Re: disposition of largest private DEC collection in USA

From: David Wade (g8mqw_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 01/26/05 

Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 00:10:59 -0000

>
> Sweet.. Need $ and $.. That would be very nice,
> have everything from pre-vacuum tube stuff on up.
> A home for analog computers too, yeah.. I could see
> it on 100 acres. Mostly indoors of course as geeks
> don't like the hot weather much..
>
> The place could become a location of pilgrimages where
> acolytes could chant in octal and wizards could perform
> 5-way merges on relational databases in an afternoon
> while across the park, boy electricians made huge
> sparks fly by selecting the right capacitors..
>
> Microphones could be placed on the HDA's of grumbling
> RA81's and during this activity, connected to
> amplified subwoofers under the spinning platter-shaped
> floor in the next room - a "hard disk ride"
> "Ride the RA-81 Platter like a dust speck!!
> Watch out for the heads!!"
> Space mountain's got nothing on this one!
>
> Rides wouln't be the real attraction though, just a
> minor diversion. The interactive exhibits of all kinds,
> that's the key. The real VAXclusters and the 11/780
> with doors open to show off the cards. A LINUX Beowulf
> cluster, paper tape, DECtape, 9-track tape, 8-track tape.
> And the blinkenlights stuff in a room where the lights
> dim evey several minutes or so. When the lights dim,
> AM radios tuned to the music of each machine come on,
> machines programmed to play music via the RFI. I
> know some remember doing that on pdp8's and other
> stately machines.
>
> On the other stuff, ever programmed an analog computer?

Oddly enough yes, though it was via patch leads , pots and switchs.
On the other hand it did simulate a range of problems really nicely...

> Talk about an experience. There's lots of classic
> technology pieces out there, tons of test equipment
> with real CRT's, and machines like plasma generators
> from depostion processes, ever notice how you can measure
> plasma density by measuring the attenuation of a
> microwave beam through the plasma chamber?
>
> The progress of everything high tech:
> computers
> RF
> audio
> Germanium transistors (if anyone recalls those)
> plain old electricity
> tesla coil (very very large)
> open-frame dynamos
> what else?
>
> Might cost what $100M to start?
>
> The only geek with enough $ to start something like that,
> and enough daring to pull it off is Mr. Gates.
>
> It's wonderful and would probably make tons of
> moolah.. Who's going to call Bill?
>
> Ok so I was known for wild posts.. but that's the best
> thing I've heard of yet, a geek theme park. I'd pay to go.
>
> It's not going to happen before June though. That's the
> timeframe we are looking at about now, so I'm back to
> the subject at hand.
>
> Opcom

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