At Last - A Control Data 160-A!

[Eric Smith]

Billy wrote:
> Last week, I brought home my very own 160-A. Complete with the 161
> typewriter unit and a bunch of spares.  I had to move it about 300 miles
> using a garbage (U-Haul) truck.

VERY COOL!

> Put it in the garage, powered it up and it ran!

What???  You didn't test the DC power supplies first?  Naughty, naughty!

> Keyed in a couple of
> simple memory tests and an adder test.  All passed.  It was a great day.

Sounds that way.

> The 161 typewriter is very very rough.  Lots of work to be done here.
> Heavy rust on the chassis, formica separating from the top, etc.  Has
> anybody on the list had any experience on repainting these old chasses?
>   I'm talking to some body shops, but would like to find a specialty
> paint within driving distance of Silicon Valley.

Los Altos Typewriter.  They restored the IBM Model B electric typewriters
used as console devices on CHM's IBM 1620 and DEC PDP-1.  Don't
expect them to do anything with the computer interface part, but they
do great work on the typewriter mechanism.

Eric