Ye Olde Timey Microwave Downloads

This is stuff that you would think would be readily available, but it's just not. For some reason, things like old ads, manuals, and engineering literature are pretty much absent from the modern internet. What does a microwave tower from the 50's look like? What does a Motorola Starplex analog TDM microwave radio look like? How about first generation digital TDM radios like the Harris/Farinon VersaT1lity? If you made any cell phone calls between 1988 and 1998, you've probably used one, but will you ever see one? Most of the people who worked on them are retired, and the companies that made them have completely moved on to entirely different lines of business.

Over the years I've come across some interesting stuff languishing at the bottom of junk piles in basements and mostly abandoned equipment shelters, and I'm hoping to eventually make it all available here. Some of the manuals are really interesting, but scanning them is going to be a pain. If you have a manual or other document you'd like to contribute, feel free to contact me.

AT&T Long Lines Ad, early 1950's

Shows a type of horn antenna totally different from the other outdated horn antennas you'll see on the AT&T towers pictured on this site. So far, I've yet to come across one of these in person, or even a picture of one, so if you have some more info, as always feel free to contribute.

AT&T Long Lines logo, pre-1970's

This is the old logo for AT&T Long Lines Department, before they updated it in the 70's. Unfortunately, it's not an official/authentic AT&T file, but a recreation I made in CorelDraw. If you want the original vector art file, just ask. Fun bonus fact: in the movie Weird Science, you can see this exact logo on Anthony Michael Hall's character's bedroom wall. I didn't realize this until two years after I plastered it on my bedroom wall.

Motorola Microwave Ad, late 1950's to early 1960's

Not sure exactly when it was printed, but it shows a very different type of tower than what you would see nowadays. Instead of a steel lattice tower with a dish or even and old horn like the ones used on the AT&T Long Lines network, you have a horn mounted at the base of the tower, and what's basically a passive repeater at the top. From a periodical called The Oil and Gas Journal.

Valmont Passive Repeater Engineering Guide, 1989

Ever wonder how a passive repeater works? Here's a whole damn book just overflowing with information on how they're used. Includes some bonus content on AT&T Long Lines links that used both horns and passive repeaters.

Gabriel Logo

As seen on many horn antennas used in AT&T Long Lines links. Pretty clever how they made the G actually look like the horn-reflector antennas they were famous for. Created by me in CorelDraw. Fun bonus fact: Gabriel still technically exists.