Apollo Guidance Computer Part 28: real DSKY display works again after 50 years

For the first time in about 50 years, we relight a real Apollo DSKY screen! And we can finally see the mythical glow in person. Much to our collective surprise, the screen is stupendously good - it could pass for a modern high resolution phone screen.
We thank our sponsor Samtec for fabricating the NASA-spec connector pins, and of course Marcel for lending us just not one, but two of his precious displays.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro, Apollo DSKY relight short
01:27 What's an Apollo DSKY?
02:51 Block I and Block II DSKY
07:18 DSKY Reproductions
10:19 We get our hands on two real DSKY displays
12:30 Rewiring the DSKY
14:07 Latching relay drivers
16:39 First light with the early DSKY prototype
17:16 Checking out the NASA relay logic
22:40 Samtec pins and wire wrapping
23:57 SUCCESS! Functional flight spare DSKY!
25:55 Debugging the driver circuit
29:44 We've been hosed by CCA wires!
31:32 FIXED! Beauty shots of the working DSKY display
DSKY Relight short video:    • Real Apollo DSKY screen glows again! ...  

Carl's blog:
https://rescue1130.blogspot.com/searc...

Applied Science videos on EL displays
- Electroluminescent displays:    • Electroluminescent paint and multi-ch...  
- DSKY display recreation:    • Build an electroluminescent glass pan...  

Apollo Guidance Computer Restoration playlist:    • Apollo Guidance Computer Restoration  

Many thanks to Samtec, who re-manufactured the NASA-spec contacts: www.samtec.com
Our sponsor for PCBs: https://www.pcbway.com
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