test-drb October 1997

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

117 participants
323 discussions

by engine＠chac.org

At 19:38 10/1/97 -0800, you wrote: >....I am not certain if the 150 >is in the "Classic" arena but I am assuming so by a pic I found on the >web, if not sorry on printing an off-topic post. The HP-150 is: 1) vintage 1984, and 2) absolutely fascinating. It could make "Classic" tenuously on either one and, given both, has NO problem. Now -- what I keep wondering about is an Atari Portfolio (1989).... __________________________________________ Kip Crosby engine(a)chac.org http://www.chac.org/index.html Computer History Association of California

26 years, 7 months

HP-150 disks...

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

I just picked up 34 'Hewlett Packard 150' diskettes; except for one they are all user labeled (Well I THINK they are all HP-150 disks, the disk type and labeling are very similar.) I am not certain if the 150 is in the "Classic" arena but I am assuming so by a pic I found on the web, if not sorry on printing an off-topic post. So, if there is anyone here that is interested in 34 assorted HP-150 disks, lemme know. Larry Anderson -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Visit our web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/ Call our BBS (Silicon Realms BBS 300-2400 baud) at: (209) 754-1363 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

26 years, 7 months

Unisys / Convergent Technologies X-bus CTOS/BTOS units in Thrift

by MPritchard＠EnsembleStudios.com

While dropping by a local thrift (where classic game cartridges were last seen 1 and half years ago) I spotted at least 3 square modules which I recognized to be Unisys or Convergent Technologies machines which ran BTOS/CTOS. As I recall these modules snapped together along a bus (X-bus?) that ran along the bottom of each module. I didn't take a closer look to see what they were, but if anyone in the list is interested, I could go back for them to determine what is there and what price is wanted (yes, I'm offering to pick up and ship for a nominal fee - I'm just a nice guy..) Matt Pritchard matthewp(a)netcom.com mpritchard(a)ensemblestudios.com

26 years, 7 months

Star Trek for CompuColor II

by MPritchard＠EnsembleStudios.com

I played it about 5 years ago. I let the machine slip through my fingers though (thru neglect of interest). Still a chance it can be dug up... -Matt Pritchard > -----Original Message----- > From: Kai Kaltenbach [SMTP:kaikal@MICROSOFT.com] > Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 1997 7:49 PM > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers > Subject: Star Trek for CompuColor II > > Anyone have a copy of this gem? > > thanks > > Kai

26 years, 7 months

Nicolet 290 needs home

by kmar＠lle.rochester.edu

At 06:14 AM 9/27/97 +0000, you wrote: >Found this on alt.folklore.computers > > We have a working (or at least it was) Nicolet 290 computer. that > need to vacate the room its been taking up for the last 20+ years. >This system is rigged up as a test bench for an MRI system (that's >all still there too) and we have all the manuals, disk packs, paper >tape programs, banks of core memory etc etc.. I plan to do a small >inventory of the parts and pieces but if I don't find it a home soon >it'll get smashed up. > Does anyone know anything about these computers? I have no idea what >else they may have been used for or how rare this thing is. Anything >anyone knows about it could be helpful towards finding it a proper >home. BTW.. Size wise you're looking at a large console with a plotter >built in and a short 19 inch rack plus many boxes of disk packs >(Diablo) and manuals. > > Ken Montgomery > CSU Sacramento > kenm(a)csus.edu (Ken Montgomery) > >I've never heard of a Nicolet 290... What is it? > >Ken Harbit >krh03(a)cvip.fresno.com > The Nioclet 290 is a dedicated instrument controller and data acquisition computer made by Nicolet Instrument Corp. in Madison, Wisconsin. Nicolet is a major manufacturer of Fourier transform (FT) infrared spectrometers, and at one time also manufactured FT Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometers. I have one of the 290's great-grandchildren, the NIC 660, still operating a FTIR spectrometer in my lab. My system was purchased new in 1986, and is still running reasonably well. I don't know a lot about the 290, but what I can tell you about these computers in general is that they are essentially totally proprietary platforms that were designed and built from the ground up to control FTIR and FT NMR instrumentation and process spectral data. The design of the systems were optimized to handle fast Fourier transformation of spectoscopy data "on-the-fly" as it came off of the spectrometer. These computers use a proprietary operating system written by Nicolet (NICOS) which is somewhat Forth-like but has a user shell running on top. The user shell bears some resemblance to Unix. The 660 system I have has applications software for IR spectroscopy, some text editors, and compilers for Fortran, Basic, and Pascal. Nicolet stopped manufacturing these computers and switched over to PC's about 3-5 years ago, but still maintains some limited support (ie, parts and supplies) for these proprietary machines.

26 years, 7 months

CC> Who's on the list?

by mhop＠mail.snip.net

> > Hi, > > Is it possible to find out if someone is still subscribed to the list > other than sending a message to them through the list? What I really > want to know is: is there a way to get a list of the subscribers > from the listproc? Send mail to the List processor with: recipients classiccmp ..that should do it. If you send "help", it will send back an almost complete list of commands.

26 years, 7 months

CC> Victor 9000 down the hall

by dastar＠crl.com

How funny. For the past several days, everytime I walk down the hall of my office to go to the loo, I notice this odd looking computer in another company's suite. I can only see the back of it, but I can tell it is not a PC because it seems to have centronics ports on the back, although I only catch quick glimpses because I'm walking by at my usual energetic clip. Well tonight I stopped to gawk at it while the cleaning person had their door open and sure enough its a Victor 9000. I look across the desk to another computer and see a monitor with the "Victor" nameplate on it as well. What a trip. Someone in my building is actually still using a computer which I consider part of my vintage computer collection. I'm going to talk to them and see what they are using on it. Must be some old accounting or insurance or real estate or something application. I don't know what their business is because their name is "Vanier & Associates" so it could be a front company for an international arms smuggling operation for all I know. Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass Attend the First Annual Vintage Computer Festival See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!

26 years, 7 months

CC> Victor 9000 down the hall

by sinasohn＠crl.com

At 11:55 PM 9/30/97 -0700, you wrote: >door open and sure enough its a Victor 9000. I look across the desk to >another computer and see a monitor with the "Victor" nameplate on it as >well. What a trip. Someone in my building is actually still using a >computer which I consider part of my vintage computer collection. I'm >going to talk to them and see what they are using on it. Must be some old Please post (or at least e-mail me) with what you find out. The Vic9k has a special place in my heart (and my collection!) as my folks were considering purchasing one very early on and I remember being very impressed with its specs. They also had Victor adding machines (My dad was a CPA.) >it could be a front company for an international arms smuggling operation Well, if it is, don't worry about being sued; they probably wouldn't have a leg to stand on. 8^) --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad sinasohn(a)crl.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.crl.com/~sinasohn/

26 years, 7 months

Dead HP-97 calculator

by fmc＠reanimators.org

[Note: I saw Hans' message on comp.sys.hp.misc and replied privately, but figure there might be some other folks here who want to know this stuff.] Hans Pufal <hans1(a)filan00.grenoble.hp.com> wrote: > When I got it home I found that it rattled, so I dismantled it and found > two large burnt out resistors on the keyboard PCB. The rattle was caused > by pieces of these resistors in the case. > > Does anyone have docs sufficient to determine the replacement parts for > these resistors? Time for some copying from the service manual. Useful information below is from the HP-97 Programmable Printing Calculator Service Manual, HP part number 00097-90130, dated August 1976. Table 4-9. Keyboard Printed-Circuit Assembly A2A1 (00097-60002) Replaceable Parts Ref HP p/n Description R1 0683-4715 RESISTOR, fxd, 470 ohm R2* 0683-2045 RESISTOR, fxd, 200K R2* 0684-3341 RESISTOR, fxd, 330K R3 0812-0058 RESISTOR, fxd, 8.2 ohm, 2W R4 0811-1674 RESISTOR, fxd, 4.7 ohm, 2W R5 0698-8691 RESISTOR, fxd, 4.0 ohm, 1% R6 0683-1835 RESISTOR, fxd, 18K, 5%, 1/4W R7 0683-3915 RESISTOR, fxd, 390 ohm CR1 1990-0450 LED, low battery indicator Q1 1853-0393 TRANSISTOR, PNP Q2 1853-0401 TRANSISTOR, PNP Q3 1853-0374 TRANSISTOR, PNP Q4 1854-0071 TRANSISTOR, NPN U1 1820-1629 INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, cathode driver U2 1990-0595 DISPLAY, numeric U3, 4 1858-0044 INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, quad transistors U5 1810-0252 INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, resistor network P1, 2 1251-3955 CONNECTOR, 9-pin W1 8120-2206 CABLE, 24-conductor 00097-80002 BOARD, etched R2 is marked with a * because it is selected based on the cathode driver IC U1. I don't completely get this, but there is a chart (Table 4-8, Cathode Driver Resistor Selection Chart): U1 Category: I J R2: 200K 330K Given that you say the burned out resistors are "large" I am going to guess that you are looking for R3 and R4. Here's the layout toward the rear of the board if that helps. Q4 R7 R5 Q2 R6 Q3 R2 ---U5--- R1 ---U4--- ---U3--- -------- -------- ---U1--- -------- -----------J1----------- Q1 R3 R4 > What is the power input requirements for the HP-97? 12.8VAC (from paragraph 2-42). Actually there is a flowchart that includes a test for the AC adapter. For approximately 115VAC input, the output should be between V(in)/10.55 and V(in)/7.82; for 230VAC input, the output should be between V(in)/21.1 and V(in)/15.65. The next part of the test is to connect a 10 Ohm +/- 5% 5W load across the output of the AC adapter and measure the voltage across the load; it should be between 6.2 and 7.4VAC. Hope this helps! NB- I read your message in comp.sys.hp.misc. It looks like you might have posted it to classiccmp too. I am a bit behind reading that. Feel free to repost this there. -Frank McConnell

26 years, 7 months

what is this? IBM powerstation

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

> I've started collecting old IBM machines, (brand loyalty) and today came > across a machine called an IBM powerstation 550e. it looks very much like an > apple /// except it has two floppy drives, a db9, rj11,.and 3 db25 ports on > the back. i havent powered it up yet as i'm still trying to figure out how to > open it. I'm off work this week, so I cant ask any of the old IBMers what > this is. anyone know? Rather than merely endorsing William D's comments, I think I have one or two things to add... 1. The keyboards on our RS/6000s at work look exactly like PS/2 keyboards except there is an ID number printed in the margin of the Num Lock lamp sticker. It does not have the huge quantity of extra keys found on the 3270 workstations that I used to work with. 2. The RS/6000 are not very closely related physically to the 6150 (RT PC) family. Certainly neither our model 320 nor 375 have ISA slots - the slots are much more like the ones you describe. 3. However, I am puzzled by your physical description. I too expected a large tower for a 500 series powerstation. In fact I cannot think of any IBM product that looked like an Apple /// except possibly the Datamaster. Could the name Powerstation have been used for something other than RS/6000s? Philip.

26 years, 7 months

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test-drb October 1997