U.S. NAVY BASIC MECHANISMS OF FIRE CONTROL COMPUTERS MECHANICAL COMPUTER INSTRUCTIONAL FILM 27794

The 1953 U.S. Navy training film (MN-6783a) Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers, Part 1: Shafts, Gears, Cams and Differentials discusses some of the mechanisms that are required for the Fire Control Computer to function. The film opens with a Navy crew surrounding a Fire Control Computer (00:48), which solves fire control problems-including the ship’s location, direction, speed, and the enemy ship’s location, direction, and speed-in a matter of seconds so that the ship’s guns may fire accurately and effectively. Though the computer processes the information in seconds, it cannot do its job without the work of Navy men. Men operate the director (01:34), which provides target range and bearing information that is then entered into the computer (01:38). Part 1 of the film uses graphics to show the mechanical operations of shafts, gears, cams, and differentials, all vital mechanisms inside the computer (02:20). Shafts are used to carry values throughout the computer, where a revolution of a shaft corresponds to a numerical value (03:00). Gears are used to transfer values from one shaft to another (04:30); different sizes in gears can change the value of the ratio of shafts for more complex computations. Cams (04:55) are used as computing mechanisms in the computer. They have a working surface and a follower (05:25; 07:25). The film reviews the function of cams and the different types, including a reciprocal cam, square cam, tangent cam, time of flight cam, and barrel cam (10:36). The latter is used to calculate trajectory for firing guns. Differentials (12:50) are the final mechanisms covered in Part 1. They are used in computers to continuously obtain the algebraic sum of two quantities, keeping up with the rapid changes of inputs of two quantities. A bevel gear differential (13:23) is commonly used in Fire Control Computers. The film discusses how this differential functions with its spider gears, spider shaft, and end gears. Simplifying the concept of a bevel gear differential, the film concludes with graphics that explain how the bevel gear differential works using two racks and a pinion.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@terrydouglas5008]

I worked on F4 Phantom weapons control system for 20 years. Until the mid 80's it had an analog computer. It was filled with gears and resolvers. It was fed info from radar antenna, Inertial Navigation system, various gyros. Repairing it was like working on a big watch.

[@davenone7312]

I worked on the F-4 D's and RF's at Depot. Which unit are you talking about?

[@terrydouglas5008]

@@davenone7312 I was in the 2952CLSS, my primary job was Rapid Assist Maintenance, I was flown as an individual or part of a team to a base that needed speciality help. While at Hill I was attached to the Civilian Maintence facility at Hill to do whatever they needed help with. There was a F4 radar shop that did all the depot only maintence on radar, but they didn't like me. It was a union shop and they only wanted union workers touching anything. They always told me, take a really long lunch.

[@davenone7312]

@@terrydouglas5008 I was at McClellan AFB in Sacramento. I was asking about the nomenclature of the mechanical unit you were talking about, thanx

[@terrydouglas5008]

@@davenone7312 target Intercept Computer was LRU 1, CW Transmitter LRU 2, Vs modulator LRU3, Servo Control LRU 4, Pulse Transmitter LRU 5, Power Supply LRU 6, Antenna servo control LRU 7, Monitor LRU 8, Radar Set Control LRU 9, Antenna Control LRU 10, ICU LRzU 11, Fwd Scope LRU 12, Rear Scope LRU 13, Radar rack LRU 14, Radar wiring harness LRU 15, Antenna LRU 16, Synchronizer LRU 17, EFC LRU 18, Waveguide LRU 18, PTPS LRU 20, STALO LRU 21, Range rate indicator LRU 22, I forget the 23.

[@kenw.1112]

Great stuff! I love these films they are educational . You can always learn something new no matter how much you know. Its like if you work on a car its always wise to have several or more books on your car because one book will always contain needed information that the other books don't have. This is what i found out through years of EXPERIENCE.

[@facethefaceandmore44]

Imagine if the people making these videos would have guessed that in 70 years time people would still be watching them as the clearest explanation of a subject available. Also love how these computers could deal with infinitely smooth values, something we don't need but can't do anymore (I believe).

[@jwadaow]

You could approximate it by using a lot of data. Otherwise you would need a piece of hardware.

[@Fuchsia_tude]

You can work with infinite precision even in digital, most people just don't bother because they don't need it. It just requires your numeric storage structures to be coded in a certain way.

[@crapthisisalongusern]

they are trying to bring it back in a way.

[@luismorales9878]

​@@crapthisisalongusern thats correct, for example un the form of AI accelerators, using the semiconductors as variable resistors, a Time continuous response Is possible, allowing the neural network to infer instead of the need for múltiple multiplication operations.

[@SuperSeagull12]

*infinite until you run out of memory

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

These fire control computers were so far ahead of their time. Some of the data you entered into the computer so it could calculate corrections to the firing solution for the most accurate fire possible were things like temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, temperature of the gun powder, how many rounds had been fired through each barrel since the last time they were relined. Curvature of the earth, rotation of the earth, your course and speed, the targets course and speed. The computer developed a firing solution and updated it in real time. so gone were the days of ranging shots and adjusting fire to try and hist the target. Once the computer had a firing solution it would be reasonable to expect a first salvo hit. The only factors to consider were the natural dispersion of the guns, mechanical or human error in data input. In actual combat use the Battle of the Surigao strait is an excellent demonstration of how good the MK-8 Range Keeper was. The USS West Virginia which was rebuilt and modernized after Pearl Harbor started tracking the Japanese Battleship Yamashiro in the pitch black of night at 42,000 yards. At 30,000 yards she had a firing solution. They waited until they were at 22,800 yards and opened fir scoring a first salvo hit as well as hits on 5 of the next six salvos. The California and Tennessee which were also rebuilt and modernized after Pearl Harbor also had firing solutions on Yamashiro and opened fire. I can not find any information on how many hits they scored. The Other three battleships Maryland, Mississippi and Pennsylvania did not get the extensive modernizations and had older fire control gear and never got a firing solution on Yamashiro. Maryland sighted in visually towards the end of the battle and Mississippi fire one broadside. Pennsylvania never fired a shot. The Japanese battleship Yamashiro had optical fire control and was never able to return fire against any of her attackers. The MK-8 was so good that when the Iowa's were reactivated in the 1980's they kept their WW2 fire control computers and it ensure that any of the modern battleships built by the USN during the war, the North Carolina, South Dakoda and Iowa class ships would have little difficulty smashing any axis battleship they encountered provided the captain TRUSTED the technology at his disposal and deployed his ship accordingly.

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

The narrator did mention up to 25 different values, so I imagine the temperature, humidity, etc was included in those lol. Radar was such a significant advantage once it got good enough to track shell splashes.

[@dougthompson1598]

@@5peciesunkn0wn the BBs at least had radars that actually tracked the projectiles as they went downrange, and the actual path was compared to the predicted or requested trajectory. The gunners could then make minute adjustments to correct for the differences, between rounds, correcting even before the first rounds got to where they were aimed.

[@robertadamcik9179]

I am a volunteer tour guide at the Battleship WISCONSIN museum in Norfolk, VA. We have our aft gun plot space open to the public, and I love talking about the 30,000 pound, analog computer, built by Ford, that controls the guns. Our guests, especially the young one who never experienced analog technology, are absolutely amazed!

[@kenw.1112]

Love these educational films! We never stop learning something new. This is old school and is excellent!

[@kenw.1112]

Good man!

[@darylmorning]

Thank you for taking care of my Home State's namesake. May your funding never be cut and the lines wanting the tour never be short.

[@RADIOACTIVEMASCULINITY]

30,000 pounds of analog computer... imagine the calculating you could do with 30,000 pounds of today’s electronics LOL An EMP won’t hurt that analog computer though 💪💪🇺🇸 What an amazing piece of history that is

[@looperx]

30k pounds? I bet it can run Crysis

[@candidmoe8741]

I wish every instructional video in YT were as good as this +60yo one.

[@dkoz8321]

Well Navy has to present information on lowest common denominator. Every seaman recruit and A School student is different. Service has to train a lot of people quickly and efficiently.

[@sawgoodmen925]

These old videos are far better than any other instructional educational type of video on KZbin. They don't BS they actually teach you something! Unlike just about every educational film made over the last 20 years...

[@richardhall9815]

@Hezekiah Johnny No, I really don't give a damn. And this isn't the first KZbin video I've seen this trolling of yours on.

[@evanfinch4987]

I'm a 33-year-old devops engineer and this is absolutely fantastic stuff.

[@vitamulten1395]

Could you make a vid showing how these principals are similar to binary number systems plz.

[@kundeleczek1]

And if you were 56 year old janitor, would this make this not fantastic?

[@nutsackmania]

yikes some salty folks here

[@michaelw9852]

tfw you learn that devops aren't engineers.

[@Yarkoonian]

What is a devop

[@adamshepard3146]

I am a docent aboard the Destroyer USS Turner Joy and this is the one area of the ship that I am still trying to grasp. There's just so much that goes into fire control and little by little I'm understanding more. This video is a fantastic look into the inner workings of the fire control computer. I will be looking for more videos like this to try and expand my knowledge, because I hate not being able to give an in-depth answer to visitors who are genuinely interested in how an analog system could land a round within 10 yards of its target or closer at nearly 15 miles. I'm glad these old videos are still around.

[@macmcleod1188]

The director mentioned at about 1 minute and 40 seconds is essentially a set of binoculars that uses mirrors to separate the user's Eyes by about 18 the 20 feet. Sometimes it reverses the top and bottom of the ship. When the image looks to be at the same location to both eyes then they can read off the distance. It apparently gives most people severe headaches very quickly so they had to use multiple operators. Many appear to have been very high up on the ship's superstructure. It's a fascinating technology.

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

Drachninifel has a fantastic video on the development of fire control technology. :D There's actually two kinds. Coincidence Range Finders and Stereoscopic Range Finders. One strains your eyes but anyone can use, the other required 20/20 vision.

[@damaddog8065]

This is why software issues are called bugs, when you had a problem with a fire control computer, your tools included a fly swatter, lots of parts and tools.

[@jamesperkins2552]

Look at the finish of the differential gear! Smooth, beautiful, high tech, and most of a century old. Amazing!

[@bobrunge7594]

I was a Fire Control Tech E6. Was in fro 1967-73. Spent many a time with this MK1A fire control computer. Was a mechanical maze. Having to take shafts out and other components was a nightmare. Drop a spring in all that gearing and you had it. Was made by Ford. Got to admit. It was pretty damn accurate and rarely went down.

[@l.r.5263]

It is crazy how those 60' films explain better than my teacher and youtube in one

[@riccampbell]

Never ceases to amaze me how ingenious we can be in concept, design and execution of systems like these. (When I say "we", I mean someone else - I'm an idiot.) How is it we can be so smart, yet still not figure out how to live together respectfully of each other? Is there a cam for that...?

[@RobKaiser_SQuest]

This is poignant. If you sang this in a falsetto in 7/8 time it'd be a Rush lyric

[@kenw.1112]

This is far better than most of the junk on TV...! Love it!

[@JonathanNelson-nelsonj3]

Wow, this was very educational! I am a software engineer working on modern electronic computers. I have always wondered how details of these old mechanical computers worked. This answered so many of my questions! Thank you for preserving this film. It has never dawned on me that the outputs of various functions would be machined into the gears and cams of a machine. You can see why we switched to digital computers though. Modifications to the weapon systems of a ship, as I understand happened regularly, would require modifications to the computer as well. A modern computer would just upload some new values for the software. These computers would require all new gears and cams. Makes you appreciate the term "software" vs "hardware" a bit more. Again, thank you PeriscopeFilm for preserving these films. I love watching these, even the ones that are just advertisements for a product. They give you a better understanding of the people of that time.

[@paulwomack5866]

Fortunately, the equations of ballistic flight don't change very often :-)

[@JonathanNelson-nelsonj3]

@@paulwomack5866 This is true, but something as simple as the location on the map can change those variables. The force of gravity can vary by as much as .5% from the poles to the equator, perhaps more in some locations. A quick "back of the napkin" calculation shows this can change the range of a 16 inch gun from the Iowa class by 300 meters. That is almost 10 times the beam of the Iowa class. If this wasn't well understood when the analog computer was designed it would be difficult to add this factor in later. (I don't know how well this was understood in the 50s. What I know of gravitational fluctuations comes from satellite data unavailable at the time, but they may have had a replacement for it at the time. I am just using this as an example of a factor that could be easily overlooked.) Any changes to the ammunition used or the propellent would require new coefficients in the computations as well. An electronic computer could handle that update easily. An analog one would not, depending on how flexible it was designed to be (granted I don't know for sure that they couldn't, I am making some assumptions here). For a real world example we can look to 2008 when the USS Lake Erie shot down a satellite using a SM-3 anti-aircraft missile. The missile was designed to engage targets within the atmosphere, in fact the radar was programmed to specifically ignore anything it identified as in space. The computers had to be significantly reprogrammed to make engaging a satellite possible. The hard part was writing the new algorithms, but installing them was as easy as inserting a new disk. Had this been an analog computer it would had to have been completely overhauled with new hardware for a one off mission that may not get repeated. I agree with you and I hope I am not coming off as hostile to your point. My point is that while the laws of physics don't change our understanding of them does. While the mission of a weapons platform may be well understood when designed new capabilities for a single mission may be required. Analog computers require far more modification to accommodate changes than do electronic. Thank you for your comment, and I hope you take my points as the friendly conversation that they are meant to be.

[@paulwomack5866]

@@JonathanNelson-nelsonj3 Yeah - my suspicion is that PRIOR to these analogue marvels, they were likely using pre-calculated lookup tables and possible custom slide rules that embodied what ever maths they felt they needed - I suspect that the maths was "set in stone". And they would have set the maths in stone precisely *because* they didn't have the versatility of a programmable digital computer to leverage.

[@huenorton3587]

Jonathan Nelson, I’m a web developer today, but in 1980 I was an eighteen - year old kid working on the B-52’s bombing and navigation system [the AN/ASQ-38]. Except for the electro-optical viewing system and the automated offset unit on the bombing computer it was all electro-mechanical with cams and gears and tubes. Now you know why we wore steel-toed boots on the flight line -- dropping a latitude data computer [about the size and weight of a cinder block] on your foot could easily crush your toes. We had to hook up a two-ton air-conditioner unit to the aircraft just to keep all that whirling metal and glowing glass cool enough to operate on the ground. On the other hand, dinosaurs still roamed the earth back then and most of the component parts when lashed with bell wire to a stout stick made good defensive weapons against them. Try that with a cell phone. lol Things have indeed changed a wee bit.

[@JonathanNelson-nelsonj3]

@@huenorton3587 Hue Norton I can imagine! I never thought about cooling those things on the ground. Having to have a whole device just to calculate the latitude is crazy. How did they do it on the B-52s back then? I am familiar with LORAN but that was mostly used by the Navy from what I understand since it wasn't all that precise. Was it just dead reckoning? Of course you were working on these things when GPS was under development so that wasn't an option. I am fascinated by navigation technologies, I just purchased a sextant just to learn how they were used. I was born in the early 80s so I saw a lot of this stuff get developed myself.

[@ronalddavis]

I can just visualize a guy in a classroom in 1953 watching this and falling asleep

[@josephcote6120]

That's why the narrator uses his DI voice and they played it with the volume up.

[@prsearls]

That is amazing. The mechanical complexity and required precision of this device is impressive. I would like to see how all these cams and especially the barrel cam was machined. A machining error here would cause an erroneous output. Today, all of this computation would be put on a chip(s).

[@brianmott613]

Very precise special tooling and test equipment. It’s amazing how it was done back then.

[@aaaht3810]

Ingenious! I always marveled at the Mk 1A computer on my old destroyer. The idea that the fire control control computers, fire control radars and optics, and the gun laying mechanisms all worked together so efficiently to enable very accurate naval gunfire were developed so long ago by some very intelligent people is amazing.

[@phatwhacker3767]

When I was a kid we targeted enemy ships with a plastic grid and little white or red pegs. I sunk many battleships.

[@kurtlesser2684]

I spent 4.5 years aboard the USS Long Beach during the Viet Nam war and she had two 5" 38 mounts that had come off of WWII destroyers. She still had their Ford Mk 1 Able fire control computers in gun plot. The last cruiser built was the USS Newport News, Ca -148 that we sailed with during Viet Nam. Where did USS Burlington CA-905 come from???

[@mikeconklin1567]

It’s called the Mark 1 Able. I served on BB62 and operated this computer in the Aft Secondary Fire Control Room. When fully manned for NGFS, it called for five operators.

[@williamsumner7954]

Brings back memories from the mid 50's as a fire control tech aboard the USS Newport News CA 148.

[@sisko212]

A real mechanical computer.... it is really fascinating.

[@whatareyousaying339]

This is an educational video. No ads every 5 minutes, simple and easy to understand.

[@quantitativeease]

Watching this fascinating video was worth it just for learning what a barrel cam is. I cannot believe I never thought of that possibility.

[@alt3241]

While viewing this I was automatically converting these components to the various different technology architectures potentially applicable as well as man-hours and automation for production rates . There are many off the shelf devices applicable nowadays .

[@barrywilkinson3420]

Watching these films is like going to Mk1A computer school all over again! Way back in 1955!

[@schroedingersdog7965]

Charles Babbage's "difference engine" on steroids!

[@georgej.zeiter2066]

Brings back memories! FTG3 with 37 gun system Tin Can!

[@iNowHateAtSigns]

I knew analog computers existed, but this video bent my brain.

[@slowpoke96Z28]

I think the coolest part of this video is hearing the projector and watching the SMPTE clock stay in step.

[@pupplementarypupplements5804]

I can now singlehandedly operate a battleship from all of these videos I've watched how fascinating

[@dougthompson1598]

You'll probably be a little out of breath if you try.

[@paleghost]

During a tour of the USS New Jersey I saw her computers. I never saw such a complicated mechanical contraption in my life. If I remember correctly it was manufactured by For,

[@miladirani4313]

wow!! what a genius engineering was in past of usa millitary

[@johnboltik3557]

hated taking the covers off the MK1A!........you had some crazy ass tools to work on these thimgs......old home week watching these....

[@KJs581]

Great vid. We started on an AFCT MK10, but my first GFCS at sea was MRS 3, which was amazingly accurate, but took constant tuning. Then M22 and finished up with 9LV453. 40 years in navy, 35 of it in FCS. While you understand completely how it all works (have to to fix it), we were always in awe of the genius of the design engineers.

[@proteusnz99]

An impressive demonstration of extreme precision engineering, amazing what could be achieved. The weakest point in the system was the need for people to input the data, i.e. someone needs to read the radar display, do a numeric conversion and pass those numbers to those running the computer. Likewise, any changes in weaponry would need machining a whole new set of shafts, gears, cams, etc., rather that recoding the software. It would also have problems dealing with multiple targets, particularly with widely different bearings and ranges. Still, incredible mechanisms.

[@MarsFKA]

Excellent graphics and a throughly understandable narration, from a time when a computer technician's toolkit included spanners and an oil can.

[@Thx1138sober]

Hey! go get me the grease gun, you know, for the computer.

[@jamesslick4790]

Well, Using an M3 on a computer MIGHT make one feel better, but is unlikely to help solve the....Oh, Sorry, I guess you meant an ACTUAL grease gun....LOL.

[@Voron_Aggrav]

@@jamesslick4790 the Difference between me and my friend, He'd use the M3 to fix the problem, I'd use the actual Grease gun :D

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

@@jamesslick4790 Lol.

[@coffeeisgood102]

Back in the day, as a Gunner ll in the Royal Canadian Artillery we were given orders on what settings to use to aim the gun, which was accomplished by cranks and knobs to control the horizontal and traverse movements of the barrel. Because of this video I now have a deeper understanding behind the complexity involved in arriving at the numbers given to us to set the gun.

[@miholju]

Mechanical mechanisms are the coolest. All variations of mechanical transducers.

[@firstlast-vv7vw]

When steam power was invented, it raised mechanical mechanisms to an entirely new level of possibilities. The internal combustion engine raised another level. Then, electronics jumped all that up to levels never even dreamed of by the way back there engineers. No end in sight. We're on the door step of robot devices fighting other robot devices while humans try to stay out of the way. (Watch the video of an autonomous "man" walking robot picking up various rifles and pistols off of a table at a gun range and firing accurately at distant targets.) (Watch the TED demonstration of a small quad copter with an explosive launched from the hand of the speaker, accurately recognizing the face of a human sized Styrofoam dummy on stage and immediately crashing against the dummy's forehead setting off the deadly explosive into the brain. The noise startled the audience. Think assassinations by flying robots with facial recognition.)

[@piotrd.4850]

[..] obviously, computer accuracy depends on quality of information it receives and that depends on skill and understanding of the man [..] - today, more relevant than ever.

[@confusedwolf7157]

That gun control computer can do more damage than my single board minicomputer!!

[@Voron_Aggrav]

yeah, but it's also the size of your Room, if not bigger

[@richardhall9815]

@@Voron_Aggrav About 4'x4'x3'. Also protected with armor plating and weighed hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds. You could stand on it and stomp on it all you like and not leave a dent. Try doing that to your smartphone.

[@Voron_Aggrav]

@@richardhall9815 I'd rather not, ty very much

[@paulwomack5866]

Wow - this film show the principles, which are simple, but to get these analogue computers to have any kind of useful accuracy takes scary levels of precision engineering.

[@jeffpollock8517]

This is really cool stuff. Modern tech explainers could learn a thing or two from these old instructional eng vids

[@marctronixx]

Silly me, I thought this was a video on computers that controlled actual "FIRES", as in burning buildings and such--not "firing" shells and such. However, the video did NOT disappoint!!! Amazing tech. Another home run from Periscope.

[@wanderingprophet3948]

The topic of that video would be Fire *Suppression* Systems

[@the1_MatthewGray]

The purely mechanical anthropic core of the battleship fire control computer was the reason for its control and intrinsic display of the human capacity for accuracy and precision.

[@bjl1000]

I worked on the Mark 1 fire control computer. They are not blowing smoke when they say that the computation results were immediate. Analog computers have no "clock cycles" that delay the computation result. [the answer to the fire control calculation].

[@boxed_in4357]

I’m a 13 year old kid on KZbin and I got this on my recommended and this is absolutely fantastic

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Subscribe!!

[@stevendaugherty7590]

Wow, this was a very interesting video! I've often wondered how mechanical computers were constructed. Thanks for making this video available!!!

[@PeriscopeFilm]

You're welcome! Join this channel to get access to perks: kzbin.info/door/ddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0gjoin Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@Pgcmoore]

outstanding!

[@geoben1810]

When regular maintenance of a computer included lubricating the shafts, gears, bearings etc. The "techies" resumes would most likely have listed qualifications such as an "electro- mechanical" background. A term you most likely wouldn't hear today.

[@AuroraMills]

A standard for all instructional videos! I actually learned the subject!

[@thothheartmaat2833]

its 2023. still waiting for part 2...

[@rboes208]

I've watched a lot of these old videos on this channel so I knew this was going to be good. But damn that was fantastic

[@rockystelone21]

Absolutely Amazing

[@kenw.1112]

VERY IMPRESSIVE FILM!

[@pirateskeleton7828]

It doesn't matter how amazing and reliable this old tech is at performing calculations instantaneously, you can be that when they were introducing this, there was some old codger talking about how "back in my day" they would calculate gun positions manually, and by spitting in the wind.

[@whynotanyting]

Always impresses me how they do the animations and cutaways

[@archangel_one]

My grandfather was a Mark I Fire Control Computer operator in the Navy in WW2. If only they had one of those in Star Wars, they could have been more accurate.

[@alexandermcalpine]

Great post!

[@Electronzap]

Very good information.

[@lansonfloyd4687]

Oooh "Restricted", I like!

[@nelsonmalcom4699]

Space... same... WOW! SpaceX landing/Attaching perfect on the ISS . Calculation would be insane using analog, but with that generation it would have been done.

[@user-us2dt6ox1z]

Thanks

[@mikedooly7288]

I love these

[@alexshield7532]

wow fascinating how they solved those fire control problems without digital devices.

[@marcoortiz4579]

Amazing

[@alcyonecrucis]

What an intro!!! What’s the name of that March?

[@paulabraham2550]

This was truly excellent, not least because the annoying Periscope on screen time counter was missing. How did that happen?

[@EmilNicolaiePerhinschi]

Thanks!

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks very, very much. Donations like this make it possible for us to save more rare and endangered films! Get the inside scoop about our activities! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm

[@lcflcf1]

Very intelligent people

[@dkoz8321]

My Commodore VIC-20 was like this.

[@k.cooper8816]

How troublesome are the analog computers compared to digital ones And how wonderful is this instruction film!

[@ThommyofThenn]

Wouldn't it be a lot simpler? I've never used an analog

[@Jimmyzb36]

I guessed “18”!! I love ❤️ theses!!!!

[@alexandrpetrov1110]

механический компьютер - устройство - очень интересно

[@jmbig]

in the event of a nuclear explosion this kind of system would not be affected by the electromagnetic waves whereas all the electronic gadgets of today would be grilled

[@mirroredvoid8394]

Military equipment is emp hardened however civilian equipment would be toast unless it's place in a faraday cage before such an event.

[@alphasixfive1658]

How times have changed...

[@patrickfitzgerald6081]

This is interesting.

[@fly7188]

This was so cool. I have the hankering to make a steam punk robot now

[@toddkrein]

Where is part 2?

[@SqueakyNeb]

the full thing is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWLMXpekdq1sj5Y

[@MotorcyclesForMatures]

This is a much more magic for me then Ipad pro I am watching this video on

[@geoben1810]

Basic mechanisms, not basis ELECTRONICS ...... Amazing ingenuity and engineering that produced accurate, MECHANICAL, computers. And how many were lost along with ship and crews, to battle. 🌹🇺🇸

[@dorpth]

This is like watching someone build a giant calculator in Minecraft.

[@merictunc]

IMO, back in those times, engineers could provide simple and beautiful solutions because they can visualize problems.

[@jiteshasman2315]

Lol. Now, find a College Start-up, give them Military funding and see what they make after 2 years

[@the1_MatthewGray]

The purpose of the shell of the battleship was as an anthropic missile without the need for guidance systems.

[@unguidedone]

just stunning but ill stick with c++ for my calculations ty

[@gabrielpetre3569]

Is there a link to part 2?

[@stevehomeier8368]

Amazing mechanical computer!!! I think my thermostat has more computing power that one of these behemouths

[@Guido_XL]

The difference is that our computers nowadays are freely programmable, whereas the analog computers were not. With regard to "power", it is not obvious to call the analog ones not "powerful", as they produced output with the same speed as the input was inserted. That was their purpose. You can program your smart phone according to the constraints of its operating system. That makes a phone nowadays a real computer that is digitally programmable. In that sense, a smart phone is a powerful computer indeed. Really programmable computers were already initiated by Conrad Suze, although, due to WWII, he did not have the opportunity to expand on that concept more. In the Netherlands, we had a bespoke analog computer to calculate the waterworks engineering that was on its way after the disastrous 1953 North Sea flood. The computer was not mechanical, but was based on electrical behaviour. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deltar

[@soupkin]

god bless usa

[@tronwars7130]

So back then a shaft was the input data but now it's a data bus, this stuff is just so cool. Computers with cogs. If you said to your kid in 2021 those cogs on a 10 speed bike are what was used in navel warship computers, your kid would reply, What's a 10 speed lol.

[@wordsisnukes]

drink every time the narrator says shaft.

[@DG-ic5yw]

Lololololol

[@millionsofrecordsernieb7587]

That's a good one, and I don't even drink

[@dkoz8321]

4:04 Thank you Thing.

[@Harry-nn4px]

The wiz kids of old were replaced by 'Black Box' technicians a long time ago (except in the Coast Guard ☺☺☺☺☺ ).

[@mikeray1544]

In 1989 the apparatus for plotting n fire controll and main guns were still no access- my first USNR unit did maint on the North Carolina. Those computers are goof size from what i could see . big lonley place is a un manned ship....

[@mikeray1544]

Oh, I was a mechanic in the Navy- lol

[@davidrobinson7112]

And here I thought what I worked on in the Navy was top secret. So I have been keeing secret which is no longer secret What a shock....there you folks ....time marches on That is either forward/backwards...LOL,LOL,LOL...

[@frederickwise5238]

Things eventually are declassified. LOL Yours were mechanical mine were electronic BTW the Marchant analog calculator I used to do statistics in`1956 was almost as ancient in 1986 as cutting notches on a stick to count cows in your herd And the IBM computer I used in 1986 is less capable that a chil;d's tablet. today. Time marches on, technology changes faster than the blink of an eye. That which was secret state of the art when we were in uniform is just to much museum antiques today.. Sigh! Thank you for your service.... . Ex CTM2 from Guam.

[@mel_bee]

Oooh, *that* kind of fire

[@JeffinTD]

Though lack of digital processors seems primitive, the minds that made these computers out of springs, gears and cams…

[@kevinbratwurst1418]

I always wondered how my PC works. Now I know.

[@hamaljay]

And knowing is half the battle.

[@kadu2be]

Blown away on integers.