Jeff Albert
HTTP 1.1/418 TeapotHappy birthday to the 19" equipment rack, which turns 100 next month. From the July, 1923, Bell Systems Technical Journal: "All panels are to be of a uniform length, designed to mount on vertical supports spaced 19>< inches between centers. The height of the different panels will vary, according to the amount of apparatus in each unit, but this vertical dimension is in all cases to be a whole multiple of 1-3/4 inches."(p139 at https://archive.org/details/bstj2-3-112/page/n27/mode/2up )
Wendy Nather@rmd1023 Trivia: a 19โ rack can fit in the back of a VW Passat wagon. #TheMoreYouKnow
EndlessMason@wendynather @rmd1023 also, your oven is likely compliant with this standard
vandorb12@EndlessMason @wendynather @rmd1023 some Ikea furniture is as well, and commonly used in home labs and home audio studios. https://gearspace.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-and-electronic-music-production/1203354-diy-19-quot-rack-ikea-lack-table.html
That one Jewish network nerd@rmd1023 That is super interesting
Steve Hersey
DaveBarnes@rmd1023
When I worked at StorageTek in 1993, I suggested to the engineers that they start building to 19-inch RETMA racks. They had no clue what I was talking about.
When I worked at StorageTek in 1993, I suggested to the engineers that they start building to 19-inch RETMA racks. They had no clue what I was talking about.
Ellie@rmd1023 Nice rack~
In3D.ca@rmd1023 Yeah but try telling that cute little CO that she's got a nice rack and look out!
[telephony dad jokes]
Jake - DC0OL
Steve Gisselbrecht@stevegis_ssg @rmd1023 I tried to work relays into that, I really did, for those racks would certainly have been full of Strowger switches. I regret that I never managed to see a Strowger exchange in operation. However I did have the pleasure of counting Gord Thompson as a friend. Gord was the inventor of the "electronic stored program switch", which is what replaced all those relays.
Joel Wirฤmu, Pauling
Marcin Juszkiewicz ๐@rmd1023 so rack dimensions are not coming from audio systems as I thought before.
Good to know.
Clifton RoystonThanks for sharing this! The first footnote says the paper was presented June 27 1923, so I think itโs fair to say its centennial is next Tuesday, June 27.
Happy 19โ Rack Day!
Jack Rusher
Simon Brooke@rmd1023 I've never understood the logic behind either of those two frankly bizarre measurements, but I suppose we should not expect any rational dimensions to emerge out of the anglophone world.
We should just be grateful they didn't express it in furlongs.
Daniel Barlow@simon_brooke @rmd1023 it's about a cubit, so maybe something to do with how storage was laid out on Noah's Ark. Strong "widths of two horses' asses" energy here ...
(I say "about" because like most measures from antiquity there seem to be a wide range of sizes of cubit)
(I say "about" because like most measures from antiquity there seem to be a wide range of sizes of cubit)
Kevin@threeio ๐๐๐
Nifty1A@rmd1023 I feel sorry for it's much overlooked bigger brother, the 23" rack.
Jon Bosak@rmd1023
And this, children, is how standards are made.
And this, children, is how standards are made.
Bytebro ๐ฌ๐ง ๐บ๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ฑ@rmd1023 How did I never know this. Happy birthday to racks.
ScottinSoCal ๐บ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ณโ๐I had no idea this standard was that old.
Now I'm wondering why they call it a "U"?
Unit?
QRSS_Test@ScottSoCal @rmd1023 Yep, as in โRack Unitโ
Robey โ ๏ธ@rmd1023 tiny OCR bug: "19><" looks like it was meant to be "19 1/2" if you eyeball the page (very cool tho!)
@robey Yeah, the copy/paste came through like that and by the time I noticed it I figured it wasnโt worth fixing and triggering a zillion notifications for folks since it was pretty obvious from context.
J. Williams@rmd1023 after a little digging, it appears that the racks smaller cousin, the DIN rail, is only 5 years younger.
@jaywilliams Neat. Thanks!