19 Jul
2005
19 Jul
'05
1:02 p.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Loewen" <mloewen at cpumagic.scol.pa.us>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 3:47 PM
Subject: RE: local demolition of SAGE building
On Tue, 19 Jul 2005, Chuck Swiger wrote:
> I'm following the links from radomes.org and reading with interest about
> SAGE.
> At mitre.org it says:
>
> -When complete, the AN/FSQ-7 weighed 250 tons, and required a 3,000kW
> -power supply and over 49,000 vacuum tubes. When SAGE became fully
> -operational, it relied on 24 AN/FSQ-7s; they remained in service
> -until the Air Force ended the SAGE program in 1983.
>
> Is this TRUE? Did they actually use vacuum tube computers up untill
1983?
You betchum. I worked on the one at McChord AFB (25AD) from January
until August of 1983. It was shut down shortly after that. Even more
amazing, it was still doing the job up until the end. By using both
active and standby system, we had the ability to cover the airspace from
California up to British Columbia.
Mike Loewen mloewen at cpumagic.scol.pa.us
Old Technology http://ripsaw.cac.psu.edu/~mloewen/Oldtech/
How many vacuum tubes would need to be replaced yearly, and how would a few
breaking affect the functioning of that equipment in real time?