Picked up an ActionMax system from the thrift store today. I got it
nearly complete, which is rare. Only missing the power supply (common
9V) and the VCR cable. This is a game that you hook to your VCR. It has
a light gun and some sort of red either sensor or light (don't know
yet). It came with a fighter combat VCR tape that you play in the VCR
and I assume you use the gun to shoot at stuff on the screen. I'm sure
someone else knows more about it than me. I haven't hooked it up yet.
But I won't be able to do anything with it until I get the VCR cable.
Anyone know how to rig one up?
I also finally found a C16 but it has a broken key in the upper row :(
These things apparently aren't too common in these parts as this is the
first one I've ever seen.
Sam
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass
Does anyone know what the following Digital part numbers refer to?
PC500
RCD31
The PC500 seems to be a display with a 5.25 inch floppy drive and some
electronics. It is mounted on top of the RCD31 unit which is in a pizza
box style case. Is this some sort of PC clone or maybe a DecMate?
--
David Betz
dbetz(a)xlisper.mv.com
DavidBetz(a)aol.com
(603) 472-2389
Glenn:
Thanks for the encouragement. It seems that at one time, one of us did try to
contact TA to no avail. Should we try again?? I'd need to get the contact info
>from the gent that tried it the first time, and I'll give it a second
go-around.
-------------------------------------------------
Rich Cini/WUGNET
- ClubWin Charter Member (6)
- MCPS Windows 95/Networking
----------
From: Glenn Roberts
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 1997 10:23 AM
To: Richard A. Cini, Jr.
Cc: bcw(a)u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Altair Construction Manual
outstanding! i continue to applaud your efforts.
i would think that all we need to proceed is a trail of evidence showing a
"reasonable effort" to receive permission in this area.
this can be a precedent-setting effort for publication of all kinds of
useful historical information that might otherwise be lost forever.
thanks again for blazing the trail!
- glenn
At 02:04 AM 7/13/97 UT, you wrote:
>To all Altair fans...
>
> Well, my more-than-kind individual has provided me with the first of three
>installments of the original Altair construction manual. He scanned all 102
>pages of the doc and made it into a PDF document -- almost 7mb in size. He
is
>also providing me with manuals for "the 88-4K, 88-ACR, and other stuff." I'm
>not too familiar with all of the available options since the Altair was
really
>before my time, but it looks like the 4k memory board and other stuff.
>
> I'm not going to U/L the docs yet, first for size reasons, and second,
until
>we determine if we should try to contact Triumph-Adler...
>
>On Thu, 10 Jul 1997, Jim Willing wrote:
>>>So, it can be assumed that TA [Triumph-Adler of Germany] now >>owns all of
>the rights to things MITS/Altair. I've tried to contact them >>on
occasion on
>related matters and have gotten no response of any >>kind to date.
>
>Anybody have any thoughts?
>------------------------
>Rich Cini/WUGNET
> - ClubWin Charter Member (6)
> - MCPS Windows 95/Networking
>
>
>
+=========================================================+
| Glenn F. Roberts, Falls Church, VA
| Comments are my own and not the opinion of my employer
| groberts(a)mitre.org
If you like the History of Personal Computers you might like to read my
review of the Stan Veit book I just received from him.
You will find it at:
<http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~e.tedeschi/news/news73.htm>
I know that the book has been published in 1993 but some of you (like
me) might not have been aware of it till now. Stan has seen all the
personal computer revolution from the inside as he opened the second
computer store in the USA and the first on the East Coast (New York).
Please forgive my spelling mistakes....
Thanks
enrico
--
================================================================
Enrico Tedeschi, 54, Easthill Drive, BRIGHTON BN41 2FD, U.K.
tel/fax +(0)1273 701650 (24 hours) or 0850 104725 mobile
website <http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~e.tedeschi>
================================================================
visit Brighton: <http://www.brighton.co.uk/tourist/welcome.htm>
<> wash them out throughly and disassembled and dried them well. Generally
<> water is not that damaging. Just don't power them wet.
<
<I would remove anything high-voltage (front end of the power supply) and
<BAKE them for quite some time (a day is nice). Water has a way of getting
<into windings and comprimising the insulation (remember, in a transformer
<the insulation is _thin_ - often paper and painted on varnish).
This is a good point for the masses. I've done enough design(20+ years)
so transformer design and the like are familiar to me.
But then again I've cleaned boards in the dishwasher! Works great too.
Also while In has I made a business of salvaging and repair marine gear
that had been dunked in salt water which is very nasty to electronics.
Part of the repair process was to very throughly wash out the unit in fresh
water as no salt could be left (it's very hydroscopic) then repairing any
damage if any. I've had marine equipment work better for this due to
residual salt and dust accumulated being cleaned out!
A good temp to bake at is just under 200f, it's slow but works and most
plastics and semis are ok at this temp! Do monitor it though.
Allison
Sounds like Mattel Electronic Football. My friends and I were the reason
they stopped letting us take to school! damn...that was ages ago.
----------
> From: jpero(a)mail.cgo.wave.ca
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Classic Video Games
> Date: Friday, July 11, 1997 5:34 PM
>
> One comment,
>
> Is the display looks like it was using same LED display, "hair thin"
> segments under the plastic lens?
>
> Jason D.
> > Uncle Roger, etc:
> >
> > In regard to your post about the old hand held football game... I
> > certainly do remember that game. There were actually a couple of
different
> > companies or stores that sold them. Radio Shack did have one, but I
> > believe it was the SAME one that was manufactured by Coleco, or a
similar
> > company. I know up until a few years ago I had one... I'll have to look
> > around. Just the other day, I was in a thrift store in Nebraska City,
NE
> > and they had a pile of 'old' handhelds. I didn't have time to look
through
> > it close, though.... but I'm darn sure they did have a football game or
> > two though. I'll go back and check it out for you, though. Oh, while
were
> > on the subject of old football games.... how about those darned
magnetic
> > full-field table football games they used to make?? Do they still
exist?
> >
> > Until next time,
> >
> > CORD
> >
> >
//*=====================================================================++
> > || Cord G. Coslor P.O. Box 308 - 1300 3rd St. Apt "M1" -- Peru, NE
||
> > || (402) 872- 3272 coslor(a)bobcat.peru.edu 68421-0308
||
> > || Classic computer software and hardware collector
||
> > || Autograph collector
||
> >
++=====================================================================*//
> >
> >
> > On Fri, 11 Jul 1997, Uncle Roger wrote:
> >
> > > At 02:03 PM 7/11/97 -0400, you wrote:
> > > >Depends on your definition of "videogame" (coin-operated, home unit,
> > > computer, commercial, etc.) One of these should fit what you're
looking for:
> > >
> > > When I was in high school, there was a precursor to the
Lynx/Gameboy/etc.
> > > crowd that was a football game. There were little red LED's(?) to
represent
> > > players, and you had up, down, and run buttons to control the quarter
back.
> > > It was very simplistic; you basically just ran the quarterback until
you got
> > > a touchdown (but I think you could do a fieldgoal?) Anyway, I think
Radio
> > > Shack sold one, but it may have been someone else.
> > >
> > > Anyone else remember this? Know what it was called? Got one you'd
part with?
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance!
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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/
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
Rich Cini wrote:
> Well, I'm reviving my Datamaster. Last year, it worked fine (I at least
> could get into Basic). This year, I can't even get it to boot. I have no
> manuals for the darned thing, so I have no idea what the numbers on the screen
> during the POST mean. I have one reverse-highlighted number: "09" and I'm
> assuming that this is a hardware failure code.
As promised, I have hunted through my various IBM System/23 (Datamaster)
manuals, and found the meanings of the POD (Power-on Diagnostics) error
codes. Here is a summary:
FF}
00} CPU Failure (!)
01}
02 Failure of first ROS module (Read Only Storage module, i.e. ROM chip)
03 Reserved. If this is highlighted, panic.
04 Failure in bottom 16k of storage, or of storage controller
05 CRT (presumably actually monitor) or DMA failure
06} CRT interface
07}
08 Page registers
09-} ROS failure. There follows a little diagram to tell you which chip
19 } to replace. Yes, the diagram in the manual is made of text, too.
** TOP VIEW OF PLANAR SEEN FROM THE REAR **
_______________________________________________
| ====== ====== <-- NOT FOUND ON |
| | 10 | | 11 | <-- SOME EARLY |
| =3=40= =3=60= <-- MACHINES |
| |
| ====== ====== |
| | 19 | | 0D | |
| =7=60= =1=60= |
| *********************** |
| =PATCH= ====== * PHYSICAL LOCATION * |
| | 18 | | 0C | * OF ROS MODULES * |
| =7=40== =1=40= * FOR EACH ERROR CODE * |
| *********************** |
| ====== ====== |
| | 17 | | 0B | -KEY- |
| =6=60= =0=60= ====== |
| | XX | |
| ====== ====== =Y=ZZ= |
| | 16 | | 0A | XX=POD ERROR CODE |
| =6=40= =0=40= Y=ROS PAGE VALUE |
| ZZ=HIGH ORDER BYTE OF |
| ====== ====== FIRST ADDRESS IN |
| | 15 | | 09 | ROS MODULE. |
| =5=60= =0=20= |
| ---(CABLE)-------------- |
| ====== ====== | ====== | |
| | 14 | | 02 | | | 09 | CO-PLANAR | |
| =5=40= =0=00= | =0=20= BOARD. | |
| | (FOUND ON | |
| ====== | ====== SOME EARLY | |
| | 13 | | | 10 | MACHINES.) | |
| =4=60= | =3=40= | |
| | | |
| ====== | ====== | |
| | 12 | | | 11 | | |
| =4=40= | =3=60= | |
| ------------------------ |
-----------------------------------------------
1A-} ROS failure on feature card
26 }
27 ROS failure on 2nd printer card
28} ROS failure on feature card
29}
2A-} RAM failure. Table (which I shan't include) of how codes
30 } relate to different sizes of machine.
31 RAM page access failure
32 DMA page register failure
33 Interrupt controller failure
34 Timer interrupt failure
35 Keyboard error. If flashing, keyboard controller.
If not flashing, you pressed a key at the wrong moment :-)
36 Printer failure
37 Printer not switched on
38 Diskette attachment failure
39 24 volt rail not reading 24 volts
3A-} belong to add-ons not to the system. I didn't bring the
FE } relevant manual pages.
General rules for interpretation:
Flashing inverse video = fatal error.
Non-flashing inverse video = error. Press the Error-reset key and
let the machine finish booting. Then run the diagnostics dikette,
I suppose.
To summarise, it appears you have a dud ROM chip. I imagine the
solution is to copy a ROM chip from another Datamaster. If necessary, I
can arrange to copy mine, but I don't know off-hand what sort of chips
they are. I would also suggest that, unless you too are in England,
logistics of getting the chip to you might be hard...
Philip.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Philip Belben <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Das Feuer brennt, das Feuer nennt die Luft sein Schwesterelement -
und frisst sie doch (samt dem Ozon)! Das ist die Liebe, lieber Sohn.
Poem by Christian Morgenstern - Message by Philip.Belben(a)powertech.co.uk
Message text written by INTERNET:classiccmp@u.washington.edu
>The C=128 does not need any kind of bootfloppy, it will start up in C=128
mode. if you type GO64, it reverts to a C=64 kernal.<
You can also hold down the Commodore key (looks like "C=" in the lower
lefthand corner) while you turn it on, and it will come up in 64 mode.
> the 128 has RF output accessable from the RCA jack, a 5
pin DIN video connector that provides composite, or seperated video plus
sound.<
The 128 has an 8-pin DIN connector, as do the later 64s. A 5-pin cable
will work, but for the best possible separated composite picture, an 8-pin
cable will do better.
>also there is a RGB 9 pin DSUB connector so you can use ANY CGA
monitor for 80 col. for the 1702, you need a video cable(looks like you
have
this), and use the separated mode for sharper graphics.<
The 1702 is composite only. Later Commodore monitors, like the 1902, were
composite/RGB switchable. However, pin 7 of the 9-pin 128 video connector
puts out a monochrome composite signal, which (with your own hacked cable)
allows you to view the 128's 80-column signal (normally viewable only with
an RGB monitor) on a composite monitor like the 1702.
>Nope. unless you want to run CPM<
Or GEOS, which is kinda like Windows. Some of the more advanced Commodore
software (like the fax program) runs under GEOS.
>>The next question would be, is it worth trying to repair a C64's power
supply? I got two of them yesterday, both powersupplies are dead. It
looks like the 5V line is shorted to ground. <<
>if it is potted, NOPE. some are unpotted and can be fixed.<
The 64 power supply isn't going to do him much good on a 128; the power
supplies have different connectors, and the 64 supplies aren't as strong as
the 128 supplies. As to potted supplies, I have fixed one or two; some
have fuses up close to the top of the gunk, and it is possible to scrape
away enough of the gunk on each end to bypass the fuse if that is the
problem. But as to whether it is worth the effort, I'd agree-- usually it
isn't. I'm not sure what they pot it with, but starships could use it for
deflector shields!
Gil Parrish
107765.1161(a)compuserve.com
Message text written by Sam:
>I also finally found a C16 but it has a broken key in the upper row :(
These things apparently aren't too common in these parts as this is the
first one I've ever seen.<
If the unit powers up, you're ahead of the game. The video chip, called
the TED, is weak in those units, and probably 1 our of every two you'll
find has a bad TED chip. By the way, the same TED is in the Plus/4, so if
need by the chip can be swapped from unit to the other.
All those C16s with bad TED chips means there are more than a few
non-working units out there that could be a part donor for your keyboard.
If fact, if you can't search around and find, drop me a note and I'm sure I
can.
Gil Parrish
107765.1161(a)compuserve.com
Message from: Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)crl.com>
>Also, if I'm not mistaken, the Commodore PET's used IEEE-488 for disk
drives, as well as lab stuff. I'm pretty sure I've got an IEEE-488
interface for the VIC-20 around somewhere. <
Yep. Commodore used it on the full PET/CBM line for disk drives, printers,
and whatever else you wanted to attach. That was one reason PETs were
fairly popular in labs in those days-- easy to plug in test equipment.
Gil Parrish
107765.1161(a)compuserve.com
