Hello all at classiccmp!!!
I'm, looking to pick up an older vax system, possibly a microvax. I'm
interested in ANY smaller main or minicomputer. We have some extra space in
teh Computer Club room at our University. We don't have much as far as
usable stuff goes ( a Pentium 75 Intel Box ). I would REALLY love to find a
uVax to setup and possibly host a server for classic computers for our ACM
Chapter, which could really use a project like this, since we are newly
formed.
Thanks!
Shane Wolfe
Frostburg State University
Frostburg, Maryland
Cripes, what a weekend! I went out Friday and the first thing I found
was a huge Helium Neon laser. It's a Spectra Physics 125 and the thing is
over six feet long! Also picked that National Semiconductor Multibus
computer that I told everyone about. Also picked up a Fluke 1722, a HP 9816
computer and a big box of 8mm computer tapes on the same day.
Then went to an auction of space stuff with a friend of mine on
Saturday. Big mistake! We've been moving stuff ever since. I've been
leaving by 6:30 AM and not getting home till close till midnight. We ended
up with four large work benches, 30 feet of 12 foot pallet racking and
about 35 pallets of stuff! We got some cool stuff though, a complete Apple
II, an Apple III with an external disk drive, two Olympia ETX-II computers,
a Terak computer, a pile of HP terminals, a complete DEC Rainbow and more.
Also got a a VERY complete HP 1000 including a 7905 disk drive with the
disk pack still in it. Also found an entire gaylord of manuals for it. And
that's just the computer stuff. Also got all kinds of electronics parts,
test equipment and space stuff. Even got parts from a lunar lander and a
gyro from a Saturn V. Also got a UV spectrometer. Way Cool! Other goodies
include 50+ factory software tapes for the HP 9845, a strange old HP MODEM,
nine HP 85 interfaces and a blue Intel paper tape reader to go with the
rest of my Intel MDS system.
Joe
PS does anyone have any instructions or a catalog listing or other
information for a Tektronix J20 (or 7J20?) Photo-Spectrometer????? It's a
plug-in for the Tektronix 7000 series scope mainframes. We got all three
pieces of the electronics for it but didn't get the lense for it. It might
be in the stuff but we don't know what it looks like.
Joe
On May 3, 21:15, Chuck McManis wrote:
> Ok, so a couple of people have pointed out that the Plextor's support 512
> byte sectors. Further the Plextor CD writer also supports 512 byte
sectors.
> So my question is can I use it to write a bootable disk image? Has anyone
> tried this? Tim?
I haven't used a Plextor writer, but I see no reason for it not to work.
Any writer can write a bootable image. I've done so with my Yamahas and
Teac. Writing is always done with 2048-byte blocks; the sectors in the
images are always 2048 bytes (well, for Mode 1 data, anyway). Setting a
CD-ROM to read in 512-byte blocks just makes it deliver the data in chunks
that size, it has nothing to do with the physical blocksize on the CD.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Dept. of Computer Science
University of York
Hi Ernest,
At 10:47 PM 5/2/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Today, I was given a bunch of interesting vintage items.
>
>HP-IB ABC switch (92205Y) Used to chain up to 21 external HP-IB devices
>(have you seen one of these before, Joe?)
I have one but it looks about like one of the standard RS-232 switch
boxs and it only switchs between four (i think!) sets of HP-IB cables.
>HP 9114A floppy drive box for HP110
>HP 9114B "same as above" with cool battery status lights, and original
>yellow floppy protector insert.
>HP Thinkjet portable printer for HP 110.
Yes, those are cool. They can also be used with the HP 75, HP 71 and HP
41 calculators if you add the HP-IL interface to them.
>HP Series 100 Communicator Volumes 7-12 (very cool)
Now those are unusual. I have two volumes but I've never been able to
find any more of them. Where did you find them?
Joe
Ok, perhaps a simple question.
Is there anyway, by inspection of the case, to identify whether or not a
CD-ROM drive will read 512byte records? If not, is there a list of "known"
models that can?
--Chuck
>Last time I demonstrated one of my not-too-old machines (a PDP11/10 IIRC)
>to a group of students, I realised that the computer was built before any
>of the audience were born. Ouch....
I rather enjoy showing the kids that computers were really around a
long time before them and they didn't look like C grade scfi flicks
had them.
>The day I am told I've ruined the value of %common-machine by repairing
>it is the day I leave this hobby. Permanently! Computers were designed to
>run programs, and run programs they shall !
That was their initial function and most continue to do it. What other
point
would there be?
Allison
>So if someone was to bid on that Northstar Horizon thats on Ebay, but that
>doesnt have any floppy drives...
Well they arent rare. They are nice and fairly straightforward machines.
the native OS was never CP/M, it was NS* dos.
For laughs what are the bids at?
Allison
>> The day I am told I've ruined the value of %common-machine by repairing
>> it is the day I leave this hobby. Permanently! Computers were designed to
>> run programs, and run programs they shall !
And they have no idea of what they speak.
>replaces the tires and battery when shot. It adds little
>value to have a bad original battery in a car that won't
>start. Trashed seat covers will not win many shows but
The key on a restored care is id the battery a new white
plastic cased one or something old looking with external
terminals on the top. It's the difference between restored
and working.
> I think that restoring an old computing machine to working
>condition is the highest achievement that any computer collector
>can achieve. If others don't feel that way, they should be
>collecting beanie babys.
I happen to agree. While im not into museum restoration
myself having things work is important and I do try to use
exact parts often due to my junkbox depth as old or older
than original. While static displays have a place working
examples of the real or by replication are far more interesting.
Computing is not only about machines. It's about software
and the people that designed, built and supported them as well.
Allison
>> > Is there anyway, by inspection of the case, to identify whether or not
a
>> > CD-ROM drive will read 512byte records? If not, is there a list of
"known"
>> > models that can?
I have a bunch of older Panasonic MX3501s that work fine and recently bought
a
$49 unit from JDR that had the jumper so I tried it and it worked.
>They should also work on VMS... I"m going to dig out the VS3100 this
>weekend to load it. Just got a DEC DSP3105 drive.
Thats a Panasonic (aka Masushita or some such).
Likely the best giveaway is any drive with a jumper for selecting block
size or slower than 4x plus SCSI is likely a winner.
Allison
At 04:37 PM 5/3/00 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Joe said:
> > an Apple III with an external disk drive...
> Fastastic! Great!
>
> > Even got parts from a lunar lander...
> What? Name 'em!
Part of the RADAR altimeter and a spare hatch.
>
> > and a gyro from a Saturn V...
> How big did those fellers get, anyway?
It's about the same size and shape as a half height 5 1/4" hard drive
and looks a lot like one at first glance. It's about 1 1/2 times as tall
though. I'll try to get a picture and post it.
Joe
>
>John A.
>
>
