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Received: from SCRC-EUPHRATES by SCRC-YUKON with CHAOS; Wed 23-Nov-83 16:00:18-EST
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Received: from SPA-NIMBUS by SCRC-TENEX with CHAOS; Wed 23-Nov-83 14:55:17-EST
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Date: Wednesday, 23 November 1983, 11:55-PST
From: Marc Le Brun <MLB at SPA-NIMBUS>
Subject: ex-Jedi boots relay computer
To: fun at SPA-NIMBUS
Redistributed-to: info-cobol@MC.ARPA
Redistributed-by: Moon%SCRC-TENEX@MIT-MC.ARPA
Redistributed-date: Wed, 23 Nov 83 15:34 EST
Date: Wednesday, 23 November 1983, 11:55-PST
From: Marc Le Brun <MLB at SPA-NIMBUS>
Redistributed-By: Moon%SCRC-TENEX at MIT-MC.ARPA
To: fun at SPA-NIMBUS
Re: ex-Jedi boots relay computer
Redistributed-By: Moon%SCRC-TENEX@MIT-MC.ARPA
Redistributed-to: info-cobol@MC.ARPA
Redistributed-date: Wed, 23 Nov 83 15:34 EST
At SPA there is a defunct intercom system. It is relay switched. The
prints are in German, labeled "Return to Accounting Dept". I kept it when
we moved in because, well, who knows. They suggested I pay $5000 for it.
I countered with and offer of $1. They accepted, but have never tried to
collect.
Yesterday I was showing it to the Facilities folks from Chatsworth (it's
in a random closet). Several people simultaneously poked it (it's still
powered and gives good "kachunk"). Somehow it went into a state where it
looped in some futile sequence of rhythmical relay transitions. Something
came up (a phone call no doubt) and it got left that way.
Several hours later Eric couldn't stand it any longer and we went to try
to shut it down. We poked more relays, and were rewarded with even
noisier temporary states. We found ways to partially dismantle it,
including pulling the noisy subassemblies halfway out of the frame, but to
no avail. Eric found that by forcibly closing one relay it would shut up
for about twenty seconds, but then it would come back to life. We
couldn't find any switch, and it was too heavy to move to get to any
cables behind it. Even if did manage to budge it, it would likely have
toppled over on us, or dislodged the mysterious ancient hi-fi tuners
hiding waiting to pounce on us from the dimness of the shelf above. The
power circuitry in the bottom looked too scary to mess with, what with the
spiderwebs and all. We were stumped, as it mindlessly clicked away at us.
Summoning up the Force, Eric kicked it. There was a shower of copper blue
sparks (just like in the movies) and it shut off! (I can see that the FPA
should give him no trouble at all.) Booting has taken on an entirely new
dimension here at SPA.