NORAD SAGE COMPUTER

[Basil]

When I was first enlisted in the Air Force (a long time ago), I was a computer maintenance repairman on the the NORAD SAGE Computer system (IBM Q7) which provided our Air Defense for North America. It was the largest (in physical size) computer ever made with each computer (there were two) having a quarter of a million vacuum tubes and over a million miles of wire. The memory was magnetic ferrite core. Anyway, a guy I used to work with there sent me some pictures of the old system we used to work on and I scanned them and have uploaded to my gallery:

Norad SAGE System

Note the article about the UFOs buzzing the state - I was there when that happened - a very surreal night that was!

By the way, you may have seen some of this equipment in movies (like Independence Day, Austin Powers and the old Battle Star Galactica, just to name a few). That's because when we finally shut the old SAGE system down, Hollywood bought a lot of the equipment for use in their sci-fi flicks.

 

[coldplugs]

WOW!

 

[tomshobby]

Incredible Basil!

 

[TRDejaVu]

I wonder how its computing power compares to one of today's laptops?

 

[Basil]

I wonder how its computing power compares to one of today's laptops?

It doesn't...not even close. There were two computers in the building - one always running the active air defense picture while we did preventative maintenance on the other and would "switch" each night). The "big" memory on one of these computers was 256k (that's 1 quarter of a meg). But working on that beast did give you a deeper understanding of how a computer works. Today, if a computer has a display problem, you just replace the entire "card", which would have been like replacing a huge frame full of vacuum tubes. When our Q7 had a problem, we had to troubleshoot and track down the problem to the specific leg of a specific and/or gate, or specific "flip-flip" circuit and replace the affected tube or diode, for example.

 

[MadRiver]

Basil -- That's amazing. Not only the photos, but the comparison to today's computing power.

Assuming it's not classified, care to share any additional details on the UFO encounter???

 

[Brosky]

I'd love to see the power system in one of the UFO's. Yeah, I believe that they are there. It's just not time to land and "talk" yet. Check the Mayan calendar. By then we will have probably nearly self destructed and these guys just might be our last chance.

 

[DrEntropy]

Well, I suspect ~something~ is there. My personal theory is they have a way to bridge the 'branes. We're just coming to glimpse the existence of ~eleven~ "dimensions". No way yet for John Q. to conceive of the four we can actually "see"!

Why would ya allow barbarians into YOUR living room?!?! We're collectively still workin' with sticks 'n stones...
"To be Observed".
If there is some cataclysmic event they will likely only gather samples.

For exhibit:
"Quaint, extinct 4D beings. Do Not Touch Barrier, Do Not Feed (On)." :smirk:

 

[bgbassplyr]

In '71/'72 I worked the computers at what is now BAC. We had 3 IBM 360 mod. 65's, 1/2 acre of disc and tape drives. Thought it was the berries back then. Not sure it had the power of my cell phone.

Have also had UFO encounter with multiple colored lights, no sound. Something there, IMHO.

 

[aerog]

Yup. I believe in UFOs. Kids let go of them at Disneyworld every day.

 

[Basil]

Yup. I believe in UFOs. Kids let go of them at Disneyworld every day.

The incident I witnessed was featured once on "Unsolved Mysteries" with Robert Stack. The next morning two officers arrived from Colorado Springs (NORAD HQ at Cheyenne Mountain) an I was instructed NOT to discuss the incident. They took the Master Operational Recording Tapes (MORT) away in locked cases and we were instructed to keep our mouths shut - it as classified. Of course now it has all bee de-classified, so I'm off the hook.

 

[Steve]

I have seen a UFO, when I was a serving officer. Once again, there was no sound. Incredible stuff.....

 

[AweMan]

I.M.H.O. ..... One has to be pretty arrogant to think WE are the only life forms in this vast universe. NOPE .... I have never seen a U.F.O. I cant say there out there, then again I cant say there not. I certainly hope for our sake if they do exist that one day they will come save us from the insanity on this planet that seems to be growing exponentially on a daily basis. I have however seen points of lights {stars if you will} move from point a to point b and even shoot upwards {not fall to earth}. Yes I am an avid star gazer! What were they? Anyone guess would be as good as mine.
What I know about computer innards can be summed up on about half a page of paper.

 

[MikeP]

Regardless of it's computing power, there's nothing like the look of 60's big iron with all the flashing lights, spinning tapes and removable disks sitting around. Looks like a computer should..

 

[Roger]

I worked on some old stuff whne I started in whatever we called IT back then. (EDP?) Won't say how long back, but I remember upgrading to Cobol64.
For ages I had a memory card from an old NCR box where you could see the ferrite cores and the cross wires. Sadly it got lost in one of our many house moves through the years.

 

[70herald]

It was the largest (in physical size) computer ever made with each computer (there were two) having a quarter of a million vacuum tubes and over a million miles of wire.

Hey Boss
We seem to be working at opposite ends of the technology spectrum.

I spend most of my day figuring out why these little guys don't work. These are TEM (transmission Electron Microscope) pictures of the smallest currently available transistors.

 

[Basil]

It was the largest (in physical size) computer ever made with each computer (there were two) having a quarter of a million vacuum tubes and over a million miles of wire.

Hey Boss
We seem to be working at opposite ends of the technology spectrum.

I spend most of my day figuring out why these little guys don't work. These are TEM (transmission Electron Microscope) pictures of the smallest currently available transistors.

And you could probably fit a billion of them in the space of one hole in one leg of one vacuum tube socket!

 

[William]

I.M.H.O. ..... One has to be pretty arrogant to think WE are the only life forms in this vast universe. NOPE .... I have never seen a U.F.O. I cant say there out there, then again I cant say there not.

I tend to agree. The odds of this marble being the only one with a life form on it-anywhere in the known or unknown universe-are quite small.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Regardless of it's computing power, there's nothing like the look of 60's big iron with all the flashing lights, spinning tapes and removable disks sitting around. Looks like a computer should..[/QUOTE]

Just the thought of it makes my inner mad scientist come out. I could never have worked on those things. I'd spend all my time speaking in an overly dramatic voice and laughing "Bwahahahaha!" every chance I got. Real military material, me.

-Wm.

 

[Murray]

I worked for Philco (remember that name?) in 1966 and as a civilian worked as a computer operator in NORAD on Philco computers. I was there for the last 6 months of 1966 and then the contract with Philco ended.

Murray

 

[Banjo]

Oddly enough I came into work this morning to find 2 transistor tubes sitting on my workbench. rather early Sylvans from the looks of them. about the size of a standard lightbulb. One of my co-workers found them and thought they might be valuable, and that I might want them. (I believe they are both bad) But I had fun letting the "kids" in the shop guess what they were. I finally had to explain what they were. It made me think of "Back To The Future Part 3" when the 1955 Doc had to replace the DeLoreans fried circuit board (about the size of a credit card) with a giant box of tubes and such strapped to the hood.
I get a kick outta that kind of stuff. And it seems I have a reputation for the old and eclectic.
Suits me.