1964 Antique MODEM Live Demo

Circa 1964 Livermore Data Systems "Model A" Acoustic Coupler Modem, live demonstration.




Q&A: http://phreakmonkey.com/index.php/archives/134

Background: This modem was given to me ~1989 by the widow of a retired (IBM?) engineer. Computerhistory.org has a Model B dated 1965, and I've seen a ~1967 Model C written up in a magazine. (Interestingly, incorrectly identified as being only 110 baud.)

Even better than seeing it in a museum, I decide to hook the trusty Model A up and make it talk to something. After some trial and error, I manage to get it to talk to a terminal server at work and use it to connect to a linux box. It's ALIVE! So, 45 years after it's creation, this antique modem gets to send data to and from the modern Internet.




Enjoy!
- K.C.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Antique
• Modem
• Hardware
• Hacking
• Museum

[notrodash]

so basically, if you were to take the phone off the modem, your connection would be dead and the whole thing is a phone call?

[phreakmonkey]

@notrodash I love that this is a revelation to someone. I forget that there's a whole generation of people who only know a world where all remote communications aren't through telephone lines.

[sg777778]

You should black out the part of the video where you type the password. Not that I could make out what it was, but someone might be able to.

Seriously, do this now.

[phreakmonkey]

@sg777778 Thanks. I'd hate for someone to go back in time to early 2009 and log into my lab workstation.

[TheTurbinator]

50 years from now people will be demonstrating iPad's like this. Ouch.

[richardburns1560]

@zchgify You describe just my worst nightmare ;)

[FilipinorenderHD]

where do i buy that laptop?

[xFeloxX]

This really should've looked like magic in those times... not even comprehensible for a 60's person... nobody could've thought that woody box idea would evolve so much and transform the way we see the world nowadays!

[zchgify]

i have read from a book that a 9mb music file would take 3 days on a 300 bit modem. wow!!

[Flatland013975]

@notrodash I used dial-up throughout modern times (1999 to 2007) before I switched to DSL. If you pick up the phone while the modem's live, you'll hear loud static, and if you make a noise into the mouthpiece, you're going to screw up the internet connection. Truly fascinating.

[notrodash]

@phreakmonkey Also i didnt live in the 60's, 70's, or 80's

[notrodash]

@phreakmonkey Well... Its not my fault. I am quite the computer geek and I know that there were the times of Black & White tvs and dial up Internet. I have broadband and i dont want less than 40 something kbits per second speed...