Help me ID this computer part from the 1950's *Updated 12/17/2016*

[manly]

A logic block?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FGDGpCWWoMs

 

[skimple]

More on the tubes. http://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_5965.html

Nice link!

"The 12AT7 is a miniature, high-mu twin triode designed for use as a grounded-grid radio-frequency amplifier or as a combined oscillator and mixer at frequencies below approx 300MHz."

"5965: This industrial tube is close enough to the 12AT7 that audiophiles have started buying them up and commenting on the low noise of this tube. It most likely is because it has a lower gain, a mu of 47 compared to 60 of a 12AT7. It is kind of like using a 5751 in place of a 12AX7–the lower gain being the main difference. These tubes are still plentiful, and are really well made. GE made a fine version of this tube in their “5-Star” broadcast line. A few have an extra mica spacer on top, known as “triple mica” and noted for lower microphonics. There is also a rare Telefunken version of this tube with long plates."

So maybe you have something out of a PA system or a radio.

 

[LPCTech]

If my google image skill is up to snuff my guess is that is part of the famous ENIAC. Specifically it's ballsack.

This made me bust out laughing.

But it is a cool looking part.

 

[Blue_Max]

Sound Blaster 2.

All jokes aside, vacuum tubes have made a comeback to the audio world for their warm, rich sound that digital equipment just can't duplicate. While usually found on amps, one PC sound card actually included vacuum tubes on board.

Neat stuff.

Here's one on a mainboard:

 

[master_shake_]

All jokes aside, vacuum tubes have made a comeback to the audio world for their warm, rich sound that digital equipment just can't duplicate. While usually found on amps, one PC sound card actually included vacuum tubes on board.

Neat stuff.

Here's one on a mainboard:

tfw your sound card needs more power than your gpu.

 

[SketchMaster]

So maybe you have something out of a PA system or a radio.

That would be hilarious!

Not really hoping to get rich having some rare part, just want to know what it is from. I'll likely mount it in a small case with orange LEDs backlighting the tubes. It's such a cool looking piece of tech.

 

[who?]

It makes me think of a flip flop circuit.

 

[I Saw OJ]

What does it smell like?

 

[Ferzerp]

All jokes aside, vacuum tubes have made a comeback to the audio world for their warm, rich sound that digital equipment just can't duplicate because audiophiles are idiots that are easily separated from their cash.

fixed

 

[Red Squirrel]

All jokes aside, vacuum tubes have made a comeback to the audio world for their warm, rich sound that digital equipment just can't duplicate. While usually found on amps, one PC sound card actually included vacuum tubes on board.

Neat stuff.

Here's one on a mainboard:

LOL that is awesome. I want a server board with vacuum tubes now. I just want the warm glow of the tube to protrude from the back air vent grilles.

 

[IBMJunkman]

I believe it is a board from the SAGE computer.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-Automatic_Ground_Environment

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...-billion-sage-the-largest-computer-ever-built

https://www.ll.mit.edu/about/History/SAGEairdefensesystem.html

 

[SketchMaster]

I believe it is a board from the SAGE computer.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-Automatic_Ground_Environment

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...-billion-sage-the-largest-computer-ever-built

https://www.ll.mit.edu/about/History/SAGEairdefensesystem.html

I don't think so, that card was made in 1954. The sage computer wasn't finished until the early 1960s. Unless that's a REALLY early prototype it's not very likely.

 

[Blue_Max]

LOL that is awesome. I want a server board with vacuum tubes now. I just want the warm glow of the tube to protrude from the back air vent grilles.

Just stick one in a USB port!

 

[Bart*Simpson]

Those tubes are independently socketed.

I suspect those are internet tubes.

 

[SketchMaster]

*Update*

So I decided to throw this question on a subreddit to try and take another crack at figuring out what this is. That lead me to start googling a bit more, where I found the DUMBKOPF 1 listed on eBay (be sure to scroll down). It had parts that look exactly like the one I have. Getting excited, I started looking around for anything on this unit but only found a light discussion about it with not a lot of useful info. Then I took a closer look at the control panels on the DUMBKOPF and saw "Phone line Demodulator". I googled that with some other keywords, and that lead me to this document from MIT's archives.

Am I on to something here? I'm trying to get in touch with my grandfather to see if any of this rings some bells. This is starting to get exciting!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Extremely wild guess but I'm thinking the DUMBKOPF was a mainframe type computer or part of one (really not finding much on it at all so was probably not very common but it kinda sounds German), and those cards are probably to hook up to phone lines to dial in to it. Essentially it would have been used for a BBS type system or terminal of sorts that is accessible via phone lines. So this would have been some kind of concentrator for phone accessible terminals. There probably would have been a whole separate section that is the actual computer/mainframe. Again totally wild guess here, I could be way off.

 

[SketchMaster]

Well, Dummkopf is a German word for "stupid person". Kopf is German for head, so the spelling "dumbkopf" can be seen as "Dumb head". It may have been a play on words that they came up with for naming the head of a mainframe that all the terminals connect to?

 

[SketchMaster]

Found an album of DUMBKOPF 1 photos that have a couple more shots. I think it's from the same eBay seller. I contacted the seller and pointed them in the direction of my Reddit so they can take a look at the part I have. Hopefully, they can get me some close-up shots of the DUMBKOPF 1 so my grandfather can take a look at it. I'm hoping my grandpa may know what that is and if it was part of a larger machine.

 

[feralkid]

What does it smell like?

Old Pinball machine.

 

[SketchMaster]

Old Pinball machine.

Funny enough, doesn't really have smell that I can notice.