11 Sep
2015
11 Sep
'15
11:28 a.m.
So I have finally been prodded by some people to put together a web
page for the G-15 computer. As well, I am going to put up information
about the Rice Research Computer (later known as the R1), and its
intended succesor, the R2.
Right now my web pages are pretty skeletal and mostly consist of
some old G-15 documentation scans I did in early 2000. Apparently
I have some things that are not on Bitsavers (yet). I have at least
one more document that I need to scan, the Technical Manual.
I do have some R1 documentation which I intend to scan and then send
to either CHM or Rice University Fondren Library.
To some of you that I have already contacted off-list, this will be
duplicate information. Sorry about that. To the others, please let me
know if you have any information about these computers that you would
be willing to share publicly.
Also, beta-testers of the website would be appreciated; email me off-
list for the URLs. I mean, it it _really_ skeletal (e.g. 2 days old.)
mcl
12:31 p.m.
Are there any operational G-15's out there? Seems like this would be a good
model to restore/demonstrate that doesn't come with all the usual baggage
of a first gen machine (exotic power, A/C requirements, thousands of tubes,
etc). -C
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 11:27 AM, Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote:
On 9/11/15 8:28 AM, Mark Linimon wrote:
I do have some R1 documentation which I intend to scan and then send
to either CHM or Rice University Fondren
Library.
A volunteer at CHM (Paul McJones) is scanning R1 documentation currently.
12:44 p.m.
Are there any operational G-15's out there? Seems
like this would be a good model to restore/demonstrate that doesn't come with all the
usual baggage of a first gen machine (exotic power, A/C requirements, thousands of tubes,
etc). -C
MARCH's is untested. We plan to restore it .... one day.
10:38 p.m.
On 09/11/2015 11:31 AM, Cory Heisterkamp wrote:
Are there any operational G-15's out there? Seems
like this would be a good
model to restore/demonstrate that doesn't come with all the usual baggage
of a first gen machine (exotic power, A/C requirements, thousands of tubes,
etc). -C
Supposedly one in Australia is at least close to operational.
I tried to help get a G-15D running at Washington University
in about 1972. it was one of those NASA surplus deals, "you
pay the shipping and it is yours". We got the G-15,
typewriter and typewriter control box and several huge boxes
of documents and paper tapes. It wasn't that hard to get
power run to the machine, we had a lab available that was
proven to be able to handle the heat load. But, then, it
didn't seem to work. I think the relays in the typewriter
control had dirty contacts, and there were a LOT of relays
in there! The thing had 300 tubes of dubious quality.
Finally, I determined that the drum was badly scored, there
were several tracks that were scored down to the brass. So,
obviously, no existing program could be expected to run,
with several shot drum tracks.
This is one of the major problems with the G-15, there was
VERY poor protection of the drum from dust. They had a
formed aluminum cover, but the cable bundle went through a
hole with caterpillar grommet around it, so plenty of room
for dirt to get in.
The diode boards were paper-phenolic, and almost certainly
would get more brittle as they aged.
But, yes, it was a fairly simple machine, I don't think you
could strip a tube computer down much further than the G-15
and still have it do useful work.
Jon
11:56 p.m.
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 09:38:00PM -0500, Jon Elson wrote:
Supposedly one in Australia is at least close to
operational.
The references to it are on one of the members.iinet.net.au sites.
Currently only reachable through the Wayback Machine (see one of
my other posts):
https://web.archive.org/web/20141002192121/http://members.iinet.net.au/~dgr…
It references the Australian Computer Museum Society ( http://acms.org.au/ )
but that site no longer contains any G-15 information that I can see.
I think the relays in the typewriter control had dirty
contacts
A problem from day one :-)
This is one of the major problems with the G-15, there
was VERY poor
protection of the drum from dust.
Oh wow. That's too bad.
mcl
2:24 p.m.
There was a 'slice' of the R1 floating about with some friends of mine in Houston.
It was about the size and shape of the 2001 monolith. From what I was told, it
represented one register, probably a byte, and constructed of about 100 vacuum tubes. It
served as a conversation piece and a coffee table (beer table) at a CAD rep firm, later
sat for a few years in a friends garage next to Billy Gibbons twin red Thunderbirds (he
was a collector of toys like this).
This particular piece of the R1 now sits in the Rice Library in the Woodson Research
Center. I encourage anyone while in Houston to go have a look, the construction is a work
of art, and beautiful.
Randy
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 10:28:04 -0500
From: linimon at lonesome.com
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: information about the Bendix G-15 and Rice Research Computer?
CC: linimon at lonesome.com
So I have finally been prodded by some people to put together a web
page for the G-15 computer. As well, I am going to put up information
about the Rice Research Computer (later known as the R1), and its
intended succesor, the R2.
Right now my web pages are pretty skeletal and mostly consist of
some old G-15 documentation scans I did in early 2000. Apparently
I have some things that are not on Bitsavers (yet). I have at least
one more document that I need to scan, the Technical Manual.
I do have some R1 documentation which I intend to scan and then send
to either CHM or Rice University Fondren Library.
To some of you that I have already contacted off-list, this will be
duplicate information. Sorry about that. To the others, please let me
know if you have any information about these computers that you would
be willing to share publicly.
Also, beta-testers of the website would be appreciated; email me off-
list for the URLs. I mean, it it _really_ skeletal (e.g. 2 days old.)
mcl
9:09 p.m.
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 11:24:47AM -0700, Randy Dawson wrote:
There was a 'slice' of the R1 floating about
with some friends of mine
in Houston.
Were they the owners of a small office building off of Post Oak in Houston
in the 1970s-1980s?
That's the only one I know about that survived.
mcl
12 Sep
12 Sep
1:58 a.m.
Yep, that was the place - I can't remember their name, I think they were the Autocad
rep, and carried a few complementary lines like plotters.
The R1 was laying down on some stands, like a coffee table, plexi cover so you could set
your drinks on it and see all the intricate wiring, tubes and construction.
One of the Texas Microsystems founders (and a Rice alum) got possession, and after a few
years gave it back to Rice.
Randy
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 20:09:48 -0500
From: linimon at lonesome.com
To: rdawson16 at hotmail.com
Subject: Re: information about the Bendix G-15 and Rice Research Computer?
CC: cctalk at classiccmp.org
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 11:24:47AM -0700, Randy Dawson wrote:
There was a 'slice' of the R1 floating
about with some friends of mine
in Houston.
Were they the owners of a small office building off of Post Oak in Houston
in the 1970s-1980s?
That's the only one I know about that survived.
mcl
11:15 a.m.
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 10:58:38PM -0700, Randy Dawson wrote:
One of the Texas Microsystems founders (and a Rice
alum) got possession
Both were Rice alums :-) Working for them on the other side of the
building was my summer job in college. They were ... characters.
Probably Mike donated it. At some point I'll think of his last name,
probably right after hitting Send.
mcl
1:22 p.m.
On 09/12/2015 12:58 AM, Randy Dawson wrote:
Yep, that was the place - I can't remember their
name, I think they were the Autocad rep, and carried a few complementary lines like
plotters.
The R1 was laying down on some stands, like a coffee table, plexi cover so you could set
your drinks on it and see all the intricate wiring, tubes and construction.
One of the Texas Microsystems founders (and a Rice alum) got possession, and after a few
years gave it back to Rice.
Any pictures of this?
Jon
3237
days inactive
3238
days old
12 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
aek＠bitsavers.org -
cctalk＠snarc.net -
coryheisterkamp＠gmail.com -
elson＠pico-systems.com -
linimon＠lonesome.com -
rdawson16＠hotmail.com