@@vdivanov I'm part of a group of folks who are making a high-fidelity, high-accuracy software simulation of the Apollo spacecraft/missions called NASSP, and we're doing what we can, although it's a lot more difficult than it seems on its face. We also don't currently have the tech or information necessary to make it spatially accurate. The trouble is that in addition to simply not having access to most of the Command/Lunar Module hardware, having it all running behind countless panels and crammed next to other large pieces of equipment (as it would be in the spacecraft) is liable to alter how those pieces sound compared to if we managed to find a standalone piece of equipment. We just have to guess at what most things sounded like, or look through thousands of pages of historical documents to see if we can find even some sort of subjective comment about how things sounded. But, things have slowly improved over the years. Plus, sometimes things turn out to be a lot more mundane than you'd expect. I always wondered what the DSKY was like to type on, and... it's just a spring-loaded keyboard with microswitches. The relay sounds are very cool though.
@@vdivanov There's a very detailed space sim named ReEntry which is covering Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. The sound effect on there is a pretty good match
Apollo is a shining example of that rare occurrence that happens throughout human history, when a large group of people band together for a singular goal and accomplish something amazing. If only we could agree to do this more often.
It must be a rather special feeling to be able to touch, hold, or above all bring back to life Apollo hardware. The grabby hands are perfectly well-understood and excused :) Thanks!
The suspected replaced key caps (2 and 3, as pointed out at 5:54) seem to be in a different font. Most numerals on the keypad are AND-10400 lettering (as seen in the MS-33558 standard document), while the replacements look like Gorton Normal. Both common in aerospace. From the layers visible in the wear, I suspect the keys were intended to be backlit. Aerospace backlit panels / buttons / knobs are made of clear acrylic that has been (1) media-blasted, then (2) given a white undercoat, (3) painted black, (4) had the paint etched or engraved away to form the numeral, and finally (5) sealed with a clear topcoat. When illuminated from behind, only the engraved areas should transmit light (in this case, the numbers would seem to glow). It would be interesting to see if there are bulbs behind the buttons, and whether the suspected replacement keys light up.
@@CuriousMarc I wouldn't discount them yet! The numbers on other keys are only translucent because they've been worn down - they would have appeared opaque white when new. If the replacement keys seem to be engraved (the numbers indented, like the others), they may still be OEM. I've seen photos of other DSKYs that use Gorton Normal for their number pads, so there's nothing suspicious about the keys being different fonts. The only thing that looks 'off' to my eye is that the thickness of the letterforms seem lighter than I'd expect - but line thickness is something the engraver can vary, and this kind of minor inconsistency isn't unusual with Apollo era stuff.
@@CuriousMarc Aw, that's a shame. Hopefully the originals are still knocking around somewhere. Fascinating that the others use EL for backlighting. They must look beautiful in person.
@clytle374 Each DSKY is a rare artefact of history. The DSKY certainly is a piece of kit which deserves such affection. I generally prioritise fixing things over replacing them.
@@clytle374 I'm the same, with one exception. Even the most common, cheap, downright consumer commodity gets upgraded to that if it has served me well.. I'm not entirely sure WHEN it makes the jump from 'meh ill buy one on the way home' to "MICROSCOPE SURGERY", where even if I paid myself minimum wage it would still cost multiple times what it's worth to repair it. Or if I am unable too, I get sad about it.. "It has served me well" is the name of the feeling I get.. I get emotionally invested in tools and equipment I have used much over many years. I mean, it's not that weird, think about how people get with coffee cups? It's pretty much that!
@@dogsarebest7107 I feel compelled to attempt to repair almost anything which, I suspect, may be a kind of addiction to the feeling of satisfaction afterwards. More complex/intricate/challenging things promise a greater "buzz" which makes me want to repair them more (in addition to the fact that they're often more costly to replace). I think of this as the "pull component" - the expected payoff pulls me in. There's also a "push component", though, which tends to get stronger the more complex/intricate the item and drives me to "repair" items that aren't really repairable. I think that this may be a kind of "act of respect" to the engineers who created the item and maybe even to the item itself. (As a kid, I used to get very upset when I saw electrical/mechanical things get broken or destroyed - I remember on my first overseas holiday, in Menorca, at about age 7, one place my parents and I walked to from the hotel on a regular basis took us past a scrapyard - I had to be carried past with my eyes shut every time!) Case in point - after breaking something up for parts, having (regretfully) decided that it's impractical to repair (I used to find this a very hard thing to do but eventually managed to rationalise it on the basis that it would enable me to repair other things and save the good parts of it from being scrapped needlessly - "the greater good", so to speak), I still get that awkward feeling of having forgotten to do something unless I try to reassemble it as much as possible, perhaps with the broken parts I've used its parts to replace! I know it's completely pointless when it's going for recycling anyway but it feels somehow "wrong" not to do so. If anyone quizzes me about it, I just put it down to being very Aspie.
Being an interaces guy, the DSKY is my favourite part of the Apollo guidance computer scheme, and I'm sure I'm not just speaking for myself. Thanks for the wonderful video!
TH-cam randomly recommended me this and I am so glad it did. It is incredible to see these pieces of history being saved and still used. I am so jealous if you guys not only using it, but being able to work on it to restore it. The love, care, knowledge, and passion you show for this is a breath of fresh air in today's times. Thanks for sharing this! I subcribed and now also have a huge backlog of your other videos to watch.
It’s very good that this unit was rescued in the first place. It was probably in a box along with other components and had been roughly treated over decades and was finally rescued by someone who knew what it was and the value of it.
Marc, I know that you are aware that you programmed us like Pavlov his dogs! Because when I hear your starting song or how you call it the “elevator music “ my brain only can think about Apollo stuff and about old electronics equipment, especially from HP. Thank you so so much for everything you do. It kept me happy in some heavy heavy times.
@@ABa-os6wm Imagine you are the maintenance engineer for an elderly system that works perfectly except for a broken switch. That will cost $700. And keep a production line working and many people employed if it is replaced. Same day shipping exists for a reason. As do replacement parts for antique devices.
I never cease to be amazed at how chunky the metalwork/castings are, especially considering weight was a big concern. It's like the designers got confused and thought they were making a navy battleship, rather than something that had to fly. Hearing all those relay clacking away to slowly display something is rather unique and nice, maybe I'll add a speaker to my next project and fake it.
I had a similar observation about weight. Not just the DSKY but Apollo era avionics in general. Having said that vibration is a huge concern and many early rockets succumbed to electrical malfunctions due to vibration.
Providing all those multi connectors to facilitate finding the fault in multi connectors. The case was over engineered to improve the connectors docking but why not just wire direct and make a much lighter unit maybe carry a spare. Why have a electroluminescent display and relays when other modular numerical indicators were available. Good example of working around problems created by workarounds. Still it is a magnificent bit of kit.
The vibration the components were subjected to in a Saturn V launch were substantial, and the reliability of the systems was a matter of life and death. I think they engineered everything to be as light as possible while maintaining absolute safety margins. We know NASA’s acceptance of lesser safety margins and lack of practical testing in later years cost many lives. Nothing more costly than “saving money”.
I don’t know how the weight issue was treated at the time : were the engineers designing the different parts given a weight allowance, for them to design the best system within that weight limit, or were there incentives to reduce weight? As an engineer, I would personally take no risk, making the best possible device that fits the size and weight in the projected timeframe, even if it is slightly over engineered.
@@chefchaudard3580 "I don’t know how the weight issue was treated," Each engineering team reads the specs does his best then a little more with whats left. The construction is magnificent but unnecessarily over engineered creating more difficult problems with maintenance by trying to improve resilience. It is the nature of an engineer to do his best when up against other who will be doing the same. Generally works providing all parties are using metric and not conversion from Imperial. Best
I would take a guess that the broken glass happened when the case was being opened to address failed relay issue possibly. A screw was left on the table and the unit was rolled over onto the screw breaking the glass.
It's always painful when you see evidence of earlier repairs that caused damage. Respect for jack screws ! A brilliant start to the week, the AGC saga continues !
WOW! Marcel is one of the greatest collectors ever! He really knows his stuff and is more than willing to enable Mike and Marc to do their thing! You guys are doing a huge service to the scientific community by restoring and preserving. Another great video!
I truly appreciate the respect that Marc and his team show when working with vintage technology. Unlike certain other YT personalities, who just beat / break it with a hammer. Usually when Marc and crew get done with a piece of technology, it is functional again. :-) If not, we still get to learn how it works.
when I was designing military electronics in the 80's, the first step in a new project was to order the connectors. The connectors were so specialized and expensive that the manufacturer would only make them after an order was submitted. The lead times were around a year too. And of course, when you manufacture them one or two at a time, the unit price is very high!
Oh man this makes me giddy I STILL rant to people about the previous project and get people to watch the playlist because the restoration and engineering talent both on all of your team (Mike still never fails to blow me away) as well as NASAs side is just crazy. This has already made 2025 better than 2024, easy. Thank you and the team for sharing as always
Just wonderful! - absolutely brilliant - hope the restoration goes well - can't wait for next instalment. I never realised we didn't have high-voltage transistors at that time - fascinating that they used relays.
That's how you discombobulate a DSKY! What a lovely machine. I still remember how upset Fran was when Ben beat her to re-creating the DSKY display - she tried to do it in a historically accurate way, while he went for a more modern approach.
Its like those displays used in VCR's, still impressive even if you can't make the other digits work, I think it might not be possible to fix considering they need to be sealed.
As mentioned semiconductors were pretty limited back then. I forget the exact percentage but the Apollo program used the bulk of US semiconductor production.
It wasn't so much the limited availability of semiconductors as it was the limitations of semiconductors. This electroluminescent panel needs up to 250VAC, which is very hard to switch to all of the segments with anything other than relays. They explored a few alternate paths, such as using SCRs instead of relays, or building an incandescent panel switched with transistors (there's a report on this one called E-2280: Solid State DSKY Study). But in the end, none of the alternatives were compelling enough to change away from the relay+EL approach, despite its problems.
It's funny to see you guys being so careful with that piece of kit while it was probably thrown around like a part of an engine in the 1960s. That's probably what caused the damage in the first place. Also, it's very hard to imagine that all those parts were machined mostly by hand. Because CNC milling really wasn't a thing back then!
I would love to see documented measurements of all the parts. I am working on a replica, key size, all measurements of front shell, size of back shell and all such.
Those engineers were masters of design trade-offs. With a one-time use spacecraft, and a worst case estimate of display change cycles on a mission, they determined relays would suffice. "They chose wisely."
It is a good thing the trip to the moon and back only takes a relatively short period of time. I noticed in the information about the display that it loses 60% of its brightness after 2,000 hours.
Getting to see this ... artifact handled, i can't help but noticed that whomever made the casement, fully embraced the idea that various pieces inside it, might be upgraded or changed. From the back stack to the front, it was always meant to be a fully serviceable item.
Fantastic. Can't wait for the part 2. It would be great if the original screen could be repaired and glass changed. Also I hope there is some fixable malfunction in the rest of the dsky :D
Waiting for the episode "We found a slightly broken Saturn V. Part 1: Can we fix it? Part 2: Will it bring people to the moon and safely back home?"
It's more like "We found a broken Trinity device, can we fix it?" 😂😂😂
Activate the omega 13 !
Plausable scenario... 😂
Mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow 🤞
@drewcagno We could test it on the far side! Who would know?😂
I love the sound the mechanical relays make when the display updates.
Agree. If we could get a few clean recordings, it would be fun to make a simulated one with the sound.
Sexiest clicks I ever heard
The more you use it the better the relays work!
@@KeefyKat I've thought it would be an interesting desk clock. Make it look & work like the DSKY panel itself
It’s so satisfying.
The relays clicking as the display changes is so badass!
Has someone tried to recreate a high-fidelity ambient sound track of the CSM and LEM? Would be quite something if it is also spacially accurate.
@@vdivanov I'm part of a group of folks who are making a high-fidelity, high-accuracy software simulation of the Apollo spacecraft/missions called NASSP, and we're doing what we can, although it's a lot more difficult than it seems on its face. We also don't currently have the tech or information necessary to make it spatially accurate. The trouble is that in addition to simply not having access to most of the Command/Lunar Module hardware, having it all running behind countless panels and crammed next to other large pieces of equipment (as it would be in the spacecraft) is liable to alter how those pieces sound compared to if we managed to find a standalone piece of equipment. We just have to guess at what most things sounded like, or look through thousands of pages of historical documents to see if we can find even some sort of subjective comment about how things sounded. But, things have slowly improved over the years. Plus, sometimes things turn out to be a lot more mundane than you'd expect. I always wondered what the DSKY was like to type on, and... it's just a spring-loaded keyboard with microswitches. The relay sounds are very cool though.
@@vdivanov There's a very detailed space sim named ReEntry which is covering Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. The sound effect on there is a pretty good match
Apollo is a shining example of that rare occurrence that happens throughout human history, when a large group of people band together for a singular goal and accomplish something amazing. If only we could agree to do this more often.
Well stated. Even in 2025 I find that time period to be "ShOcK & AWE". How COoL is that.
There would have to be money in it for someone for that to happen now.
Plus the small boost of a quarter of a Trillion (2024) dollars 😅
@@_MaxHeadroom_ If all humankind worked together, the cost would not be a topic. Alas, that is never to be.
@@_MaxHeadroom_so less than one Musk worth's of cost. Sounds totally feasible! We just need to institute wealth caps
I can think of no better custodians for this equipment than Marc and the team. Both Marc and Mike's knowledge on Apollo tech seem to be boundless!
I'm totally not jealous. The ending shots of an actual, real life, DSKY hooked up to a breadboard are WILD!
It must be a rather special feeling to be able to touch, hold, or above all bring back to life Apollo hardware. The grabby hands are perfectly well-understood and excused :) Thanks!
Thanks for the comment and contribution!
The suspected replaced key caps (2 and 3, as pointed out at 5:54) seem to be in a different font. Most numerals on the keypad are AND-10400 lettering (as seen in the MS-33558 standard document), while the replacements look like Gorton Normal. Both common in aerospace.
From the layers visible in the wear, I suspect the keys were intended to be backlit. Aerospace backlit panels / buttons / knobs are made of clear acrylic that has been (1) media-blasted, then (2) given a white undercoat, (3) painted black, (4) had the paint etched or engraved away to form the numeral, and finally (5) sealed with a clear topcoat. When illuminated from behind, only the engraved areas should transmit light (in this case, the numbers would seem to glow).
It would be interesting to see if there are bulbs behind the buttons, and whether the suspected replacement keys light up.
They are not original at all. They are not even translucent.
@@CuriousMarc I wouldn't discount them yet! The numbers on other keys are only translucent because they've been worn down - they would have appeared opaque white when new. If the replacement keys seem to be engraved (the numbers indented, like the others), they may still be OEM.
I've seen photos of other DSKYs that use Gorton Normal for their number pads, so there's nothing suspicious about the keys being different fonts. The only thing that looks 'off' to my eye is that the thickness of the letterforms seem lighter than I'd expect - but line thickness is something the engraver can vary, and this kind of minor inconsistency isn't unusual with Apollo era stuff.
@@Md2802 No the normal keys are made to be internally EL illuminated so you can see the numbers in the dark. 2 & 3 are “after market” keys.
The keys are, in fact, E/L backlit.
@@CuriousMarc Aw, that's a shame. Hopefully the originals are still knocking around somewhere.
Fascinating that the others use EL for backlighting. They must look beautiful in person.
We diagnose CFD - Compulsory Fixing Disorder 😀👍
I have that. I think it comes from an odd emotional attachment to machines. Rare, odd, exceptional, or the like machines.
@clytle374 Each DSKY is a rare artefact of history. The DSKY certainly is a piece of kit which deserves such affection.
I generally prioritise fixing things over replacing them.
@@clytle374 I'm the same, with one exception. Even the most common, cheap, downright consumer commodity gets upgraded to that if it has served me well.. I'm not entirely sure WHEN it makes the jump from 'meh ill buy one on the way home' to "MICROSCOPE SURGERY", where even if I paid myself minimum wage it would still cost multiple times what it's worth to repair it. Or if I am unable too, I get sad about it.. "It has served me well" is the name of the feeling I get.. I get emotionally invested in tools and equipment I have used much over many years. I mean, it's not that weird, think about how people get with coffee cups? It's pretty much that!
@@dogsarebest7107 I feel compelled to attempt to repair almost anything which, I suspect, may be a kind of addiction to the feeling of satisfaction afterwards. More complex/intricate/challenging things promise a greater "buzz" which makes me want to repair them more (in addition to the fact that they're often more costly to replace). I think of this as the "pull component" - the expected payoff pulls me in.
There's also a "push component", though, which tends to get stronger the more complex/intricate the item and drives me to "repair" items that aren't really repairable. I think that this may be a kind of "act of respect" to the engineers who created the item and maybe even to the item itself. (As a kid, I used to get very upset when I saw electrical/mechanical things get broken or destroyed - I remember on my first overseas holiday, in Menorca, at about age 7, one place my parents and I walked to from the hotel on a regular basis took us past a scrapyard - I had to be carried past with my eyes shut every time!)
Case in point - after breaking something up for parts, having (regretfully) decided that it's impractical to repair (I used to find this a very hard thing to do but eventually managed to rationalise it on the basis that it would enable me to repair other things and save the good parts of it from being scrapped needlessly - "the greater good", so to speak), I still get that awkward feeling of having forgotten to do something unless I try to reassemble it as much as possible, perhaps with the broken parts I've used its parts to replace! I know it's completely pointless when it's going for recycling anyway but it feels somehow "wrong" not to do so.
If anyone quizzes me about it, I just put it down to being very Aspie.
IMO the Apollo project is the single greatest achievement of the 20th century.
Being an interaces guy, the DSKY is my favourite part of the Apollo guidance computer scheme, and I'm sure I'm not just speaking for myself. Thanks for the wonderful video!
ive spent too many nights contemplating building a replica
@@Tekenduis98 let's all build DSKY clocks for our offices.
this vid is 100% better than NG-1 launch being pushed back every 20mins
Hahahahah thinking the same 🤣
i was watching it too while editing the video…
TH-cam randomly recommended me this and I am so glad it did. It is incredible to see these pieces of history being saved and still used. I am so jealous if you guys not only using it, but being able to work on it to restore it. The love, care, knowledge, and passion you show for this is a breath of fresh air in today's times. Thanks for sharing this! I subcribed and now also have a huge backlog of your other videos to watch.
And down the rabbit hole you go!! 😊
Ohh lucky you, sort by date and get ready for a hell of a show 😁
Oh my, I couldn’t even select or advice on videos to watch first. There is just so much amazing stuff on this channel. Enjoy!
It’s very good that this unit was rescued in the first place. It was probably in a box along with other components and had been roughly treated over decades and was finally rescued by someone who knew what it was and the value of it.
Marc, I know that you are aware that you programmed us like Pavlov his dogs! Because when I hear your starting song or how you call it the “elevator music “ my brain only can think about Apollo stuff and about old electronics equipment, especially from HP.
Thank you so so much for everything you do. It kept me happy in some heavy heavy times.
Same.
the elevator in a building i was in a few days ago was older than Apollo but i think they replaced the display in the 80s
I so badly want a clicking display now. That sound is so satisfying to listen to.
That would be a lot of clicking on a 4K60 display 🤪
A Flip-disc display might be for you too!
Wait, what? The same microswitches are available newly built on Digikey? 60 years later ????
@@ABa-os6wm Imagine you are the maintenance engineer for an elderly system that works perfectly except for a broken switch. That will cost $700. And keep a production line working and many people employed if it is replaced.
Same day shipping exists for a reason. As do replacement parts for antique devices.
It will work great for about 2 weeks!
I just love the engineering and the absolutely stunning build quality of it all. Apollo was such a fantastic program and accomplishment.
The sound of the Latching relais is just such a nice sound. Thanks for keeping this Apollo stuff alive. And thank you for sharing.
Omitted from the DSKY manual: DO NOT SHOOT THE DSKY!!!
I'd rather think it was a micro-meteor hit.
@@richardhole8429 A simulated micro-meteor?
It's an OG DSKY with ghetto cred. Straight outta Com... er... Cambridge.
Marcel, a science hero!
Ben as well, for making one from scratch, in his garage. With scraps!
Ah, another banger from the most fascinating channel on YT!
Had to watch it twice. You guys ROCK! Nothing like seeing the original equipment brought back to life.
I never cease to be amazed at how chunky the metalwork/castings are, especially considering weight was a big concern.
It's like the designers got confused and thought they were making a navy battleship, rather than something that had to fly.
Hearing all those relay clacking away to slowly display something is rather unique and nice, maybe I'll add a speaker to my next project and fake it.
I had a similar observation about weight. Not just the DSKY but Apollo era avionics in general. Having said that vibration is a huge concern and many early rockets succumbed to electrical malfunctions due to vibration.
Providing all those multi connectors to facilitate finding the fault in multi connectors. The case was over engineered to improve the connectors docking but why not just wire direct and make a much lighter unit maybe carry a spare. Why have a electroluminescent display and relays when other modular numerical indicators were available. Good example of working around problems created by workarounds. Still it is a magnificent bit of kit.
The vibration the components were subjected to in a Saturn V launch were substantial, and the reliability of the systems was a matter of life and death. I think they engineered everything to be as light as possible while maintaining absolute safety margins. We know NASA’s acceptance of lesser safety margins and lack of practical testing in later years cost many lives. Nothing more costly than “saving money”.
I don’t know how the weight issue was treated at the time : were the engineers designing the different parts given a weight allowance, for them to design the best system within that weight limit, or were there incentives to reduce weight?
As an engineer, I would personally take no risk, making the best possible device that fits the size and weight in the projected timeframe, even if it is slightly over engineered.
@@chefchaudard3580 "I don’t know how the weight issue was treated,"
Each engineering team reads the specs does his best then a little more with whats left.
The construction is magnificent but unnecessarily over engineered creating more difficult problems with maintenance by trying to improve resilience. It is the nature of an engineer to do his best when up against other who will be doing the same. Generally works providing all parties are using metric and not conversion from Imperial. Best
Great to see so many Apollo fans here only after a few hours. Go AGC, Go DSKY!
Such an understated unveiling. Love it.
Feel privileged to watch this.
If only these episodes would never end! I'm dreading the "stay tuned" music while I'm glued to the screen.
Incredibly cool! I never thought I'd get to see the insides of a DSKY. What a treat.
I would take a guess that the broken glass happened when the case was being opened to address failed relay issue possibly. A screw was left on the table and the unit was rolled over onto the screw breaking the glass.
The sound those make is so satisfying. A relay clunky clunk.
The clicking sounds of the DSKY display is fanstastic
Thanks!
I love the "We fix everything" .👍 To use relay logic to switch all the readout segments is just WOW.
The sound of the display lighting up is incredible
The clicking of the relays at 20:28 when the abused display lit up was so very enjoyable.
How do I even describe in words how star struck I feel right now??
One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind?
I love the clicky sounds these make
It's always painful when you see evidence of earlier repairs that caused damage. Respect for jack screws !
A brilliant start to the week, the AGC saga continues !
As a kid Apollo was beyond amazing. To see proper electronics and relays powering up parts of the CM and LM. Just wonderful. Thanks guys.
WOW! Marcel is one of the greatest collectors ever! He really knows his stuff and is more than willing to enable Mike and Marc to do their thing! You guys are doing a huge service to the scientific community by restoring and preserving. Another great video!
Absolutely amazing! Nice work guys!
I love how it clicks
95% of your videos are wayyy out of my league and knowledge, i'm so amazed at the sheer knowledge of everyone involved in these videos
I truly appreciate the respect that Marc and his team show when working with vintage technology.
Unlike certain other YT personalities, who just beat / break it with a hammer.
Usually when Marc and crew get done with a piece of technology, it is functional again. :-)
If not, we still get to learn how it works.
Amazing piece of equipment! That said, the DSKY "cheat sheet" looked to be about as friendly as a cornered rat.
It looked pretty straight forward to me.
imagine entering the wrong code on that thing it must have been stressful to use .
Amazing that the damaged one still works!
Incredibly exciting! Thank you all so much for continuing your exploration. ❤
My grandpa worked as a Quality Engineer at Honeywell on the Apollo steering gyro components so this was great to watch!
Love it - this channel is so great when stuffs broken !
The insides are a work of art, Wow.
17:49 micrometer switch lead time 56 weeks. 13 months!
You may have not seen some Intel lead times, they can be special. 😬
It’s amazing they still make them!
When ordering parts in 2020 and 2021 that would be considered pretty decent! And nice discount for ordering 10 pcs!
@@sparqqling Yeah, I remember searching for some STM32s in 2021 that had expected delivery in 2026.
when I was designing military electronics in the 80's, the first step in a new project was to order the connectors. The connectors were so specialized and expensive that the manufacturer would only make them after an order was submitted. The lead times were around a year too. And of course, when you manufacture them one or two at a time, the unit price is very high!
Dude that display is so cool imagine looking at that back then
Oh man this makes me giddy I STILL rant to people about the previous project and get people to watch the playlist because the restoration and engineering talent both on all of your team (Mike still never fails to blow me away) as well as NASAs side is just crazy. This has already made 2025 better than 2024, easy. Thank you and the team for sharing as always
Another Apollo episode! Wohoo! Late xmas present 🙂
Marc, you have no idea how important your videos are for history! Thanks a lot for this! #1 landing zone for space interested! (y)
One mind-blowing, jaw-dropping episode after another!
Awesome. Seeing it light up... So thrilling! Y’all must be in Apollo geek heaven. I am just watching this.
Yayyyy a real DSKY!! With the display!
This content is better than anything all of the streaming platforms combined put out.
I love the team work and the way you guy work together.
Was excited for the next Apollo hardware video, definitely not disappointed!
Just wonderful! - absolutely brilliant - hope the restoration goes well - can't wait for next instalment.
I never realised we didn't have high-voltage transistors at that time - fascinating that they used relays.
It was impressive that it worked in this state after all of these years.
17:45 Not only are they 600 bucks a pop, but they have a lead time of a year and four weeks! Yowza!
I still love the sound of those relays.
Oh, apparently I'm not alone.
That's how you discombobulate a DSKY! What a lovely machine.
I still remember how upset Fran was when Ben beat her to re-creating the DSKY display - she tried to do it in a historically accurate way, while he went for a more modern approach.
loved the clicking sound. it could be a great addition to a tense scene in a movie.
The engineering and quality of construction here is amazing. It almost looks like alien tech.
Interesting to see how much thought and care went into the keypad switches and such, so that they could be operated nicely with space suit gloves on.
"A treat for the eyes and a joy that will last a lifetime"
Or as Dave Jones (EEVBlog) would say: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever".. and it certainly is an absolute thing of beauty.
@@deano023 Krap. That's what I "was" going for.. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Apparently I need to practice "active listening". Cheers D
Ohh that’s exciting! I’m happy to see new Apollo videos!
🤓 Wow. Great. More Apollo stuff to hang on. Thank for showing !
Waiting for the next episode, I kinda realise how Zoidberg felt when he ate the last anchovy on Earth ...more...More...M-O-R-E‼️‼️‼️
how is it that this channel never stops delivering on the best computer ever made
So excited for this new series
Its like those displays used in VCR's, still impressive even if you can't make the other digits work, I think it might not be possible to fix considering they need to be sealed.
Yeah, at some point these guys are taking their frankenstein Apollo 11 to the moon. And I’m here for it.
I was amazed they used relays in 1969. Thanks for the video I enjoyed it.
As mentioned semiconductors were pretty limited back then. I forget the exact percentage but the Apollo program used the bulk of US semiconductor production.
It wasn't so much the limited availability of semiconductors as it was the limitations of semiconductors. This electroluminescent panel needs up to 250VAC, which is very hard to switch to all of the segments with anything other than relays. They explored a few alternate paths, such as using SCRs instead of relays, or building an incandescent panel switched with transistors (there's a report on this one called E-2280: Solid State DSKY Study). But in the end, none of the alternatives were compelling enough to change away from the relay+EL approach, despite its problems.
It's funny to see you guys being so careful with that piece of kit while it was probably thrown around like a part of an engine in the 1960s. That's probably what caused the damage in the first place.
Also, it's very hard to imagine that all those parts were machined mostly by hand. Because CNC milling really wasn't a thing back then!
Ok, we need the ASMR version of those gorgeous Relais sounds
Oh man, I always look forward to a Curious Marc video, but the follow-on to this one is going to be epic. Can’t wait! 👍👍👍
Incredible group of people getting to see incredible things
incroyable ! Hâte de voir la suite mais je n'ai aucun doute sur le succès futur de cette nouvelle mission Marc !
What a beautiful piece of engineering.
I would love to see documented measurements of all the parts.
I am working on a replica, key size, all measurements of front shell, size of back shell and all such.
An amazing piece of technology and history.
Those engineers were masters of design trade-offs. With a one-time use spacecraft, and a worst case estimate of display change cycles on a mission, they determined relays would suffice. "They chose wisely."
It is a good thing the trip to the moon and back only takes a relatively short period of time. I noticed in the information about the display that it loses 60% of its brightness after 2,000 hours.
Getting to see this ... artifact handled, i can't help but noticed that whomever made the casement, fully embraced the idea that various pieces inside it, might be upgraded or changed. From the back stack to the front, it was always meant to be a fully serviceable item.
Fantastic. Can't wait for the part 2. It would be great if the original screen could be repaired and glass changed.
Also I hope there is some fixable malfunction in the rest of the dsky :D
Brilliant stuff, many thanks team:)
whats next an entire bloody lunar module? great stuff Marc!
2030: Curious Marc and friends assemble all their gear together and go to the moon😊
@@bennylloyd-willner9667 you dont happen to have an spare Saturn V laying around right?
@@generaleric567 they'll find one on a NASA auction somewhere 😁
I love a good EL display. I still use my 1990s Sony universal remote with it's fantastic blue-green EL backlight.
It's DSKY DEUX! DUEXSKY? love how you bring the stories and historical records to life Marc. Thank you from another Apollo geek
The ooohhs and aaahhhss as it came apart were priceless
"we fix everything, we can't stand it" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 LMFAO
cant wait for the teardown of the broken display
If the amount of knowledge in this room doesn't impress you, then you should probably have your own TH-cam channel Linked in the doodileydoo
...then you should have your own TH-cam...
I assume you're seen Fran Blanche's latest on the DSKY?
I'm going to enjoy watching the two of your working in parallel.
No words, just "very cool"!