HP 7035B X-Y Recorder Restoration Part 2: Back to its Former Glory.CuriousMarc2022-06-22 | Part 2 of our analog X-Y recorder repair. It's back to perfection.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutHP 5245L Repair-a-thon - Part 3: 500MHz Plugin Repair (HP 5253A and HP 5253B)CuriousMarc2023-06-12 | It's time to repair our 500 MHz frequency converter plugins, the HP 5253A and HP 5253B. It says in red letters: "CAUTION: DO NOT ATTEMPT DISASSEMBLY OF CAVITY". Really? Guess what we are going to do! What we find inside is quite amazing. Through RF magic tricks, they make our HP 5245L Nixie counter work 10 times faster!
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutWe found the shark in the SHARC DSP #Short #InTheRightOrientationCuriousMarc2023-06-08 | Antoine (@SiliconInsid on Twitter) brought some cool chips to decap. Here we open a quad SHARC DSP chip. We think that's where the original recipe for fish and chips comes from!
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutApollo Comms Part 28: Apollo AC power inverter and the great Apollo 13 debugCuriousMarc2023-06-02 | We open up a Block I Apollo AC inverter, delve deep inside the Apollo electrical power system, and follow word for word the Apollo 13 raw audio of the debug after the accident.
An even better way to listen to the Apollo 13 audio is to go to: apolloinrealtime.org/13 Select "join at launch-1minute", then pause it and go to mission time 55:54. To get an even better listen to the debug, go to the Mission Audio Control tab, and click on EECOM. You'll hear even more of the backroom discussion between EECOM and EPS
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy shirts on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Learn more on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutRAF Pitot Static Tester Preview - Guess What This is For! #Short #InTheRightOrientationCuriousMarc2023-05-30 | A quick preview of a mystery instrument I just repaired. Can you guess what what it does? Hint: my minions stole this from the British RAF. Full repair video will follow, that was intense.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutHP 5245L Repair-a-thon - Part 2: Repairing the king of Nixie frequency metersCuriousMarc2023-05-17 | We continue repairing our very broken HP 5245L, and hit some really subtle bugs in this amazing all-transistor machine. Opening the Nixie decoder to reveal its many neons and photo-resistor tree is a special treat.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutHP 5245L Repair-a-thon - Part 1: The King of 1960s Frequency MetersCuriousMarc2023-05-11 | We start repairing our very broken HP 5245L. It is arguably the king of the Nixie frequency meters of the 1960s. Equipped with the right plug in, it could count up to 18 GHz. Many of them were used in the Apollo communication ground stations. But this digital instrument does not use a single IC: it's all made with individual transistors inside! It feels like repairing a giant IC, but with access to every transistor. We're sure not complaining about it.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutVintage Kollsman Altimeter RepairCuriousMarc2023-05-07 | Our eBay altimeter that we purchased for the Bendix Air Data Computer restoration is very broken. Can we repair it? Not too sure about that, but at least we'll get to see what's inside, and it's very pretty!
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutStar Wars Aware Computer - from 1964CuriousMarc2023-05-04 | Today is May the 4th! May the force stay strong with your vintage computer!
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutApollo Comms Part 27: Quindar Tones Microphone HackCuriousMarc2023-04-29 | Nothing is more emblematic of the Apollo communications than the Quindar tones, which you hear at the beginning and end of each transmission. In this episode, we hack a cheap commercial microphone to bring it up to NASA standards by adding the tones. After explaining what they do, of course.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutBendix Air Data Computer - Part 2: Master Ken Explains (re-upload)CuriousMarc2023-04-23 | Master Ken explains the amazing jet fighter analog computer made out of gears, that we opened up in this episode: youtu.be/D-wHIDnnQwQ
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/about8 inch floppy drive #3, 4 and 5 repair (CDC 9406 diskette drives)CuriousMarc2023-04-21 | We repair more 8" diskette drive units with new and entertaining failure modes, including an interesting one involving one of the heads.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutApollo Comms Part 26: Full system integration, and our first exhibitCuriousMarc2023-04-17 | We hook it up all together, and exhibit at DesignCon 2023. Many thanks to Samtec for their support: samtec.com .
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutRetr0brighting the easy way (Protek 3015B power supply)CuriousMarc2023-04-11 | We try our hand at retr0brighting a very yellowed Protek power supply, with a simplified method.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutSoyuz Globus Mechanical Navigation Computer Part 3: Landing FunctionCuriousMarc2023-03-26 | We finish the restoration of our Soyuz INK "Globus" analog mechanical navigation computer by making its all important landing point prediction function work again.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutMore about 8 floppies: recovering data from odd diskette formats I didnt even know existed!CuriousMarc2023-03-23 | We complete our early floppy diskette education by taking a look at a hard sectored 8" floppy, an IBM Minnow floppy, an IBM Demi Floppy, and some oddly formatted Intel Intellec diskettes. Will we be able to recover the data?
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutApollo Comms Part 25: Central Timing EquipmentCuriousMarc2023-03-11 | We power up Apollo's capsule Central Timing Equipment and make a space Nixie tube space clock while we are at it.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/about7 Orbits with the Soyuz Globus Mechanical Computer #Short #InTheWrongOrientationCuriousMarc2023-02-28 | See full video and explanation on @CuriousMarcSoyuz Globus Mechanical Navigation Computer Part 2: Powering UpCuriousMarc2023-02-28 | We attempt to power up our repaired Soyuz INK "Globus" analog mechanical navigation computer, after 48 years.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutA few orbits with the Soyuz Globus #Short #InTheRightOrientationCuriousMarc2023-02-18 | Our Soyuz Globus INK is spinning! Enjoy a few orbits, departing from Kazakstan. Obviously slightly overclocked in this video...
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutSoyuz Globus Mechanical Navigation Computer Part 1: Grand OpeningCuriousMarc2023-02-16 | We open up a Soyuz INK "Globus" analog mechanical navigation computer. It's full of gears and incredibly gorgeous, and in our case, somewhat broken. Thanks to Depstech for lending us their endoscope!
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutApollo LM Caution LampCuriousMarc2023-02-06 | A viewer recently donated an unusual item to the channel. It looks like a large gray push button. It turns out, it's not a button at all! However, it has an Apollo part number, and of course Mike did track it down. It's a genuine caution lamp from the LM control panel! So we go full @Franlab and light it up.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutBendix Air Data Computer - Part 1: First Look InsideCuriousMarc2023-02-03 | We open up an amazing jet fighter analog computer made out of gears.
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutApollo Guidance Computer Part 29: Mikes Scores a Coupling Data Unit (CDU)CuriousMarc2023-01-28 | Mike got a Coupling Data Unit at an auction, opens it up and gives a masterclass in Apollo hardware identification. The CDU is the box that is the root cause of the 1202 errors during the Apollo 11 landing. And his box is not what the auction advertised - it's much better!
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutAll you never wanted to know about 8 inch floppy drivesCuriousMarc2023-01-13 | We connect an 8" floppy drive to a PC, learn the 11 ways they are different from standard PC floppies, and even design an adapter and make it available for all on Tindie.
Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:20 My 8" drives come from an HP 9895 02:37 The IBM 8" floppy and its media 06:03 Antoine's 8" floppy adapter 07:06 Booting my PC from the 8" floppy 08:24 8" drive restoration and bring up 11:08 Making the prototype cable adapter 20:16 The 11 quirks of 8" floppies 20:52 Single sided vs. double sided 21:48 Write protect works reverse 22:52 Four address wires! 24:56 Head load signal 25:41 Door lock signal 26:38 Disk ready vs. disk change 28:02 Track 43 current control 28:37 Pull up resistors 29:28 500kHz data rate 30:07 FM modulation support 30:49 ImageDisk and Omnidisk setup for 77 tracks 32:52 Formatting an 8" Floppy 34:07 Using the floppy with Windows 35:25 Playing Donkey Kong from the 8" diskette
Get more technical info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutCZUR Fancy document scanner reviewCuriousMarc2023-01-02 | This is my review of the new CZUR Fancy, a price conscious version of the higher end CZUR Pro scanner that I use and love for my vintage documentation scans. It also doubles up as a livestream cam. CZUR provided the scanner for free, so that counts as a sponsored video. Below is the link with the sponsored description, and also links to some scans I made in the video.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutMach Number and Static Air Temperature vintage aircraft instruments #Short #InTheRightOrientationCuriousMarc2022-12-25 | A little teaser. We break the sound barrier and freeze to -100C. Kind of. At least we pretend to. It's a short without being a short, because I refuse to turn my camera the wrong way. Also, the Static Air Temp indicator sounds a bit angry, I wouldn't fly it. These should be used in a future video with our analog mechanical Air Data Computer.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutRecovering Jennifers childhood Magnabelt tape on my IBM ExecutaryCuriousMarc2022-12-20 | Jennifer has a very odd format magnetic tape. She thinks it may have her voice and that of her beloved late father on it, recorded in1965, when she was 4 years old. I know what it is, it's a 4" IBM Magnabelt! It should fit in my ailing IBM Executary 214. Can we recover Jennifer's childhood recording? That would be the hell of a nice Christmas present.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutExplaining the Apollo hardware on display at Seattles Museum of FlightCuriousMarc2022-11-28 | The superb Apollo exhibit at Seattle's Museum of Flight teaches us a few things about the Apollo command module, the F-1 Rocketdyne engine, the lunar rover, and more, that we didn't know.
Music Credit: Crinoline Dreams by Kevin McLeodHP 10638A Degausser: checking vintage HP equipment with more vintage HP equipment!CuriousMarc2022-10-25 | We over-test the over-engineered HP 10638A Degausser, in preparation for the tuning of the HP 5061A Cesium clock C-Field.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutAt the Connections Museum: the insane telephone technology that led to todays computersCuriousMarc2022-10-20 | We tour Seattle's Connections Museum, and marvel at rarely seen, fully functioning telephone exchange equipment, from the electro-mechanical 1900's to the all-computerized system of the 1970s. Next time you use a modern computer, give a thought to Bell Labs who invented the transistor and the Unix operating system, all driven by the need for better telecommunication technology.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutTest StreamCuriousMarc2022-10-15 | This was an unannounced test, to see if my new setup worked at all. Nothing particular was planned, but we ended up showing a Sony CRT monitor that has lost its green channel and that we were in the process of hooking up to Eric’s CRT rejuvinator, a newly arrived Central Air Data Computer, which is a mechanical analog computer that Ken is reverse engineering, and an Apollo core rope reader that Mike is designing and fabricating. Some glitchy audio and video, but it did work OK for a first try. Viewers’ comments were fantastic, many quite entertaining, and some quite helpful to help me debug the stream with plenty of good advice. Keep it up! Nice to see people hopping on from all over the world! It worked well enough that we should try this again in a more organized fashion in the future.Open Circuits: Eric cuts through electronic components and reveals their hidden inner beautyCuriousMarc2022-10-11 | Eric (@TubeTimeUS) went on a rampage slicing through electronic components, teamed up with Windell (Evil Mad Scientist @EMSL) and published a new book. In this video we show how they made the incredible pictures in the book.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutHelping LGR to restore a vintage Sanyo ICC-0082 calculatorCuriousMarc2022-10-03 | LGR asked for help rescuing a gorgeous Dictaphone 1680 calculator, née Sanyo ICC-0082. We are happy to oblige. And while we are at it, Ken reverse engineers the enigmatic General Instrument chipset that makes it tick.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutApollo Comms Part 22: How NASA Upgraded the Moon TV to ColorCuriousMarc2022-10-02 | Barely a year after the first black and white TV transmission from the Moon, NASA upgraded it to color. This is how this was done, and we try it on our original Apollo link too.
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy shirts on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Learn more on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutPlaying with Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs - with full explanation)CuriousMarc2022-09-12 | We explain how Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) were invented and how they work, and hook up a few to light them up. They are as intimidating as they are awesome. But did you know that they led to the discovery of the electron, and the birth of a new field, electronics? And of course the invention of the oscilloscope and modern TV!
Support the team on Patreon: patreon.com/curiousmarc Buy our merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousmarcs-store Get more info on the companion site: curiousmarc.com Contact info: youtube.com/curiousmarc/aboutUSS Hornet and the forgotten Apollo AS-202 missionCuriousMarc2022-09-02 | We visit the USS Hornet and learn about the important but forgotten Apollo AS-202 mission, its recovered capsule, as well as recovery operations for Apollo 11 including a peek at the mobile quarantine facility. Corrections: Since I posted the video, astute viewers corrected a few errors in the video (thank you all) - the photo of the Saturn IB AS-202 booster being hoisted is not at Stennis for a test, but on launch pad 34 at Cape Kennedy for final stacking. - the staging footage is the second stage S-IVB separating from the S-IB booster, not from the S-IVB / CSM staging. - the astronauts were in the MQF for only 65 hours, not two weeks. The MQF was flown back to Houston were the astronauts transferred to special isolation quarters to spend the rest of their quarantine in much more comfort.
Music: Legend of Zelda - 10 Rupees, by Neskvartetten (OCR Remix)Apollo Comms Part 21: TV from the MoonCuriousMarc2022-08-21 | Our first successful video transmission using the original Apollo comms hardware. And sadly we don't have a real Apollo moon camera, so we have to cobble one together ourselves.