The Computer-free Automation of a Jukebox (Electromechanics)

Ever wonder how we made all these crazy machines do all their crazy machine things before computers came along? Wonder no more as we explore the inner workings of a Wurlitzer 3400 series jukebox from 1970!

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[TechnologyConnections]

Those of you with eagle eyes will have noticed that the transfer switch is a double-pole switch. This added to the messiness of the "red button" analogy so... I ignored that bit of nuance! Yeah. Pretend it's a red button just like in the demo. But that gets pressed when it's let go. Easy, right?
Seriously, I can't say I'm happy with how I explained that. So here's a (perhaps) better after-the-fact clarification;
The Wurlamatic (main cam) really has *two* red buttons and *two* green buttons. The side 1/2 relays are the first green button. The transfer switch is the first red button. When the machine is at rest, the red button _is still being held in_ and the side 1/2 relays need to get around that to start it moving. Once that happens then the red button is "let go".
The play switch is the *second* red button which stops the program mid-run. Then the trip switch becomes a second green button, which re-starts the program. Finally, when the machine is back to the starting point, the transfer switch is released and therefore the original "red button" is pressed to shut it down.
Hope that helps!

[billdanbury]

Brown? More like dark orange, amirite?

[SomePotato]

"Switches, we can almost be endlessly clever with them."
We did. We build computers out of them.

[tzisorey]

"It might also kill somebody, but it'd work!" NOW you're thinking like the 70's! :)

[blakebell]

"Whatever the kids do with Arduino these days..."

How about a scream powered microwave?

[ZergrushEddie]

To add to the “it is amazing what you can do without circuitry”:
My dad worked at a nuclear power plant as a tech. One of the pieces of equipment he worked on was a “square root computer.” It was, essentially, a box with some tubes at very specific bends. When air was sent through it, the ‘computer’ would indicate the square root of the air PSI. It was made in the early 60’s, all without a single piece of electronics. The funny part of the story is that one day he was sent out into the field to install virus/cyber-warfare protection on this ‘computer.’ He wrote in the work order “anyone capable of devising a digital signal that can disrupt an isolated pneumatic system deserves to trip the plant.”

He got called into his boss’s office, scolded for making a joke and asked if he was able to get the software on the computer.

[calderniven]

2:08 may have been the best unused rick roll setup of all time.

[edgeeffect]

I love how all the switches and relays and stuff are CLEARLY LABELLED watching Curious Marc trying to fix and restore old elecro-mechanical devices, I can't help thinking how wonderful this is.... no searching through obscure dusty manuals to find where the transfer switch is.... it's there! Look, there! Next to the label that says "Transfer Switch"... gorgeous.

[ralfoide]

Programming is just programming. Whether it's done with lines of C or cams, it is essentially just a game of logic combining sensors with timings. In all cases, debugging & unit testing is the hardest part.

[overlordunknown]

As a programmer, I find electro-mechanical devices to be extremely impressive and intriguing, it’s like a puzzle and with enough examining you can reverse engineer it and suddenly it all makes sense, but until then it’s like magic with all the little moving parts. I can make a program to do (almost) anything I want, but I couldn’t even make hardware if my life depended on it.

[fdmillion]

"Did you notice something changing?"... Totally reminded me of playing Myst and Riven back in the day. That's exactly the sort of detail that would have been crucial to solving one of the puzzles in those games...

[kevinsong]

1970s Wurlitzer: imma label every component in that machine for repairs
2010s Apple: imma glue down components and use the exact same screws with three different screw heads to deter repairs-men

[japzone]

18:45 - "Well, I'm gonna save that for the next video. But before I go, let's make that cliffhanger extra painful."

[DeviantOllam]

this is awesome, and it reminds me of a presentation by my friend Jason Scott... an amazing technology archivist. he mentioned and showed some photos of an old racing/driving game cabinet that was totally analog. there was a huge "record disc" type element which was, he stated, part of the "track guide" and if the player's vehicle drove too far to one side at times, there were electrical contacts that would be made which was used to perform edge collision detection.


i will look for the specific talk and edit this comment if i can find it!

[TrainfanJanathan]

So this machine is basically a giant electric Rube Goldberg device? Cool.

[skagerstrom]

The smoooothest transition to ending music ever <3

[BRUXXUS]

I can't even imagine how long something like this took to design, refine, and troubleshoot to get working flawlessly.
Reminds me of doing the Rube Goldberg contest for the state Engineering Fair back in HS many years ago. You can have everything working perfectly, then as soon as you add one more step it breaks the whole contraption. Now that I think about it... same goes for coding. 🤔

[Paul-plvy]

Being a member of a deaf family the subtitles are great. Thank you.

[BEdmonson]

Ah man, totally takes me back. Back in the early '00's I apprenticed under one of the guys that used to repair these things on the daily. He was getting out of the business, but there was unbelievably actually still a market around my area for a good repair tech for old jukes. So I learned what I could and took over the reigns for a few years. I still get a couple calls a year or so that I take on if I have the time.

[jonothanthrace]

The one time you EXPECT to get Rickrolled, and you don't.