MacDonald's Instruments FM/AM LCD Digital Clock Radio

[@scanman975]

May not be a McDonald's product, but I'm still lovin' it.

[@TheMikeMan777]

You will be lugging it soon enough!

[@Fuzy2K]

Ba da ba ba baaaa

[@sylverrez]

A Macdonalds radio isn't complete without vibrant red and yellow colors everywhere.

[@BReal-10EC]

they used these at all McDowell's restaurant locations.

[@pokepress]

There actually are some novelty radios put out by the fast food chain, though, according to a quick eBay search.

[@angelfire2023]

The neat thing about vintage radios, unlike any other form of vintage tech, is that they are always relevant. Simply turn it on and you're getting the latest news, music, and entertainment right away, despite the age of the unit it's being listened to on. It makes seeing such radios like this more enjoyable, cause theirs always that little thought that it's still useful even to this day,

[@TheFakeVIP]

Let's just hope that AM and FM broadcasts aren't shut down any time soon. I know some european countries have already done so, and gone full DAB / DAB+. Here in the UK, I'm pretty sure I heard of plans to do so as well, but presumably Ofcom has made the (correct) decision not to follow through on them yet given how large of an install base AM, and particularly FM radios still exists. DAB is okay where signal is good, but useless where it isn't, and multiplex owners are incentivised by license fees to carry as many stations as possible, which means squeezing them all in at reduced bitrates that really don't sound very good.

[@angelfire2023]

@@TheFakeVIP Indeed. I remember when they tried to shutdown AM radio here in the states. The backlash was pretty big, and fortunately they dialed back on doing that. So I can understand, the only country to full get rid of analog radio signals was Norway (unsurprisingly), and even there, local FM radio stations are still allowed to exist.

[@beepster991]

I'm happy he clarified the confusion about "MacDonald's Instruments". For decades I was sure "McDonnell Douglas" was delivering "Big Mac and fries" all around the planet...

[@life5161]

On The McDonnell Douglas radio the battery door cover falls off. That's so not funny. Lots of people died in that "accident." McDonnell Douglas is still alive and well today. They go by the name of Boeing.

[@beepster991]

@@life5161 Who could have known keeping the cargo door closed would be the most complicated part in an aircraft design (DC-10)...

[@TRLTheRandomLab]

"Big Mac and Fries" being the codename for Oil Collec--i mean, Democracy! 🇺🇸🦅🛢

[@bazzle592]

Just what I needed on a cloudy Wednesday morning

[@MarkPalmer1000]

MacDonald was the mainstay "house brand" sold in the K-Mart electronics department in the 70's and 80's. Radios, stereos, walkie-talkies, police scanners, etc.

[@isaacsorensen8377]

Yeah I remember them being prominently advertised there. Along with KMC stuff

[@seancaruana4209]

I collect old TV Guides and have seen this brand prominently advertised by K-mart circa 1980. The last big sized K-mart just recently closed in the Continental US (Bridgehampton NY) so you would have to go to Guam for your K-mart fix.📻📺

[@isaacsorensen8377]

The model code format is also used on Kmart's name brand products.

[@YondanDrill]

Instead of batteries, 5 chicken McNuggets will be doing the work

[@Tat2Dragons]

Unfortunately it has to be the original McNugget’s recipe, they don’t seem to function all that well with the supposed all white meat version.😁

[@El-Ritmo]

That MacDonald's nugget really evokes an era (like you, I love the silver and chrome aesthetics of vintage hi-fi equipment). Can I also just say how much I love your hand-drawn "Not That McDonald's" sign? That really made me laugh. 😄 Thanks for another interesting video, Kevin.

[@Drmcclung]

MacDonald!! Haven't thought about this in decades but I used to have a MacDonald ghetto blaster when I was a kid (a real OG boom box!). Sounded amazing, everyone always had something good to say, and I had it right up through just after high school. FOURTEEN FRIGGEN D CELLS on battery power if I remember right! Needless to say it spent 99% of its life on 120v. I miss it, haven't thought about it in a very long time. The LED level meters and toggle switch gear were just epic, next level to a kid really. And it wasn't all that expensive

[@jamesslick4790]

I had a Mac Donald turntable, Like 1/2 of ALL turntables in 1976 it was re rebadged BSR!

[@lawrencehansen6788]

@@jamesslick4790 I think your estimate is low - I'd say 90% of all turntables in 1976! Funny story: around 1979 our the turntable on our Motorola console gave out (AM/FM radios still work fine in 2024), and my dad got a portable "Concert Hall" stereo record player to replace it.... with, of course, a BSR changer. I remember walking thru one of the local appliance stores while my mom was buying a new dryer and noticing that the changers in all the fancy console "hi-fi" in the store were the exact same BSR changer as on our cheap portable. 🤣🤣🤣

[@jamesslick4790]

@@lawrencehansen6788 Yeah, You're right. BSR had to be the LARGEST British exporter to the US in the 1970a!

[@Drmcclung]

​@@lawrencehansen6788 that's odd because I'd never heard of MacDonald until getting the boom box for Xmas. We went through a lot of turntables, but none of them a MacDonald

[@christo930]

Here's a tip... Use a paste of baking soda and water for this corrosion. It both cleans and neutralizes the acid.

[@themaritimegirl]

That oil(?)-based egg timer thing is so mesmerizing to look at.

[@rich_edwards79]

They were everywhere in the late 89s and early 90s. Along with 'kinetic' sand art pictures and other novelties. Loved them as a kid but you don't see them much these days.

[@troyconnolly9053]

Great find . And entertaining as usual. Love your work!

[@Remco_Jamco]

7:25 Stevie Nicks & Don Henley - Leather and Lace 💕 Thanks for another infotainment packed video!😉

[@miked4377]

@@Remco_Jamco good ole days

[@HamtaroEL]

Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles.

[@jetryder]

I love that jazz fusion/weather channel music station you have in your area.

[@skald9]

They could play Weather Report, followed by the weather report.

[@gwheregwhizz]

It's a shame we can't pick up cool retro electronics like that from UK charity shops because they would be expected to PAT test (portable appliance test) before sale, which isn't worth it for old electronics. Consequently, we just find ugly vases, those signs that say 'welcome home', hideous ornaments, books (normally Royal biographies) and, 'Friends' and 'Matrix' DVDs.

[@Broken_robot1986]

Yeah it's nice to have a good second hand store that's worth your time to visit.

[@timf-tinkering]

A few UK charity shops take electrical items, but it's usually predominantly kitchen appliances and flat-screen TVs in my experience. When they do sell interesting electronics, they're usually massively over-priced. (They don't have to PAT test battery-powered items.) I'm lucky to have a couple of local charity shops that often sell sensibly priced electronics, but even they tend to separate off most of that sort of stuff to sell on eBay.

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

Volunteers used get access to all the cool electronics people donated before they hit the shop floor but unfortunately even that has dried up as they know electronics aren’t allowed and take them elsewhere 😢

[@timf-tinkering]

@@SproutyPottedPlant Yes, this is a big part of the problem; people tend not to donate electronics to charity shops because they assume they won't be accepted. There's always loads of lovely stuff I would have paid money for just lobbed into the "Small Appliances" skip at my local tip 😞

[@davidbono9359]

There's plenty of that other stuff in US thrift shops, too. Occasionally I can find some interesting electronic device in reasonably good condition, but nothing like the treasures Kevin finds. He must have better thrift stores where he lives.

[@uxwbill]

"Classic" VWestlife makes a return! Old MacDonald probably didn't have a radio because (with a great many apologies to Odgen Nash) "[birds are] what shepherds listened to in Arcadia, before somebody invented the radia". (Yes, I know Old MacDonald was a farmer. It's called artistic license.) I would love to see a diagnosis video on the GE radio.

[@BollingHolt]

Styx being called "oldies": I think I just died inside a little bit LOL.

[@Lemonstruct]

this channel is gold. love your style

[@_Renkoo_555_]

You are so calming to watch and your style of describing 👍

[@drsysop]

Love them old radios as they are PLL & no DSP crap chip in them & does not mute on tune. -Cheers!

[@hadibq]

So great that analog FM AFC lock. always a pleasure to stop by and watch you videos VWestlife!

[@The_Magic_of_Zelda]

I can't stop humming to the song Portable Radio by Daryl Hall & John Oates.

[@Raptor50aus]

What a great clock radio. I have my grand mother's Sanyo model from 1975 but also a cassette recorder.

[@FranklyPeetoons]

This takes me way way back to my tot-hood. I used to scan the dials of such even then antique radios with fudgy baby hands, imagining that the incomprehensible sounds squirting out were all the world had to offer. Eventually I unfortunately discovered that there was so much more to our cursed existence

[@STEVSGONE]

It's always a good day when you pick up old-time radio on a classic radio. Who was playing gunsmoke?

[@vwestlife]

WBAI in New York City.

[@STEVSGONE]

@vwestlife happy Halloween and thank you

[@fader_dragon]

3:55 Not sure 7AM is really any more reasonable of an alarm time. 🙃

[@dashcamandy2242]

As someone who works nights, 7 AM is often my bedtime.

[@DuncanWEDD2019]

Fascinating overview of a vintage portable clock radio, and a clever ruse. He's not just interesting and amusing; the man's a genius.

[@cjs95]

I like how the alarm is in sync with the beat of the music at 4:03.

[@fungo6631]

If you listen to it again you will notice that it isn't.

[@cjs95]

@@fungo6631 I've watched it back several times, it's always in sync for me. EDIT: Maybe I should have said "rhythm". Either way, it beeps in time to certain parts of the tune.

[@LakeNipissing]

Nice 80s style radio! Was the station playing Styx - _Come Sail Away_ 1250 WMTR ? I recall listening to that when camping in Vernon, NJ. Maybe the loud pop was the speaker (or other stage) coupling cap shorted and now the speaker just gets direct DC instead of just the AC-coupled audio signal ?

[@vwestlife]

Yes, that was WMTR.

[@JohnAudioTech]

I had a budget MacDonald receiver with turntable & 8-track player. It was manufactured by Capetronic International in Taiwan.

[@alphabeets]

Great reception on that baby.

[@Raptor50aus]

This model looks very Radio Shack type. Reminds of the clock radios sold when I worked at Tandy Electronics in Australia in the 1980s

[@kennethevoy]

I heard a CBC program in there. "Under the influence". Interesting that you get our stuff.

[@integerofdoom69]

Unfortunately, we get a lot of your stuff here.

[@themaritimegirl]

@@integerofdoom69 Why is that unfortunate?

[@Holabirdsupercluster]

When I lived in DC the local NPR affiliate aired some CBC shows, so probably something similar on a public radio station where he is (New Jersey?)

[@integerofdoom69]

Why do people read comments so seriously? ​@@themaritimegirl

[@themaritimegirl]

@@Holabirdsupercluster Yes, I believe the CBC shares a show or two with NPR in general that air on all their affiliates :)

[@ahmedtheone1]

am i the only one or this video is kind off give me a 90s 80s vibes which is really cool

[@Petertronic]

One of my 8-track players is made by "BSR McDonald", but that's yet another M(a)cDonald! Great video.

[@ssnoc]

Why am I enjoying a video about a thrift store radio ? Must be the person presenting the information :)

[@vibingwithvinyl]

Love your channel.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

It's a nice diversion from the noise of others.

[@integerofdoom69]

@@ChristopherSobieniak I've been enjoying a lot of "quiet" channels lately. Nice relief from all the Red Bull flavoured vape crap.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

@integerofdoom69 That's what happened to us. I sometimes like to stick on Loupe, Naturescape or Quietude just have a random video in the background while working.

[@techmaester]

Nice oil toy. I used to have a few of these long ago. Was popular in the early 1990s. They don’t seem to be made anymore. They are almost indestructible, and will last many decades. They are actually called water-oil hourglass. As for the radio, it looks like a Radio Shack product.

[@sharko_tv_be]

i'm lovin' this video

[@seancaruana4209]

Say, isn't the Barry Grauman who did the commercial disclaimer for the Gunsmoke radio program above, is the same guy that posts comments on vintage programming on KZbin (aka fromthesidelines)?

[@WowplayerMe]

1010 WINS...you give us 22 minutes, we'll give you the world.

[@rod-bits-and-pieces]

That actually looks very like the styling and aesthetics as an ITT Tiny 200 3 band radio my dad used to have in the 80s! Could be they were made in the same factory.

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

But are you loving it?

[@douglasallen9428]

Ba da ba ba ba….

[@Lachlant1984]

What a killer. The design of that unit reminds me of the Realistic Minisette 10 and my mother's old Sanyo portable stereo system.

[@TheLtData]

Nice little radio to have on the side.

[@directrix101]

I actually fall asleep while watching KZbin.

[@TonyBanks21]

Lovely little radio !!

[@atrainradio929]

There’s something so wonderful about a simple, yet sensitive and well built FM/AM radio. Add on a few bands of shortwave and I’m happy. I think the era from the 60s-90s made the best portable radios.

[@LakeNipissing]

Oh yes !!! I have between 300 and 400 radios from the 1950s to 1980s.

[@OzRetrocomp]

That battery corrosion made me grimace

[@Toxis374]

Yeah, a delay of 4 minutes for the snooze button is rather unusual. It is much more common to have... wait, what?

[@nrdesign1991]

6:01 could well be Paul Frees who is immortalized through te voice track of the Haunted Mansion

[@RJDA.Dakota]

Seems like I remember this company. I bought a set of 5 watt walkie-talkies with this company’s logo on them. Wasn’t a bad product for the early 1980s. I saw them in a K-Mart.

[@ThejasonJaw5442]

Love your video's helpful

[@therealyogibear2k225]

It always amazes me how many radio stations you have on FM that are so close together. Here in the UK, you are lucky if you get 8. All our BBC channels spam at least 4 frequencies. And our AM (or Medium Wave as we call it here,) is pretty much dead. Do you still have Long Wave there? Or ever? I am lucky with my phone that it does have an FM radio, so at least I have that covered. Nice looking radio though.

[@humfelbert2079]

I still listen to Five Live on AM. And radio4 on LW, although not for much longer sadly 😢

[@firenado4295]

in most areas there are more pirate radio stations on AM than official ones.

[@james-ch]

Talksport is AM and it's pretty popular

[@dyter424]

In Italy, our FM band is pretty much full of stations, unless you're in some remote place in the mountains, then you'd only get a few including the omnipresent Radio Maria (religion 24/7 in mono). MW is dead though, Rai left the band two years ago and there are only some radio enthusiast stations left. As for the question, America never had longwave. There are some broadcasters on SW but they're all either religion, extreme religion, extreme right-wing, weird programming or any combination of those.

[@rastislavzima]

​@@dyter424just wanted to note the same, I am not Italian, I am from Slovakia where we have quite a lot radio stations but when I ride to Italy there are radio stations literally crammed to all available frequencies, amazing but they often interfere and its quite hard to keep single station for a longer time while riding in the car.

[@miked4377]

nice little 80s looking radio!

[@mikecummings7054]

Use a hobby tool with a fine grinder wheel as that's what I do to remove corrosion from leaking batteries. Alkaline batteries leak potassium hydrochloride which can do real damage. The zinc carbon ones use Ammonium chloride which is not as corrosive. In my country of England GEC made a silver colour radio a bit like this one. We have charity shops and car boot sales in England, the latter being known as yard sales in America. Such places can bring up good bargains regarding vintage electronics.

[@LotoTheHero]

What a neat little radio!

[@GOPRepubliklan]

PLEASE DO ONE ON THAT LAVA LAMP HOW DONT THE COLORS MIX

[@Bob-1802]

This struck me as a Realistic at first glance!

[@veb92168]

Very cool radio!

[@Vinylicious-djpon3]

I have been bamboozled

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

Nice I love radio very interesting find thanks alot radio I love it lol

[@ericdunn8718]

You have snooze for nine minutes? Every alarm clock I've ever owned had five minutes as the default, so I could never sleep in too deeply (all battery powered so I don't have to worry about outlet space and good in case the power goes out, which it has, all I have to worry about is changing the battery when the lights go dim (usually the sign they tell you) because I've not done it and the clock dies in the middle of the night)

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

I thought that was an actual McDonald's radio 📻, but I noticed the spelling was "Mac Donald's". Not related to the restaurant McDonald's. Very nice radio 📻. Your friend, Jeff.

[@CatmanToxo]

Great video aaah the nostalgia 😅😅

[@Jones5121]

3:05 almost as effective as the backlight on the casio F91-W

[@thevacdude]

Coffee and Vwestlife? Yes please!

[@ellwood2547]

A few years ago I picked up a MacDonald 8 Track Recorder Deck Model No. 8TD -30 along with a couple dozen 8 track tapes at a yard sale for 10 bucks. It has surprisingly good frequency response but a little wow and flutter.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

when the conditions are just right the plastic silvery buttons will un-foil (is it actually chrome...? ) to reveal some dull grey.

[@Dwall44]

Cool, I didn’t know they made anything other than walkie-talkies like you said. Speaking of which I wonder if you have any old walkie-talkies or CB radio that you can make a video of? I think that would be interesting.

[@Dedicatedtolivinginthepast]

That's a cute little radio! Also, is it legal to transmit like that on FM, if you adhere to those requirements?

[@vwestlife]

FM has more stringent requirements, but there are legal, FCC Part 15 approved transmitters available, like the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0, which I use.

[@Dedicatedtolivinginthepast]

@@vwestlife Thanks! Yeah, I guess the Blonder Tongue AM-60 Agile Modulator I use definitely isn't legal lol

[@TedCornish]

Great find 👍👍

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

I had a MacDonald all in one AM/FM stereo, 8 track player with a BSR/McDonald turntable on it. The tuner and 8 track worked pretty well, the turntable had issues. Typical low priced cheap 1970s stereo.

[@charl10439]

I'm lovin' it

[@FG-gu9rn]

0:47 That might also be the date of introduction, because the numbers are set in that way! If it is, so that means this transistor radio dates back to 1976. 😅

[@fungo6631]

I read it McDonald's My problem with these more recent tuner IC based lesser known branded radios is the horrendous selectivity and atrocious filtering. The shortwave band is filled with spillover from braodcast FM, cellular, and all kinds of other miscellanious signals way beyond the HF band. I don't even mind the wide AM bandwidth that much, as I like shortwave stations having near FM radio quality.

[@JonnyInfinite]

I like silver styling more than woodgrain, don't @ me...

[@santajimi]

@

[@RealBond101]

@me

[@matthewjbauer1990]

Old MacDonald had a radio... E I E I O .....

[@boardernut]

Which camera from you stash of vintage cameras are you using Kevin

[@vwestlife]

A Sony DCR-SX65 from 2011.

[@davidrlogana5964]

Battery should be taken out when not in use for a period of time😊

[@davidrlogana5964]

Thank you very much for my comment

[@curtiswebster8095]

The AM/FM switch seems like a bit of an afterthought.

[@bakonfreek]

Wait, I thought you said you were going to leave the puns to Technology Connections 🤣

[@frankowalker4662]

Nice looking radio.

[@Aeduo]

It's like the MacIntosh computers and McIntosh amplifiers. :p

[@SirKenchalot]

It is always worth checking if you meet someone with that surname if they have an 'an' in their name and capitalization too.

[@natechrisman5333]

May not be a McDonald’s product, but I am loving it to death

[@CSSTPMediaUK]

Although not a product of the burger bar chain, but you can enjoy the difference with this clock radio.

[@SigEpBlue]

The "AM" stands for Angry Man. :3

[@johndowlingjr.]

Love me some good Gunsmoke OTR!

[@ImGigantor]

6:40 - That's an understatement, lol

[@scratchpad7954]

0:15 On the other hand, if that alarm clock came as a toy in my Happy Meal, I would be McLovin' it! That just goes to show where my mind goes when something is branded as MacDonald: 🍔🍟🥤.

[@JacGoudsmit]

I was going to ask if you were sure 06-31-75 wasn't a date but then I looked at it closely and knew the answer :)

[@Mrshoujo]

I've always used white vinegar & Qtips to reverse battery crust.

[@uhohwhy]

YAS YAS McChikun LESSGOOOOOO

[@Sb129]

I have way more than one battery power radio, Lol. This one is pretty good though with the clock and everything.

[@Daniel22259]

What camera did you use to film this footage? It looks a bit filmed by tube camera.

[@MrsSwixchy]

Why do I learn more here than at school 💀

[@Veso266]

How can u distinguish between Alkaline battery leak and Carbon Zink Battery leak?

[@vwestlife]

Alkaline leakage is usually white and carbon-zinc leakage is usually blue.

[@jimbotron70]

There's also McIntosh brand...

[@RocketCityTech]

I think this radio was designed to sit next to the fry machine at McDonald’s right?

[@SharreIWright]

If us Scots in Scotland had invented the cheeseburger it'd be called McDougal's 😁