How wrong can you be ?

[Tony S]

I learned from TonyS's   Tour of Bletchley Park  that Churchill  didn't destroy Colossus  , the world's  first computer after all  .    He did have them destroyed  but  Mk 1  and Mk2  went  to GCHQ   until the early 60's  apparently.   

Today a modern computer could do the calcs that took Colossus 4 hrs    in 45secs  .         But it was still a mighty achievement by Mr  Tommy Flowers  of the GPO .

One computer I’d like to see is the Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2

Calculating Ada

 

[Evans Electric]

Thats some kind of brain that can devise a mechanical machine to produce calculus  like that .  

I saw a Babbage engine on TV years ago but remember it  similar to a snooker table layout with rotary handles all down the sides .     The operator works his way down , turning each in turn . 

 

[Tony S]

I had enough trouble getting my head around logarithmic tables and a slide rule.

 

[kerching]

I had enough trouble getting my head around logarithmic tables and a slide rule.

I struggle  with Sangamo RPTS solar mechanical time clocks!

 

[Evans Electric]

I struggle  with Sangamo RPTS solar mechanical time clocks!

They always fascinated me too .    Like a circular cam  behind the dial  , all mechanical,    it follows the changing  seasons ...switching on & off at dusk & dawn .  

I think they're really expensive  these days  .   In this area they're  manufactured  to 52 deg. Lat    .  If you flogged one to Prodave,  who,s up in the Arctic Circle,  it would be no good at all.     ( Probably why they're expensive) 

 

[Evans Electric]

Please excuse the amateur  drawing  ,  its hard to depict what I'm trying to show .

A job in Derbyshire  ,  they had one man hoists suspended from an RSJ  track that ran everywhere ,  very high up .  They picked up 5 mtr lighting columns  as produced. 

They wanted a "Hospital bay"  on the bend I show , so a hoist could come off the main track to the bay and the track would close up again .

Some big engineering firms backed away .then an old guy in overalls showed up , designed ...cut & built the bend section in red with a section added on at exactly the correct angle .   Drawn out on a bit of A4 with a pencil.     We built some safety,s in  ...then they could  wind the  chainwheel   , and the bend turned over ... and a right hand bend came over into place  to join it to the Hospital Bay RSJ .

Momentum carried the hoist off the circuit until it picked up the bay collector rails.  

The main bend was wound back and the other hoists could continue .       

Very hard to describe ,  but the guy fabricated this huge bend section ...cut out the bend .fitted new into place .. 

 

[kerching]

They always fascinated me too .    Like a circular cam  behind the dial  , all mechanical,    it follows the changing  seasons ...switching on & off at dusk & dawn .  

I think they're really expensive  these days  .   In this area they're  manufactured  to 52 deg. Lat    .  If you flogged one to Prodave,  who,s up in the Arctic Circle,  it would be no good at all.     ( Probably why they're expensive) 

We are on 54°N

F expensive and even more reliable

 

[Tony S]

I struggle  with Sangamo RPTS solar mechanical time clocks!

I struggle with life, we have to get on with it!