[GreenKeys] Fwd: [coldwarcomms] EBS Teletype at NORAD

[tony.podrasky]

GA OMs;

Back in the '70's I worked for a company that was building "stuff"
or "things" for...

The teletypewriter equipment could handle 3 types of tape:
the 5-level, 6-level and 8-level. The pathways had "gates" you
would enable (spring loaded pins) for the width of the tapes.
This allowed them to use 1" tape for all their needs - BUT they
were also able to work with the other 2 sizes if need be.

STORY TIME...

This was ONE FUN JOB! One time I had to fly out to a "location" to
work on one of our "huts". Here I was, a 20-ish hippie with long
hair and a beard - visiting the base, and carrying the honorary title
of "Colonel".

I met the sergeant - who had an attitude about me - and I didn't care.

We went into the hut. I asked him "what is it doing or not doing?"
He told me that sometimes 2 units work and sometimes they don't.
He added that they've run all the diagnostics and it checks out clean.
We've even swapped-out both units TWICE!

I went up to the mini-computer's console and started toggling-in
16-bit machine code so fast that he thought I was messing around. He said:
"what are you doing?" I said: "I'm writing my own diagnostics". He
said I told you I already ran the diagnostics - and they passed. I
said diagnostics only test for what they were written to test for. I
am writing one to check for what I want to check for.

I ran my diagnostics and was able to turn the problem on-and-off. He
was flabbergasted! I said that there was either a cable problem 
(intermittent)
or a bad chip on one of the I/O cards. I extended the computer and
got out an extension board, took the I/O card out, put it on the
extender, and got out the oscilloscope. He said: let me get you
the schematic for that board. Now, these boards were 16"x16" and
loaded with TTL chips.

I said: I DON'T NEED a schematic: I know
more about this machine that the guys who designed it. Yes, they are
EE's and created it - BUT I MADE IT WORK! I found one of the chips
was oscillating or something: instead of a clean TTL signal, it had
"chirps" or sine-waves on the output. I replaced the chip and it
worked perfectly.

He admitted that he had judged me wrong, and apologized. I said that
I didn't blame him, so no hard feelings. I even gave him my phone
number and told him to call me anytime they have a question.

UE,
K2EAA - TONY
NNNN
ZCZC


On 04/20/2017 03:27 PM, W2HX wrote:
> Very strange indeed. It has 5 bit codes on it, but it looks very wide.
>
> *From:*GreenKeys [mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] *On Behalf
> Of *Nick England
> *Sent:* Thursday, April 20, 2017 3:54 PM
> *To:* Greenkeys
> *Subject:* [GreenKeys] Fwd: [coldwarcomms] EBS Teletype at NORAD
>
> Forwarded from a buddy - 28ASR with a 5-level, 1" tape that looks funny
> to me.
> for the Emergency Broadcast System
> https://research.archives.gov/id/6387832
>
> Nick England K4NYW
> www.navy-radio.com <http://www.navy-radio.com>


-- 
A HIGH TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS.

Except for those with a big,
gaping hole in their bottom.