Post-apocalyptic scenario - making your own computer after TS has HTF ?

won't have any problem ..could make 6 or 7 right now with all my parts ..and they would all be pretty fast ..bring it

Or you could use paper and a pencil..asshat..

Simply put, it might be necessary to revert so some lower level of technology, but still keeping the basic idea of what computers are supposed to do, which is automate the human mind.

If you could do it, you'd be back to calculators the size of a room.

A better idea would be to keep a batch of necessary parts and do everything you can to shield them.

Personally though...my whole life has been working with computers. If TSHTF, I'll enjoy a break (that is until I need to run a tactical simulation of the zombie horde coming my way...at that point, oh well).

i guess one could build something mechanical, electrical or maybe even basic electronic stuff (if scrap parts are available).

try building a usefull electric circuit first, with junkyard parts. then try building an electronic circuit by etching it or something. or try soldering with primitive methods... you won't get far.

try making a slide rule from scratch. then try making a curta calculator with a cnc machine. imagine you need to do that without a cnc machine.

or sticks and stones

op: [link to calculating.files.wordpress.com]
an all mechanical, advanced calculator; if properly built, it will last several generations...

somebody has been watching too much "revolution" on TV

This would be ideal (much less than worst case scenario, anyway).

What I was talking about, was a purely theoretical situation where actual computers or even parts were not to be found anymore which, I admit, is unlikely.

i guess one could build something mechanical, electrical or maybe even basic electronic stuff (if scrap parts are available).

try building a usefull electric circuit first, with junkyard parts. then try building an electronic circuit by etching it or something. or try soldering with primitive methods... you won't get far.

try making a slide rule from scratch. then try making a curta calculator with a cnc machine. imagine you need to do that without a cnc machine.

If you know the process of etching circuits and how to reproduce it in a simplified form in your garage or your kitchen, you are all set for making your own elementary home built electronic circuits.

That's one tiny but essential part.

Yeah, in that case, you'd have to recreate a lot of technologies first. Interesting question though, OP.

Nice, but I was talking about a computer WITH a screen... maybe you will think I am hallucinating now, but if you know the materials a flat screen is made of, and how LCD displays work, and you can get hold of the chemicals you need, who knows...

Also, it is not necessarily that all this knowledge is contained in one single person. Obviously, several people could pool their knowledge and skills together.

Yes. You just have to work it out.

just draw a leaf

then draw a volcano under the leaf

and the maybe some happy clouds

you can't bake computer chips in a campfire...

Something went wrong with my reply here. Maybe a glitch in the forum software, or a network problem.

I'll reconstruct my reply.
The whole text in the post above was from the poster I was replying to, only the last line ("That's one tiny but essential part") was a part of my reply. What I had written was something like this :

"I don't know what cnc machines are, but that's the idea.
If you know the process of etching circuits, and you can reproduce it simplified in your kitchen or in your garage, you might be able to make your own home produced circuits.

That's one tiny but essential part."

Oh, you could always stick to roasting marshmallows, I suppose...

The reason I made this thread was because I was intrigued by this idea of "recreating" many diverse technologies, as one poster here was saying.

It's an interesting problem. How far could you really go if you were able, starting from your own skills and knowledge, to recreate all the skills and knowledge necessary for - in this case - building your own computer ?

i am sure that some old computers still will be ok .

as we all carry our computer waste to africa,so-called recycling, and africa is the only shtf-free zone in nearly all scenarios, just go there and get what you need.
you´ll maybe have to build a ship from wood with your own hands first, but..

i´ll have some old ones at hand, ham radio and basic knowledge how to use this as basic internet.

Not me... I don't even know what it is about.

First of all you'll be extremely happy if you'll be able to build a simple transistor if SHTF situation wipes out all chips.
Then there would be a problem for a simple calculator, needless to say anything about a computer.

Chemicals, rare metals, vacuum pumps and chambers, silicon (which is like glass), cutting equipment. There is not only rock or suitable sand finding is invovled, extracting, and refining to a pure suitable form is needed.

All electronics now use lead free soldering. The problem with it, it corrodes without lead (approx. 7 years for failure).
Electronics has a limited life-span. The last modern computer goes out, you'll have to forget modern chips for a long time. Placing and routing millions of components without a computer is hardly possible. You'll need first computer for routing purposes.

Pure transistor computers were improved to the limit at the end of their era, so technologies would be suitable from that time. I have no data about production requirements for foreign computers, only Lithuanian.
1968 year, transistor computer "Ruta 110", needed 410km of wires, 16000 transistors and diodes.
[link to www.technologijos.lt]
A whole industry is needed for that. With add on called Ruta 701 the same model became first OCR computer. It means that capabilities are suitable for routing.
Now all you need is routing and mask production for lithography of first post-apocalyptic chip.

Simple...

building computers barn-size has been the plan, methinks;
where is all the gold going?

macro-processing chip boards?

Hehe. Sounds funny. :)

But we'll have time on our hands, you know.
The Egyptians were building their Great Pyramid for twenty years, it sees.

The labyrinth at Hawara of which Patrick Geryl is speaking needed - according to him - no less than 365 years to be built...

So you see you have to think long term.

I suppose I could more adequate arguments if I knew more specifically about the technical side of computer components.

It SEEMS

*sigh*

I keep slide rules and books with tables like the CRC. Commonsense, ain't all that common. What good is a computer? Learn to raise food, carpentry, and metal working skills, much better skills if said shit hits the rotors.

Seriously, try to build a transistor these days. All materials are available, even all the equipment that can do that. A lot of labs sell their old equipment with a big discount. It doesn't matter what price it will cost for 1 transistor and that you can buy 1000s of them for a few $. It is a serious task just to make one now without anything. After apocalypse it gets a lot harder to do that.

First things first. Preservation of knowledge. To make electronics you'll need to pass from stone age to bronze and iron age literally. It doesn't matter if you have space age equipment that is working for the moment, you'll need the capability to build and renew it. Without it, stone age will come really soon. It takes time to gather people for building and for improving, engineering things. During that time knowledge may be lost or even whole generation can change. That's the sad reality.

Books, that is reliable and proven way to preserve knowledge. Got some of them for free as libraries here were being reformed and surplus old books were given away for free. Mainly these were books containing technologies and engineering of the old era. It did look as a sad thing, but technologies move forward and some things get obsolete. Despite age, there are really interesting things you won't find in new books and fundamental things that did not change.
It is only for the worst case scenario. These books will have an enemy moisture, and worst of all, various fanatics eager to burn them all. It did happen on numerous occasions. It is likely to happen after apocalypse too.

The best way is that supplies for both electronics and manufacturing equipment are kept shielded from EMP. There are ways on the internet how to do it. Wrapping in foil is a joke or only for emergency when nothing better is available. Metal container is a much better way.
Computers with all their data are needed. CAD software for all things is essential. Even today with huge population, we have problems with a lack of programmers. After apocalypse it may take ages just get to the software to the level that is today. Engineering CAD software is extremely valuable.
There were on the internet 20 DVD's containing a lot of scientific knowledge like "Great Science Textbooks DVD Library 2007". I'm not sure about copyrights, but similar collections appear and disappear.
Printers with supplies may be extremely handy as long as only several PC's may remain working and they will surely fail with time.

Problem with shielding (including underground structures) is that it can make you visible on the radar and likely target, so there are ways to go around it. Stealth is needed.


Computer basics, how to build it.
It can be understood almost by anyone, and only when you get into details, that needs at least college level knowledge.

Knowledge needed (basic):
1. Semiconductor physics. How they are made, what are their properties. Some chemistry too.
2. Electronic components. Transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, inductors. For computer you usually need to focus on a transistor which is used as a switch. Electronic oscillator is needed too.
3. NAND, NOR logic schematics using transistors. RS flip-flop including Gated RS flip-flop and others (used for memory, buffers). DRAM basics.
4. Logic mathematics. You must know how to make any logical function using only NAND, NOR elements which can be directly represented by transistors.
5. PCB production.
6. Microchip production.
7. Computational mathematics. How to make all functions using logical elements. FPGA manuals can be useful here. FPGA are microchips that are made only from logic elements. By programming it, you can get whatever you want, including whole processors. That's a good start.
8. CAD software.

That is definitely not all.

Highly improbable. You'd never a lot of supplies, mostly likely from junk and or canibalizing from previously working computers. Don't think you can just do that because many require different operating voltages, the BIOS on the motherboard wouldn't recognize the peripherals, etc.

What about power? What about tools for fashioning it?

As I think about, a solar powered calculator will do most things that someone would need post-collapse, particularly trigonometry. You have to think, what would use it for versus cost and dedicating effort to create it. Mostly calculations about figuring building rafters need some trig work otherwise it's guesswork.

A lot of trig is needed for ballistics work, say in artillery:
[link to www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk]
If one had this alone, a community could cope with some threats. These are very slow firing weapons for sieges mostly, not to repel as much. Most likely trebuchets in a post-collapse world without gunpowder.

You could make a lot of much more necessary tools that most people don't prep for like a Peavey to move logs.

It's not hard to build a computer today, but it's still quite an effort to download all the drivers to make the system recognize all of the connected parts.

User ID: 1110734>

Power is an issue.

All sorts of power inverters can be handy. Their parts will go out with time. Problematic part is electrolytic capacitor. It is a problem for all electronic devices.

Wind, solar power usually needs batteries and inverters. Most batteries have a limited lifespan. Solar panels may be a good solution and even with dead batteries as you can use power during daytime. Solar panels degrade with time, but it takes numerous decades. Wind power may need supplies for mechanical wear, generator failures.

Thermoelectric generator is really good long term solution.
[link to www.kelk.co.jp]

Diesel generator may be a good short term solution or it can be used only when there is a need. If it has enough power it can be used for welding (more power is needed) and other tools.
Fuel can be grown and produced as biodiesel.
[link to www.home-made-biodiesel.com]
[link to www.home-made-biodiesel.com]

Biodiesel can be used for cars and engine compatibility problem for new cars is explained.
[link to www.popularmechanics.com]
This problem is unlikely for a mechanical diesel engine used in generator.

Talk to me here about it, so we stay on topic:
Thread: Last minute tips for parents when the SHTF

I disagree with you about thermoelectric as a long term solution from a carrying capacity restraint.