The are all pretty interesting and entertaining. I first watched many of these when they made it to USA cable TV (likely The Learning Channel or Discovery) in the 1990s. They may have been produced in the late 1980s, but the underlying science, technology, and history are still the same.
I don't think Tim realises how many people were influenced by his and Rex's series. It would be good if you could make a video about the filming, locations, inspirations, what went wrong, things you would have done in a third series, etc. Fingers crossed and thumbs up if you'd love it for Tim to do this.
As a young boy when this was aired along with other episodes TV ect, it inspired me. I built a Cats whisker, Built various receivers, listened to Shortwave broadcasts, Radio Hams etc, took exams in electronics, took my Radio Ham Test inc Morse. I have worked in "Radiotherapy Physics" for 20 odd years, Thank you for the inspiration Tim.
We tried to give away a 50KW RCA radio transmitter from 1939 ( serial number 0001 ) and, having no idea how big it was, the museum sent out a car to pick it up. The front panel was about 12 feet tall and 30 feet across. Working on the final, you opened a door and walked into the amplifier.
This is my absolute favorite episode and I think your very best. I did see it here in the States when it was first broadcast and even though I knew a fair amount (and being a ham) managed to learn several new things. The little car Brum made for children was quite a hoot; so sorry about Rex and (unbelievably) succumbing to dementia! Also, the trip to Gerry Wells Radio Museum was fascinating; I could see myself going there and talking for hours with him; so sad he is passed. Hertz's discovery is so groundbreaking, it is hard to see him not more taken by what he discovered. Anyway Tim, you are a legend, and a kindred soul, as I too have a lab full of parts that I experiment with daily! Take Care & All the Best to You! And 73...
Thank you so much for these videos. I had forgotten that TV doesn't have to be unremittingly awful. Isn't it refreshing to watch a television programme that is interesting and educational, doesn't treat you like an idiot, contains more than three sentences per hour and is presented by a normal person who doesn't speak to you as if they are talking to a child.
This episode has always stuck with me since I first watched it 20 odd years ago. I'm pretty sure this is a big part of why I'm a radio technician. Fantastically informative video Tim!
Although, as you say, podcasts pass down fibre optic cables, probably they mostly arrive on the final laptop or phone via Wifi or 4G. Many will reach the speakers or earplugs with Bluetooth.
Still on copper DSL where i am.... not one update living rural... 1.5 mps is it on the ground.... still very spotty cell coverage none on my still dirt road. Lot of sat dishe systems.
Indeed, albeit highly encoded and compressed. We use radio more than ever, but it's more inscrutable than ever as well. It's supposed that, if aliens (within 50ly or so) ever detect any radio signals from our direction, it will be only a narrow (less than a century) window in which we used powerful carrier based broadcasts. Modern encodings are only the power needed to reach the target audience; DTV required about a tenth the power analog TV used to, yet offers about as many times more bandwidth (or sub-channels, of low definition, per transmitter). Truly a modern marvel -- but little more than noise on the spectrum, undetectable at a distance.
@@T3sl4 big issue i have with the DTv i get less stations then the Analog days. Being rural they dont come through year round. Weather and trees play a big issue now. I have the largest roof top antena made, rotor and signal booster. Still can pull in all the network stations like the anolag days.... I have gone around and round with the FCC and the local stations about the problem. Crazy how technology goes backwards it seams if your outside a city.
@@Wrang15 Yep, the downside to the method is, below a certain SNR, there's just nothing to work with (even if you know how to decode it). But at least you've got internet, right? (Unless you're in one of the many areas neglected for broadband...smh)
@@T3sl4 its one meg dsl. That runs sub 500 kbs a lot of the time. They are not adding new customers at least. They have a wating list. Should get intresting 70 new homes are going up and not a thing from the one ISP we have. Township allready put pressure on them and was told o well.
"once the tuned transmitter was perfected, spark transmitters were quickly banned for polluting the airwaves" immediately reminded me of the Titanic. Supposedly, the Titanic Marconi operators were warned several times about icebergs but they didn't get the message because of the interference of all of the other spark transmitters & they were also busy sending & receiving the passengers' trivial messages. Love your work Mr. Hunkin!
This airing when I was a child (and the TV one) led me to a life of tinkering, fixing, building, and experimenting. Thank you for making these, and for revisiting the genre with your new components series. -A life long fan.
At 24:12, Tim picks up an ICF-SW1s, a tiny little wonder manufactured by Sony which I happen to have. Excellent video. I also think radio is magic. Thank you Tim.
Xennial here. I also happen to be a ham radio operator. I do remember listening to shortwave a little when I was a kid into my early teens. Sadly, almost all of the shortwave broadcasters have stopped beaming their signals to NA. I do like to do AM DXing just to see what 50 KW stations I can pick up. I still use Morse code to communicate as well.
You two are huge heroes of mine! Inspired me both in the tinkering and the way of explaining complicated things in simple, kind (and entertaining ways). R.I.P. Rex
I have always loved radio. When I was little I would get electronics kits from Radio Shack and make radio transmitters and receivers, and later when I learn electronics tech skills the first thing I learned to troubleshoot was an AM radio with discrete components. And sometimes I still scan the shortwave dial (although SW stations have gotten scarce these days). Radio is magic, and unlike the internet, there is almost no way anyone can track what you choose to listen to.
Seeing this program when it was originally broadcast in the US in the 1980s is one of the reasons I became an amateur radio operator. Thanks for putting these on RUclips. 73 - Best regards.
I too have fond memories of seeing this show in the United States in the 1980’s. I was always sad there were not more episodes in the series. It’s was brilliantly put together. Entertaining while being highly educational. Tim and Rexs inventions and explanations were always fun and Tim’s cartoons were amusing. This series is in a class by itself.
I stumbled across these videos yesterday while researching the history and technology of the fax and I’ve since been binging! I wasn’t alive when these episodes were recorded but they are honestly fascinating to me. Why don’t we produce these scientific yet casually comedic documentaries anymore? “They don’t make ‘em like they used to!” Tim, you’ve made an outstanding contribution to education, and I’m delighted you’ve restored these to their glory on RUclips. May they long live on as so their value is priceless, both looking at them from a point of historical reference but also as a nod to a format of production that seemingly no longer exists.
It brought a smile to my face to see Rex using the Rexophone. I'm rediscovering this after having watched it as a kid. I definitely didn't pick up on things like that back then, so all the better for enjoying the series again!
This is my favourite episode of this series. It's probably because I've been into electronics for over 40 years and fondly remember the "magic" of the first time I listened to radio on a battery less circuit I wired on my 75 in 1 electronic kit I had gotten for Christmas. I recently bought an actual piece of galena so I could build a "real" crystal radio, I've always felt that using a diode is cheating somehow, not that it stopped me.
This was one of my favorite programs as a kid, it’s lovely to see it upscaled for YT, I especially enjoy seeing Tim talking about the episode at the end.
As a amateur radio operator I found this video fascinating. Always had a fascination with Marconi lived not far from the Chelmsford factory/lab and recently moved to Italy. Wonderful times.
Tim, what a fantastic program. I’m in Australia and have been fascinated by radio since I was a baby! I am an amateur radio operator now and work as a radio broadcaster on a commercial FM station. I started off doing pirate radio as a teen and loved broadcasting to my neighbours, in the end I realised I loved being on air - the magic of talking into a microphone on a small room and being heard miles away (or in the case of amateur radio - overseas!) still blows me away today. Radio is a huge part of my life. Radio is “magic” and your program highlighted this to me yet again. Thanks so much for uploading this wonderful program. Craig Meddings - Geelong, Victoria, Australia VK3CRG
When I was 12 years old (1980), I also read, leaned and tried to assembly the AM radio receiver from electronics column of science magazine in Thailand "CHIAYAPRUAK WITTAYASART" that was so amazing. The circuit uses 7 germanium transistors, IF Boxes and output transformer for amplifier that were pretty cool in that time. I turned it on every day after back from school and before bed, until it was completely malfunction. Today, I have just seen this video, and thankful Tim who brought me back in time of originated radio. I am so sorry Mr. Armstrong who created the better radio quality signal to the world until now.
I like the way they explain and demonstrate things. In one episode, they demonstrated the concept of magnetic tape using adhesive tape and rust. It actually worked. Genius!
This was my favorite series when I was in high school. I looked forward to every episode. Ah but the days where television actually contained quality content like this is but a fond memory.
One of my favorite parts of this series is the friendship, ease, and cooperation between Tim and Rex, sad he didn’t have a greater presence on screen. Both hosts are excellent with an endearing energy about them.
I can picture my grandparents listening to the radio back in the day, huddled around the fireplace listening to stories and music, it made you use your imagination
This is fantastic! I must have been living under a rock as I've been an electronics engineer for half a century and had no idea this programme even existed. I'll definitely catch up with the rest of your videos now.
True analog is never going away - it simply can't be replaced. Big radar installations still use tubes (thermionic valves), and every single person has at least one tube in their home - the humble microwave. Also, if you connect to the internet via a starlink satellite - you are again listening to sounds coming through the air - space, even!
This is yet another invention that has moved on in technological terms. I love this series and it’s sad to see the content of its programming become historical building blocks of technological history. It makes me feel old.... P.S. RIP Rex it’s a shame you are not with us. P.P.S. I need to get down to London to get to your Arcade Tim, it looks fantastic fun.
I am old enough to remember when people listened to radio. People had stations they liked. It does seem to be an era that has come and gone now. Really the media did it to itself. So many commercials. I get that you have to make money. I think they may have gotten too greedy though. Plus we do have all the alternatives today. Back in the 70s what else was around?
I’m a little confused by your statement. AM and FM radio still exist with a massive listening audience on a daily basis. The principles of radio transmission and reception form the basis of television, WiFI, mobile phones, etc. Radio is everywhere.
@@paulpalinkas Particularly in automobiles and jobsites, where it is still incredibly popular. And in the US/Canada, analogue radio still reigns supreme. I hope digital radio never catches on here; it would be amazing if antique radios still worked 50 years from now. It's such a simple technology that it seems there is nothing to be gained from switching to digital broadcasts.
@@paulpalinkas I was thinking the same thing. Radio, AM and FM, analog, is still huge, especially for news and talk shows. Not as big in music, maybe, but still huge. Satellite radio couldn't kill it even.
If I hadn't already study electrical engineering and communications technology, I would certainly now after watching this video. Thanks a lot, I had a lot of fun watching this old video with its cute sketches :)
Still plenty of radio, just higher and higher capacity and shorter and shorter distances. I’m sure you listen to your podcasts - or watch RUclips on your phone or pad, using WiFi at home or 4G (or 5G) when you’re out and about! Radio definitely still has a role to play.
Just wanted to say thank you.. thank you for making brilliant TV.. this particular episode really caught my attention as a young man when first shown..
Love each and every episode of this Incredible series, loved it as a child and I still do , Now seeing the Remastered series it's almost like seeing this for the first time Thank you Tim and Rex for your work in production of this most entertaining and educational series ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🎬❤
Oi moi8, I saw a marathon of your series on The Discovery Channel (US) 20 years ago. At first I was frightened by the stop motion. & Then I was confused. Why was I learning things so fast? Then I slowly became angry. American television was all a snake oil salesman's lies. Since I've binged so many British documentaries that I now point out to Brits all the gags they're doing in throwback sketches because THEY'VE never watched The Ascent of Man. So thanks brih. You've changed my life.
Mr. Hunkin, thanks for sharing this. I really miss this high-quality television programs today. Unfortunately I didn't saw this program on the TV, just found this on RUclips. I discovered the magic of the radio when I was a child, and later got my license as a HAM radio operator, and still interested today. Greetings from the Netherlands and take care.
Hi Tim - I loved this one back in the day and it is still a great history. The horrific magic of the internet now allows me to see that poor Mr. Armstrong did indeed leap twelve stories to his death after marital strife. Yikes!
A favourite TV show as a teen. I had the book and was in awe of Tim’s moving art science projects like the clock at Niels yard in London The late Fred Dibna may have taught us about steam but Tim and Rex taught us about the progressing technology in such a fantastic way.
Tim, many thanks for this informative video. I don't think we have ever met, but I had the great fortune to meet Rex Garrod several times when I worked in Suffolk as a "Rural Business Adviser" for a very archaic organisation with the grand title CoSIRA, the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas. Amazingly set up at the behest of Lloyd George! Rex as you know so well was an amazing guy, who not only tolerated my lack of practical business experience but took delight in showing many of his latest amazing creations with gusto! I was so privileged to meet him. Kind regards and best wishes for 2024. Malcolm Perrins
Thank you Tim for all your magnificent TV work which undoubtedly inspired many children to take up technical hobbies. I remember seeing the washing machine episode and going on to use solenoid water valves in lots of fun projects! This type of content is sadly missing from mainstream TV today.
I'm a bit awed by the RC car at 10:55, the protocol he used to drive it is crazy. Shifting a specific pulse in a sequence forward or reverse in time. True analog radio control. You'd definitely have to have programming to deal with reception flukes on the business end. But if you only had 30 axes (or bools) to transmit, at a 1MHz pulse train, it would update every 31us with some sort of frame header.
This helped me a lot in understanding spark gap and radio developments. March 25, 2025 will be the 100th Anniversary of the first radio program relayed from London to New York via the RCA Experimental Radio Relay Station in Belfast, Maine, a site RCA purchased from International Radio Telegraph Company. Of course the RCA station used a Beverage Wave Antenna to receive the waves from 5XX in Chelmsford. Harold H. Beverage was born on North Haven Island off the Maine coast. I have found miles of wave antenna footprints on Soil Conservation Service aerial photos of the 1930's, which still showed the 3 10 mile long Beverage Wave Antennas across Waldo County. Thanks for this informative video!
Thank you Tim for your series, I remember seeing this when it was on many years ago. Your work helped lead me to a good career in the electronics field and I can't thank you enough for that
Damn! This is a beautiful print of this episode! I've been watching this series since they came out in the 1980s. I've only seen the crappy versions. This is great!
Hi Tim, I just wanted to tell you that I absolutely LOVED watching The Secret Life of Machines with my dad when I was a kid! Your explanations, and custom props, and of course the original artwork are the BEST. I'm in the USA, but I don't remember what channel had your show here back then. After finding these on RUclips, I remembered every single one! Just like back in the day, I can watch them over and over. I was very excited to see that you're still doing videos. Even though I'd really like to see some more cartoons in the new videos, I can't stop watching them! I love making and repairing mechanical devices, including cars, and the info is invaluable. I saw the videos showing the arcade, and I am hoping there are some more detailed videos showing all the machines you've made. I haven't got a chance to watch all the videos yet, and I don't think I'll have a chance to stop by the arcade in person (although I definitely will, when this C***D mess is completely over). I always liked your unique style of machines that were always featured on Secret Life. I really would travel to the UK just to see your arcade. Anyway, HUGE fan, thanks for everything you've done, and for the evenings I looked forward to when I was a kid, watching you and Rex (SOOO sad to hear about Rex) with my dad, who has since passed. Keep up the great work! Oh, and I could literally watch an entire video about how you got everything working in just one of your arcade machines. Maybe that could be a series! That would be seriously cool!
I really loved watching this series secret life of machines it was so informative and entertaining. Let's face it this age of digital technology is taking the romance out of technology
Sir, Thank you for each of your series. I have taped many of them and have started a few young geeks to be on their way with your appealing and captivating presentations. It is great to see the remastered episode here. It looks so much better. Your programs are a valuable resource! The kind of television I miss these days.
I feel incredibly low at the moment . Watching this old series is helping me alot . Everything in the modern world seems to be pushing some kind of agenda or selling something or trying to brainwash people. We live in a sneaky , dark, evil world. These videos with tim is as innocently pure as it gets. Some people you can just tell are good, kind people with pure hearts, Tims one . I cant tell you how much i appriciate it at this point in my life
Hi Tim. I'm 59 years old and I been watching you for year and year's. Fabulous your still uploading and I love catching up on all you taught me all those years ago. Thank you Tim. Your Fabulous and I love watching. Regards from me in Lowestoft.
I remember seeing a video years ago, someone had built what you describe at 27:59 - in a large clearing in what looked like a forest, with several large poles and a small shack at one end... the fella was describing the same effect, and was running some small off grid system from it, didn't look altogether safe but amazing to think you can get some usable energy just from a few tens of meters of elevation. Brilliant episode, and the animation of Marconi with the voice acting, great stuff.
Thank you for making these videos available and now remastered, I watched these as a kid on Discovery Channel, very educational. I remembered clearly the opening/ending music "Take Five" but didn't know the name of the music until later. These bring back memories.
Wonderful stuff. Thanks Tim and Rex. I'm 65 now and still live your programmes. I remember taking the accumulator to the chemist - and now I have a podcast :-), oh, and I worked in TV for over a decade too. I no longer teach, but I'd start with the Motor and go on to chatGPT in the first lesson these days.
The Armstrong love affair cartoon was epic. It was silly, fun, and in a few seconds effectively described a significant chunk of two people's lives. Such is the charm of this series - making the complex simple in such an engaging way. I watch these and the new ones over and over.
Just out of the blue I thought about this tv series a few days ago and it was 2 videos on before I saw it and recognized it. I love this series and the basic honesty of the presenters makes the whole thing work. The first one I saw was about the fax machine. I've been hooked ever since...
Tim, that synchronised ladder slide is one of the greatest moments in television history.
Yes i always liked that.
I thought that too thirty years ago.
Following the ladder slide I love the way Rex just works off in the background as if it's all part of a normal day. Brilliant...
That followed by complete nonchalance. I didn't know I needed this in my life.
and knowing this series it was probably a one take job!
Is every episode as entertainting as this? It is presented in such a lovely way.
Yes they all are and he put out a new series in 2020 something ,
They were all great. I remember watching them as a kid when it first came out as a TV series.
The are all pretty interesting and entertaining. I first watched many of these when they made it to USA cable TV (likely The Learning Channel or Discovery) in the 1990s. They may have been produced in the late 1980s, but the underlying science, technology, and history are still the same.
I don't think Tim realises how many people were influenced by his and Rex's series. It would be good if you could make a video about the filming, locations, inspirations, what went wrong, things you would have done in a third series, etc. Fingers crossed and thumbs up if you'd love it for Tim to do this.
Very true
I couldn't agree more!
I don’t think giving him assignments really shows much appreciation.
Was that guy also a mechanic? Sure could have benefit of a manicure before filming…😂
21:37 so that’s where the phrase “high impact plastic” came from… I hadn’t realized that Bakelite was so fragile.
Much underrated ladder stunt at the beginning!
I was so thrilled when I learnt how to do this.
@@TomOConnor-BlobOpera aha, how? I expect to break my ankle first try.
@@MaximilianonMars start low, and practice.
@@MaximilianonMars you need boots that have the right shape sole, too.
I loved that as a kid. I never got to try it though as my dad only had a wooden ladder.
How appropriate to have Rex demonstrating the Rexophone!
That was funny.
Rex and his Rexophone
I think it's called the Rexophone cos Rex made it.
I always thought that was incredible and they make NO mention of it other than saying the name.
"You breaka my plates, I smasha you face" Words to live by.
That line has never failed to make me laugh! XD
Gold, I tell ya. My wife's Italian. I gotta show her that.
Memology before meming memery
One of the greatest lines ever broadcast on television. :o)
@@atari2600b This is why we can't have nice things... 😏
Oh my god, Rex built Brum? I never got the chance to see secret life as a kid but this is a surprising connection.
Yeah crazy. R.I.P. Rex.
Is Brum the radio controlled car?
Never knew Brum. Looked it up and I can't believe this is a 1990s show. This radio talk sounds more 80's to me.
@@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330 Narrated by Toyah Wilcox. Her first TV break.
How she got the gig is a mystery though! 😆
Now that is useful to know! I'll look it up and binge on it.
(I guess you know Toyah and Robert's Sunday Lunch?)
Rex will forever be the Ultimate 80s Man. The Celica pickup, the ultralight and the matching jacket.
Yeah! That notchback pickup conversion is awesome.
As a young boy when this was aired along with other episodes TV ect, it inspired me. I built a Cats whisker, Built various receivers, listened to Shortwave broadcasts, Radio Hams etc, took exams in electronics, took my Radio Ham Test inc Morse. I have worked in "Radiotherapy Physics" for 20 odd years, Thank you for the inspiration Tim.
We tried to give away a 50KW RCA radio transmitter from 1939 ( serial number 0001 ) and, having no idea how big it was, the museum sent out a car to pick it up. The front panel was about 12 feet tall and 30 feet across. Working on the final, you opened a door and walked into the amplifier.
This is my absolute favorite episode and I think your very best. I did see it here in the States when it was first broadcast and even though I knew a fair amount (and being a ham) managed to learn several new things. The little car Brum made for children was quite a hoot; so sorry about Rex and (unbelievably) succumbing to dementia! Also, the trip to Gerry Wells Radio Museum was fascinating; I could see myself going there and talking for hours with him; so sad he is passed. Hertz's discovery is so groundbreaking, it is hard to see him not more taken by what he discovered.
Anyway Tim, you are a legend, and a kindred soul, as I too have a lab full of parts that I experiment with daily! Take Care & All the Best to You! And 73...
Thank you so much for these videos. I had forgotten that TV doesn't have to be unremittingly awful. Isn't it refreshing to watch a television programme that is interesting and educational, doesn't treat you like an idiot, contains more than three sentences per hour and is presented by a normal person who doesn't speak to you as if they are talking to a child.
This episode has always stuck with me since I first watched it 20 odd years ago. I'm pretty sure this is a big part of why I'm a radio technician. Fantastically informative video Tim!
What have we done to deserve 3 episodes in like 1 week?... wow. Thank you to your friend Norman who is working so hard on these remasters.
Although, as you say, podcasts pass down fibre optic cables, probably they mostly arrive on the final laptop or phone via Wifi or 4G. Many will reach the speakers or earplugs with Bluetooth.
Still on copper DSL where i am.... not one update living rural... 1.5 mps is it on the ground.... still very spotty cell coverage none on my still dirt road. Lot of sat dishe systems.
Indeed, albeit highly encoded and compressed. We use radio more than ever, but it's more inscrutable than ever as well. It's supposed that, if aliens (within 50ly or so) ever detect any radio signals from our direction, it will be only a narrow (less than a century) window in which we used powerful carrier based broadcasts. Modern encodings are only the power needed to reach the target audience; DTV required about a tenth the power analog TV used to, yet offers about as many times more bandwidth (or sub-channels, of low definition, per transmitter). Truly a modern marvel -- but little more than noise on the spectrum, undetectable at a distance.
@@T3sl4 big issue i have with the DTv i get less stations then the Analog days. Being rural they dont come through year round. Weather and trees play a big issue now. I have the largest roof top antena made, rotor and signal booster. Still can pull in all the network stations like the anolag days.... I have gone around and round with the FCC and the local stations about the problem. Crazy how technology goes backwards it seams if your outside a city.
@@Wrang15 Yep, the downside to the method is, below a certain SNR, there's just nothing to work with (even if you know how to decode it).
But at least you've got internet, right? (Unless you're in one of the many areas neglected for broadband...smh)
@@T3sl4 its one meg dsl. That runs sub 500 kbs a lot of the time. They are not adding new customers at least. They have a wating list. Should get intresting 70 new homes are going up and not a thing from the one ISP we have. Township allready put pressure on them and was told o well.
"once the tuned transmitter was perfected, spark transmitters were quickly banned for polluting the airwaves" immediately reminded me of the Titanic. Supposedly, the Titanic Marconi operators were warned several times about icebergs but they didn't get the message because of the interference of all of the other spark transmitters & they were also busy sending & receiving the passengers' trivial messages. Love your work Mr. Hunkin!
These older, instructional videos and films are still very relevant and well anchored in historical accuracy and useful explanations.
This airing when I was a child (and the TV one) led me to a life of tinkering, fixing, building, and experimenting. Thank you for making these, and for revisiting the genre with your new components series. -A life long fan.
Yup. Same here!
At 24:12, Tim picks up an ICF-SW1s, a tiny little wonder manufactured by Sony which I happen to have. Excellent video. I also think radio is magic. Thank you Tim.
The dancing radios at the end were the perfect capper!
What a great video. I used to watch the original programme in the 80's.
Xennial here. I also happen to be a ham radio operator. I do remember listening to shortwave a little when I was a kid into my early teens. Sadly, almost all of the shortwave broadcasters have stopped beaming their signals to NA. I do like to do AM DXing just to see what 50 KW stations I can pick up. I still use Morse code to communicate as well.
Love You Tim!! I miss Rex. RIP. He was (and through video, still is) the best. So Talented.
You two are huge heroes of mine! Inspired me both in the tinkering and the way of explaining complicated things in simple, kind (and entertaining ways). R.I.P. Rex
I have always loved radio. When I was little I would get electronics kits from Radio Shack and make radio transmitters and receivers, and later when I learn electronics tech skills the first thing I learned to troubleshoot was an AM radio with discrete components. And sometimes I still scan the shortwave dial (although SW stations have gotten scarce these days). Radio is magic, and unlike the internet, there is almost no way anyone can track what you choose to listen to.
Seeing this program when it was originally broadcast in the US in the 1980s is one of the reasons I became an amateur radio operator. Thanks for putting these on RUclips. 73 - Best regards.
I too have fond memories of seeing this show in the United States in the 1980’s. I was always sad there were not more episodes in the series. It’s was brilliantly put together. Entertaining while being highly educational. Tim and Rexs inventions and explanations were always fun and Tim’s cartoons were amusing. This series is in a class by itself.
I’ve been a lifelong tinkerer, and this series was one big reasons I got started
I stumbled across these videos yesterday while researching the history and technology of the fax and I’ve since been binging! I wasn’t alive when these episodes were recorded but they are honestly fascinating to me. Why don’t we produce these scientific yet casually comedic documentaries anymore? “They don’t make ‘em like they used to!”
Tim, you’ve made an outstanding contribution to education, and I’m delighted you’ve restored these to their glory on RUclips. May they long live on as so their value is priceless, both looking at them from a point of historical reference but also as a nod to a format of production that seemingly no longer exists.
It brought a smile to my face to see Rex using the Rexophone. I'm rediscovering this after having watched it as a kid. I definitely didn't pick up on things like that back then, so all the better for enjoying the series again!
This is my favourite episode of this series. It's probably because I've been into electronics for over 40 years and fondly remember the "magic" of the first time I listened to radio on a battery less circuit I wired on my 75 in 1 electronic kit I had gotten for Christmas. I recently bought an actual piece of galena so I could build a "real" crystal radio, I've always felt that using a diode is cheating somehow, not that it stopped me.
This was one of my favorite programs as a kid, it’s lovely to see it upscaled for YT, I especially enjoy seeing Tim talking about the episode at the end.
A miracle.. in this modern digital world I still love humble radio...😊
This was great!
Thanks from north east Tennessee, Washington Co. US
As a amateur radio operator I found this video fascinating.
Always had a fascination with Marconi lived not far from the Chelmsford factory/lab and recently moved to Italy. Wonderful times.
Wow did he make brum! Loved it when I was a child. They also aired it in the netherlands.
It aired in Sweden too, it's by far the most memorable show from my childhood, it's a small world I guess
Tim, what a fantastic program. I’m in Australia and have been fascinated by radio since I was a baby! I am an amateur radio operator now and work as a radio broadcaster on a commercial FM station. I started off doing pirate radio as a teen and loved broadcasting to my neighbours, in the end I realised I loved being on air - the magic of talking into a microphone on a small room and being heard miles away (or in the case of amateur radio - overseas!) still blows me away today. Radio is a huge part of my life. Radio is “magic” and your program highlighted this to me yet again. Thanks so much for uploading this wonderful program. Craig Meddings - Geelong, Victoria, Australia VK3CRG
I remember watching this like 30ish years ago... Wild I Never knew this was on youtube.
Brings back Memories. 😊😊😊
I loved their shows which helped inspire me to go into the IT field later. Thank you Tim and Rex.
When I was 12 years old (1980), I also read, leaned and tried to assembly the AM radio receiver from electronics column of science magazine in Thailand "CHIAYAPRUAK WITTAYASART" that was so amazing. The circuit uses 7 germanium transistors, IF Boxes and output transformer for amplifier that were pretty cool in that time. I turned it on every day after back from school and before bed, until it was completely malfunction.
Today, I have just seen this video, and thankful Tim who brought me back in time of originated radio. I am so sorry Mr. Armstrong who created the better radio quality signal to the world until now.
Podcast on mobile phone is still the same on the analog frontend. But goes through many layers.
So the magic of Marconi and others is still there 😀
25:05 I love the radio-controlled radios dancing about at the end!
I like the way they explain and demonstrate things.
In one episode, they demonstrated the concept of magnetic tape using adhesive tape and rust.
It actually worked.
Genius!
I love this series! I used to watch it with my son when he was a preteen.
I've just discovered these shows. Absolutely cracking!
This was my favorite series when I was in high school. I looked forward to every episode. Ah but the days where television actually contained quality content like this is but a fond memory.
One of my favorite parts of this series is the friendship, ease, and cooperation between Tim and Rex, sad he didn’t have a greater presence on screen. Both hosts are excellent with an endearing energy about them.
mental RF history.
Big hugz from Fukuoka Japan.
I remember this excellent series from back in the day ... Why don't we have television of this quality nowadays?
This is the first time I'm seeing this series, thank you for sharing Tim.
I can picture my grandparents listening to the radio back in the day, huddled around the fireplace listening to stories and music, it made you use your imagination
It was called “ theatre of the mind”.
This is fantastic! I must have been living under a rock as I've been an electronics engineer for half a century and had no idea this programme even existed. I'll definitely catch up with the rest of your videos now.
True analog is never going away - it simply can't be replaced. Big radar installations still use tubes (thermionic valves), and every single person has at least one tube in their home - the humble microwave.
Also, if you connect to the internet via a starlink satellite - you are again listening to sounds coming through the air - space, even!
Well said :^)
@@JayDee-b5u it cracks me up when I see rabbit ears sold as 'digital TV antennas'
This is yet another invention that has moved on in technological terms. I love this series and it’s sad to see the content of its programming become historical building blocks of technological history. It makes me feel old....
P.S. RIP Rex it’s a shame you are not with us.
P.P.S. I need to get down to London to get to your Arcade Tim, it looks fantastic fun.
I am old enough to remember when people listened to radio. People had stations they liked. It does seem to be an era that has come and gone now. Really the media did it to itself. So many commercials. I get that you have to make money. I think they may have gotten too greedy though. Plus we do have all the alternatives today. Back in the 70s what else was around?
I’m a little confused by your statement. AM and FM radio still exist with a massive listening audience on a daily basis. The principles of radio transmission and reception form the basis of television, WiFI, mobile phones, etc. Radio is everywhere.
@@paulpalinkas Particularly in automobiles and jobsites, where it is still incredibly popular. And in the US/Canada, analogue radio still reigns supreme. I hope digital radio never catches on here; it would be amazing if antique radios still worked 50 years from now. It's such a simple technology that it seems there is nothing to be gained from switching to digital broadcasts.
@@paulpalinkas I was thinking the same thing. Radio, AM and FM, analog, is still huge, especially for news and talk shows. Not as big in music, maybe, but still huge. Satellite radio couldn't kill it even.
@Paul Palinkas Absolutely, those 'building blocks' are in more devices now than ever!
I'm in my element watching these! Thank you Tim!
If I hadn't already study electrical engineering and communications technology, I would certainly now after watching this video. Thanks a lot, I had a lot of fun watching this old video with its cute sketches :)
Still plenty of radio, just higher and higher capacity and shorter and shorter distances. I’m sure you listen to your podcasts - or watch RUclips on your phone or pad, using WiFi at home or 4G (or 5G) when you’re out and about! Radio definitely still has a role to play.
I hate wireless. Never use the rubbish!
@@1pcfred Invisible demons! It's the work of the devil I tell you!!
@@TheOtherBill it could be. Wired works better for me.
This and the electric light episode were my favorites as a kid. Thank you for taking the time to re-master these and make them available.
Just wanted to say thank you.. thank you for making brilliant TV.. this particular episode really caught my attention as a young man when first shown..
Aha! Finally we discover what that massive variable capacitor is for!
Love each and every episode of this Incredible series, loved it as a child and I still do , Now seeing the Remastered series it's almost like seeing this for the first time
Thank you Tim and Rex for your work in production of this most entertaining and educational series ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🎬❤
Oi moi8, I saw a marathon of your series on The Discovery Channel (US) 20 years ago. At first I was frightened by the stop motion. & Then I was confused. Why was I learning things so fast? Then I slowly became angry. American television was all a snake oil salesman's lies. Since I've binged so many British documentaries that I now point out to Brits all the gags they're doing in throwback sketches because THEY'VE never watched The Ascent of Man. So thanks brih. You've changed my life.
Mr. Hunkin, thanks for sharing this. I really miss this high-quality television programs today.
Unfortunately I didn't saw this program on the TV, just found this on RUclips.
I discovered the magic of the radio when I was a child, and later got my license as a HAM radio operator, and still interested today. Greetings from the Netherlands and take care.
I remember some of these episodes. It's great to see them agan.
Hi Tim - I loved this one back in the day and it is still a great history. The horrific magic of the internet now allows me to see that poor Mr. Armstrong did indeed leap twelve stories to his death after marital strife. Yikes!
I used to watch this series, fantastic 👏 👌
A favourite TV show as a teen.
I had the book and was in awe of Tim’s moving art science projects like the clock at Niels yard in London
The late Fred Dibna may have taught us about steam but Tim and Rex taught us about the progressing technology in such a fantastic way.
Thim hunks : the old school.. Thaink you from morocco 🇲🇦
I used to watch The Secret Life series years ago. Fascinating and full of information.
Blessed to have come across this video. Never heard of this program. Lovely.
I loved watching this back in the 80's. Tim was a big influence on me and I've carried a lot of his stuff in my head for 40 years. Nice one Tim!
Tim, many thanks for this informative video. I don't think we have ever met, but I had the great fortune to meet Rex Garrod several times when I worked in Suffolk as a "Rural Business Adviser" for a very archaic organisation with the grand title CoSIRA, the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas. Amazingly set up at the behest of Lloyd George! Rex as you know so well was an amazing guy, who not only tolerated my lack of practical business experience but took delight in showing many of his latest amazing creations with gusto! I was so privileged to meet him. Kind regards and best wishes for 2024. Malcolm Perrins
Thank you Tim for all your magnificent TV work which undoubtedly inspired many children to take up technical hobbies. I remember seeing the washing machine episode and going on to use solenoid water valves in lots of fun projects! This type of content is sadly missing from mainstream TV today.
I'm a bit awed by the RC car at 10:55, the protocol he used to drive it is crazy. Shifting a specific pulse in a sequence forward or reverse in time. True analog radio control. You'd definitely have to have programming to deal with reception flukes on the business end. But if you only had 30 axes (or bools) to transmit, at a 1MHz pulse train, it would update every 31us with some sort of frame header.
This helped me a lot in understanding spark gap and radio developments. March 25, 2025 will be the 100th Anniversary of the first radio program relayed from London to New York via the RCA Experimental Radio Relay Station in Belfast, Maine, a site RCA purchased from International Radio Telegraph Company. Of course the RCA station used a Beverage Wave Antenna to receive the waves from 5XX in Chelmsford. Harold H. Beverage was born on North Haven Island off the Maine coast. I have found miles of wave antenna footprints on Soil Conservation Service aerial photos of the 1930's, which still showed the 3 10 mile long Beverage Wave Antennas across Waldo County. Thanks for this informative video!
Thank you Tim for your series, I remember seeing this when it was on many years ago. Your work helped lead me to a good career in the electronics field and I can't thank you enough for that
Damn! This is a beautiful print of this episode! I've been watching this series since they came out in the 1980s. I've only seen the crappy versions. This is great!
simply brilliant programmes.thank you tim,
Thanks for uploading this. Interesting and well done. Best wishes from New Zealand.
The secret life videos didn't air a ton here in the USA; but i did see them occasionally and always loved the series. Thanks for sharing!
Now we have the Steady Crafting youtube channel to tuck us in, but these are classics. Your watch show was on time..
"Hello, and welcome to the Crafsman show. My name is your host... The Crafsman!"
Love ❤️ this channel ❤️ and the conductor of it. Ty so very much
Hi Tim, I just wanted to tell you that I absolutely LOVED watching The Secret Life of Machines with my dad when I was a kid! Your explanations, and custom props, and of course the original artwork are the BEST. I'm in the USA, but I don't remember what channel had your show here back then. After finding these on RUclips, I remembered every single one! Just like back in the day, I can watch them over and over. I was very excited to see that you're still doing videos. Even though I'd really like to see some more cartoons in the new videos, I can't stop watching them! I love making and repairing mechanical devices, including cars, and the info is invaluable. I saw the videos showing the arcade, and I am hoping there are some more detailed videos showing all the machines you've made. I haven't got a chance to watch all the videos yet, and I don't think I'll have a chance to stop by the arcade in person (although I definitely will, when this C***D mess is completely over). I always liked your unique style of machines that were always featured on Secret Life. I really would travel to the UK just to see your arcade. Anyway, HUGE fan, thanks for everything you've done, and for the evenings I looked forward to when I was a kid, watching you and Rex (SOOO sad to hear about Rex) with my dad, who has since passed. Keep up the great work! Oh, and I could literally watch an entire video about how you got everything working in just one of your arcade machines. Maybe that could be a series! That would be seriously cool!
Loved this series as a kid ....... TV needs something like this today.
Tim, absolutely fantastic production and explanations! Thank you for going to such work to help others truly understand and appreciate this "magic"!
This Series is truly awesome!
I really loved watching this series secret life of machines it was so informative and entertaining. Let's face it this age of digital technology is taking the romance out of technology
I love it, resonance is far more important than most folk realise. It's the way energy is transmitted.
Sir, Thank you for each of your series. I have taped many of them and have started a few young geeks to be on their way with your appealing and captivating presentations. It is great to see the remastered episode here. It looks so much better. Your programs are a valuable resource! The kind of television I miss these days.
I feel incredibly low at the moment . Watching this old series is helping me alot . Everything in the modern world seems to be pushing some kind of agenda or selling something or trying to brainwash people. We live in a sneaky , dark, evil world. These videos with tim is as innocently pure as it gets. Some people you can just tell are good, kind people with pure hearts, Tims one . I cant tell you how much i appriciate it at this point in my life
Hi Tim. I'm 59 years old and I been watching you for year and year's. Fabulous your still uploading and I love catching up on all you taught me all those years ago. Thank you Tim. Your Fabulous and I love watching. Regards from me in Lowestoft.
So glad to see these classics on the Internet. I watched most episodes in earlier days, put more on, please….. 27:23 27:26
Tim Hunkin is a national treasure.
I remember seeing a video years ago, someone had built what you describe at 27:59 - in a large clearing in what looked like a forest, with several large poles and a small shack at one end... the fella was describing the same effect, and was running some small off grid system from it, didn't look altogether safe but amazing to think you can get some usable energy just from a few tens of meters of elevation. Brilliant episode, and the animation of Marconi with the voice acting, great stuff.
Thank you for making these videos available and now remastered, I watched these as a kid on Discovery Channel, very educational. I remembered clearly the opening/ending music "Take Five" but didn't know the name of the music until later. These bring back memories.
Wonderful stuff. Thanks Tim and Rex. I'm 65 now and still live your programmes. I remember taking the accumulator to the chemist - and now I have a podcast :-), oh, and I worked in TV for over a decade too. I no longer teach, but I'd start with the Motor and go on to chatGPT in the first lesson these days.
The enthusiasm of the chap in the wireless museum is utterly infectious
The Armstrong love affair cartoon was epic. It was silly, fun, and in a few seconds effectively described a significant chunk of two people's lives. Such is the charm of this series - making the complex simple in such an engaging way. I watch these and the new ones over and over.
Just out of the blue I thought about this tv series a few days ago and it was 2 videos on before I saw it and recognized it. I love this series and the basic honesty of the presenters makes the whole thing work. The first one I saw was about the fax machine. I've been hooked ever since...
Thank you so much for this. I remember watching these over 30 years ago, and they were one of the reasons I did an engineering degree!