So I bought a Selectric III typewriter from eBay.
I've been fascinated by IBM Selectric typewriters ever since I began working for IBM in 1977. Actually, my interest in IBM typewriters probably started when I was given a Model D during my University degree, which I took apart, lovingly repaired and typed my final year project on (OK, so Chrissie did most of the typing).
When I began at IBM, all of the secretaries had Selectrics, and later Mag Card machines with the huge card reader/writers beside their desks. I adored the sound they made. Later I graduated on to using an IBM 2741 with an APL golfball, connected from IBM Hursley to the machine in Santa Teresa to run delay simulations on logic circuits.
Now, many years later I am nearing (OK, shot well past) retirement age, I decided to indulge myself and bought a Selectric III from that auction site, with a view to making it one of my future retirement projects - once I have repaired several motorcycles, the music synthesisers and other bits of professional music gear. I didn't pay a lot for it; I put it on my watch list, didn't think much more about it, and the auction finished without a bid. The seller reached out to me with a reduced price, so I was hooked.
When the beast arrived this week - in much, much better condition than I expected, I noticed that just by the power cord, there was a ribbon cable with a D-shell connector on it emerging. So, against my better judgment I decided just to open it up to have a quick look. The ribbon cable with 20 conductors terminates at a third party add-on - a proper commercial product, made in Denmark - with the number GNT3602 on it. The add-on is fixed underneath the keyboard frame and seems to attach to all of the code levers, the space and carriage return and so on.
