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I am putting the CART before the HORSE! ie 300kg of 1960's Computer Hardware.

inotarobot

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2014
Messages
1,090
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Hi all,

This post to start is really me thinking out loud:-


I am just completing a deal to pay for a Significant CHUNK :gape: of 1960' computer. Its located about 900km / 560miles :drive: from my place.

I simply could NOT let this item go to scap metal by end of the Nov18 if I was not sold, as was the likely the case since current owner is moving premices to smaller home.

now the :confused: questions I am asking myself

a. how the hell I am going to get it home?

b. do I really want it at home as its quite large?
and if I bring it home for now, where can I put it undercover ?

Considering how unusual it is, I don't want to just stick it in storage. It needs to be got running and displayed.

c. how am I going to pay for either approx $340 fuel to drive up and back plus some food and cheap accommodation; or for a Commercial Backload transporter to bring it to me.

d. Should I set up a Go Fund me page for joe/jane public to help?

or should once my payment to seller clears by end of today, post images here ask for help VCFED of all members in the following ways.

1. Find as many VCFED foke in the east coast of Australia, whom would be on the likely transit path, (maybe 10)
and
ask them to bring it 90 to 100km each, like a relay. And at each interchange display it for a short while to raise both awareness of how items like this should NEVER end up in Scrap, plus raise some money to help get it restored to fully operational order.

2. I'd ring as many Corporate businesses as I can think of and ask would they assist with either free transport or funds?

3. Ask all to put 50c or a $1 into my PayPal so I can go get it and restore it.

As far as I can so far tell its the only one of its kind in the World, so I really think I should go up to see it and do what's necessary to secure and parts and tag all cables etc that will need disconnecting.

Ok so that a start of my thoughts.

I will post more info in a few hours once seller sends me current pics and confirms my payment went through.
 
You didn't say what the hunk of computer hardware was. Some hunks are more valuable than others. 300kg isn't much by 1960s standards--after all, you don't have to sign a contract with the local electrical utility or construct a special building with a raised floor... Heck, 300kg is lighter than most 1960s peripherals.
 
You didn't say what the hunk of computer hardware was. Some hunks are more valuable than others. 300kg isn't much by 1960s standards--after all, you don't have to sign a contract with the local electrical utility or construct a special building with a raised floor... Heck, 300kg is lighter than most 1960s peripherals.

opps Chuck maybe seller missed a zero on end. I will ask again.
 
David,
I've found removals backloaders to be fine. Three years ago I had an IBM 3420 magnetic tape unit (about 350kg or more) shipped by backloading from Melbourne to Brisbane for $250, and that was between Christmas and New Year. Also had two H960 racks shipped again from Melbourne to Brisbane for $200. Sometimes you have to wait for a bit whilst they arrange an ongoing load in the right direction. There are any number of them online.
 
David,
I've found removals backloaders to be fine. Three years ago I had an IBM 3420 magnetic tape unit (about 350kg or more) shipped by backloading from Melbourne to Brisbane for $250, and that was between Christmas and New Year. Also had two H960 racks shipped again from Melbourne to Brisbane for $200. Sometimes you have to wait for a bit whilst they arrange an ongoing load in the right direction. There are any number of them online.

Thanks for that heads up. I was thinking about Backloaders.

However when I post pics of the item I have bought, I am certain you will realize how VERY Rare it is and likely fragile. Thus having multiple load unload cycles as it journeys down the East Coast of Australia is simply asking for trouble.

My view is I just have to "bite the bullet" and go and get it myself.
 
A picture or link would be nice. :)

Yes I do understand it would be. Sorry for this delay in putting up a pic etc.

As I said in the heading I am putting "Cart before the Horse".

Until I have 100% confirmation from Seller that he has received my funds (Paypal) and item is officially mine, I am being cautious posting ful detail and images of item.

BTW just had a conversation with a fellow Melbournite suggesting I ask if any VCFED person in Melbourne needs stuff taking to Sydney on my 5x7 trailer, and would thus contribute to the fuel for that journey.
 
Do you have the means to safely get whatever-it-is on and off your trailer? If you are using ramps and a ratchet winch to move it on, be mindful of your towball and that the weight on the trailer tailgate does not make it disconnect. Therefore check that the clamp is tigh before doing so, and if possible place some spacer item on the ground under the rear of the trailer such as the spare tyre or anything at hand at the pickup location such as bricks, lumber etc.
 
Do you have the means to safely get whatever-it-is on and off your trailer? If you are using ramps and a ratchet winch to move it on, be mindful of your towball and that the weight on the trailer tailgate does not make it disconnect. Therefore check that the clamp is tigh before doing so, and if possible place some spacer item on the ground under the rear of the trailer such as the spare tyre or anything at hand at the pickup location such as bricks, lumber etc.

I do very much appreciate your input.

To answer your questions Yes

I have moved many things in my life having a +200ton open crane licence and full semi-trailer licence and open lift fork truck licence.

Getting it on to trailer, I will be using ramps and my trailer has rear jacks, as I use it on occasions to move my mini-excavator.

The thing of most concern to me is not the loading or unloading, its the jaring and shaking the unit will get during the long road trip home.

It is 173cm x 124cm x 90cm high 5ft 6 long by 4ft wide by 2ft 9" high approx. Its on casters.

Personally I would prefer if my trailers suspension was air bag ride.

I was just researching some vibration/shock absorber pads one can place under casters of machine tools.
Maybe I can use the like between my trailer floor and this item
 
Sounds like you're qualified up to the gills to move things then :) Others may have differing opinions but I reckon unless it is something full of vacuum tubes or mercury delay lines or hard drive heads or string and beeswax then possibly you may be underrating the robustness of old machinery a little. If it has unscratched paint on the side panels or a delicate console then get the seller to wrap in cardboard and bubble wrap. The 3420 arrived with a cardboard box over the top switch/lights console and the sides swathed in bubble wrap, but they had a hydraulic tailgate lift to move it in/out of the truck which was key. Hey I once had a PDP-11/05 arrive from the states with just pieces of cardboard taped around it, I kid you not, and it survived (somehow).
 
Well I have made a 50% down payment and the seller has received same, I now just need to wait on him taking up to date pics and give me some exact measurement, especially of width; as I may try and get a van to bring it home in.

Front view

5JIzlJ4.jpg


partial rear view

HW0svrp.jpg
 
Do you know for certain what this thing is? I don't. Looks like some sort of industrial controller setup. I see a small PCB card cage in the second photo, but not enough to constitute a "computer" of any sort. The belts appear to take some sort of paper or mylar (?) overlay that controls the action, but that's about all I've got. I don't know what the function of the drum is.
 
Do you know for certain what this thing is? I don't. Looks like some sort of industrial controller setup. I see a small PCB card cage in the second photo, but not enough to constitute a "computer" of any sort. The belts appear to take some sort of paper or mylar (?) overlay that controls the action, but that's about all I've got. I don't know what the function of the drum is.

Chuck The seller said it was used as he vagly recalls it to do with a Perkin Elmer system.
He called it a early storage hard drive of sorts
 
I don't know about that. P-E made (and still makes) a bewildering variety of instrumentation and industrial process equipment. Your bit of gear may have very little to do with computing.

However, I'm going by looks and am out of my depth here. A nameplate shot would probably be quite informative.
 
After spending half an hour searching I can't identify it as some sort of Perkin-Elmers spectrograph, which has a roughly similar appearance.
But it looks like it might record signals at high speed on those drums, possibly on paper or film media.
 
After spending half an hour searching I can't identify it as some sort of Perkin-Elmers spectrograph, which has a roughly similar appearance.
But it looks like it might record signals at high speed on those drums, possibly on paper or film media.

Thanks Paul for taking time researching.

could be a real odd bit of kit.

Maybe not such a good buy after all, in the one way that its as large and I really dont have a place to put it.
 
I don't know about that. P-E made (and still makes) a bewildering variety of instrumentation and industrial process equipment. Your bit of gear may have very little to do with computing.

However, I'm going by looks and am out of my depth here. A nameplate shot would probably be quite informative.

Chuck I am still trying to get seller to take and provide me current pics. And yes I asked him by phone if there was a name plate to take photo of it.
 
Well I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I do think it wouldn't look out of place in a movie like 'The Dish'. It's pretty impressive!
 
yes, I agree it is quite impressive.

That's why I could not consider it being sent to scrap.

However, what it did when new compared to now what I can maybe get it to do, only time will tell.

If it is some from of early magnetic storage medium then maybe I can find a way to connect it to a PDP8 or like
 
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I am wondering if there is a VCFED member in Sydney, somewhere on the upper North side or on Central Coast that could go and have a look at the unit this Saturday 20th Oct 2018 and take some more detailed photos on my behalf ?

Also are there any members willing and able to help me collect this item.

Or infact are there any that feel they have a Group that would like to show this at a function in Sydney on its way home to Melbourne ?

if so PM message me
 
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