test-drb November 2002

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

252 participants
556 discussions

by Felix.Hammann＠t-online.de

Dear Sirs, my father started in the late 60's with BULL machines (tabulatrices imprimantes etc.) Later we had a GAMMA 10 and also the GE415 (wich is still built up in moment). In case you are interested in any spare parts, machines, sheets, documents etc please contact me. But i also like to ask you for your assistance. We bought a BULL PR54 some time ago and want to fix it to a PC. Unfortunately there is no description about the interface (level 6/66). Can you give us any information ? best regards, Felix Hammann Fabrikstrasse 6 67454 Hassloch phone +49 6324 3001 fax +49 6324 58543 sorry i had a wrong email adress to answer back in my mail

21 years, 8 months

kaypro 2 boot disk.

by cb＠mythtech.net

>I need a boot disk for a kaypro 2. A freind gave me >boot disk for the II, but that didn't work. >Also I need a commodore pet for a display at a school, >dead or alive any model. Can the Kaypro 2 disks be copied without a Kaypro 2? I have some Kaypro 2 software, but it is already promised to someone else (just waiting for them to pick it up whenever they are next in the area). If they can safely be dupilcated with a PC, I can run off a copy while waiting (but unless this is a 100% safe thing, I don't want to do it, I don't want to risk screwing up the disks) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

21 years, 8 months

Zapping Laptop batteries

by mtapley＠swri.edu

>From: "Lawrence Walker" <lgwalker(a)mts.net> > > Thanks all. There's also a PD program called "deepdran.exe" (deepdrain) >which I can use to exercise the batteries after, if it's successfull. >Worth a try. There's a similar program for the early PowerPC Powerbooks. I had a really bad experience with it in my 3400. I took a couple of dead, drained, and on-the-shelf for years NiMH batteries. Charged one in the powerbook for a while (15 minutes or so) then tried this program on it. Battery ran down, Powerbook made out-of-power noises, turned off. Plugged in and reset, the battery charged up, no problem. (I'm using that battery now). The *other* battery, I figured I now knew what I was doing. I slapped it in, unplugged the powerbook immediately, and let it run down on the drain-dead program. About 10 seconds later, it made a weird buzzing, and went dead. Next time it powered up was after the power supply board got replaced. :-(. Exercise some caution. I don't know what happened - maybe the PS board got fried because the battery voltage went too low too fast? Maybe it was OK until I plugged it back in, at which point it fried trying to charge a too-dead battery too fast? Maybe there's a problem with a PS designed for Li-Ion batteries charging a NiMH battery (though it's supposed to be OK). I don't know, but I'm going to charge the other battery repeatedly in the external charger before I put it into the PB again. - Mark

21 years, 8 months

SIMH software?

by jpl15＠panix.com

Well, having got the Simulated PDP11 running - my next untutored question is: sim> att rl ....filname??? sim> boot rl ....filename??? How does one get an OS loaded on the 'machine?' Cheers John

21 years, 8 months

SIMH software?

by Fred.van.Kempen＠microwalt.nl

> How does one get an OS loaded on the 'machine?' > attach mt0 c:/dist/ultrix.tap > attach rl0 c:/dsk/rl02-0.dsk /RL02 > attach rl1 c:/dsk/rl02-1.dsk /RL02 loads the devices (a magtape unit, and two RL02 disks), and > boot mt0 or > boot rl0 should do the trick by booting the desired device. --fred

21 years, 8 months

FA: Data General manuals, HP and Tektronix manuals, core memory, 3-axis acceleromer, Solaris

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

I'm trying to clean out some of the clutter before the holidays and I've put a ton of stuff on e-bay including some core memory, a programmer's panel (both end in an hour. these are from computers that were junked before I found them), DG manuals, HP 9845 manuals, Tektronix programmable calibration generator manual, a 3-axis accelerometer, Solaris manuals, conductivity meter, and two NICE stepper motor drivers including one that's made by NEAT for driving optical stages. <http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=rigdonj> Joe

21 years, 8 months

SIMH software?

by Fred.van.Kempen＠microwalt.nl

John, > > > How does one get an OS loaded on the 'machine?' > > > > > attach mt0 c:/dist/ultrix.tap > > > attach rl0 c:/dsk/rl02-0.dsk /RL02 > > > attach rl1 c:/dsk/rl02-1.dsk /RL02 > > The directory 'dsk', nor any files with the extent of '.dsk' do not > exist anywhere I can find them... are they supposed to come > with the SIMH > stuff? Did I not download the whole package? Is there a separate > 'software' section I didn't see? > > > Curious minds.... That was an example. You _do_ have to get the software images yourself, and install them somewhere. I myself keep "installation media" in the C:\DIST directory, and "disks" in C:\DSK. Everyone has their own system for that, I assume. Images of installation media are available from the archives, see http://simh.trailing-edge.com/ and the PUPS archive for some. --f

21 years, 8 months

Simple C compiler advice?

by jpl15＠panix.com

Okey-dokey. I have now got all the nice SIMH packages stashed neatly away on the Trusty Laptop. Obviously, they must be compiled. In terms of software, I am an appliance operator. I have had very minimal experience with C programming, mostly in the 'hello world' levels of complexity, and that years ago. Therefore, what would recommendations be for a simple, cheap/free, plain old C package that I could use to compile these simulators? I understand the basic idea behind the process, but it's been many years since I compiled anything, save for the tiny Fortran demo program in the RSX11M docs... I am not going to use it for 'real' programming, just to make a PDP-faux-11 on my Wintel Lap-Puter. T I A John

21 years, 8 months

Fw: Promoting Classic Computers [was Re: Chip with holes in it]

by gmphillips＠earthlink.net

----- Original Message ----- From: "John Galt" <gmphillips(a)earthlink.net> To: <cctech(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 11:08 PM Subject: Re: Promoting Classic Computers [was Re: Chip with holes in it] > I'm a chip collector and I would like to take a moment to defend my hobby. > > 1. Most chip collectors are very particular about protecting their chips. > We just don't > throw them in the bottom of a drawer like some "computer enthusiasts". > I could not > count the times that I've bought chips on EBAY auctions that were > displayed > loose in a coffee can from someone who had found them in grandpa's > shop. > Do you really think these chips are better off going in the trash than > into some > chip collectors collection? > > 2. Once a chip ends up in a chip collectors collection it's not gone from > the face > of the earth. It's carefully preserved for future generations. > > 3. The argument that a chip is better off inside a vintage computer is like > saying > a coin is better off in circulation serving its "intended" purpose than > in some > collectors collection. > > 4. Many of the chips that chip collectors pay alot of money for are "rare" > varieties > of "common" chips. For example, an Intel C8080 vs. C8080A. Vintage > computer enthusiasts don't "need" an Intel C8080. In fact, you would > probably > be better off with the more common and "improved" C8080A. > > 5. I think that alot of vintage computer enthusiasts think that chip > collectors are > out there busting up Altair 8800's with sledge hammers to get the chips > out of > them. That's simply not true. Chip collectors hang out on in the same > areas of EBAY that you do. We know full well what rare machines are > worth. > I'll assure you, chip collectors are not breaking up old machines for > chips. > > In fact, it's just the opposite. I know a number of vintage machines > that have > been "saved" by chip collectors because they recognized what they were. > > 6. There are FAR more chips than there are vintage computers. Without chip > collectors there would not be much of a market for all these chips. > Sure > you would be able to buy an C8008 for 1$ then but... You would also > have > people throwing the old chips in the trash because they were not worth > listing on EBAY. > > If you really want a supply of vintage chips for your vintage machines > in > 20-30 years then you should be glad that a C8008 brings $100 on EBAY > because of chip collectors. The reason you should be glad is because > as the > word gets out that the early chips are worth money, less of them will > end up > in the trash. > > 7. Chips collectors will often sell chips for LESS than you would pay for > them > from a parts distributor. Also, many distributors will not sell small > quantities. > I have sold spare chips out of my collection to vintage computer > enthusiasts. > Most collectors have "spares" that they acquire for trading. If you > need a > particular chip, changes are good that you can get one from a collector > if > you offer the collector some other chip that you have several of. > > 8. There's only a handful of "serious" collectors who are willing to pay > $500-$1000 for rare versions of early chips. Most chip > collectors collect 186's, 286's, 386's, 486's, etc. In otherwords, > chips that > vintage computer enthusiasts don't really care about anyway. > > The only thing vintage computer enthusiasts notice is that old chips > routinely > bring hundreds of dollars of EBAY. What you don't notice is that it's > the same > group of a dozen collectors that are buying them. If the handful of > serious chip > collectors were to each obtain an example of every chip every made, it > would > not have much effect at all on the ability of vintage computer > enthusiasts to > obtain replacement parts for your machines. If you want to blame > someone > for the high price of vintage chips, blame the people who melted down > millions > of them for their gold content in the 80's, don't blame the handful of > serious > chip collectors. > > 9. I agree that a functioning vintage machine is "more interesting" than a > chip > in a display case. Most vintage chip collectors drool over the vintage > machines > that you guys have and not because of the chips in them either. That > said, > we also recognize that the chips themselves have historic value and > should > be preserved. Many chip collectors would like to one day obtain a > working vintage machine but I know more than a few who have abandoned > this idea once they figured out that many vintage computer enthusiasts > have such a negative view of chip collectors. > > That said, it's alot easier to get into chip collecting than vintage > computer > collecting. Chip collecting has the potential to bring alot of new > faces > into the world of vintage computers but unfortunately I don't see that > happening any time soon. > > What many of you old timers don't realize it that the "youngsters" that > came > along after the 8088 naturally see computers as a collection of > components. > Computer enthusiasts today don't buy prebuilt machines, they build them > from components and then constantly upgrade them. The very concept of > of collecting an entire machine is foreign to them because their > machines > are constantly changing. > > That said, many of these types already have chip collections, their > collections are old > CPU's they saved when they upgraded their machines over the years. You > bring > up chip collecting and they say that's pretty cool, I already have a > small collection. > > The same younger computer enthusiasts are the very people you need to > keep your > hobby going but the sad thing is, many of the same people will try and > entire > your world from the world of chip collecting and be totally turned off > by your > attitudes toward chip collectors. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Brian Chase" <vaxzilla(a)jarai.org> > To: <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> > Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 4:13 PM > Subject: Promoting Classic Computers [was Re: Chip with holes in it] > > > > On Wed, 13 Nov 2002, Will Jennings wrote: > > > > > I find that sellers auctions disturbing, since at least one the boards > > > has a comment of "just removed from the rack" : ( > > > > I find the whole practice of "chip collecting" a bit disturbing. Mainly > > because it means functioning, useful, components are becoming scarcer > > for those people who could actually put them to use. And then > > secondarily, it creates a market for the willful destruction of what > > might be otherwise working systems or subsystems. > > > > There's difficulty in attempting to educate people that working systems > > are more interesting, and valuable, than disassembled bits of them. It > > /is/ solely a matter of viewpoint, and not everyone has the skills or > > resources to collect like most people here do, but getting even a few of > > them to see things our way is progress. > > > > Evangelizing on the behalf of classic computing is something we all > > should be doing. I tend to do a lot of that when it comes to my VAXen. > > And where permitted, I always have a classic computer or two on the > > network at my workplace. The NeXT that's beside my new iMac at work > > always raises eyebrows and generates a lot of questions. > > > > Other things that help are contributing to the various computer museums > > (money, unique equipment, your time, etc.) Providing information to > > people on this list is useful. The documentation scanning projects are > > wonderful resources. The publicity generated by things like the VCF is > > good; Sellam getting visibity in Wired and on Tech TV raises awareness > > in a broader audience than could be otherwise achieved. And I think > > books like _Collectible Microcomputers_ and Christian Wurster's > > _Computers: An Illustrated History_ are useful to have lying around as > > coffee table material. > > > > -brian. > > > > >

21 years, 8 months

Performa 550 ??

by gene＠ehrich.com

I have a MAC Performa 550 that was working fine before I put it away. I just took it out and hooked it up. When I turned it on there was a quick indication of power and then nothing. Is there any kind of fuse in these machines or is it probably dead. Help

21 years, 8 months

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test-drb November 2002