[GreenKeys] Fwd: Re: Mercury delay lines

[Dave Wade]

Bruce,

I don't know of any issues with people being harmed by mercury fumes. The
folks building the EDSAC replica at TNMOC, Bletchley are using
magnetostrictive steel wire lines

 

https://www.tnmoc.org/edsac

 

as beside the issue of health and safety, the original used around a ton of
Mercury and at current prices, it would probably be un-affordable..

Dave

G4UGM 

 

 

 

From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net <greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net>
On Behalf Of Bruce Gentry via GreenKeys
Sent: 14 June 2020 00:26
To: greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [GreenKeys] Fwd: Re: Mercury delay lines

 

 

I don't know if the mercury delay lines in? early computers ever hurt
anyone, but there are? resrtictions about them. Restoring a computer that
used them could probably be done using gallium or other very low melting
alloy with a heater to keep it liquid.? A solid state bucket brigade delay
chip might also be substituted to get the computer working again. Light
houses once used a trough of mercury to float the projection lens assembly
so a weight and gearing system could rotate it.? Are there any accounts of
anyone being harmed from the fumes???

????? Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY







On 6/13/20 12:11 AM, Dave Horsfall wrote:

Umm, well at least there was a Teletype in frame :-) 

ABC-TV "Grantchester" (a detective-priest series[*]) featured someone who
died from mercury poisoning, when someone opened the tanks.? Apart from the
beautiful Teletype, there was a machine with lots of dials in the
background; obviously some early computer, but not enough footage for me to
tell which one, but is a British show if that helps. 

[*] 
I suppose that I need not remind any Monty Python freaks of these lines: 

"There's another dead bishop on the landing, Vicar-Sergeant!" 
"Err, Detective-Parsons, Madam." 

Etc...? Otherwise I'd go on all day :-) 

-- Dave 
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