Moving heavy equipment - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

10 Dec 2001

Back in September I wrote:
...
 I've got a lead on a full and working electron
microscope.
It's on-topic because it's old and has some sort of 
computerized digitizing unit.  :-)
I've lined up a big Diesel stake (flat-bed) truck.
It'll be about a 2-3 hour drive.  We've got straps, 
boards, tarps.  I'm most concerned about getting it
*off* the truck and into my office or home basement.
Any other thoughts from the group? 
An update: it's in my garage now.  The x-ray spectrometer
is a 11/23-based system running custom apps over RT-11.
The SEM has an 8085-based system for automating various
aspects of the electron microscope column.  It's an
AMRAY 1610T, circa 1983:
http://www.threedee.com/jmosn/microscopes/amray/index.html

Even at 1,200 pounds, the column rolled easily on a 
pallet jack, off the loading dock ramp and onto the
truck.  To get it all off the truck, the farmer next-door
helped with his power-tilt front-loader bucket.

The next trick will be to levitate it down the stairs
and into the basement.

If I can get it all back together again and happy,
it'll magnify down to about 50,000 x.

- John