I love that you can reverse engineer such an obscure piece of kit.

I guess there should be a 60ies computer room in the Smithsonian, where all the Apollo gear should be assembled in working condition. Including a CM in another hall, communicating back and forth. Well…

Such a shame that all that hardware software and documentation was not more carefully curated. MASSIVE thumbs-up to you and the team for resurrecting this old technology.

I consider the Apollo program to be the modern equivalent of the construction of the great pyramids 4,600 years ago. A combination of technological, political, and societal conditions happened to occur at the same time, yielding unprecedented accomplishments. Like the ancient Egyptian geniuses, the triumphs of the Apollo team quickly faded into obscurity. Marc and his pals are technology archaeologists who help us to appreciate the genius of the effort that sent mankind to the Moon.

Picard: Any findings on the box from Earth? Data: Yes - Based on the construction and label, I've determined it was from early Earth space mission called Apollo and was used for updata. Picard: What's updata? Data: Not much captain, and you? *finger guns* Picard: *face palm*

I love it when Ken explains stuff. Always straight to the point and a crystal clear argumentation. 👌

That is just absolutely incredible what you all are able to do. By far the most interesting channel of all!

You have an incredible team! I'd love to see a special series with Master Ken explaining how to reverse engineer any unknown circuit (with elevator background music, of course).

The way you guys are going I think I may hear the roar of an antiquated rocket engine sometime in the near future.

You can see the twinkle in Kens eyes when Marc explains things to us. That's pure passion.

At this point, I'm willing to believe Ken was the guy who reverse-engineered the Rosetta stone! 🤣

Ken is a Legend. He deserves a statue.

Outstanding! When I was a boy around the time of Apollo, I remember flying to visit relatives in Texas, on a flight that stopped in Wichita KS. Many of the coach class passengers were young men with white shirts and skinny black ties, with carry-on items of HP portable oscilloscopes and IBM "Winchester" removable disk packs. Obviously they were aerospace engineers traveling between places where the big mainframe computers were and the factories in Wichita. No doubt some of them were working for contractors that were working on the moon shot. The general public never saw the actual hardware that made Apollo work, and with good reason. For most of us, the idea that ground-based computers could communicate over phone lines was still science fiction, and the idea of doing it over a quarter-million miles of empty space was a bridge too far. But that's what was happening, and no doubt the Russians would have loved to get their hands on it. And in fact the Russians often did get their hands on US high-tech information because it was published in magazines. It was said that being a Russian spy was easy because of that. And we in the Free World were proud of that fact because the ideas kept coming faster than any closed society could hope to decode them.

Its just so phenomenal. Every country has "come together" moments, but americas space effort stands as the single most effective and precedential

Fascinating to see these old systems operating again.

It was amazing for me to watch this series, sir. I was just 8 to 14 years old during the Apollo missions. Thinking back about how brief that period was in history. In that time, my big brother, a licensed amateur radio operator (as am. I. now) who BUILT ALL of his equipment from. HEATHKITS in high school shop, was then a Green Beret senior staff sergeant, electronics & Comms specialist, on his 2nd and 3rd combat tours to Vietnam. (He went MIA, assumed Kia in January 69 Tet offensive, before Armstrong set foot on the moon that summer). We exchanged extensive letters during that period on what the astronauts were talking about in the Comms technical side (yes, I was a nerd!). Watching your breakdown and rebuild series brought back so many wonderful memories so much that I had to go dig out those old letters and re-read them. Thank you SO much for doing this series because now I know what he was trying to explain to me about IC's. I had no clue what they were. (HE was still working with Army equipment using transistors and TUBES!). Integrated Circuits Were just then coming into vogue with the military, so we had to come up with "code wording" to talk about them because any mention of them of equipment using them would be censored as top secret! I am totally fascinated with old and antique communication equipment, although I don't have the skills (yet) to build out much of this old equipment, the few projects I have completed all have worked fabulously and I have worked the frequencies "old school" on much of it. I would LOVE to go back and get an electronic engineering degree NOW. AGAIN, Thank You so much for doing this series!

Give Ken long enough and he'll reverse-engineer the entire Apollo program. ;-) Marc, Ken, Mike, and Marcel will all be broadcasting from the Moon in 10 years or so. LOL.

So when VGER returns to earth, we'll be able to talk to it? You guys never cease to amaze me with your abilities and determination. Highly impressed and actually, jealous.

I'm more and more convinced, this will lead to you eventually reaching the moon. Just make sure to bring your HP lab equipment. You'll need it to fix the things for the return trip...

I often wonder if Marc knew where he was going when he started restoring those old teletypes… 🤔 Seems like the perfect technology gateway into the military and aerospace systems of the time. A wonderful team. I don’t think anyone else alive today could reverse engineer, restore and operate these systems. Bravo to them all, and thanks for recording and sharing this for posterity. Far better than keeping this on a dusty shelf at the Smithsonian! And especially big thanks to the man, the myth, the legend known as Master Ken 👏👏👏

A big rubber mallet and some pipe-fitter's pliers on the table too. For when subtlety runs out. Congrats guys, you have intimidated it back into working order.

Overheard at a 911 fire dispatch center where I do some work: "Motorola: you can make it better but you can't make it more expensive" :-)

Amazing! Like a technologists version of a 1,000 part jigsaw puzzle, where all the parts are just a different shade of blue!!!

Marc, Mike, Ken, Eric, all together form a "dream team" about vintage high tech electronics reverse-engineering ! All these skills grouped together, that is quite impressive. And the team grows up regularly. I would love to see, in a near future, an RF transmission to (and from?) a real AGC, with these equipments! This would be a great achievement.

There used to be an electronics surplus / recycler on US 1 in Cocoa Florida. When I'd visit my father in law down there I would stop in. Thay had alot of this type of equipment in the late 70's early 80's. I did't buy much give I would have to get it back to the Chicago area. But this Apollo series brings back loads of memories.

I am truly amazed at the expertise and sheer camaraderie displayed here. This is one of the most remarkable channels here on YT. Curious Marc is living the dream and his dream team with him. Thanks for great content and your drive to share this remarkable journey with us. cannot thank you enough. I became 4 in 1969 having been born on 1st Aug 1965, so this is like a glance back to a time when I was just a baby and this is after all part of world history.

I don't think there has ever been a person with Ken's unique abilities. Its really amazing to watch you guys all working on this, finding all the puzzle pieces and putting them back together.

If these guys had a serious budget...they would be in space. Nice job saving history.

I think it's great you guys are doing this. First off, it's next-level nerd stuff. But also with most of the original engineers and technicians that worked on this stuff retired or passed on, and the world having moved on to levels of indifference, ignorance, and craziness that no one could have foreseen, it's the only way these masterpieces of electronic engineering will be preserved and understood for future generations. The quality of this stuff is amazing too. I can't imagine anything built in the last 20 years working 50+ years later. (unless perhaps it's a Nintendo Gameboy..)

How does Ken do it? The man is an absolute wizard

Amazing salvation job. You are saving an entire area of technology history. A most important one.

Great. A deep dive into old tech. What a smart crew.

My jaw drops - literally and repeatedly - as I watch you guys work!

Phase Shift Keying and Up Data Link for the win. More and more workaday Apollo program devices each day.

You're a bunch of geniuses! I love your videos. You're all brilliant, but let's give some kudos this time to master Ken for his insane reverse engineering skills.

Amazing that something so complex and fragile would be intended to send command codes to a spacecraft a quarter million miles away. Lots of error checking on both ends but one dropped bit and you're on your way outside the solar system? Incredible, just incredible.

Only completely at the end I see my favourite Mike.... We want more Mike 😊😁⚡

Your patience, knowledge and ingenuity never fails to astound me!

You guys will never stop to amaze me! Kudos!

stuff like this is why I love this channel!

More please, I just can't get enough of your videos! 🙂

Such a coincidence that you found the same display type in your new gear than the one I sent to Fran. Nice to see it in action ☺️ Thanks for another beautiful Apollo gear insight 💛 This one was especially delightful to me due to so many successful repairs, rev-engs and lucky findings 😊

I'm in awe of what you guys do...

Excellent work! Really enjoying this series of videos, Marc. Thanks for all your work.

These Apollo series items you've been presenting is really fascinating stuff Marc. Kudos to you and your guys.

Very excellent job gentlemen! I am completely enjoying this series! Keep up the great work!

You guys are a company I would enjoy. Also you are doing great work conserving all this amazing engineering history.

Amazing progress! Some wonderful work there by all to get to this point! Loving this particular series! Such an important piece of history!

I am in awe of your team’s tenacity and skill

just mind blowing... thank you for bringing the joy to view passionate people working on this stuff

Thanks you all for the beatiful work!

For shure, you are a inspiration for everyone watching. Very glad being able to see such amazing equipments and very skilled persons.

It's a pure joy to follow all of the efforts you guys put in. It's so comforting that you're around and of course also all of those you know that provides equipment and knowledge. Your electronic archeological work is important. Can't put it in shorter terms. You're the right stuff.

truly awesome work once again chaps

You are the best guys, absolutely love your work. Keep it going!

What a fascinating channel this is. What I would give to have a fraction of the talent that this team has. Thank you for sharing with the world!

Thank you guys for saving one more piece of history!

So we all love travelling wave tubes , but: A photon checks into a hotel, where a bellhop asks where its suitcase is. The photon replies, “I didn’t bring any luggage. I’m traveling light.”

You guys are just amazing ...Bravo!!

the skill level is just wow! Thank you!

Wow you guys are amazing, especially master Ken.

wow. very happy to see this tech getting preserved. excited to see more.

Wizardry…awesome example of determination and having fun when you hit a snag.

This is a complete forest for rabbit holes to dive into and explore! Love the series!

I'm just impressed of what have been done to do that. Great Master Ken juste can stop get more and more impressive !

Brilliant, as usual.

Best episode yet!

Watching this team resurrect ancient Apollo equipment that was state of the art when I was ten years old certainly makes one feel old. But then I couldn't help but let out a giddy laugh when the paper tape was successfully read into the Up-Data Box. You guys are amazing! :)

I love these videos. Amazing what you and your team can reverse engineer and repair

Beyond amazing !

Amazing! Well done! Love this🇸🇪💪

Somewhere there is a retired MOT engineer who worked on this thing watching, but, he's thinking the last thing i want to do is say something my brain cells are still recovering from my Apollo work.

Reverse Engineering Lvl - 100! There aren’t many feelings in life that make you feel more accomplished than that moment when it just clicks in your brain and you suddenly understand how “this thing” works. Fantastic work! And most importantly, I have learned so much from this, not just about the AGC but electronics in general.

How do people like Ken exist? Blows my mind.

Absolutely amazing.

Hi everyone, Master Ken is my myth, I wish I had half of his talent in electronics!

I ABSOLUTELY love this! Geniuses at work. What an Enigma to solve.

You guys are nothing short of amazing, Ken is stunning, I have tried reverse engineering basic cards and my head ends up in a complete shambles, very impressive you can reverse the PCB AND those epoxy modules.

Ken shows extraordinary skill in troubleshooting.

Nice! Great job.

Ken is a true genius. His knowledge is mind boggling

This is incredible.

amazing. how does this not have a million views yet

The impressive array of test equipment is only surpassed by the array of colleagues you have there. I'd love to sit in the corner and just soak it up.

Nice video, thanks for sharing it :)

Seriously cosmic stuff , incredible .

This is wicked cool!

its amazing how every single box had a different architecture

I think it's just ridiculous how you guys keep on being able to completely reverse engineer these things. Love it!

Ken is an excellent engineer. He seems to be able to figure out what any code does, how any electronic circuit works as well as how mechanical devices work.

Ken is the Clark Kent of reverse engineering. I'd be afraid to get him too close to a phone booth! Marc, you have assembled an absolutely mind-blowing dream team of geniuses!

I hope you all live forever!

I don't know what the hell you guys are doing, but it's very interesting. Anything to do with the 60's space stuff is fascinating. 👍

Amazing how intelligent you group of guys are to reverse engineer something so obscure!

Nice! soon you have the whole Apollo spacekraft working again 👌🏻

Oof! Much more challenging than the other equipment due to missing parts. It would be great if the modules or something similar could be added to make the test unit self-contained and not spread about the bench. We know you'll get there eventually. Scary thing though, that this was part 9. Thanks, Marc.

Gentlemen, respect for Your skills and invention, I wish I could have something such interesting going around that I could join. Knowledgeable people are so scarce...

you really are the "appolo revive dream team" !!

Going this way in a couple of years time you'll be debugging the F1 ignition sequence on a rocket built from fixed scrap and spare hardware with holes plugged with HP test equipment, and I'll be writing a comment that the next step would be to try and do a couple of loops around the moon =)

amazing!