I was going to post this request sometime, John Fousts
post has inspired me to do it now. Anyway, I have also
recently acquired an oscilloscope (Tektronix TDS 3012)
and, while I have all the documentation and some notion
of what an oscilloscope does, I really don't know how to
bring it to bare against the several dead/flakey systems
currently in my possession. I hope this message will
start a "how to use an oscilloscope to diagnose vintage
hardware problems" thread.
Thanks,
Bill
(by the way... bills(a)adrenaline.com is now my email address)
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: TI Silent 700 terminal
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 16:34:42 -0700
From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis(a)mcmanis.com>
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
References: <20000723135030.C23532(a)mrbill.net>
Cool, this is the one that has Bubble Memory storage so it is quite a
find, if I didn't have two already I'd be interested :-). Did you get a
manual with it? That is what I don't have and so only know about have
the commands for the thing. I have a bubble unit (these could hold up to
three) that I'd be willing to part with if you find a taker.
Further, the TI printheads don't get "dirty" they get "broken" They are
thermal and thus limited in the number of characters they can print. Out
of a lot of 36 silent 700s I picked up (for $25!) only 9 had working
print heads and most of the others had had their print heads scavenged.
You can get "new" or "refurbished" replacement heads for about $90 on
the net though.
--Chuck
Bill Bradford wrote:
>
> Anybody have any interest in a TI Silent 700 terminal? I just
> rescued one from a local shop. Even has about a third of a roll
> of thermal paper left, and appears to work fine (other than needing
> the printhead cleaned). Has clamp-on cover with handle, too.
>
> >From the back info plate:
>
> 765 PORTABLE MEMORY TERMINAL
> Part No. 099230-0001
> Serial No. 0476617603
> Volts 120 VAC
> Freq 47-63 Hz
> Amps 2.0A
> Watts 150W
>
> Inside the unit is a sticker that says it came from
> Data Access Systems, Inc. in Houston, with a warranty
> sticker, model/serial #, and an "80K. MEM KIT II"
> notation.
>
> I've got pictures of the unit up at http://www.decvax.org/ti/
>
> I even found the original 1971 press release about the
> Model 725:
>
> http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/company/history/silent700.shtml
>
> If anybody is interested in this terminal, please let me know.
> I'd like to see it go to a good home, and the SO wont let
> me have anything else for a while (she's still getting used
> to the VAX 6000)...
>
> Bill
>
> --
> +-------------------\ /-----------------+
> | Bill Bradford | www.sunhelp.org |
> | mrbill(a)mrbill.net | www.decvax.org |
> | Austin, Texas USA | www.pdp11.org |
> +-------------------/ \-----------------+
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Remote Services Console
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 16:24:30 -0700
From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis(a)mcmanis.com>
To: maximum entropy <entropy(a)zippy.bernstein.com>
CC: Classic Computer List <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
References: <200007231023.e6NANW820414(a)zippy.bernstein.com>
I'd like to know as well since I have one to. I know they were used to
allow DEC to dial in and diagnose your system from the home office.
Things that I do know:
Baud M = Baud for the Modem
Baud T = Baudrate for Terminal
Baud T has to match your console baud rate (its a binary number between
0 and 7 I believe)
If local copy is set then I'm guessing the console terminal sees
everything the modem does.
I believe the center DB25 on the back goes to the VAX. I haven't figured
out the others yet.
--Chuck
maximum entropy wrote:
>
> I recently rescued from the scrap heap a "DIGITAL Remote Services
> Console" box that was previously connected to a VAX.
>
> The front panel has a key switch with 4 positions ("Remote", "Lock
> Out", "User Port", and "Remote User"). There is a push button
> labelled "Local Copy". There are two groups of three push buttons,
> one group labelled "Baud T", and the other labelled "Baud M".
>
> On the back it has 4 DB-25 ports: 2 female ("A1" and "B1") and 2 male
> ("A2" and "B2").
>
> On the bottom of the unit it says "Model MDS01". It also says
> "Property of Digital Field Service. Not for sale." So I guess it's a
> good thing I didn't pay any money for it :-)
>
> I'd appreciate any information at all about this device. What is it,
> how do I use it, and is it specific to VMS or would it be useful for
> anything on a NetBSD/vax system?
>
> Feel free to respond to me directly if you feel this is too far
> off-topic for this mailing list.
>
> TIA,
> entropy
>
> --
> entropy -- it's not just a good idea, it's the second law.
> * Pigeons can indeed do "The Splits."
It's their evasive maneuver for falcons... sometimes it works.
> I seem to have developed a taste for collecting serial data analyzers.
I
>now have two from ARC (Interview 4600 and 7500), and a pair from
DigiLog. I
>wonder what else is out there?
>
> On that note, does anyone have any documentation at all on either of
the
>Atlantic Research units? I've not had a lot of success finding such.
AR is one of the long timers in the business.
I happento have a Tbar Explorer, also looking for data, books whatever.
>I'll mention it anyway: A Cushman CE-6A service monitor, working
>electrically but only fair cosmetically, for $425. For those of you who
>know service monitors, this was still quite a deal (and for those that
>don't, you can E-mail me and I'd be happy to explain).
;) lampkin, Cusman and Singer Gersh names I know well.
Still wish I had my FM10-C...
Allison
Hello,
I am looking for a set of sides for a DEC 72" (PDP 11/45 vintage) rack,
or the whole rack with sides, if that is easier. I am located in N. W.
Indiana (near Chicago) and would prefer something within a few hour drive
of this area.
Please resond to: uban(a)ubanproductions.com
--tnx
--tom
Anybody have any interest in a TI Silent 700 terminal? I just
rescued one from a local shop. Even has about a third of a roll
of thermal paper left, and appears to work fine (other than needing
the printhead cleaned). Has clamp-on cover with handle, too.
>From the back info plate:
765 PORTABLE MEMORY TERMINAL
Part No. 099230-0001
Serial No. 0476617603
Volts 120 VAC
Freq 47-63 Hz
Amps 2.0A
Watts 150W
Inside the unit is a sticker that says it came from
Data Access Systems, Inc. in Houston, with a warranty
sticker, model/serial #, and an "80K. MEM KIT II"
notation.
I've got pictures of the unit up at http://www.decvax.org/ti/
I even found the original 1971 press release about the
Model 725:
http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/company/history/silent700.shtml
If anybody is interested in this terminal, please let me know.
I'd like to see it go to a good home, and the SO wont let
me have anything else for a while (she's still getting used
to the VAX 6000)...
Bill
--
+-------------------\ /-----------------+
| Bill Bradford | www.sunhelp.org |
| mrbill(a)mrbill.net | www.decvax.org |
| Austin, Texas USA | www.pdp11.org |
+-------------------/ \-----------------+
Hi, folks. Yes, it's me. Finally felt comfortable enough to just settle
down and resubscribe.
Scrounge-2000 was quite a trip. I learned a number of things along the
way, including (though not limited to):
* If you're driving from the Bay Area to Washington, and you want to buy
giant blackberries from the local berry farms to take home, also invest in
a Peltier-effect portable cooler box.
* Don't ever rent a Ford Explorer for a long trip again. The things are
utter gas hogs!
* Pigeons can indeed do "The Splits."
Now, as to what I got... Test equipment and RF-related stuff was my main
emphasis on this trip, and I did succeed pretty significantly in that
regard. Two Wavetek function generators (a 154 and a 178), and a rubidium
frequency standard from Tracor (anyone have the manual for a 308A?).
I didn't do badly in the (classic) computing department either. I snarfed
a pair of Micropolis full-height nine-gig drives at $5/each, an Atlantic
Research 'Interview 7500' datascope for $45, and some non-classic
replacement parts for my main workstation.
I seem to have developed a taste for collecting serial data analyzers. I
now have two from ARC (Interview 4600 and 7500), and a pair from DigiLog. I
wonder what else is out there?
On that note, does anyone have any documentation at all on either of the
Atlantic Research units? I've not had a lot of success finding such.
The crown jewel of this trip has more to do with radio than computers, but
I'll mention it anyway: A Cushman CE-6A service monitor, working
electrically but only fair cosmetically, for $425. For those of you who
know service monitors, this was still quite a deal (and for those that
don't, you can E-mail me and I'd be happy to explain).
The only thing I really needed to do with it was rebuild a kludge some
other tech had designed in to replace the (formerly) 5 MHz OCXO with a 10
MHz version. Said tech had used an ancient 74H101 as a divider, and had
simply stuck the chip in with double-sided foam tape and not taken
advantage of the original octal socket at all. I corrected all the above,
and I'm pleased to say it works just fine.
So, what have I missed? Flame wars? Discovery of a PDP-1? Anything? ;-)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com // E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our
own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
I used to read this mailing list from the archives instead of joining it,
but I lost track of it when Kevan Heydon's archive went away earlier this
year, and I didn't find a new place to read it until yesterday. Now I've
actually joined the list so that doesn't happen again.
If the folks who maintain the present archives are reading this, I'd like
to point out two problems:
- The archive on www.classiccmp.org is extremely incomplete. If no one
has time to fix it, perhaps you could put in a link to the much better
archive at www.retrobytes.org/classiccmp
- The archive at www.retrobytes.org/classiccmp has a minor problem: it
doesn't know what month it is. All the messages posted since April are
archived under April 2000, including those posted in May, June, and July
2000.
Tim Mann tim.mann(a)compaq.com http://www.tim-mann.org
Compaq Computer Corporation, Systems Research Center, Palo Alto, CA
Once again I have some HP 85 tapes, which are basically 3M DC100
cartridges. These have the interesting property that, left to sit for
the better part of a decade, when the tape is first spun the oxide
ends up stuck to the tensioner loop inside of the cartridge, leaving a
clear spot on the tape. Which is bad as the drives use optical
sensors to find BOT/EOT perforations in the tape, not to mention the
fact that your Important Data is now missing some bits as they are
stuck to the tensioner loop which doesn't get to touch the head.
Suppose I'm willing to take extreme measures with a tape that I think
has not been spun in a while, like disassembling and reassembling the
cartridge. (As you might imagine from my description above, I have
some cartridges which are sacrificable for parts.) Anybody got any
good ideas for removing and replacing the tensioner loop without
removing the oxide from the tape?
-Frank McConnell
