"Iggy Drougge" <optimus_at_canit.se> said:
> Doug Coward skrev:
> >"Bruce Ray" <bkr_at_WildHareComputers.com> said
> >> moving companies moving RETMA-racked equipment.
>
> > Are these really pre-1957 racks or is that a
> >phrase of habit?
>
> Could you enlighten us rack nitwits as to what this business is about?
Sorry, I have a really bad habit of boiling
things down to as few words as possible. I really
admirer people that can write emails that go on and
on, for page after page.
Anyway, before I get off the track, in 1924 a standards
organization was formed called the Radio Manufacturers
Association (RMA). In 1950, it became the Radio Television
Manufacturers Association (RTMA). In 1953 it was renamed
Radio Electronics Television Manufacturers Association
(RETMA). And in 1957, it was renamed the Electronic
Industries Association (EIA).
Now, Bruce may have said RETMA out of habit when he
meant EIA or these maybe racks from the mid-1950s.
Why do I care?
The mid-1950s were a time of rapid developments in the
field of electronic analog computers. One company,
Philbrick Researches developed an extensive line of
power supplies, amplifiers, manifolds, and other analog
computing components that made to be rack mounted.
Cables interconnected the components in the rack. These
cables used RETMA connectors. These connector are the
diameter of and have pins the size of the base of a
octal pin vacuum tube. Of course the pin spacing is
different. I have a number of these components, but
the connector are difficult to find. That's why my
ears always perk up when I read "RETMA".
I'm just nosing around to see if there is a bin in
back of some surplus store were I might find connectors
like these.
And if anyone comes across any racks that have a tag
saying "GAP/R", I would be VERY interested.
Regards,
--Doug
=========================================
Doug Coward
_at_ home in Poulsbo, WA
Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center
http://www.best.com/~dcoward/analog
=========================================
Received on Sun May 20 2001 - 18:47:34 BST