Author Topic: Orac  (Read 6624 times)

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Offline FlumpTopic starter

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Orac
« on: October 26, 2014, 01:33:45 am »
Anyone remember Blake's 7 ?

I just noticed a TO-3 case device on a heatsink
maybe Orac runs off of a 2N3055  :-DD

It's from Blake's 7 series 4 ep 6 - Headhunter

 

Online IconicPCB

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Re: Orac
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2014, 01:46:19 am »
Imagination is more important than knowledge .

Einstein ( allegedly)
 

Offline calexanian

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Re: Orac
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2014, 03:20:13 am »
I also see 2, 4 cell battery holders with what appears to be fibrous packaging tape on them and what also appears to be some kind of board with a card edge connector on it. Pretty snazzy. That heatsink looks like it does some serious business too! hahahahaha. I see people at Apex Electronics looking for parts to put in props all the time. They are clueless.
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Offline tggzzz

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Re: Orac
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2014, 09:16:35 am »
Anyone remember Blake's 7 ?

And I was thinking you meant the Orac computer http://www.childofthe1980s.com/2011/08/15/oric-1-and-oric-atmos/ :)

I lost interest in Blakes 7 because, even with an omniscient computer, they still kept getting themselves into stupid avoidable situations.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
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Offline FlumpTopic starter

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Re: Orac
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2014, 11:31:14 am »
Wow Oric is a blast from the past, I think i used to have one of them, was so long ago i cant remeber  |O

It wouldn't have been "good" television if they never got in trouble
look at stargate or star trek.
 

Offline tggzzz

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Re: Orac
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2014, 11:42:33 am »
It wouldn't have been "good" television if they never got in trouble
look at stargate or star trek.

Yes, but it is stupid trouble that I object to!

Counter example: Babylon 5. Plenty of trouble, but always rational and intelligent. Plus you occasionally saw the blokes down in the boiler room, not just the command staff "Ruperts".
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline IanJ

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Re: Orac
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2014, 03:05:24 pm »
Anyone remember Blake's 7 ?

I just noticed a TO-3 case device on a heatsink
maybe Orac runs off of a 2N3055  :-DD

It's from Blake's 7 series 4 ep 6 - Headhunter

Plenty more to see here.......

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Orac.jpg
Ian Johnston - Original designer of the PDVS2mini || Author of WinGPIB
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Online SeanB

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Re: Orac
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2014, 04:33:04 pm »
I see a relay bank used to generate the running light sequence, and a lot of junk PCB's cut and epoxied into tubes of acrylic in an acrylic case. Also a reed relay probably used to turn the power on and off. Batteries required, and the tape probably used to keep them in the holders so you would not need a retake of scenes because of poor contact.
 

Offline Kjelt

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Re: Orac
« Reply #8 on: October 26, 2014, 04:52:20 pm »
Quote
2N3055
Or a 78H05K like in my old pinnball machine of that era.
Anyway what a dreamjob it must be to build electronic gadgets for the moviestudio.

I am always stupidified when even in 2014 movies the prop time bombs use 7 segment LED displays and all ics are throughole parts like in the recent movie "non-stop"  :wtf:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024469
It is as if there is a parts shop somewhere in Hollywood and they ask for a prop time bomb and they get this 80's model from the closet  :palm:
 

Online SeanB

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Re: Orac
« Reply #9 on: October 26, 2014, 05:15:21 pm »
LED's and through hole as they will show up on DVD video release as more than a blob, and LED as you can drive the brightness up to the point where you can see it in the 30kW of studio lighting and register on the 60 ISO setting on the camera.
 

Online free_electron

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Re: Orac
« Reply #10 on: October 26, 2014, 05:19:20 pm »
damn thing ran off 8 D-Cells...
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Any comments, or points of view expressed, are my own and not endorsed , induced or compensated by my employer(s).
 

Offline Yago

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Re: Orac
« Reply #11 on: October 26, 2014, 05:38:18 pm »
You lot will be in so much trouble when Avon reads this thread!
He is bad ass!

:p
 

Online SeanB

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Re: Orac
« Reply #12 on: October 26, 2014, 05:52:46 pm »
damn thing ran off 8 D-Cells...

$6 then to get the 12V supply for those relays then, and they would likely last a day or two in the production studio to make all the blinkenlamps run. Must have made a little noise when running, good thing the voices and effects were all added in post. Yes, 12V, a room with an actor, a script and a massive mixing deck to do it all........
 


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