When I worked at HP, there was a stock fellow who called a floppy disk a floppy dick. We teased him mercilessly.

----- Original Message -----
From: Matthew Chao  <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2015 11:15 am
Subject: Re: Useless Knowledge (was Laser Light)

>
>
> Floppy disk, eh?  Need Viagra?--Matt, N1IBB.
> 
> At 01:54 PM 11/4/2015, you wrote:
> >Asking someone about a floppy disk is cause for sexual harassment these day=
> >s.
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]] =
> >On Behalf Of Eric Oyen
> >Sent: Tuesday, November 3, 2015 10:37 PM
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: Useless Knowledge (was Laser Light)
> >
> >thats almost as bad as knowing job control language for an IBM AS/360 =3D M=
> >ainframe. :) Also, working on reel to reel tape machines. Its really =3D to=
> >o bad that most people these days don't remember the technology that =3D wa=
> >s the predecessor to the current media. You ask a kid today what a =3D flop=
> >py disk is and they might look at you like a deer caught in the =3D headlig=
> >hts. Or how about coders these days that couldn't conceive of a =3D program=
> >  written in basic and having to work tightly in only 8k of ram. =3D Pretty =
> >soon, I imagine, keyboards are going to be quaint reminders of an =3D old c=
> >omputing past.
> >
> >DE n7zzt Eric
> >
> >On Nov 3, 2015, at 8:11 PM, Tom Fowle wrote:
> >
> > > Knowing how things work, or used to work is never useless.
> > > At the least it's interesting.
> > >=3D20
> > > Used to run 16 MM projectors in highschool in the 60s, but don't =3D
> >remember
> > > the filter. Maybe those school units didn't have the freeze frame.
> > > thanks for the fun
> > > tom Fowle WA6IVG
> > >=3D20
> > > On Tue, Nov 03, 2015 at 02:22:44PM -0600, Martin McCormick wrote:
> > >>      A lot of what is left of my brain is useless knowledge by  today's=20
> > >>standards. When I worked as a technician with the OSU  Audio Visual=20
> > >>Center in the eighties, I repaired 16-millimeter  film projectors=20
> > >>among many other things and I have a whole  treasure trove of trivia=20
> > >>in my head that doesn't get you very far  today.
> > >>=3D20
> > >>      Did you know, for instance, that if the film stops 
> > moving  for even=20
> > >>a fraction of a second that the heat from the projection  lamp is=20
> > >>sufficient to melt it? Most projectors had a freeze-frame  function=20
> > >>but it only worked because a special piece that greatly  reduced the=20
> > >>amount of heat/light was supposed to drop down  between the film gate=20
> > >>and the film, itself.
> > >>=3D20
> > >>      We had a few machines that came in because a mechanical  part that=20
> > >>held the filter piece up and out of the way failed and  the piece=20
> > >>would slowly swing down and cause the light output to  appear to go=20
> > >>very dim.
> > >>=3D20
> > >>      How does a person who is blind work on a film projector?
> > >> Most of the mechanical failures that befall 16-millimeter  projectors=20
> > >>cause audible issues also.
> > >>=3D20
> > >>      Sound film projectors must yank the film through the gate  in a=20
> > >>series of 24 very fast jerks per second so that each frame  of the=20
> > >>picture is still for 1/24 of a second. When the film  reaches the=20
> > >>sound pickup, it must not have any trace of the jerky  motion and=20
> > >>moves as smoothly as audio tape. There are failure  modes that cause=20
> > >>the film to move more smoothly than it should  through the film gate=20
> > >>and other failures that make it move in a  jerky manner through the=20
> > >>sound pickup. Those usually make the  machine clatter with an extra=20
> > >>loud sound or the sound has a  terrible flutter in the speed which is=20
> > >>unacceptable. It is  necessary to examine the film transport to=20
> > >>diagnose the problem  and fix the broken parts.
> > >>=3D20
> > >>      There is a Walt Disney movie which I think might be  "Bambee" in=20
> > >>which there is a scene where animals are talking to  each other while=20
> > >>under water. Their voices all sound fluttery  like someone with water=20
> > >>in their throat. One time, my wife and I  watched this film because=20
> > >>she wanted to see it again after many  years and I had never watched=20
> > >>it at all. I almost fell out of my  chair when that scene came on.=20
> > >>Some technician simply blocked the  rotation of the sound drum and fed=20
> > >>that audio in to the movie as  a special effect. I thought it was=20
> > >>brilliant and never imagined  that someone would actually want that=20
> > >>sound to appear, but it was  perfect for the scene.
> > >>=3D20
> > >>      I remember running across many weird problems that 
> > were  usually the=20
> > >>fault of wear and tear on belts, gears and clutches.
> > >> That's where I accumulated all this useless knowledge.
> > >>=3D20
> > >>      So, what makes the film stop and melt? Ripped out sprocket  holes=20
> > >>along the edge. That will turn torn-up film in to torn-up  melted=20
> > >>film. If this had been back in the really old days, the  film which=20
> > >>used to be made of celluloid would have burst in to  flame and started=20
> > >>a real fire.
> > >>=3D20
> > >> Martin
> > >>=3D20
> > >> Colin McDonald <[log in to unmask]> writes:
> > >>> ah, I love teachable moments!!!
> > >>> They call me a walking encyclopedia of mostly interesting, but =3D
> >useless
> > >>> facts...