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True, but the device is still historically significant. At least, it was significant enough for a museum to want and display it. Seems odd they wouldn’t want to show the truly relevant bits of it to the public. Or that other vintage computer admirers over the years wouldn’t have caught a shot somewhere.
From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2016 4:15 PM
To: Homebrew PCBs <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] TV Typewriter: Custom G10 copper clad
Quote:
"But why in 40 years nobody has taken some color photos of the prototype’s boards is beyond me."
................................
I think that the technology was elevating so fast at that time, that the TV Typewriter concept
faded away pretty fast.
More sophisticated applications (and chips) were emerging which offered more "bang-for-the buck" than
Lancasters device and all of its interations.
Soon after that, Altair, SWTP, and many other vendors were offering (nearly) complete computers for
not very much money.
Even the "Byte Shop" out of New York City had a computer kit for sale.
I guess I lean more toward innovation and progress tha nostalgia when it comes to this
kind of stuff.
But don't get upsent by saying that the demise of Kodachrome was a natural and expected
advance in color film technology!
Regards,
RFH
From: "'Brad' unclefalter@... [Homebrew_PCBs]" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Homebrew PCBs" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2016 2:52:55 PM
Subject: RE: [Homebrew_PCBs] TV Typewriter: Custom G10 copper clad
The only original photos of the PCBs that I’ve found are the black and whites that appear in the magazine article. And unfortunately apart from color, I wasn’t able to confirm that those were the actual boards in the prototype. There is a possibility they may be the SWTPC production boards. The picture is hard to discern, but I don’t think I see any silkscreening, so we could be right. But why in 40 years nobody has taken some color photos of the prototype’s boards is beyond me.
I didn’t realize Lancaster was in a home (although I kind of thought he must be getting up there age wise). He was pretty detailed in some of his responses and he maintains a website (tinaja.com). I tried the best I could not to pester him too much, sending an email only when necessary and months apart. But yeah, I suppose maybe it’s getting difficult for him to answer.
Not to get too off topic, but I already have the keyboard. Well, sort of. In other articles there are pictures of similar keyboards out of the prototype unit. They have the same keys, same arrangement, same colors. I believe ultimately his was a microswitch unit that went into Honeywell key to tape machines. I was able to find a Mohawk MDS keyboard, which uses the same switches and keytops and can be arranged exactly the same way. The only difference is the Honeywell units had a flange on either side one used to secure the unit. The flanges on mine are detachable and not the same. Here’s a photo of my first mockup. The original keytops are white around the base and then blue, red or white on top. I had to paint some of my keys blue the best I could to match Don’s look. I think I got pretty close:
My case is also pretty much bang on, except the top part which could be metal or wood but is covered with vinyl on the prototype. Also need to change my side pieces to oak from fir.
From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2016 2:12 PM
To: Homebrew PCBs <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] TV Typewriter: Custom G10 copper clad
"'Brad' unclefalter@... :
Before spending a lot of time and frustration in trying to build the old
Don Lancaster TV-Typewriter project in any of
the several iterations, please read the information in the URL below.
http://everything.explained.today/TV_Typewriter/
Looking at the Lancaster design now........in 2016..............it
hardly looks like a intelligent investment in time nor money.
And there are several "Show-And-Tell" videos about the TV Typewriter on YouTube,
plus several Internet postings under Radio Electronics magazine (TV Typewriter)
that show the "innards" of the device, including photos of the motherboard and the
4 pr 5 other PCB's that comprise the complete unit.
Additionally, I wonder where one could obtain the special keyboard (Lancaster design, later
manufactured by SWTP). And I think I have seen several versions of the "motherboard"
that were both epoxy-glass and XXXP paper material.
Lancaster spent his last days in a "home" for seniors, and I'm not sure that he was in
a position to correspond with the general public.
His projects and publications were inspiring to a lot of people........including me.
I still have a few of his publications, and I still refer to them when I get "stuck".
Good luck on this project!
Regards,
Roland F. Harriston, P.D.
a
Arguments, contradictions, profanity, etc. are welcomed.
Regards,
agree with much of what you said in principle. For me, this project is just about creating something you cannot buy.
I did have an exchange going with Don Lancaster at one point. Don is the one who told me the original boards were ‘G10 Green’. However on my third email (spaced about six months apart), he stopped replying. And he would not answer questions about the case design either. I still don’t know if the top of the case is wood or metal. I’m hoping I’ve not offended him – ie. maybe he doesn’t want a replica of his prototype out there.