test-drb June 2001

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

273 participants
682 discussions

by John.Citron＠pgillc.com

was looking over your list of "old computers"... I worked for Visual Technology/Ontel Corporation from 1983 - 1987. Visual made two computer products. The V-1050 and the Commuter Computer. The V-1050 was identical to the Ontel Amigo, but with a different case and like the Amigo, it ran CP/M. The Amigo ran CP/M 2.2. The V-1050 ran CP/M-Plus (3.3). The Visual unit, like the Amigo, could support a 5 or 10MB HD located in an external unit. The drive was connected by a centronics to centronics cable. The 1050 had two high density floppy drives. I don't remember how many drives the Amigo supported. The Commuter Computer was an IBM PC Compatible unit that came with MS-DOS 2.2. These units shipped with a maximum of 512k of ram and a 25 line LCD display. This is a great list. It's hard to believe how many companies have changed/ folded over the past twenty years. John

23 years, 1 month

PUTR V2.0 (and ST V1.1)

by wilson＠dbit.com

At long last (three years since V1.28), new version of PUTR.COM is now available from: http://www.dbit.com/putr/ -or- ftp://ftp.bit.com/pub/putr/ PUTR (Peripheral Utility Transfer Routines) is a file transfer utility which runs under DOS (or in a DOS session) and can exchange files and/or disk images with DEC file systems and/or media. It has a simple command language which feels sort of like a stripped-down DOS command interpreter, but extended so that files on PDP-8 and/or PDP-11 volumes may be accessed the same way as native DOS files, using familiar commands like DIR, TYPE, COPY, DELETE, etc. It also can perform more basic functions, like formating DEC-style floppies, and copying container files to or from real disks. It supports most of the major PDP-8 and PDP-11 file structures (although the Files-11 support is currently read-only), and a bunch of minor ones too. Volumes may be located in PC container files, on PDP-8/PDP-11 floppies (most DEC formats, including SSSD 8" disks on a suitably equipped PC), raw SCSI drives (including Zip and MO), TU58 cartridge tapes (connected through a COM port), and raw CDs. As always, MAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR DATA BEFORE USING PUTR ON IT. PUTR V2.0 has many brand new features which have been tested by only one person, so you may find ways to trip it up that I wouldn't have thought of, and in any case it always makes sense to be unusually cautious when writing on a foreign file system. You have been warned! New features since previous version (V1.28, 06/11/1998): * Reads Files-11 disks (RSX, IAS, P/OS). * Reads TSS/8.24 disks. * Reads/writes RSTS/E disks (RSTS support was read-only in V1.28). * Reads/writes DOS/BATCH disks. * Reads/writes XXDP+ disks. * Reads/writes TSS/8 DECtapes in PUTR.SAV format (but not COPY.SAV format). * Many new disk drive types (RAxx, RDxx, RMxx, RPxx). * Image file sizes over usual 2 GB DOS limit (on FAT32 systems only), up to (almost) 4 GB. * Raw CD-ROMs may be accessed through MSCDEX (used to support SCSI CDs only), on real DOS anyway (Windows 95/98 MSCDEX emulation is buggy). * FORMAT /MSCP command now accepts BLOCKS, MB etc. keywords in file size (so you don't need a calculator to convert blocks to bytes). * Bugs fixed. ---------- Also, a new version of the "ST.EXE" SCSI tape utility is now at: ftp://ftp.dbit.com/pub/ibmpc/util/st.exe -and- ftp://ftp.dbit.com/pub/ibmpc/util/st.txt This is a simple utility for manipulating SCSI tapes, including DEC TZ30 and TK50Z-GA tape drives, SCSI 9-track drives, and other tapes with 9-track-ish semantics, like DLT or 4 mm DAT. It provides many of the same basic commands as the UNIX "mt" utility (space N records in either direction, write a tape mark, rewind, etc.), but also has IGET and IPUT commands which copy between a real tape, and a tape image file in Ersatz-11's format (which is also used by some other emulators). Changes since V1.0: * IGET and IPUT now take an optional record length parameter. If this value is specified, then the image file is assumed *not* to contain blocking information and all bytes are treated as data, at the specified fixed record length (so it works like the UNIX "dd" utility). * Source code is now available. John Wilson D Bit

23 years, 1 month

One website with people on classiccmp's "for trade/wanted" lists....could be searchable by parts, location, interests etc...this an idea?

by claudew＠videotron.ca

Hi all. Yes, I enjoy making trades with a lot of people on classiccmp...I have done many and given away a lotta stuff too...I make friends and contacts and the stuff gets delivered to my door and I dont spend long days hunting in garage sales and flea markets.... I see a lot of posts of people offering stuff lately and I think this is great... Would this be a good idea having a kinda "central classiccmp collector trader list site" where people could post their trade/wish lists in a "standard format" and this could be searched by location, parts, interests and such? Would this not be a good way of encouraging trades and help people complete machines and find parts...? Would there be enough people interested? Who has the will, time, knowledge and web space? Anyone? Claude http://www.members.tripod.com/computer_collector

23 years, 1 month

Spigot video capture software?

by claudew＠videotron.ca

Hi I have an old Spigot video capture Mac nubus card and have no software or manuals. I think the software was called Screenplay. I looked at the radiusvintage site and I cant find it anywhere. Anybody can help me on this? Claude http://www.members.tripod.com/computer_collector

23 years, 1 month

NeXT parts available, others too

by jhingber＠ix.netcom.com

I have the following bits 'n piece of NeXT Cube/NeXT equipment available to interested parties. You can have what you like for the cost of shipping, or an even swap for any items on my want list: NeXT ---- 1 rear cover for 030 cube (ie. "NeXT Computer") with original fan (ie. spins backward), will fit on all Cubes 3 screws for rear cover 3 slot-covers (I know someone needs some of these =) 1 Complete set of upper and lower card tracks 1 Cube Logo for front of case (good condition) 3 rubber feet for Cube bottom with screws 4 dowels (these hold the three sections of the Cube together). 1 Backplane, working 1 3-meter monitor cable (one end is loose), working 1 Optical drive, working 3 030 System boards with various RAM configuration and batteries, none have NBIC chips, all working 1 Refurbished power supply with center tower, working, clean. 1 ADB keyboard, no cord, good cosmetic condition, good for replacement key caps. 2 NON-ADB keyboards, working, poor cosmetic condition, logo good condition 1 NON-ADB mouse, working, poor cosmetic condition, logo good condition 2 screws for front bezel NON-NeXT/misc. -------- 1 Complete Digiboard EISA Xem with 8-port ports module, cable, loopback plug, manuals and software. Working, complete, never used. This would be great to connect a bunch of old PC's to a UNIX server, for BBS, terminals, etc. Works with Linux, SCO, NT, etc. 1 Digiboard Classicboard 4 port, no cable (new) 1 Digiboard Classicboard 8 port, no cable (new) 1 IBM Logo manual in linen-bound yellow binder (has some marks and glue on slipcover), missing disk. 1 IBM MS-DOS 2.10 manual, missing disks Viking 56K external hardware modem, AC adapter, and manuals. My want list: ------------- IBM PC 360K full height floppy drives IBM PC floppy controllers IBM PC monochrome monitor/printer cards IBM PC CGA cards IBM PCjr internal modems & cables IBM PCjr cartridge BASIC and manuals IBM PC power supply Any interesting PCjr sidecards, sans. memory expansion sidecard Any PCjr expansion unit type addon that has a second floppy drive and more memory (working, complete) IBM PCjr chiclet keyboards AST Sixpack or similar multi-function cards for IBM PC SCREWS! I need any kind of screws for the PC - chassis, expansion card, floppy drives, etc. IBM PC's you no longer want, with some of the items above. Working or not, need for parts, will pay shipping. NeXT 2.88MB/OD front bezels for Cube Lisa Keyboard Mounting hardware for floppies (Cube) and NeXT floppy cables (Cube) One set of rubber "rollers" for the front feet of the NeXT N7000 monitor One set of rear feet for the rear of the NeXT N7000 monitor Ultra2 LVD SCSI cables for 3+ drives, needs to be new If you want to trade, drop me a line off the list and we'll talk. - Jeff

23 years, 1 month

Sound chips

by mbg＠world.std.com

I used the AY-3-8910 as the heart of a music board for my 11/10 years ago... I had it connected to a DR11-C (16 bit parallel interface). A friend at the time designed a circuit which allowed me to connect a couple of SGC chips and control them, and another friend had translated the stanford music compiler to pdp-11 code and we got it all working... at one point, I had the keyboard of the console VT52 setup to be like a piano... Megan Gentry Former RT-11 Developer +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+ | Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com | | Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com | | Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' | | 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ | | Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler | | (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg KB1FCA | +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+

23 years, 1 month

Cyber205 was RE: Ebay horror ...

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On June 12, John Allain wrote: > Anybody want to say a word or two about 205's? > My recollection was that it was the first Seymour Cray > machine, probably about 20+ MIPS, probably fixed/short > electrical path, and probably rectangular (pre circular) > shape. Anything right? Oh nonono. Seymour Cray was one of the founders of CDC in 1957. He was the primary architect of nearly all of their early machines, the first of which I believe was the 1604, introduced in 1958. Seymour Cray left CDC in 1972 to form Cray Research, the first product of which was the Cray 1 which shipped in 1976. About the Cyber 205...CDC started the design of the "Star 100" in the mid 1960s. It wasn't completed until 1973, and being based on 1960s technology, it wasn't competitive. It was redesigned in newer LSI technology and re-released as the "Cyber 203E" in 1979. Shortly thereafter it was renamed to "Cyber 205". But yes, it is rectangular. And big. I would give my right arm to be able to restore/preserve/own a functional Cyber205 (or any Cyber for that matter, anybody have a smaller one available?)...the one at Purdue seems to have been gutted, sigh. -Dave McGuire

23 years, 1 month

Ebay horror ...

by mbbrutman＠bresnanlink.net

I'm so mad. I'm watching on Ebay now as a greedy seller takes apart a PCjr, and parts out the individual pieces for obscene amounts of money compared the the cost of an intact system unit. We're talking almost a complete disassembly - he has even removed the IR receiver for the keyboard from the motherboard, and is selling that bundled with a keyboard. That part has no use without the motherboard. The power card, floppy drive card, parallel printer sidecar, and the "RARE" 64Kb memory card are also being listed separately. I polite email to the seller suggesting that the machine is more valuable as a unit basically came back as "I sold one part, the rest is all gravy, I know what I'm doing so mind your own business." So distasteful .... I wish there was a way to blacklist people like this. Mike

23 years, 1 month

9-Track Magtape data Recovery Technique (Last Ditch!)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

Hello all... This message is directed at those you who are actively performing data recovery on old 7-track and 9-track tapes. Last summer, just before I toasted my Prime, I was successful at reading data off tapes that were not previously readable (and by previously I mean MY attempts in the weeks prior to that night had failed). The tapes had been stored in a basement that flooded. Then, they were not recovered from the basement until it was pretty much dry (two years later). Oxide was falling off. There was lots of either mineral precipitate or some kinda lichens or fungus growing on the tape. I couldn't even read the label on one of them. I thought judicious cleaning of the tape head might help. I kept trying, no luck. Then I started to drink. As the alcohol took affect, I got a wild idea. My drive is a Cipher F880 streamer. You can slide it out of the rack tray, and if you enter the right sequence of button presses, you can unlock the front door, and even better, the top lid, which provides access to the tape path during operation. So, I took a cleaning swab, soaked it in cleaner (not Freon TF, and likely a poor substitute) and applied it against the tape, directly before the tape read head. It immediately stopped re-trying, and started streaming! When the swab would get dry, I'd pull it away, and almost immediately, the drive would start retrying until once again, I brought the wet swab against the tape. Doubtless, this is going to leave all kinds of crud on the tape path, and might even shorten the drive's life. But Cipher F880's are a dime a dozen; data on tapes a bit more rare. Has anyone else ever tried this? I know what you're thinking, flaky jerk, getting drunk and burning up vintage hardware. But it worked! I spent a few hours looking at the files to make sure they were intact; they were. I transferred some of them, but not all, as I don't have a transfer program to get stuff off the Prime right now (other than to simply list it and capture the listing). I have other tapes right now that I'd like read; I sent them to someone who tried, and they said they could not even read the first block, indicating that they might be 7-track instead of 9-track (possible). Anyway, there it is, bread cast upon the waters. With any luck at all, I'll get a sandwich out of it. Regards, -doug q

23 years, 1 month

VAXstation 3100

by dittman＠dittman.net

Is there anyone in the Dallas area that would be interested in a couple of VAXstation 3100 boxes? They both have color video boards (not sure of the model, though), but one of the boards has a problem. One unit has no memory other than the 4MB on-board. The other unit has two optional memory boards for a total of 32MB. One of the units has a dual SCSI board and the other has a SCSI/MFM board (and a defective floppy drive). One of the systems was also modified with the faster clock, but a socket was installed so it can be restored to the usual speed. Neither of the units have any internal hard drives. I can't remember if they have the internal cables, but I think they do. I haven't used these in about three years, having upgraded to a VAXstation 4000/60. I don't want to ship them, so if you are in the area you can have them both for $50, or if you think that's too much, make an offer. If I don't have any local takers I'll be open to shipping them. -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net

23 years, 1 month

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test-drb June 2001