eBay

afvn72 · ‎11-16-2020

The internet radio "Gateway" company, Reciva, will shut down on Jan 31, 2021. Any radio using Reciva, including all Grace Digital radios manufactured before 2017, will be deactivated. Radios from many other companies will be deactivated as well. Many such radios are now listed on Ebay and no one is aware of this time bomb. Deactivated, in this case, means dead, doorstop, paper weight, will never work again. I hope Ebay will note this situation and perhaps put a warning on internet radio listings for buyers to be sure of what they are getting.

a_c_green · ‎01-05-2021

@monster-deals wrote:
I sell vintage camping TVs all the time, you'd be hard pressed to find a broadcast to watch on it.

That's true; you're not going to find analog TV broadcasts, but if it's got auxiliary inputs such as RCA jacks, you can still use it as a monitor for other, slightly more modern devices that have those as A/V outputs. (I have a nice little Sony Watchman portable from 1980-something and no plans to sell it.)

(I also came across a YouTube video showing an RF antenna plugged into a VCR output to transmit the signal to a nearby Sony Watchman, so given enough boosters, convertors, adapters and so on, you can pretty much connect anything to anything else these days.)

monster-deals · ‎01-06-2021

Oh, I have a little Sony that has a giant chain of junk in the back so I can convert a PS1 to play on it.

Just to see if I could.

ra_201044 · ‎01-06-2021

@monster-deals wrote:
People still sell all kinds of things that don't work.

I sell vintage camping TVs all the time, you'd be hard pressed to find a broadcast to watch on it.

They sell converter boxes - so all you would need is an outlet for it. A regular car 12 -> 120 volt converter will do. I haven't checked to see if anyone made battery-op ones yet.

Then you can watch any channel within the broadcast area.

itsjustasprain · ‎01-06-2021

@ra_201044 wrote:
@monster-deals wrote:
People still sell all kinds of things that don't work.

I sell vintage camping TVs all the time, you'd be hard pressed to find a broadcast to watch on it.
They sell converter boxes - so all you would need is an outlet for it. A regular car 12 -> 120 volt converter will do. I haven't checked to see if anyone made battery-op ones yet.

I would be optimistic that someone does since practically everything seems to run on 5 volts internally anyway these days. 🙂

ra_201044 · ‎01-06-2021

@itsjustasprain wrote:
@ra_201044 wrote:
@monster-deals wrote:
People still sell all kinds of things that don't work.

I sell vintage camping TVs all the time, you'd be hard pressed to find a broadcast to watch on it.
They sell converter boxes - so all you would need is an outlet for it. A regular car 12 -> 120 volt converter will do. I haven't checked to see if anyone made battery-op ones yet.
I would be optimistic that someone does since practically everything seems to run on 5 volts internally anyway these days. 🙂

Looks like they do ... there are a few of them out, but around 75-85 bucks.

nuvistors · ‎01-06-2021

Almost every kitchen has a device that uses a vacuum tube.

lightlily_arts · ‎01-06-2021

It's no different than software I purchased years ago and loved using. As Microsoft continued to upgrade their OS it became incompatible with my older software programs that I paid good money for. Moreover, I still have VHS Tapes that are hobby related instructional tapes, and have kept a combo TV VHS tape player unit for them.

I never realized that Vinyl Records would become passe when cassettes tapes were produced and then the CD disc format would become the industry standard. Then again now everyone just downloads and streams their music. So this baby boomer is sitting on 400+ 33 RPM LP Records, 100+ 45 RPM records, not to mention my collections of music cassette tapes and Music CD's. Audiophiles can still purchase equipment to play older media and I do have a combo unit that plays all of my vinyl records, cassettes, and CD media. Time makes everything obsolete. However, the sound from Vinyl records are superior to streamed music.

Many of the internet radio users are suggesting you contact Grace Digital or the manufacturer of your device for an alternative solution. Others are filing complaints with the FTC. Most importantly the sellers need to be aware that buyers will be filing INAD claims when they realize their device doesn't work.

Nonetheless, for those that have internet radios that use Reciva I found this message from the SWLing Post message board and hope it works. Browse SWLing posts as it will take techy knowledge to implement.

Make your Presets modifiable (do it quickly before Reciva closes).

You need a web address you control (your own domain).
There add a file “preset1.pls” containing:

[playlist]
numberofentries=1
File1=http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio4fm_mf_p
Title1=BBC Radio 4
Length1=-1
version=2

Go to reciva.com and add it to your streams as preset1.
On your reciva internet radio go to “my stuff” – “my streams”.
Select your new stream “preset1”, the radio starts to play.
Now assign it to your radio as preset 1 (by long pressing button 1 on the remote control).

If you modify the file preset1.pls your radio will play the modified preset !!!!

Do this 10 times as you need 10 preset files for your 10 buttons.

Perhaps the manufacturer's of your devices can offer an alternative.

ra_201044 · ‎01-06-2021

Nice find on how to keep these internet radios playing!

And even nicer that you have hundreds of LP's too - I also have many hundreds of LP's from the 60's and 70's. Nothing matches the sound of a good record on a good turntable with a good old 60's-70's receiver, amp, EQ, speakers, etc.. Hopefully old stereo equipment will still be allowed to be sold over the next 4 years ..... and vintage/antique cars ... I'd hate to see another wasteful pathetic 'cash for clunkers' come around.

But mine will only leave me when I leave this world. And one dealer I know will pay very well for them(he is first in line).

byrd69er · ‎01-06-2021

snip: However, the sound from Vinyl records are superior to streamed music.

Add vacuum tubes to that mix for a compete recipe.

lightlily_arts · ‎01-06-2021

My family realizes that my record collection is extremely valuable as it's from the late 1950's up to the mid 1980's in multiple musical genres. Most of my albums still have the original record sleeves as well. My stereo equipment is from the early 1980's and as it's still in pristine condition there's never been a reason to replace. The only thing I got rid of were the original 8 track tapes that I purchased in the 1960's since the newer vehicles didn't have the option for you to play them in your auto.

The problem I see with obsolescence is filling our landfills with it.

ra_201044 · ‎01-07-2021

@lightlily_arts wrote:
My family realizes that my record collection is extremely valuable as it's from the late 1950's up to the mid 1980's in multiple musical genres. Most of my albums still have the original record sleeves as well. My stereo equipment is from the early 1980's and as it's still in pristine condition there's never been a reason to replace. The only thing I got rid of were the original 8 track tapes that I purchased in the 1960's since the newer vehicles didn't have the option for you to play them in your auto.

The problem I see with obsolescence is filling our landfills with it.

Yes - but there is really a limited number of older obsolescence to fill out landfills, as people keep it going as much as possible. Now, anything new is just tossed and replaced because it's so cheap.

I still have 8 tracks and a good stereo in the garage because it was easier (to wipe grease/oil off of) when I was working on my own vehicles, but now that I don't(can't) anymore, it sits idle.

no.1clockrepairman · ‎05-02-2021

I have a C Crane Wi-Fi 2 and all the presets on standard radio stations still work but none of the pandora and other options work. That will be of little value to the next buyer of the radio if the presets are not stored or the ones stored are not your favorite stations. The presets will fail to operate it the web address of the stream changes. It will take a while but the Reciva radios are not quite dead yet. If I were to sell my radio on here I would feel ok about selling AS/IS with an explanation about the Reciva closure, But I bet a lot of sellers are not aware of the changes. If you plug it in, and it plays the stored presets they are probably totally unaware of the change.

luckythewinner · ‎05-02-2021

@lightlily_arts wrote:
So this baby boomer is sitting on 400+ 33 RPM LP Records, 100+ 45 RPM records, not to mention my collections of music cassette tapes and Music CD's. Audiophiles can still purchase equipment to play older media and I do have a combo unit that plays all of my vinyl records, cassettes, and CD media. Time makes everything obsolete.

New vinyl LP sales in the USA topped 27 million last year.

Sony, Pioneer, Denon, Audio-Technica, Projekt, U-Turn, Fluance, Rega, and Crossley all sell new turntables.

WalMart, Target, and Best Buy all sell new vinyl LPs.

Not bad for an "obsolete" format 🙂