Useful Things You Can No Longer Easily Buy

[nw1]

@gg1 @Bletchleyite ok thanks for clarifying that.

 

[Ediswan]

That's like power limits on kettles, which admittedly does help with peak loadings (which is significant, there's a reason they have to watch for the end of EastEnders in the National Grid control room) it takes a fixed amount of power to heat an amount of water and losses are higher if it takes longer.

What limit ? I just took a quick look on Argos. The first option is the traditional 3000W.

 

[Crossover]

The space saved from a DVD drive is much better used for other components or additional cooling.

I would broadly agree. I guess it depends on use and the need for an optical drive is now likely the minority rather than the majority. Our laptops at work haven't had them for ages and we don't miss it - on the occasion I need to do something with a disk, I pop it in one of the desktops. The last servers we bought, were specced with an optical drive, but the next ones won't as I don't think we have so much as touched any, as installs are now done from USB

But why should you need an adaptor? For years headphones always came with a rarely used 3.5mm to 6.35mm jack because a small number of HiFis had large jacks. It would have been much simpler if they'll all used the same sized jack.

I guess the answer would be the same as to the latter example - time moves on and technology evolves

 

[Pinza-C55]

I remember going to my village hardware store in about 1986 and being amazed what sort of chemicals they sold there. Stuff straight out of a chemistry lab!

Definitely had sodium chlorate. They also had elemental sulphur, and sodium hydroxide (aka the most common lab alkali) too - but I think you can still get that. Not quite as dangerous as chlorate, I will grant you that.

Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) is extremely dangerous when wet. That stuff just dissolves your skin easily. I checked and it appears you can buy it as a consumer whereas for Sodium Chlorate you need to be a registered company.

 

[woolos]

Buying a rail ticket

 

[Bletchleyite]

Buying a rail ticket

It's easier than ever in terms of availability. You can use all the methods you could 20 years ago (booking office, TVM, travel agent etc) plus all the online and app based ones. Or do you mean because it's pricey?

 

[ABB125]

Audio Jacks on phones. This one really annoys me as I use wired headphones quite a bit, though I have now had to get some wireless ones, and it is basically impossible to get a phone nowadays with one on (mine doesn't).

I do tech work for theatre/live events etc (when I'm not doing university work*). There's nothing worse than having all the equipment set up, then the organiser comes along to set up whatever music they want playing. "I have an iPhone". For some reason, lightning to 3.5mm adaptors generally don't get on with any of the sound desks we use. (Yes I know they're literally just a device which changes the shape of the plug; you'd have thought that nothing could go wrong!)

Fortunately, my phone has a 3.5mm socket. Unfortunately, I don't have Spotify Premium, so they can't send me the playlist to play on my phone instead!

*and often even when I have several weeks worth of work to catch up on!

 

[Bletchleyite]

(Yes I know they're literally just a device which changes the shape of the plug; you'd have thought that nothing could go wrong!)

They're not, they contain a very small digital-to-analogue converter inside the 3.5mm socket bit. Supposedly USB C supports analogue audio, but it isn't generally done that way.

 

[ABB125]

They're not, they contain a very small digital-to-analogue converter inside the 3.5mm socket bit. Supposedly USB C supports analogue audio, but it isn't generally done that way.

I don't know that! I think that may be where the problem lies...

 

[pemma]

It's easier than ever in terms of availability. You can use all the methods you could 20 years ago (booking office, TVM, travel agent etc) plus all the online and app based ones. Or do you mean because it's pricey?

Less than 20 years ago there were ticket machines at stations where you could only buy tickets to places where there was a direct train, with one button on the machine for each destination. So at a station like Warrington Central the options may have included Liverpool, Leeds, Irlam, Birchwood etc but excluded Buxton, Bolton, Marple etc.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Less than 20 years ago there were ticket machines at stations where you could only buy tickets to places where there was a direct train, with one button on the machine for each destination. So at a station like Warrington Central the options may have included Liverpool, Leeds, Irlam, Birchwood etc but excluded Buxton, Bolton, Marple etc.

I was always quite impressed that there was an Ormskirk button on the one at Manchester Oxford Road, though I rarely used it as I wanted to pay by card rather than cash (yes, even in the 90s).

 

[pdq]

I'm going to say scouring powder - used to be Ajax, Jif or Cif. I haven't seen any for years, but it was brilliant on ceramic basins and toilets.

I still have a small tub of Sodium Chlorate in my garage bought from Wilkos many years ago. Great for clearing weeds from the drive. What's the best alternative these days?

 

[najaB]

DVDs aren't compressed...

Standard DVDs use MPEG-2 which is definitely a compressed format.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I'm going to say scouring powder - used to be Ajax, Jif or Cif. I haven't seen any for years, but it was brilliant on ceramic basins and toilets.

More money to be made now by selling lots of added water in the liquid cleaner equivalent?

I still have a small tub of Sodium Chlorate in my garage bought from Wilkos many years ago. Great for clearing weeds from the drive. What's the best alternative these days?

Flamethrower/weed burner gizmo?

 

[ABB125]

On the subject of chemicals, methyl chloride (or tetrachloromethane, if I correctly remember A-level chemistry!). Used to be used in fire extinguishers, I believe, especially in motor racing.

My dad has a small compressed cylinder of it dating from several decades ago, which is probably the last of the substance in the county! Every now and then (perhaps once or twice a year?), he releases a small puff of it into the air for nostalgic reasons; I believe it smells quite nice?

 

[dgl]

Firstly DVD's are compressed, using MPEG-2 compression, audio can be un-compressed PCM or compressed, though most do use compressed audio and I believe Dolby 5.1 surround is also compressed.

As for vacuum cleaners the amount of suction had barely changed, some of the high powered models used a powerful motor to make up for inadequcies in the design and higher motor powers did not give you much more suction, a 620W Henry has only slightly less suction than a 1200W Henry.

As for kettles, I believe the EU wanted to stop devices being more than 2.2kW, primarly, I believe, for safety purposes partically for devices that are on for extended periods of time. Kettles are allowed to be 3kW as they are only used for short periods of time.

 

[Ediswan]

On the subject of chemicals, methyl chloride (or tetrachloromethane, if I correctly remember A-level chemistry!). Used to be used in fire extinguishers, I believe, especially in motor racing.

Two different chemicals, CH3Cl and CCl4. The latter, aka carbon tetrachloride, was indeed used in fire extinguishers.

 

[507020]

As for kettles, I believe the EU wanted to stop devices being more than 2.2kW, primarly, I believe, for safety purposes partically for devices that are on for extended periods of time. Kettles are allowed to be 3kW as they are only used for short periods of time.

The standard European electrical supply only allows a maximum of 220V 10A, i.e. 2.2kW. The British Standard however can deliver 240V 13A from every socket, which is 3.12kW and therefore it is optimal for kettles in this country to draw over 3kW, even if the EU isn’t happy about us having faster access to boiling water. It may have been 230V on paper for a number of years, but there have never been any actual changes to the supply voltage and it remains 240V.

 

[lyndhurst25]

I still have a small tub of Sodium Chlorate in my garage bought from Wilkos many years ago. Great for clearing weeds from the drive. What's the best alternative these days?

The only weedkiller that I have found to work at keeping the weeds and moss away on block paving. You can make your own by electrolysing a solution of table salt.

 

[dgl]

The standard European electrical supply only allows a maximum of 220V 10A, i.e. 2.2kW. The British Standard however can deliver 240V 13A from every socket, which is 3.12kW and therefore it is optimal for kettles in this country to draw over 3kW, even if the EU isn’t happy about us having faster access to boiling water. It may have been 230V on paper for a number of years, but there have never been any actual changes to the supply voltage and it remains 240V.

Actuslly a lot of Europe had 16A supplies, via Schuko of French plugs (and I believe Danish and Swiss plugs too). Italy uses 10A plugs but that's a relativly small amount of Europe anyway.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Five-speed cog sets for cycles might be a bit rare, 26" tyres, and cotterpins.

Lymeswold cheese was, still is, my all-time favorit.

 

[Ediswan]

Rawlplastic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/22963204@N00/5650712996
Masonary hole plugging material for holding screws. Very effective. Made of asbestos, hence withdrawn from sale.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Lymeswold cheese was, still is, my all-time favorit.

Ceased production in 1992, but would you ever describe a variety of cheese as "useful" (or indeed any other long discontinued food and/or drink items).

 

[lyndhurst25]

Ceased production in 1992, but would you ever describe a variety of cheese as "useful" (or indeed any other long discontinued food and/or drink items).

Creamola Foam? Powdered fizzy pop is defiantly useful.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Creamola Foam? Powdered fizzy pop is defiantly useful.

Apparently available again (in Scotland) in 18 different flavours after a lengthy period out of production. Still wouldn't describe it as inherently "useful" though.

 

[najaB]

Masonary hole plugging material for holding screws. Very effective. Made of asbestos, hence withdrawn from sale.

The modern-day replacements are resin-based. Just as strong (if not stronger) but quite fiddly to use in comparison.

 

[ABB125]

The modern-day replacements are resin-based. Just as strong (if not stronger) but quite fiddly to use in comparison.

I absolutely detest rawlplugs. Hateful things! Fortunately I live in a wooded house, so I very rarely have to use them!

 

[Dr Day]

Slug pellets

 

[507020]

Actuslly a lot of Europe had 16A supplies, via Schuko of French plugs (and I believe Danish and Swiss plugs too). Italy uses 10A plugs but that's a relativly small amount of Europe anyway.

Individual countries may well have higher amperage supplies and would do well to have. 16A and higher is also possible here of course but appliances must be hardwired, not powered via a plug. The issue in Europe is where the same appliance is sold in all EU countries and designed for standard compatibility. Would anything then be able to take advantage of 16A, or be limited to 10A because of Italy for example?

I absolutely detest rawlplugs. Hateful things! Fortunately I live in a wooded house, so I very rarely have to use them!

I have recently removed hundreds of these, painted over, from the walls! Not seen any of the masonry type though.

 

[najaB]

I absolutely detest rawlplugs. Hateful things! Fortunately I live in a wooded house, so I very rarely have to use them!

Not rawlplugs, but a resin/epoxy that's used to bond the fixing into the hole.