my oldest plotter

[VzEkC]

This is my oldest plotter.

A Model 563 from California Computer Products (CALCOMP). It came with manual and a nice wooden box for the pens.

I was in ok condition, but needed a cleaning. The 3.5" Diskette on the floor is for size comparision.


Most dirt came off easily:


Ports are not, what we have on today's plotters


Luckily, the manual was in very good shape (date in manual says 1969)


The pens came in a nice wooden box:


The plotter probably was cleaner as it has been protected by a hood:
colors are wrong in this photo

wich I also cleaned:

 

[syzygy]

from wiki The Calcomp 565 drum plotter, introduced in 1959.....Later, Calcomp manufactured its model 563...

WoW, so much earlier than the 80s when those HP 7475's and the like that came to rule the plotter world (in my memory). Thanks for the pics.

 

[antiquekid3]

What are you using to drive the plotter?

 

[VzEkC]

I still need to build an interface, as it does not have hpgl or something similar. I just can move the drum and the pencarier and lift or lower the pen. It is very archaic

 

[g4ugm]

Very nice. Been looking for a Calcomp of this era since I started with vintage kit. I was intending to drive it from an IBM1130 emulator..

 

[MattisLind]

They are really nice plotters. I had a problem with the twistlock capacitors in the PSU the positive lead was corroded so it was no more on the inside so check the caps before running it.

I did this a couple of years back with a PDP-11 connected to a Calcomp 565 (Branded IBM).

https://twitter.com/x/status/1097195960546050049

Link to the code I used: https://github.com/MattisLind/pdp11-plot

 

[VzEkC]

check the caps before running it.

Will do. I also need to find out whether that aluminium box attached to it converts from 230V to 115V or not