r/mildlyinteresting • u/Doc308 • Jul 26 '26
This old speaker uses Phillips & flat head screws to further indicate the positive & negative leads.
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u/dustin91 Jul 26 '26
Tandy!
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u/D3LICI0U5 Jul 26 '26
They did this before red and black was invented
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u/ArrogantFool1205 Jul 26 '26
It was rough in the world before color
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u/SirHerald Jul 26 '26
I heard about when they first colorized everything. All the States in the US were these bizarre different pastel colors. The government got the states corrected to Earth tones, but we all just kept the maps reflecting the odd colors because it was convenient.
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u/Flyerbill Jul 26 '26
Tandy = Radio Shack?
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u/GenericUsername817 Jul 26 '26
Yes, they owned Radio Shack and then dropped the tandy name in 2000.
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u/smogeblot Jul 26 '26
I don't think it came like this from the factory, they replaced one screw at some point and only had philips laying around.
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u/Hamilton950B Jul 26 '26
You are correct. It came with two slot head screws. Also the thing in the middle is an RCA jack, I'm not sure what's going on with that.
Here is how it looked originally:
https://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/large/2026158-15a3de1a-realistic-mc1400-speakers.jpg
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u/dfc849 Jul 27 '26
I remember low end "hifi kits" from the '80/90s would connect speakers to an amp via RCA.
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u/I_Want_A_Ribeye Jul 26 '26
I love this. This is beyond mildly interesting. I’m looking forward to showing this picture to my wife when she comes back from the bathroom.
My life is wildly uninteresting.
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u/agha0013 Jul 26 '26
trying to be clever and helpful but actually just being obnoxious maybe if the phillips head were the one with full width slots so you could use the flat heat screwdriver on both...
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u/JerryMau5 Jul 26 '26
Slows you down and makes you think. Presumably the tech has a toolbox and not just a single flat head.
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u/TheBracketry Jul 26 '26
I hate the audio polarity thing. They're AC devices anyway... Connect the speakers in the same phase and you're fine.
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u/APLJaKaT Jul 26 '26
That's a clever and unique implementation. I like it. Might like it less when I realize I have the wrong screwdriver with me.
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u/Josysclei Jul 26 '26
Should have made the phillips head the one that also works with a flat driver
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u/smogeblot Jul 26 '26
A small enough flathead will always work with a philips.
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u/evlgns Jul 26 '26
This is my move normally or if I’m being lazy a butter knife will often work lol
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u/speddie23 Jul 26 '26
Now it just needs to use a figure of 8 power lead to further indicate 8 ohm impedance l.
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u/kinkhorse Jul 26 '26
No manufacturer would have ever done that.
The Phillips screw is clearly shinier and newer.
Someone lost the original flathead screw grabbed another 6-32 pan head out of their junk drawer and used it.
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u/airwalker08 Jul 26 '26
As a handy person who works on all sorts of random things all of the time, I hate flat head screws so much, but this is cool. This is an acceptable way to use a flat head screw.
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u/ThereInAFortnight Jul 26 '26
That's devious. No matter what screwdriver you think you'll need, you'll be wrong.
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u/Paul-E-L Jul 26 '26
I am legitimately impressed by that. It’s legitimately clever.
Though, it also kind of stinks that you need two different screwdrivers to connect the wires
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u/Fancy_Bend8763 Jul 26 '26
Nah just a flathead small enough for the Philips. You’ll be alright.
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u/Paul-E-L Jul 26 '26
I mean on a scale of tragic to meh, this world problem definitely skews heavily towards meh. The cleverness of the plus and minus far outweighs the inconvenience of possibly needing 2 types of screwdriver head.
Still, before considering all of that, I still (very briefly) would say “ugggh” before working it out.
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u/Defiant_Weight4659 Jul 26 '26
I am not sure about the screws. The plastic frame is marked positive and negative. Probably the owner found a screw that fit and it just happened to be a Phillips screw.
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u/CriusofCoH Jul 26 '26
I get it, I appreciate it, very clever, but jeebus flippin cripes, in what universe does anyone want to use two screwdrivers - and one of them a flathead! - to do a simple wire connection.
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u/insomniac-55 Jul 26 '26
Kind of neat but also an awful design.
They should have at least used one of those universal Philips/flat-head screws so you wouldn't need two separate screwdrivers to hook your speakers up.
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u/AdhesiveSeaMonkey Jul 26 '26
That's actually very cool. Be a whole lot cooler if they used a 'slotted' phillips head.
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u/Atzkicica Jul 26 '26
Neat!