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Schedule of Events 2004
ShippingCrateDock
UnpackingCrew
MikeZaharesArrival
"Let's gather and roll up some sleeves
and have a little party."
Activity Report
5 Kva static 50 Hz converter likely to arrive early September
Usual "roll up sleeves" work at 10:00
Robert Garner brought a capacitor checker, it agreed
with the existing method used by LaFarr and Don Cull:-))
Robert also brought an adjustable 300 watt
load for load checking power supplies. Floor tiles arranged to use
existing cut-outs, 15 uncut floor tiles would be nice, 25 would be perfect.
Group examined 1402 for non-standard field changes. Ron Williams and Bob Erickson
have all 1401 fans working, ready to start checking power and
control circuits from 1402. Frank King looking for 1403 CE documents.
Some people have trouble meeting/working Wednesdays.
Ron Williams reported that about 5 people showed up - a mostly different
group than the Wednesday group.
Bill Flora brought a 1402 service document. Ron Williams and
Bob Erickson "rang out" some connections between 1401 and 1402. Don Cull found
reason a timing belt had been broken in the 1402 - punch timing wheel jammed.
Glen Lea and Ed Thelen did bench testing of 140x power supplies. Two
verified for full rated power to load so far :-)) 6 volts head-room 1 volt
ripple on filter capacitors, regulation ripple well below specs as per Ron Williams.
We need 1402 parts exchange permits soon.
The
Elgar 5 Kva 50 Hz power unit, gift of IBM San Jose,
is now in the 1401 room!! Dave Bennet of IBM helped secure
the unit. Robert Garner and Ed Thelen moved it.
CHM volunteer Mr. Yee of Frank Electric will
connect it to building power? Dag Spicer gave verbal sign-off on e-mail
requests for parts swap with 1402 in Visible Storage. Bill Flora inserted
pictures of requested parts into 1402 log book. Frank King (back from Burning Man)
continued 1403 activities. Ron Williams and Don Erickson installed 3 checked
power supplies into 1401. Ed Thelen and Dan McInnis continued checking others
at full rated
load - one capacitor oozes, seems to have a failed expansion plug - to be replaced.
Four of the usual Wednesday work group were there :-)) but
none of the folks that expressed special interest in Saturdays :-|
Frank King prepared to swap 3 rusty
1403 parts with visible storage, but
the visible storage machine is a different model and the parts are not interchangeable!
Grant Saviers will work on these rusty parts.
We "borrowed" a cable clamp
from visible storage machine. Ed Thelen
changed out a
power supply capacitor that was
leaking fluid. Bob Erickson
and Ron Williams found a shorted pass transistor,
type 108, in a failed power supply and removed it leaving three good
pass transistors - good enough until we get a replacement. The next failed
power supply does not regulate - the output remains 1/3 of the filter capacitor
voltage. Probably need an external +6 volt connection (power sequencing)
to make it behave -
the schematic shows a 6 volt optional input. "Next time :-))".
Four of the usual Wednesday work group were there :-))
(I (Ed Thelen) had previously delivered three rusty 1403 parts (above) to Grant
Saviers.) All 140x power supplies checked out under full load and re-installed.
The 6 volt trick works - part of power sequencing and circuit protection?
240 volts 60 hz applied to 1401 fan motors - They now REALLY spin and move air!
We now need:
See 1402 Power Input Plug Discussion
for current situation.
- Jim Yee (museum volunteer electrician)
said he could meet with the 1401 crew about power hook-up.
Frank King, Ron Williams, Bob Erickson and I came in to meet him. A plan was worked
out to connect wall panel, Elgar 50 Hz unit, 1402. The authentic 1402 power plugs
cost about $500, we are settling for 1/10 that. The derusted painted 1403 parts from
Grant Saviers were re-installed. More wiring in the 1402 was checked, did not match
some drawings, but the drawings seemed incorrect (the same circuit should not be
named 30 volts and 12 volts?). We spent several interesting hours trying to smooth
a spare 1403 chain and housing - wild stuff !
A complex week, see report
here.
Numbered list from agenda:
- Remove German jumpers, restore
to original schematic.
Tim Coslet said that the IBM 108 power transistor Bob Erickson installed
Wednesday was from an IBM power supply he rescued from a land fill when he
was in high school.
Bill Flora's Report 10/25/04
Informal interim Report for October 27th 2004 -
- It seemed like 18 project people attended. (Robert Garner made a list and took notes.)
Then a number of us retreated/advanced to the 1401 room and
- 1402 - need Visual Storage for a few weeks more
- 1403 - Frank King back from vacation !
- 729s - Allen Palmer back from vacation !
- turned the chattering/sparking 1401 ON and OFF enough to satisfy Tesla.
No report offered because the results too confusing.
- completed testing the capacitors in the other Mod 5, 729 power supply
- continued work on 729s, 1402, 1403
see The struggle continues
Paula busy, Ron, Ed, and Allen looked around, did not find needed "ALD" documents
Found Elgar
missing neutral
(jumpers)
causing reduced efficiency. Continued 729 restoration.
Activity Report
See Nov. 13, Second Saturday
- Activity Report
"Action"?? Watching a clock count hours?!?
Yup! Elapsed time meters such as this produced revenue for
IBM from 1401s and other IBM products on lease or maintenance. You had a
1 shift lease, or 2 shift lease, or some other arrangement - and this meter
kept watch on customer run time. The right hand side is CE run time.
Could make life tough for midnight hackers trying to learn computing. :-((
Another meter kept track of power on time.
10:00 - Ron, Ed, Allen and Bill W. met with Paula, document training,
search for ALDs. Ron and Ed copied another set of 1401 ALDs
(Automated Logic Diagrams)
book #34 & 35, yielding a master and a working copy.
Thursday, Robert Garner submitted
Elgar Power Status 11/18/04
This is the main core stack in the 1401 itself (there is another
in the 1406). Note the larger cores in the red areas - these are
switch cores to help reduce the numbers of high power transistors
necessary to drive the 1/2 ampere half select currents to the
main core stack. Later transistor developments and cost improvements
made the use of switch cores less useful.
Jim Yee installed larger circuit breakers and wires to
Elgar. Power should be available for hours instead of seconds. Robert Garner,
Ron Williams, Bob Erickson, Don Cull, Milt Thomas, Glenn Lea and Ed Thelen were
present. SMS card inventory completed.
Moldy card boxes removed, cards now
in new boxes. Paula showed us the 1620 documentation
room which the 1401 team is moving into. Holes punched for 4 Automated Logic
books.
Jim Yee has installed larger 3-phase circuit breakers and
larger gauge wire to the Elgar power converter. :-)) We should/DID have
power for hours :-)) The following people were present - -Frank King, Bill Flora,
Ron Williams, Milt Thomas Bob Erickson, Robert Garner, Allen Palmer, Glenn Lea.
Present were: Allen Palmer, Tim Coslett, Bob Erickson, Ron Williams,
Robert Garner, Ed Thelen. More discoveries on the power situation. The
main contactor in the 1402 needs 50 Hz, during bring up it was on a 60 Hz
temporary circuit and did not close reliably. The power supply in the 1st
729 tape unit has been re-installed after checking capacitors and performance.
The glitch in one phase is still present. Wiring schematics for 1403 have
not been found.
Tim Coslet, Ron Williams, and Bob Erickson chasing a clock pulse problem.
Note the use of "IBM Blue" "pulpit" that Ron Williams made. ;-))
Present were: Bob Erickson, Ron Williams, LaFarr Stuart,
Ed Thelen, Milt Thomas, Glen Lea, Dan McInnis.
Dan McInnis gave Glenn,
Ed and LaFarr a tutorial on his discoveries of making the
1401 simulator at http://www.members.optushome.com.au/intaemul/Emul1401.htm
to work. It took Dan about 2 months of patient investigation to find
sufficient operating rules to make it useful. Ron Williams and Bob and Milt
discovered several things - including why the operator's panel lights were
so dim - someone had painted to back of the plastic panel white, obscuring
the lamps.
December 15th Tutorial - Dan McInnis spent two months figuring how to make an
undocumented script driven IBM 1401 simulator work.
(from http://www.members.optushome.com.au/intaemul/Emul1401.htm)
He is demonstrating how to set up the scripts and run the
simulator to Glenn Lea, LaFarr Stuart, and Ed Thelen.
The simulator comes complete with the SPS Assembler and
is very handy :-))
A screen shot of the above simulator. Note the card reader hopper,
printed page, card punch hopper, and various controls.
There is no particular effort by this simulator to emulate
the actual 1401 console.