everyone has gone I’ll be sending the drone up to take a look. Just to get some sense of satisfaction that I really did pay for something.
forget the shelf behind you (tho not really, thanks for going through that), i'm more curious about what titles are on your DVD shelf!
Mostly wishful thinking, for that day when I get time to watch them. I’ve become increasingly aware that this day will never come. Nevertheless I may go through them for a boring Patreon segment.
That's a nice memory to have recovered. About ten years ago I managed to get hold of a favourite childhood book I remember my mother reading me, and when I showed it to her, she had no recollection of it whatsoever! I noted the Wave ornament on the Indian website has black caps on each end, maybe to hide the air expansion chambers. I guess the air chambers are needed to take account of temperature changes and ensure that the liquid doesn't crack the case as it warms up. Wishing you a speedy recovery, kind regards!
Haven't watched this episode yet, soon! Thanks! One popular film from Sweden use this gadget when the nerd goes to the shrink about his fear of flying... there was a shop in central Stockholm who sold these in the 70's..... expensive but "alluring"... A pic here: :) https://i.postimg.cc/k51jLKrX/image.png
thats a great item you have bought Matt, shame it;s not more commonly seen like lava lamps
Strange the things we remember from childhood. My, as far as I can tell, earliest memory, is of 3-year-old me stirring the silica-rich soil in our Tamworth back garden with a stick, one hot, dry summer and watching the dust glittering in the sunlight. I can also remember how disappointed I was the next summer, after we'd moved to Blyth, by the heavy clay soil there not producing the same effect.
This is so cool! When I was little my parents had both a wave machine like this and a lava lamp. I wasn't allowed to operate them so it always felt like receiving special permission when I asked to have them turned on so I could watch. Your video brought back a lot of warm memories. I may have to get one of my own.
Why do you need to be in for the scaffolders? If you're out what's to stop them taking the scaffolding down?
I had some scaffolding recently as I've had solar panels installed. The first time the scaffolders came to remove the scaffolding, I had to stop them because the job wasn't finished. They came back a week later and didn't let the simple fact of my being out or needing to open a bolted gate get in their way. Not being able to give an exact date sounds like their problem not yours.
Very cool. I kind of wish the speed would change periodically / randomly too. Judging by the lack of any approvals on the mains powered thing - oh and then the quality of that switch… I don’t know if I would leave that powered on unattended for very long, though really I’m sure it’s “fine”… still…
Tell them some people came around and tried to take the scaffolding, claiming to be from the company. They'll soon come and get it if they think someone is eyeing it up
All the little things our moms did to make us happy that we never even noticed until much much later...
We had the same thing a few years back with the scaffolders in the end they took it down broke the guttering and a tile :(
I'm sure you are aware already but just feel the need to say on the scaffolders, if they don't give you a date they are going to take the scaffolding down tell them you are calling the local scrap metal merchant to come and take it away. they'll be around very quickly then. it sounds like they are pulling the old trick of not having to pay for storing it by just leaving it on people's property and constantly not turning up to take it away when they say they will
I thought that Youtube backdrops used green screen so the stuff didn't need firing up every time !
You don't have a Kalax wired with a dozen plugs all connected to a single wall switch?
Just dropped in to say hello & a quick wave....