[BC] Remembering Harris 9100 Automation

[Bob Boxer]

We had a 9003 at a medical radio network I used to work for.  It actually
ran quite well and we considered it to be pretty flexible, although that is
all relative to the homemade hand-wired and programmed "automation system"
that preceded it.

The program was contained on a floppy disk which seemed to run continuously.
Naturally this led to repeated failures of the drive.  One time we replaced
the drive and no matter what we did, it couldn't seem to read the data
properly.  Tech support was at a loss and finally called in the venerable
Art Silver to assist.  He thought for a moment, then said "Try reversing the
drive's power leads".  Sure enough, we had "the drive" that came miswired
from the factory.

The biggest problem we had was not with the 9003, but with the Go-Carts we
were running.  Every once in a while the positioning wheel would become
misaligned and the machine would just sit there trying to insert and eject a
cart, rocking back and forth until eventually it destroyed the cart,
shooting plastic shrapnel everywhere.

Bob 

----------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Boxer
bob.boxer at comcast.net
847-778-6063
 

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net 
> [mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Thomas 
> G. Osenkowsky
> Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 4:05 PM
> To: broadcast at radiolists.net
> Subject: [BC] Remembering Harris 9100 Automation
> 
> We installed one in New Haven, CT in the summer 1979.
> It was unstable. We used a heavy duty car battery for memory 
> backup, studio had a generator. Problem was traced to the 
> system switching to DC backup. Solution was adding a 
> capacitor to smooth out the sensor.
> 
> The system used a variation of BASIC but you couldn't 
> reliably nest more than three levels (IOW nest three or more 
> For...Next loops). Had Scully PB decks and carousels.
> 
> The Harris FS tech later became CE of the stations. Moved 
> from IL to CT.
> 
> Tom Osenkowsky, CPBE
>