test-drb April 2014

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

174 participants
170 discussions

Cleaning 8-inch Floppies (was: Re: The US Military still use 8-inch floppies.)

by bobvines00＠gmail.com

> Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 16:11:29 -0700 > From: Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> > > On 04/28/2014 02:56 PM, Thomas Dzubin wrote: >> The American TV Show "60 minutes" showed 8-inch floppies are still >> being used by the military >> >> http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/04/60-minutes-shocked-to… >> >> >> Good to see people still use 8-inch floppies.... or maybe not > > Hardly surprising. I'll take an 8" floppy over a 3.5" one or 5.25" one > any day. Provided that they weren't crap to start with, there's no > reason why they shouldn't continue to work for many years more. The > technology used to write and read them was extremely conservative. None > of that "shirt pocket" garbage. > > I routinely get 8 inchers from the 1970s to retrieve data from and I > experience problems only rarely. I wish I could say the same about old > 5.25" disks from the 80s and 3.5" disks from the 90s. > > Back around 2000 (IIRC) I received a lot of very grimy RX-02 floppies > (at least they were RX02-style MFM) with a request to copy them to clean > media. All came through (after a bit of cleaning) just fine--they were > used on some sort of jig for the C130. > > --Chuck Chuck, Can you give details on your "bit of cleaning" procedures for the 8-inch diskettes? I've got quite a few RX01/RX02 diskettes to "save" (image) and recover data from a few for a friend. Any tips on checking and/or cleaning the drives too, to avoid physically damaging the diskettes, beyond what is in the DEC Maintenance Manuals? My basic plan is to get my PDP-8/A running with an RX01 and/or RX02 drive and use a serial port to send the data/image to a PC. Or can anyone detail an easier way? Thanks, Bob

10 years

Checking Contents of Unknown Disks

by robert.jarratt＠ntlworld.com

I have some SCSI disks with unknown contents which I would like to check before overwriting them. I don't even know what OS they were used with. The only systems I have to hand with SCSI are MicroVAXen, so I can check them for VMS format without issue. However, for the ones that are not VMS format I would need a way to find out what format they are. I was wondering if there is any VMS software for reading FAT disks (as that is a pretty likely format). According to Hoff (http://www.hoffmanlabs.org/vmsfaq/vmsfaq_012.html) there is VMS freeware that will read FAT diskettes, I am not sure if it will read hard disks too. Trouble is I don't seem to have that version of the Freeware, does anyone have version 6 and the WINFX software? Another way would be to use a PC SCSI adapter. I don't have one yet, but I think I will get one. I like the look of the Adaptec 2940AU. Regards Rob

10 years

BERG connectors for DEC cables?

by j＠ckrubin.us

I've asked this before but it seems like time to ask again. I'd like to make some _proper_ DEC-style cables with round shielded cable and true BERG headers on the end(s). I know that IDC connectors can be used as a substitute but I'd really like to be able to find the old crimp-pin and insert style. Does anybody have a source or even a non-DEC part number for the header box and/or pins? Note that it is actually a 44-pin carrier to center it in the 40 pin receptacle. Thanks, Jack

10 years

Lost artworks by Andy Warhol found on 80s-era FLOPPY DISKS • The Register

by woyciesjes＠sbcglobal.net

Definitely cool... http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/25/warhol_amiga_artworks_found/ -- --- Dave Woyciesjes --- CompTIA A+ Certified IT Tech - http://certification.comptia.org/ --- HDI Certified Support Center Analyst - http://www.ThinkHDI.com/ Registered Linux user number 464583 Occasionally found on IRC - #bikeshed on irc.dal.net "Computers have lots of memory but no imagination." "The problem with troubleshooting is that trouble shoots back." - from some guy on the internet.

10 years

Wanted: Bay Networks Annex and Rackmount Modems

by slandon110＠gmail.com

Looking for rackmount modems and a bay networks annex for a project im working on. Or a multiport serial card that works with SunOS. Also looking for something similar for an HP 712.

10 years

Many fine vintage machines at AsiaBSDcon - identify all the machines?

by abs＠absd.org

I saw this (didn't get to attend unfortunately :) and thought this might be of interest to the list http://www.soum.co.jp/~jun/asiabsdcon2014.pdf Machines seem to include Sharp x68k, netwinder, news MIPS, javastation, luna68k, luna 88k, Atari, Amiga, Acorn Archimedes, DEC Alpha, Arc MIPS, Bebox, cobalt Cube, Dreamcast, arm/mips/sh3 netbooks, landisk hp300, hppa, IBM prep, 68k mac, SGI, sun3, shark and more. All running *nix. Thats quite an impressive list :) Challenge for the list - identify all the models in the pictures! (can probably safely exclude the couple of x86 boxes :)

10 years

Mid-1970s Pictures Posted

by bobvines00＠gmail.com

> Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 16:57:52 -0500 > From: Kyle Owen <kylevowen at gmail.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Mid-1970s Pictures Posted > > Those are great! Thanks for sharing. In a similar vein, I scanned some > photos from Auburn University, ca. early 1980s. > > http://imgur.com/a/Kwnn9 > > Kyle Kyle, It's a shame that you only had photos from the (relatively) "official" computers at Auburn, primarily EE & (I guess) the Main Computer Center over in the Math & Science Building. As an ME, I didn't get to see or use any of the systems in your photos, but got hooked on "Blinkenlights" when I was able to use Dr. Bussell's DG Nova 1220 (in ~1981-82) with an ASR-33 and some type of Tektronix terminal along with disk cartridge drives, pretty much as a "personal computer." It was "hidden" in a closet in the old Mechanical Lab building. Having access to that system as a "personal computer" sure beat the hell out of lining up at the Computer Center to try to use a terminal, especially once the basic programming classes graduated to FORTRAN (which brought the systems to their knees due to 30-40 students all trying to run/debug their FORTRAN programs at the same time ;) . Because of that Nova 1220 experience, I've been infected with collecting and trying (also as a non-EE) to restore old computers, mostly PDP-8 family members, with a few Q-Bus PDP-11s, a VAX 4000-200, a Commodore 64, a TI99/4A, a Sinclair (I think), an Apple III (I think), a TRS80 Model III, a Canon BX-1, and various PC clones from the early '80s almost to today. Along with an ASR-33, an LPQ01 (I think), an RK-05, a half-dozen RL01/02s, a couple dozen disk packs, and a half dozen RX01/02s, literally thousands of 5.25-inch, a few-hundred 3.5-inch, & about a hundred 8-inch diskettes. Perhaps one of these days, I'll be able to rearrange my workshop to have room to take decent photos of my collection too. Bob

10 years

BERG connectors for DEC cables?

by tiggerlasv＠aim.com

On Sat, Apr 26, 2014 at 12:26 PM, Jack Rubin <j at ckrubin.us> wrote: > I've asked this before but it seems like time to ask again. I'd like to > make some _proper_ DEC-style cables with round shielded cable and true BERG > headers on the end(s). I know that IDC connectors can be used as a > substitute but I'd really like to be able to find the old crimp-pin and > insert style. Does anybody have a source or even a non-DEC part number for > the header box and/or pins? Note that it is actually a 44-pin carrier to > center it in the 40 pin receptacle. A few different manufacturers still produce them, including FCI, and Molex. Both Mouser, and Digikey carry them. Here is the Mouser link for the 44-pin housing -- Is this what you're looking for? http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Molex/22-55-2442/?qs=f4rpoa%252bd1nHknk… T

10 years

Recreating a Dial In ISP with Sun Sparc and HP PA RISC Hardware

by slandon110＠gmail.com

My summer project is to recreate dial in shell access like we all used to. I have 2 machines that are candidates for it. an HP 712 system running HP UX 9.04 and a Sun Sparcstation 5 running Solaris 1.1.2. For PPP access I can set up a linux box as well. Anyone ever thought of doing this or how it could be accomplished?? Thanks Steve

10 years

FS: Lantronix UDS 10 NIB & some other goodies

by slandon110＠gmail.com

Getting rid of my never used Lantronix UDS-10 which is New in box. Asking 35 shipped anywhere in the USA PayPal accepted 10 BBS Telecom Plexus PVT-30D Key Telephones. Used with the Macro Plexus PBX system $35 each shipped in the USA Codex 5280R Leased Line Modem 4800 Baud. Really nice shape. Powers up $50 shipped in the USA

10 years

← Newer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
...
17
Older →

Jump to page:

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

test-drb April 2014