During my high school years in the 1960s, I developed a passion for television repair. The technology was relatively simple then, with color television still in its early stages. Black and white TVs were straightforward to work on, though one had to exercise caution around the high-voltage components of the picture tubes, which carried a dangerous fifteen thousand volts.

Connecting the antenna lead wires to the television’s terminals often presented a challenging ergonomic puzzle. Manufacturers typically positioned these connection points at the rear of the device, necessitating an awkward physical contortion. With larger console models, users first had to wrestle the hefty unit away from the wall, then maneuver themselves into a precarious position—half-crouched and half-twisted—just to secure the delicate wiring with a standard screwdriver.

Then, one day, a genius came up with this wonderful idea. Well, maybe he wasn’t a genius, but it was a wonderful idea. It resembled a clothes pin with terminals on it, screws, if you will. The tech needed only to secure the lead in wires to the clothes pin and then clip the clothes pin onto the terminals on the back of the TV. This also had the advantage that the wires could be conveniently removed and reinstalled repeatedly as needed, usually quickly and easily. It was even conceivable that the big consoles did not have to be moved even an inch.

Since then, the device’s lead and connectors have been modified multiple times. Unfortunately, I and many others are once again experiencing significant challenges when attempting to establish connections, reminiscent of the original connectivity issues.

I really miss the clothes pen thing.