[cctalk] Re: Ring in the new year 1976

[Paul Koning via cctalk]

> On Jan 1, 2026, at 10:56 PM, Tony Duell via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> 
> wrote:
> 
> On Thu, Jan 1, 2026 at 11:44 PM Nigel Williams via cctalk
> <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Anyone know why DEC chose to use the grind-noise? it was a singularly
>> unpleasant sound, it had the effect of not wanting to trigger it.
> 
> From what I remember it's actually a little relay on the main circuit
> board. A single pulse for the key click and a buzz for the 'bell'
> 
> -tony

That's what the schematic shows, or more precisely it shows a relay coil, I 
can't find the actual part description.

Curiously enough, the earlier VT05 does have a proper beeper, with an 800 Hz 
oscillator feeding a speaker.  And the VT61/t, which is a block editing 
terminal for Typeset-11 in a VT52 case, also has a speaker for the key click 
(and I assume for the bell/beep though I didn't look that far).  Then again, 
it's not clear whether the VT61/t has anything in common with the VT52 other 
than its case and perhaps the CRT and some of the power supplies.  I remember a 
collection of rather hairy looking circuit boards, the final last gasp of 
single-sided PCB technology with hundreds of jumper wires on the component 
side...

        paul