Just for grins I Googled DECUS and it is much changed but still around: http://www.decus.org/ Dave > -----Original Message----- > From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com > [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On Behalf Of Bob Camp > Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 5:56 PM > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver > > Hi > > Time to get out the paper tape for 4K Focal and do some code... > > Bob > > > > On Mar 3, 2012, at 8:19 PM, "Don Lewis" > <dlewis6767@austin.rr.com> wrote: > > > I still have a PDP/8 with 4k core memory out in the garage. > (a jillion RTL > > cards in it). It was free to e then, broken, ...I had to > find t\all the bad > > transistors.... > > > > During college, ..I would sit in the floor with that thing > and toggle in > > small programs in machine language to count up and down, seemingly > > impressing everyone with the binary lights dancing on the > front panel. > > > > ...this all makes me want to pull it out and 'toggle' some > more, again.... > > > > -Don > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------- > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com > [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On > > Behalf Of Bob Camp > > Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 6:55 PM > > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran > C receiver > > > > Hi > > > > Ahhh... The days of toggling the boot loader in with the front panel > > switches. So much fin. > > > > Bob > > > > > > > > On Mar 3, 2012, at 7:45 PM, Jim Lux <jimlux@earthlink.net> wrote: > > > >> On 3/3/12 4:13 PM, Azelio Boriani wrote: > >>> Geez, I have read and I don't think it is possible to > replicate the CALOC > >>> PDP-8/E software nor it is useful to use the Austron 5000 > Loran receiver, > >>> my understanding is that it was used to control and steer > the system. It > >>> seems they were in use until the year 2000! Maybe that > using MATLAB it is > >>> possible to exploit the Austron 5000 functionality > nowadays, provided > > that, > >>> someway, the 12bit samples from the Austron are > transferred to the PC. > >>> Anyway to start with, at least the receiver connectors pinout is > >>> mandatory... > >>> > >> > >> There are PDP8 emulators out there. Not to mention actual > > microcontrollers that implement the PDP8 instruction set > (aside from the > > no-doubt out of production Intersil part). > >> > >> And a fair number of FPGA implementations in your choice > of language. > >> > >> While it might not be as scenic as that nice plastic see > through housing > > with all those discrete DTL circuit cards in the original > straight 8. I > > used a 8/i way back in the early 70s and I was bummed that > it was just a > > single box in the rack. > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > >> To unsubscribe, go to > > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > >> and follow the instructions there. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > > To unsubscribe, go to > > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > > and follow the instructions there. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > > and follow the instructions there. > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there.

Thanks to all who replied. I think I'm in over my head with this one. There are far easier ways for me to try to receive Loran C, and I have no shortage of projects. So... Forgive me if this is not allowed on this reflector... Free to a good home (after shipping): One Austron 5000 Loran C receiver. Untested. Decent physical condx. See earlier post from me for a link to photos. If interested, please contact me off list. -Andy -- _______________________________________ Andy Lokken

Andy, I'm truly sorry this didn't go anywhere, in spite of Forster's attempt to hijack the thread. You got more replies from heavy hitters than I ever did. (Excuse me, Magnus, if you do not consider yourself as a heavy hitter.) What you have is a device that has a CRT display and Nixie displays, an antenna connection, and several 50 pin connectors. A creative bit banger could make a marvelous display from this unit. Truly creative bit bangers are hard to find these days. Have I challenged anybody here? Andy is one of the good guys. Bill Hawkins -----Original Message----- From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On Behalf Of Andy Lokken Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 10:09 PM To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver Thanks to all who replied. I think I'm in over my head with this one. There are far easier ways for me to try to receive Loran C, and I have no shortage of projects. So... Forgive me if this is not allowed on this reflector... Free to a good home (after shipping): One Austron 5000 Loran C receiver. Untested. Decent physical condx. See earlier post from me for a link to photos. If interested, please contact me off list. -Andy

Bill: No need to apologize. This has all been a positive experience for me. Had I not taken that receiver, I might not have learned everything I have learned about Loran C in the last several weeks. And the other equipment you gave me is in use and works great, by the way. This list is a great resource. Maybe the '5000 finds a new home... or maybe I part it out.... It's still all a plus on this end. Best regards, Andy On Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 10:32 PM, Bill Hawkins <bill@iaxs.net> wrote: > Andy, I'm truly sorry this didn't go anywhere, in spite of Forster's > attempt to hijack the thread. You got more replies from heavy hitters > than I ever did. (Excuse me, Magnus, if you do not consider yourself > as a heavy hitter.) > > What you have is a device that has a CRT display and Nixie displays, > an antenna connection, and several 50 pin connectors. A creative > bit banger could make a marvelous display from this unit. Truly > creative bit bangers are hard to find these days. > > Have I challenged anybody here? Andy is one of the good guys. > > Bill Hawkins > > > -----Original Message----- > From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On > Behalf Of Andy Lokken > Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 10:09 PM > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver > > Thanks to all who replied. I think I'm in over my head with this one. There > are far easier ways for me to try to receive Loran C, and I have no > shortage of projects. > > So... Forgive me if this is not allowed on this reflector... > > Free to a good home (after shipping): One Austron 5000 Loran C receiver. > Untested. Decent physical condx. See earlier post from me for a link to > photos. > > If interested, please contact me off list. > > -Andy > > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. > -- _______________________________________ Andy Lokken

In message <CAAzRQfC=u8nGWOb_u1FA0ZrhLSXS8EwE+os+JnY+jy6DUqQFZQ@mail.gmail.com>, Andy Lokken writes: >Maybe the '5000 finds a new home... or maybe I part it out.... It's still >all a plus on this end. I think one very interesting question is how much similarity there is between a 2100 and the 5000. There may be enough to allow you to figure out how to put another computer on the 5000, but it would be a lot of work, no doubt about that. -- Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20 phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956 FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.

Bill, On 03/04/2012 05:32 AM, Bill Hawkins wrote: > Andy, I'm truly sorry this didn't go anywhere, in spite of Forster's > attempt to hijack the thread. You got more replies from heavy hitters > than I ever did. (Excuse me, Magnus, if you do not consider yourself > as a heavy hitter.) Well, I think I have to accept that position. I just try to contribute. But this was a fun riddle. I found it mentioned in a number of papers I never bothered to give you the links to. > What you have is a device that has a CRT display and Nixie displays, > an antenna connection, and several 50 pin connectors. A creative > bit banger could make a marvelous display from this unit. Truly > creative bit bangers are hard to find these days. > > Have I challenged anybody here? Andy is one of the good guys. A fun hack would be to build a Loran-C simulator which produces the GRI's and timing matching the position and run enough of the loops to build all the key values for it. There is a PhD dissertation out there which both describes the Austron 5000 hardware with some detail (not very great) and then has the improved CALOC in Matlab code: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA337399 It references back to the "Loran-C engineering coarse", which I don't seem to find. This link is some Austron 5000 related fun hunting a ghost transmitter: http://www.pdana.com/PHDWWW_files/Rghost.pdf Peter Dana might be of assistance for the Austron 5000 software: http://www.pdana.com/PHDRES.html As one wades through the Loran material, one realize that it's really the backdrop of the GPS system and it's infrastructure to support dual use. Cheers, Magnus

Hi Given the number of people who have popped up as PDP-8 junkies, I suspect there is a way to get the 5000 running. Bob On Mar 3, 2012, at 11:09 PM, Andy Lokken <alokken@gmail.com> wrote: > Thanks to all who replied. I think I'm in over my head with this one. There > are far easier ways for me to try to receive Loran C, and I have no > shortage of projects. > > So... Forgive me if this is not allowed on this reflector... > > Free to a good home (after shipping): One Austron 5000 Loran C receiver. > Untested. Decent physical condx. See earlier post from me for a link to > photos. > > If interested, please contact me off list. > > -Andy > > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________ > Andy Lokken > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there.

It would make an awesome display! John WA4WDL -------------------------------------------------- From: "Bill Hawkins" <bill@iaxs.net> Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 11:32 PM To: "'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'" <time-nuts@febo.com> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver > Andy, I'm truly sorry this didn't go anywhere, in spite of Forster's > attempt to hijack the thread. You got more replies from heavy hitters > than I ever did. (Excuse me, Magnus, if you do not consider yourself > as a heavy hitter.) > > What you have is a device that has a CRT display and Nixie displays, > an antenna connection, and several 50 pin connectors. A creative > bit banger could make a marvelous display from this unit. Truly > creative bit bangers are hard to find these days. > > Have I challenged anybody here? Andy is one of the good guys. > > Bill Hawkins > > > -----Original Message----- > From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On > Behalf Of Andy Lokken > Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 10:09 PM > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver > > Thanks to all who replied. I think I'm in over my head with this one. > There > are far easier ways for me to try to receive Loran C, and I have no > shortage of projects. > > So... Forgive me if this is not allowed on this reflector... > > Free to a good home (after shipping): One Austron 5000 Loran C receiver. > Untested. Decent physical condx. See earlier post from me for a link to > photos. > > If interested, please contact me off list. > > -Andy > > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. >

Yes, no doubt we can find a way to use the Austron 5000 but it will be a long and hard way. First we need the 5000 pinout and figure out what the 5000 gives out. Then we have no source of the CALOC software: we have to write a new software but before we must decide how to transport the data out from the 5000 into a PC (parallel port? USB? FireWire? SCSI? Dedicated hardware?). It is possible but a great long project. On Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 3:07 PM, jmfranke <jmfranke@cox.net> wrote: > It would make an awesome display! > > John WA4WDL > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Bill Hawkins" <bill@iaxs.net> > Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 11:32 PM > To: "'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'" < > time-nuts@febo.com> > > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver > > Andy, I'm truly sorry this didn't go anywhere, in spite of Forster's >> attempt to hijack the thread. You got more replies from heavy hitters >> than I ever did. (Excuse me, Magnus, if you do not consider yourself >> as a heavy hitter.) >> >> What you have is a device that has a CRT display and Nixie displays, >> an antenna connection, and several 50 pin connectors. A creative >> bit banger could make a marvelous display from this unit. Truly >> creative bit bangers are hard to find these days. >> >> Have I challenged anybody here? Andy is one of the good guys. >> >> Bill Hawkins >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On >> Behalf Of Andy Lokken >> Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 10:09 PM >> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement >> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver >> >> Thanks to all who replied. I think I'm in over my head with this one. >> There >> are far easier ways for me to try to receive Loran C, and I have no >> shortage of projects. >> >> So... Forgive me if this is not allowed on this reflector... >> >> Free to a good home (after shipping): One Austron 5000 Loran C receiver. >> Untested. Decent physical condx. See earlier post from me for a link to >> photos. >> >> If interested, please contact me off list. >> >> -Andy >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to >> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. >

Hi A few things that likely are true: The PDP-8 was a machine that did things in microseconds rather than nanoseconds. It is unlikely the interface ran very fast. Parallel I/O was the typical approach back then. The big green connectors likely attach to a fairly standard parallel port. Memory was pretty expensive stuff. The code may be pretty simple. Based on that one big question: Did the cables with the (expensive) mating connectors come with the box? Simply mating up with the box could turn this into an expensive endeavor. Bob On Mar 4, 2012, at 9:51 AM, Azelio Boriani <azelio.boriani@screen.it> wrote: > Yes, no doubt we can find a way to use the Austron 5000 but it will be a > long and hard way. First we need the 5000 pinout and figure out what the > 5000 gives out. Then we have no source of the CALOC software: we have to > write a new software but before we must decide how to transport the data > out from the 5000 into a PC (parallel port? USB? FireWire? SCSI? Dedicated > hardware?). It is possible but a great long project. > > On Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 3:07 PM, jmfranke <jmfranke@cox.net> wrote: > >> It would make an awesome display! >> >> John WA4WDL >> >> -------------------------------------------------- >> From: "Bill Hawkins" <bill@iaxs.net> >> Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 11:32 PM >> To: "'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'" < >> time-nuts@febo.com> >> >> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver >> >> Andy, I'm truly sorry this didn't go anywhere, in spite of Forster's >>> attempt to hijack the thread. You got more replies from heavy hitters >>> than I ever did. (Excuse me, Magnus, if you do not consider yourself >>> as a heavy hitter.) >>> >>> What you have is a device that has a CRT display and Nixie displays, >>> an antenna connection, and several 50 pin connectors. A creative >>> bit banger could make a marvelous display from this unit. Truly >>> creative bit bangers are hard to find these days. >>> >>> Have I challenged anybody here? Andy is one of the good guys. >>> >>> Bill Hawkins >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On >>> Behalf Of Andy Lokken >>> Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 10:09 PM >>> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement >>> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver >>> >>> Thanks to all who replied. I think I'm in over my head with this one. >>> There >>> are far easier ways for me to try to receive Loran C, and I have no >>> shortage of projects. >>> >>> So... Forgive me if this is not allowed on this reflector... >>> >>> Free to a good home (after shipping): One Austron 5000 Loran C receiver. >>> Untested. Decent physical condx. See earlier post from me for a link to >>> photos. >>> >>> If interested, please contact me off list. >>> >>> -Andy >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >>> To unsubscribe, go to >>> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >>> and follow the instructions there. >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to >> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there.