test-drb October 2000

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

184 participants
568 discussions

by mlnealey＠earthlink.net

Hi All! Quick question. Does the Digital Alphastation 255 take a regular ( as in PC type ) floppy disk drive? Is there a special DEC FD drive I need to get? I have a part number for the FD from DEC but the part description doesn't tell me anything and the purchase price for the item is about what you would expect for a PC type floppy drive buying direct from a manufacturer. Any help is appreciated... Thanks... Mike N.

25 years

Paging: Jason McBrien

by jeff.kaneko＠juno.com

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25 years

Who collects (reads the mailing list...?) vintage computers in Quebec, C...

by LFessen106＠aol.com

In a message dated 10/14/00 10:56:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time, claudew(a)sprint.ca writes: > Hi > Sometimes I think I may be the only vintage computer collector in > Quebec, Canada. > I would like to hear if anybody else does any collecting around here > (Montreal area) > I have yet to find anybody to trade or talk collecting face-to-face > anywhere around here even if I have posted on several montreal > newsgroups that I am looking to buy/trade this kinda stuff... > When I mention I collect vintage computers, people look at me like I am > due for a trip in the "wacko wagon"... > Computers are tough to find here (not like california...) I have managed > to accumulate/fix/restore approx 50 micros (all working) from the > 197x-198x early 1990's...lotta books, software and peripherals... > Those who feel sad for me can send me their Lisa's, TRS model IIIs and > Next boxes ;-> > ...things I will probably never find around here and I refuse to > purchase them on ebay for a zillion bucks... > Thanks for reading > Claude Hi Claude! I may not be a Canadian Computer Collector, but I do collect computers, and I have even been to Montreal :-) Seriously though, I know how you feel. I live in PA, USA, and I know for a fact there are at least 2 other major collectors in the state, but have never been able to get either of them to respond to my emails. The other problem I am having here is that I would like to collect "business type" UNIX stations, servers, etc, like Sun Sparc's and Decstations, etc, and the only thing I am able to find anywhere are PeeCees. Ugh. I also used to collect Commodore and Apple II computers - and still have a fairly decent selection. You all can view my web page at http://members.aol.com/lfessen106 There is a description of my machines, some tips on collecting in general, and some other misc information. Let me know what ya think. -Linc Fessenden.

25 years

R.F. Interference (Was 48V)

by jpl15＠panix.com

On Topic: I am reminded by the "RFI" from open machines thread, of the tried-and-true early computer music method of simply placing an AM Broadcast reciever next to one's Box and then diddling the various registers, front panel displays, etc., until the tones generated by the RFI made the 'music' patterns in the radio's speaker. This was also echoed in the many compositions for various line and dot-matrix printers, and the obscure but maybe better known theme music to NPR's financial program (Wall Street Week?) [Louis Rukeyser] which used a tape punched to make an ASR33 do a repeating pattern and the resulting sounds recorded and used as the rhythmic basis for it, the which music was called TWIX in Twelve Bars. (composer name escapes me completely) Off Topic: Shortwave radios. I have gotten hold of an ICOM PCR-1000, which is the actual 'radio' parts of a modern full-coverage receiver, minus the front panel. One uses various programs on a PC.laptop, or Mac to 'run' the unit. Since the operation is computer-based, many possiblities open up that were before only the province of agencies and *really* dedicated radio-heads. It covers 100KHtz -> 1.3GHtz continuous but for the Cellular bands, which are blocked. It is the size of a small book and wieghs a pound, runs on 12VDC. Just add antennae.... www.icomamerica.com and look in 'recievers' for more info. Cheers John

25 years

Halon dumps: a data point

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Friday, September 15, 2000 8:36 PM Subject: Re: Halon dumps: a data point >That depends upon whether or not Algore is elected president. If he's The alternates scare me more. >I know what you're thinking. Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, etc. probably >won't stoop to this level, but, do they count enough for manufacturers >to still keep producing hardware for them if Microsoft, and even >manufacturers of commercial UNICES, etc. begin taking that approach And crazies like me will be running PX-8s with solidstate disks made >from all that huge and very cheap ram out there. >and electricity use is rationed, and those of us here in the states >can't get enough gasoline or natural gas to power a generator, what >good will our collections of power-hungry real computers over here do Any my CPM system running on solar/battery will run fine. Such a dark world your in. Me, I'll keep trucking, I did all those years before the so called great boom I'm still waiting to ride. I made it through the '73 oil embargo, and the three after that too. If you so doom and gloom try this... WE aka BELL bought vaxen that ran off 48V... Always wanted one of those BA213s. the Americas cup racer america carried one of those when PCeees were still useless. Now are there endless hacking possibilities or what? How about a 24x365 system that runs off hydro,or maybe wind... sure it's not going to one of those power nasty 733s but a laptop no problem. What may be missed is the internet is about who has info and what it may cost when it gets hard to find. Allison

25 years

48v dc power

by dburrows＠netpath.net

> >Most stuff in a metal box with screws in tend to be quiet and >commercial systems like DEC, SUN and HPs in full dress >tend to be quiet if made to the specs in effect after 1980ish. >PCs however are all over the map, some excellent and >some very poor. But I know in the case of DEC that if they are open like my test beds are then you can forget everything except REAL strong FM broadcast in the same room. The 2M rig with an outside antenna even gets hit. This is in a metal sided and roofed office trailer. Dan

25 years

48v dc power

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: THETechnoid(a)home.com <THETechnoid(a)home.com> >I heard that! I wonder what my machines are doing to the airwaves. I've >walked around the house with my shortwave receiver looking for freqs from >the khz range up to 30mhz. Not really a problem. Radio Moscow comes in >clear even if I have the whole house 'lit up'. > >Does this mean I have clean systems or should I test some more? If you can't hear it on a resonable reciever your doing good. Here I have birds on a lot of freqs and I've traced the source, the monitor is the worst culprit. If I turn off the monitor it gets much quieter. My favorite pastime is listening to the AM window at 3885KHz on a custom monobander I made. Keeping the systems in the cases does help or I start hearing carriers up and down the bands. Allison

25 years

my return

by jhellige＠earthlink.net

Hello All, After a roughly 3 year absence from this list, I've finally settled down in one place long enough to be able to handle it's traffic once again. I look forward to all the good discussions once again! Jeff -- Power Computing PowerCurve, 400mhz G3, Mac OS 9.0.4 Collector of Classic Microcomputers and Video Game Systems: http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/lakes/6757

25 years

Need help or service manual for RS COCO mini disk 26-3022...

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> >>Coco were Shugart SA400s. That is a 35 track drive with the spiral groove >>disk. Allison pointed out that there was a later model (SA400L) that >>could handle 40 track. BTW, if you have decent machine shop capabilities, >>the SA400 could easily be modified for more tracks, but it is NOT a >>handheld Dremel task. > > > How many tracks can they be made to handle? Any details about how you go >about changing them? The number is 40 and it's at 48tpi. Te trick before the SA400L (40 tr) version was around was to mill the groove further and mill the end stop. Both were done at high precision. Or sub in the disk from the sa400L. It was done back in the days when 35 tr was passe` and 40 tracks were emerging as the standard for 5.25 floppies. It was a big deal then as with single density that meant another 12.5k on an 90k disk. If you had DD controller so much the better. Other common mods were to go to SA450s (40 cylinders two sides) or other far better drives. Allison

25 years

Need help or service manual for RS COCO mini disk 26-3022...

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

At 09:44 AM 10/15/00 -0700, "The Forslunds" <forslund(a)tbaytel3.tbaytel.net> wrote: >On Sun, 15 Oct 2000, Claude.W wrote: >> >>These are the 1st floppy disks for the COCO made by RS. The units are >> >>TEC FB-201. > >At least around here, the very FIRST drives that RS made available for the >Coco were Shugart SA400s. That is a 35 track drive with the spiral groove >disk. Allison pointed out that there was a later model (SA400L) that >could handle 40 track. BTW, if you have decent machine shop capabilities, >the SA400 could easily be modified for more tracks, but it is NOT a >handheld Dremel task. How many tracks can they be made to handle? Any details about how you go about changing them? Joe

25 years

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test-drb October 2000