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Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 23rd 09, 03:33 AM posted to sci.space.history
Andre Lieven[_3_]
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Posts: 388
Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

Come on, folks, no one's thinking of this first manned flight to
the Moon, that was underway this time 41 years ago ?
Wow... 41 years. I recall watching the transmission from the
Moon at home, at the age of 10, on a B/W TV, our only set at the
time. It wasn't until Apollo 10 that I saw a live launch in colour.
Andre
  #2  
Old December 23rd 09, 07:28 AM posted to sci.space.history
Pat Flannery
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Posts: 18,465
Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

Andre Lieven wrote:
Come on, folks, no one's thinking of this first manned flight to
the Moon, that was underway this time 41 years ago ?
Wow... 41 years. I recall watching the transmission from the
Moon at home, at the age of 10, on a B/W TV, our only set at the
time. It wasn't until Apollo 10 that I saw a live launch in colour.


I still remember thinking: "I sure hope that SM engine fired..." :-)

Pat
  #3  
Old December 23rd 09, 05:54 PM posted to sci.space.history
Andre Lieven[_3_]
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Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

On Dec 23, 1:32*am, OM wrote:
On Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:33:13 -0800 (PST), Andre Lieven

wrote:
* *Come on, folks, no one's thinking of this first manned flight to
the Moon, that was underway this time 41 years ago ?


...Everyone's too busy arguing with the trolls about some bull****
microwave power concepts.


Well then, that would just be silly, as trolls rarely respond well
to reasoned discourse and simple facts.

F em.

Andre
  #4  
Old December 27th 09, 02:14 AM posted to sci.space.history
David Spain
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Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

Pat Flannery writes:

I was out in the yard with my 100mm refractor telescope trying to see the
sunlight glint off of the CSM as it was in lunar orbit.
Okay, I was young and optimistic. :-)

Pat


I remember following it that year whilst programming my 1st 'electric brain'
and Xmas present that year:

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/...bs&Qis=XL#qdig


By the time Apollo 8 was on its way back, I was already deep into plans
to overclock it with my Erector set motor...

;-)

Dave

PS: Yes, I still have (some of) the components from both....
  #5  
Old December 27th 09, 06:01 AM posted to sci.space.history
Pat Flannery
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Posts: 18,465
Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

David Spain wrote:
I remember following it that year whilst programming my 1st 'electric brain'
and Xmas present that year:

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/...bs&Qis=XL#qdig


By the time Apollo 8 was on its way back, I was already deep into plans
to overclock it with my Erector set motor...


That sounds like you were converting it to something related to the
principle used by the Turing Bombe to break the Enigma Machine codes
during WW II:
http://jproc.ca/crypto/bombe_turing.html
I always wanted one of the ones Edmund Scientific sold, although I can't
even remember what the thing looked like (I think it used phone jacks of
some sort)
There's a interesting history page on PCs here that includes your
Geniac: http://www.blinkenlights.com/pc.shtml
I've always wanted to see one of these in action:
http://www.vcalc.net/cu.htm
Which looks like some sort of crank-driven time machine Dr. Who might be
dragging around with him, or a high-tech miniature multi-spice mill for
use by a gourmand in the uncivilized parts of the world.

Pat
  #6  
Old December 27th 09, 06:32 AM posted to sci.space.history
David Spain
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Posts: 2,901
Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

Pat Flannery writes:

David Spain wrote:
I remember following it that year whilst programming my 1st 'electric brain'
and Xmas present that year:

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/...bs&Qis=XL#qdig


By the time Apollo 8 was on its way back, I was already deep into plans
to overclock it with my Erector set motor...


That sounds like you were converting it to something related to the principle
used by the Turing Bombe to break the Enigma Machine codes during WW II:
http://jproc.ca/crypto/bombe_turing.html


I was intrigued by ways of speeding up the GENIAC's rotary switches long before
I knew anything about Turing machines or the Turing Bombe. Mechanically, I doubt it
would have been up to it or have held out for long.

I always wanted one of the ones Edmund Scientific sold, although I can't even
remember what the thing looked like (I think it used phone jacks of some sort)


My first 'real' telescope was an Edmund Scientific 6" reflector!

As for computer kits, well there's this catalog picture, but IIRC it used
regular hookup wi

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...talogs_70s.jpg


(I really, really wanted that LASER shown in the background)...

But you sure you aren't thinking of the Heathkit EC-1 Analog Computer?
It had phone jack hookups like you describe...

http://www.heathkit-museum.com/computers/hvmec-1.shtml


There were also these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digi-Comp_I


I think you 'programmed' these using soda straws. I didn't care for them because
they weren't electric and never owned one.

There's a interesting history page on PCs here that includes your Geniac:
http://www.blinkenlights.com/pc.shtml


The only 'personal computer' predecessor to the $20 GENIAC considered by this
website was the $300 Simon. And that would have been definitely outside of Santa's
budget for me.

I've always wanted to see one of these in action:
http://www.vcalc.net/cu.htm


I've a friend who has a working Curta calculator and also one that needs repair.
IIRC, these were very popular with road rallyists in the days before minis and
GPS'es because of their portablility.

Which looks like some sort of crank-driven time machine Dr. Who might be
dragging around with him, or a high-tech miniature multi-spice mill for use by
a gourmand in the uncivilized parts of the world.


Good luck getting one through airport security these days.

"A calculator? Yeah sure buddy, get over there in that line, behind the bearded fellow..."

;-)

Dave
  #7  
Old December 27th 09, 07:23 PM posted to sci.space.history
Pat Flannery
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Posts: 18,465
Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

David Spain wrote:
As for computer kits, well there's this catalog picture, but IIRC it used
regular hookup wi

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...talogs_70s.jpg


Yeah, that's the one alright.
They also had a rotary analog one:
http://www.us.profibus.com/wordpress/?p=919

(I really, really wanted that LASER shown in the background)...


LASER, huh? You been watching Jonny Quest too?
How do I know you're not working for Dr. Zin?
(Pat hears knock on door, opens door to find big black ball sitting
there, rolls it into apartment.)
We had this really primitive one laying around our college's physics
department that used a coiled antenna around the gas tube to stimulate
the helium-neon via RF, and that also had separate mirrors at either
end of the tube that had to be hand align.
I never could get it to work.


But you sure you aren't thinking of the Heathkit EC-1 Analog Computer?
It had phone jack hookups like you describe...


No, I just remember the Edmund one, and didn't even know about the
Heathkit one until a couple of years ago.
What really made me feel old was a few years back when I mentioned
magnetic core memory to a computer programmer, and he had no idea what I
was talking about - as he had never heard of the little metal donuts on
wires. :-D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digi-Comp_I


I think you 'programmed' these using soda straws. I didn't care for them because
they weren't electric and never owned one.


Oh yeah, that thing is legendary.


I've always wanted to see one of these in action:
http://www.vcalc.net/cu.htm


I've a friend who has a working Curta calculator and also one that needs repair.
IIRC, these were very popular with road rallyists in the days before minis and
GPS'es because of their portablility.

Which looks like some sort of crank-driven time machine Dr. Who might be
dragging around with him, or a high-tech miniature multi-spice mill for use by
a gourmand in the uncivilized parts of the world.


Good luck getting one through airport security these days.

"A calculator? Yeah sure buddy, get over there in that line, behind the bearded fellow..."


If you did put explosives in one, all the little do-dads inside of it
would create a really spectacular fragmentation effect.
There's a lot of fun stuff here, BTW:
http://cryptocellar.org/simula/
Many years back, we ran some postings through the newsgroup partly in
Enigma code: http://tinyurl.com/yfc93t5

Pat
  #8  
Old December 28th 09, 03:26 AM posted to sci.space.history
David Spain
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Posts: 2,901
Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

OM writes:

On Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:23:22 -0800, Pat Flannery
wrote:

What really made me feel old was a few years back when I mentioned
magnetic core memory to a computer programmer, and he had no idea what I
was talking about - as he had never heard of the little metal donuts on
wires. :-D


...Try bringing up the 92k Bubble RAM expansion for the TI-99/4A.

OM


Or making sure the volume level on your cassette player is properly adjusted
for proper data retrieval. BTW, anything longer than C60 is not recommended.
C90 and longer use magnetic tape that is too thin and can stretch, making
your program irretrievable.

Also be sure to keep your tape head demagnetized and free of oxide build up...

http://www.btinternet.com/~shawweb/stephen/book4.htm


Dave
  #9  
Old December 28th 09, 10:52 PM posted to sci.space.history
Pat Flannery
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Posts: 18,465
Default Apollo 8 Plus 41 Years

David Spain wrote:

Or making sure the volume level on your cassette player is properly adjusted
for proper data retrieval. BTW, anything longer than C60 is not recommended.
C90 and longer use magnetic tape that is too thin and can stretch, making
your program irretrievable.


I had a cheap cassette tape once that would play both sides at once due
to some sort of overlap in the middle section of the tape when it was
being recorded.
Stevie Nicks singing backwards sounds downright Satanic.
Of course, hearing her sing "Silent Night" forwards is pretty
frightening also.

Pat
 




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