test-drb May 2005

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

248 participants
723 discussions

Free: broken but possibly fixable sync-on-green monitor

by msokolov＠ivan.Harhan.ORG

Eric Smith <eric at brouhaha.com> wrote: > It can also be caused by use of a cheap video cable or a cheap KVM switch. Not the case here - genuine DEC video cable and no KVM switches. MS

19 years, 2 months

Report on VCF Europa 6.0

by news＠computercollector.com

By Christine Finn: http://news.computercollector.com (click the link under the "About us" heading) ----------------------------------------- Evan Koblentz's personal homepage: http://www.snarc.net *** Tell your friends about the (free!) Computer Collector Newsletter - 700 readers and no spam / Publishes every Monday / Write for us! - Mainframes to videogames, hardware and software, we cover it all - W: http://news.computercollector.com E: news at computercollector.com

19 years, 2 months

OT Don't read this (was Re: Altair MBL source)

by cb＠mythtech.net

>> <http://www.gcn.com/17_17/news/33727-1.html> > >Another myth. > >What happened was the _application_, not Windows, had a flaw (a divide by >zero bug). Read the bottom of the article, where they state that numerous other software failures on the Yorktown are associated with using Win NT. I think the real lesson here is, don't let any computer be your sole method of controlling a warship... didn't these people watch Terminator?!? :-) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

19 years, 2 months

Looking for ../DEC questions

by abacos_98＠yahoo.com

Got it...thanks. I had a line on a 11/94. The guy works at a wind tunnel in a defense plant and they had oodles of DEC stuff. I know he has the engineering drawings for it. All he wanted was beer and pizza of all things. I haven't had good luck getting back in touch with him but if (when) I do, I'll get the drawings out to you for bitsavers. Thanks, Brian. --- Al Kossow <aek at robot.net> wrote: > > Also looking for a > manual, DEUNA, RL11 for it as well. > > -- > > http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/1184 > > Something that would be nice to find are docs on the > 94, and engineering > drawings for either the 84 or 94. They appear to be > very difficult to find. >

19 years, 2 months

Help: simulated OS/8 gen

by drb＠msu.edu

Thanks to several folks who offered suggestions and/or were willing to try to duplicate my setup to see if they could find a solution. I did manage to get this to work. I used the RK8ESY driver. This is the configuration I ended up with: .R BUILD $PRINT RK05: *RKA0 *RKB0 *RKA1 *RKB1 RKA2 RKB2 RKA3 RKB3 RX01: *RXA0 *RXA1 KL8E: *TTY LPSV: *LPT TC : *DTA0 *DTA1 DTA2 DTA3 DTA4 DTA5 DTA6 DTA7 RK8E: *SYS RKA0 RKB0 which means I had to delete the TC08 driver. I tripped a bit over zeroing the device, but finally got that right. Also, I can't find anything in the manual about how files are supposed to get from the distribution media to the system disk, so I just used COPY and hoped it would work. (So far so good.) Obviously my notes weren't good enough. Shoot me now. My next problem is that FORTRAN IV programs hang when executed. De

19 years, 2 months

OT Don't read this (was Re: Altair MBL source)

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: OT Don't read this (was Re: Altair MBL source) > From: shoppa_classiccmp at trailing-edge.com > Date: Mon, 02 May 2005 13:12:33 -0400 > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >> Apparently the whole area gets flooded with halon (sp?) to quickly absorb >> any oxygen from the air, so if you hang about ...... > >"Absorb any oxygen" is a bit harsh. Halon is pretty good at stopping >things from burning but it doesn't make it impossible to breathe. It's >not the most healthy thing to breathe but in the 80's and earlier a >very common demo of halon extinguishers had the salesman in a halon filled >booth, demonstrating how all fires go out, while happily breathing the >stuff. > >Now, CO2 oxygen-displacement extinguishers, that's a different story. > >Tim. Halon does not absob Oxygen. It is an Oxygen displacement that is also heavier than air. In a closed room if enough is introduced under pressure (typically) it will push out all air (Oxygen too) leaving an unbreathable and incombustable mix. Because computer rooms are largely closed any major air displacement is dangerous for the users inside. A bunch of years back I was working at a pharmaceutical plant doing controls. While I was in a HEPA closed filling room some dolt fired up a Freon (R12) system used to pressurize the containers without checking to see if the lines were properly capped. Those 75GPM pumps were pushing liquid Freon that initially I thought was Glycol for cooling. It took only a few seconds for the Freon to vaporize and reduce the breathable air to nil by displacement. In the few seconds it took to evaluate what's going on and get out I was quite hypoxic. My boss was extremely upset with the dolt. I spent many months after that doing lockout/tagout training and used that case as the what can happen. Halon and Freon are similar in that they are "non toxic", incombustable and generally electronics friendly in the gas form. But life is only supported by Oxygen, anything else while not toxic is not breathable without causing hypoxia. Allison

19 years, 2 months

got a TTL computer ---- interface technology RS-432

by vax9000＠gmail.com

It is a signal generator with a small TTL computer built in. The front panel is like that of an old PDP-11, with switches and LEDs to input programs. Does anybody have the manual/spec of this TTL computer? it has several memory boards with 93L420(256bitx1) or 93L425(1kx1) chips.

19 years, 2 months

PC/Apple/etc. Cards Worth Keeping/Storing

by marvin＠rain.org

I am trying to decide what to do with a bunch of 16-bit ISA IDE/Floppy controller, etc. cards. Is there still a use for them, or should I just add (most of) them to the (rapidly growing) scrap reclaim box? What about 8-bit and/or 16-bit ethernet cards, no-name 8-bit serial/parallel cards, older style floppy disk cables that still support the 5 1/4" floppy drives? Maybe a better question; are they any cards worth saving? I am keeping all the disk controller cards, memory expansion cards, and any specialized cards. Are they any Apple IIx cards worth saving? My general rule there has been that if I have the docs, they are worth saving. I have boxes of this stuff spread around and am looking for some guidelines on what might be worth keeping! I am getting to the point that anything past about 1984 or so goes.

19 years, 2 months

Looking for../DEC questions

by abacos_98＠yahoo.com

Whew... I just spun it up and its definitely not the fan. I am going to pull it apart this weekend and see what I can find. I do have access to a press if the bearing can be pressed off. I did grab the drawings, thanks. Brian. --- Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > Haven't tested the RA80 that came with it but the > RA60 > > sounds like it needs bearings BAD. Any suggestions > on > > restoring this RA60 would be appreciated. > > I've got an RA60 that I really must get round to > playing with... IIRC the > printset is on bitsavers... > > As for the bad bearings, if it's the spindle itself, > you've got problems. > There's no way you're going to take one apart and > replace the bearings. > IIRC it's all pressed together (and sufficiently > tight that no normal > gear puller will shift things), you may well find a > ferrofluid seal in > there, etc. > > If it's the spindle motor, you can almost certainly > do something. The > motor will come apart, the bearings are most likely > standard. > > Of course if you're very lucky, it's just the fan > ;-) > > -tony > >

19 years, 2 months

new scrap dealer found :>

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

At one of my usual electronics surplus stores the other day, they told me "If I'm into old computers.... go see this scrap dealer" and gave me the address. My interest was piqued, as it was not one I was already familiar with. So, I headed out there today. Interesting place... 8 acres... most of the stuff was inside crumbling warehouses, some was outside in the elements. I believe I saw a deuce and a half ;) But anyways... on to the computer stuff I noticed... One of the lowboy HP cabinets (about 2.5 feet tall) with a 13037 subsystem and 7906D drive mounted. The formica top was missing, but the insides looked pristine. I already have one of these (with formica top), but may pick this one up just to have a spare. They are perfect for a mobile drive (as mobile as a 190 pound drive gets) and you can set a terminal on top (but don't bother trying to read the screen when the drives voice coil is moving). I may use the 7906 as a donor to get another 7906 working... anyways... I noticed a large floorstanding Silicon Graphics machine, didn't get too close to it but I think it said "IRIS" on it. Summagraphics graphics tablet. A large seven foot Digital rack with a processor, tape drive (TZ07), scsi drive tray w/drives, RD42? (cd, no caddy). Dusty, but very good condition. I may buy the TZ07. I couldn't see anything saying what kind of cpu it was. The cpu tray had the cpu on the left, and 3 or 4 what looked to be hard drive modules in front too. No clue what that is, I'm not familiar with that era of DEC gear. Saw another TZ07 too just sitting loose - it was a desktop enclosure - I may snag that too. Oh, there was a neat dual bay olive green rack - I'm guessing it was some time of automated fire control for a military gun. Appeared to have front panel buttons like "turret position, reload time, etc.". I think most of the guts were westinghouse perhaps. Didn't appear to be (to me) an obvious OEM cpu or anything. Quite old. There were selectric typewriters by the palletfull. Some huge floorstanding HP plotter... the front panel said something to the effect of "HP Plotter model I". No interest to me. Much to my joy - the guy who owned the place was just what us collectors would hope for. Soon as I walked in the door he wanted to know what kind of stuff I was looking for, my cell & home number, etc. He took copious notes, and told me matter of factly he'd keep an eye out for the kind of stuff I'm interested in and definitely call me immediately. Seemed most helpful. And better yet, he said they have another location about 10 minutes away, but I didn't have time to go look there. The guy did say "you do know stuff from that period had decent amounts of gold in it", and I told him sure, and I'd be happy to give him more than scrap value for stuff I'm interested in. So, next weekend probably I'll go check out the other place. Note to self - next time, take a flashlight, wear boots, and plan for more time - not every area was searched. Regards, Jay West

19 years, 2 months

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test-drb May 2005