test-drb November 1999

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

211 participants
749 discussions

Fwd: VAX 11/730 System and 11/750 parts available

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

I received the following message this morning, and due to the nature of VAX 11/730's I suggested he just send it to the list, but turns out he's not subscribed and asked if I could forward it. So here goes. As always, reply to the person below, not me. Zane >X-From_: allogagaw(a)megsinet.net Thu Nov 25 10:40:42 1999 >Date: Thu, 25 Nov 1999 12:16:39 -0600 >From: Mark Wilbur <allogagaw(a)megsinet.net> >Subject: VAX system on Classic Computers? >To: pechter(a)pechter.dyndns.org, healyzh(a)aracnet.com, allisonp(a)world.std.com, > jim(a)calico.litterbox.com, jfoust(a)threedee.com, mikeu(a)conan.ids.net >MIME-version: 1.0 >X-Priority: 3 > >Bill, Zane, Allison, John, Mike and Jim > >I picked your names at random off of ><mailto:classiccmp@u.washington.edu>classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu >in part of a VAX tread. > >I have a VAX 11/730 system and parts from a 11/750 taking up space >in my hobby shop. I have not played with them in several years. > >I also have a complete 11/44 system. > >Given any interest, I will try to itemize the options. > > >These are old enfough to be classics. (or maybe still boat anchors) >Think it is worth offering on the list? or should I scrap them? > >I need more room for my PDP-8 stuff :-) > >Mark Wilbur - St. Louis, Mo. > > >

25 years, 6 months

LET'S RESOLVE THIS ISSUE was (Re: Made a deal to get a Vax6000,2 Fujitsu Supercomputers and TOPS10???)

by dylanb＠sympatico.ca

-----Original Message----- From: Dave McGuire <mcguire(a)neurotica.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Thursday, November 25, 1999 5:28 PM Subject: Re: LET'S RESOLVE THIS ISSUE was (Re: Made a deal to get a Vax6000,2 Fujitsu Supercomputers and TOPS10???) >On Thu, 25 Nov 1999, John B wrote: >>The fujitsu is *HUGE*... I doubt anyone here would want to even try and run >>it. Its worth more in parts than whole. It's not old (6 maybe 7 years).. so >>what does one do?? The boards are nice, they look great.. Collectors are >>looking for this kind of stuff to hang on their walls... can't possibly run >>it. > > That's a big assumption. I know someone who would want it...and want to >*run* it...and has the heat/power/space capabilities to do so. I can't speak >for him of course, but I'll be he'd be interested right now. > > But was anyone ever given the chance? > You are talking right out of line here Dave. I haven't even picked up the units yet. When I do, I will offer it (as I have everything else)... Start reading the messages first Dave.. I am starting to understand why scrappers/factories won't take your calls and just melt the stuff. > Supercomputers rarely have high resale value because of the specificity of >their applications. That translates to "worthless", or relatively so when >compared with their often-multimillion-dollar new cost. The important thing to >note, however, is that WORTHless != USEless. Somewhere, there will be someone >who would peel off their fingernails to get their hands on such a machine. > That's right. EBay seems to bring people together that way.. WORTHLESS = NOT WORTH THE MONEY TO PAY FOR AND PICK UP. However, the Fujitsu might be worth some bucks as parts... and just might make 4 others *work* again. > -Dave McGuire >

25 years, 6 months

Corroding Core memory

by Innfogra＠aol.com

In a message dated 11/15/99 7:28:18 AM Pacific Standard Time, Henk.J.Stegeman(a)is.shell.com writes: > > I have some core memories stored in my garage which is relatively > dry, but I don't like the risk that they get corroded. > Put them in an antistatic bag with a small bag of silica gel inside the bag. Pack in a box with more silica gel. Silica gel is often reusable. Bake it in the oven to drive the moisture out. This will work well unless the boards actually get wet. Paxton

25 years, 6 months

LET'S RESOLVE THIS ISSUE was (Re: Made a deal to get a Vax6000,2 Fujitsu Supercomputers and TOPS10???)

by yoda＠isr.ist.utl.pt

>>>>> "John" == John B <dylanb(a)sympatico.ca> writes: John> That's life. I *really* find it hard to understand why John> scrapping a Vax 11/780 would break your heart when there are John> probably at least 100,000 left in mills out there... and no John> one wants them! It's not that hard. Just remember that attraction to something/somebody is not related to the whole number in the whole planet, but instead the number you have access to. I can give you millions of examples. I understand you treat Vaxes like garbage because you have handled so many of them. But I, for instance, have never touched an actual Vax, and therefore I feel a _different_ thing. Do you see? Different experiences mean different evaluations of reality. This is not hard to understand, is it? Take women! There are millions of Pamela-Anderson-alike in the planet, yet any (straight) man can't help from being attracted, can he? (with or without artificial boobs, I guess... 8-))))) Cheers, -- *** Rodrigo Martins de Matos Ventura <yoda(a)isr.ist.utl.pt> *** Web page: http://www.isr.ist.utl.pt/~yoda *** Teaching Assistant and MSc Student at ISR: *** Instituto de Sistemas e Robotica, Polo de Lisboa *** Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa, PORTUGAL *** PGP fingerprint = 0119 AD13 9EEE 264A 3F10 31D3 89B3 C6C4 60C6 4585

25 years, 6 months

Got a partial list of some of this load... (FUJITSU/VAX)

by Innfogra＠aol.com

Did I miss where this stuff is located, shipping info? Paxton

25 years, 6 months

Archives and Computer Museum History Center

by CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com

Dag Spicer wrote (about the goals of the CM History Center): >>>4. Have your own sites linked to (or even archived) by the Center as a >>> way of bringing attention to your specific area of interest. >> >>You're ahead of me... what do you mean by archived? I would think that >>private sites would be kept up by the owner... >One of the concerns we have at the Center is that while there are superb >computer history sites out there run by individuals, there is no >institutional architecture for ensuring that they can continue past the >sponsor's lifetime or (much more likely) even five years. As you know, >some of these sites are simply superb and irreplaceable resources whose >loss would be gravely felt. If we take the geological timescale into >account (50 years for computers!), there is a real concern that such >wonderful resources might no longer be maintained after some finite amount >of time. I think you'll agree this is a pretty reasonable conclusion. Certainly, in this day and age, after an archive of information is *organized* getting it *distributed* isn't such a big deal. For instance, I've been archiving all PDP-11 (and also PDP-10) DECUS software/freeware that I've been able to get my hands on for most of this decade. The collection started out as hundreds of reels of 9-track tape, lots of 8" floppies, etc. Now the PDP-1n freeware collection, several Gigabytes in size, resides on a handful of CD-ROM's which the public can access through anonymous FTP, a web site, and they can also order CD-ROM copies through Amazon.com. Does it take a concerted effort to package a widely dispersed collection into such a tiny and potent package? Of course! None of this would have been possible without my networked PDP-11's here in the lab with tape and disk drives to read the old distribution media. But after it gets distilled, it's easily distributed. I can pop a CD volume into the mail for a few bucks, compared to the hundreds of pounds of original tapes and disks that the software was originally distributed on. And - as icing on the cake - real PDP-11's with attached CD-ROM readers can directly read the CD's, since the CD's are available with native PDP-11 filesystems on them. So, in many respects, things are much easier today than they were a decade ago. What *isn't* so easy is tracking down the "originals" and convincing their owners that it is a good thing for the contents of their archives to be copied to more modern media. Now, it may seem like a no-brainer to many folks here that this is the "obvious" thing to do, but let me tell you, getting my hands on stuff to put into the archive is like pulling teeth sometimes. Usually the tapes are stacked in the back of a warehouse or in someone's basement, in less than ideal storage conditions, and just getting their current owner(s) to drop them in a Fedex box and send them to me (on my Fedex account number, so they're not out any money) can be an ordeal. So, Dag, let me ask you this: what efforts are being made at the Computer Museum History Center to archive media in the collection? While my personal efforts have been concentrated on PDP-11's and PDP-10's, I'm certain the Center has a wider range (and older collections) of information that can be transcribed to modern media. Most of what you have is several decades old by now, I would guess, and you've got a coherent plan to check the condition of the media and copy them to more modern forms when possible, right? -- Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/ 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927

25 years, 6 months

Some Progress on -8/m Mem problems

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<Zane, <I have loads of 8251's all pulled from various things, not desoldered all <socketed.. I have 1000+ ICs from all kinds of stuff... Is it the 8251 usart (28 pins) or signetics 8251 decimal decoder (14/16pins)? Allison

25 years, 6 months

Some Progress on -8/m Mem problems

by xds_sigma7＠hotmail.com

Zane, I have loads of 8251's all pulled from various things, not desoldered all socketed.. I have 1000+ ICs from all kinds of stuff... Will J ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

25 years, 6 months

Yet more on -8/m Mem problems

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

OK, I've discovered something, but have no idea what it means. For all that goes, I am honestly not sure why I discovered it other than I was fooling around with the front panel while checking voltages on the memory module. I had the following results when depositing 7777 to the memory. Memory locations: xxx0 - xxx3 don't save anything Memory locations: xxx4 - xxx7 save 7760 This holds true to at least location 0200. On to other matters, I'm trying to do the resistance checks on pg. 4-16. I've run into a couple of problems. It says that each winding for one bit is ~3 ohms, however I show them at ~6 ohms. Also step 6 tells me to check the resistance of diodes FSA2501. Um, someone mind explaining how to do this exactly? Beware, I don't have the equipment to put the core plane on extenders and run cables to the G104 & G227 boards. Near as I can figure out they're a diode array from Fairchild Semiconductor, however thier web site doesn't have a data sheet. Shouldn't the resistance readings from one chip match that of another chip? Oh, I do have the scope at home now, but haven't tried anything yet, or checked into how horrible the probes are (I remember they're pretty pathetic). Zane | Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator | | healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast | | healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector | +----------------------------------+----------------------------+ | Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, | | and Zane's Computer Museum. | | http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |

25 years, 6 months

Grrrrrr

by dylanb＠sympatico.ca

-----Original Message----- From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Thursday, November 25, 1999 5:10 PM Subject: Re: Grrrrrr >> Exactly, reality kicks in. You can't run a big IBM in your home... sorry, > >Care to explain why not? I am pretty sure there are collectors in the UK >with 308x IBM mainframes that they're either running or fully intend to >get running. > >> not going to happen. People only want the minis they can run easily at home >> and something that does not disrupt the house as it is. > WOW! Thats amazing.. Great! When I post it here then I should expect someone to buy the system right??????? >That's news to me... I want machines that are _difficult_ to run (the >easy ones are no challenge...). And disrupting the house is no real >problem either... > >> >> Most collectors want: > >If ever there had to be proof of the damage that these sort of >'collectors' are doing to the history of computing then this is it. > >> That's right,,, they are all wrong and you are *right*????? >> The first computer they ever touched (that's where I come in) >> An old transistor mini >> Maybe a PDP-8/11.... > >Fortunately, few of us here are 'most collectors'. People here do not >(necessarily) want the 'popular' machines. Many of us what the machines >we had never heard of... > Mee too. I have quite a colelction myself.. (and not the popular ones) >> >> Most others aren't worth the cost of shipping. > >If ever I find out that you've scrapped certain machines, the known >number of which remaining can be counted on the fingers of one hand (in >unary!), then I will not be responsible for my actions. > HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH.. That's funny .. sit here and whine about the minis being crushed but you do *nothing* proactive to seek out and *save* those units... All wind, no action gets you ..............................<nothing> http://www.pdp8.com/ john >-tony > >

25 years, 6 months

← Newer
1
...
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
...
75
Older →

Jump to page:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

test-drb November 1999