Teardown of a 50 year old modem

A few years ago, I was out at the W6TRW swap meet at the parking lot of Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California. Tucked away between TVs shaped like polar bears and an infinite variety of cell phone chargers and wall warts was a small wooden box. There was a latch, a wooden handle, and on the side a DB-25 port. There was a switch for half duplex and full duplex. I knew what this was. This was a modem. A wooden modem. Specifically, a Livermore Data Systems acoustically coupled modem from 1965 or thereabouts.

Turn down the lights, close the curtains, and put on some Barry White. You’re going to need it.

4 Comments

  1. 2019-04-02 4:51 pm
    • 2019-04-03 7:56 pm
  2. 2019-04-02 8:40 pm
  3. 2019-04-06 6:26 am