[GreenKeys] Mites: TGC-14 vs. TT-299, what difference?

[David Ross]

Jim & the gang -

jhaynes@alumni.uark.edu wrote:
> 
> MITE was an acronym for Miniaturized Integrated Tele<something> Equipment.
> 
  According to Gordon Eliot White, it stands for Miniature Integrated
Teleprinter Equipment.

  Gordon wrote an interesting piece for CQ mag -  it revealed a lot of
the politics surrounding the MITE purchases by DOD.  To put it politely,
the MITE was an extreme underperformer and the company had lots of
trouble making the equipment function per spec.



  Re the MITE ASR...  The beast is definitely gravity-enhanced -  it is
in an OD fibreglas case a little over twice as tall as the TGC-14
tactical case -  in the top section is the standard MITE printer.  On
the bottom is the MITE tape punch & reader, plus the ASR version of the
keyboard complete with character counter.
  Two motors, one for the printer and another for the reperf & reader &
keyboard -  they are the same interchangeable 60~ & 400~ motors as the
KSR unit.  The electronics is all way different from the KSR.  It is a
7.00 unit machine, and likely was intended for crypto use.
  My tactical ASR probably weighs 100 lbs.  It has fold-down legs on the
sides of the fibreglas case -  folded down they will serve as extendable
legs for the unit.  The front cover also does a trick -  it has legs too
and will serve as a chair once the legs are extended.
  The tactical MITE ASR is nomenclatured TGC-29, and if anyone has a
manual (or even schematics) I'd sure like to get a copy.


  Incidentally, there is a 28VDC MITE on the bay place right now, a
TT-480.  The DC versions are mechanically very similar to the AC
version, but electrically they are totally different.  There are
inverters in the DC units to provide power for the selector magnet
drivers & interface circuits.
  The motor is a governed DC unit -  it is kinda difficult to get at the
speed adjustment but the machine seems to hold the adjustment pretty
well.  On the bench here, running at 25VDC from a regulated supply, my
TT-480 draws 1.8A worse case (continuous printing from the internal
keyboard).  45 watts is pretty good I'd say, and it makes a nice
portable setup with the PRC-47 & CV-2455 combo.
  I'm also looking for a manual for this TT-480 MITE (the DC version is
not covered in the standard TGC-14 book).


Dave Ross    N7EPI    ross@hypertools.com