test-drb

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101090 discussions

by jws＠jwsss.com

Mr 1519 approval rating bid $30,100 as a snipe. At least it wasn't a 0 feedback ID that did it. Things really took of in the last 5 minutes with the winning bidder having a true snipe. Anyone on the list the winner? The other Alto thread is useless, nothing about Alto's so starting a new thread here about this sale, also on topic to discuss what happened to the short lived auction for the alto from DC. Was that one fraud, or stupidity? In advance change the thread title if you hijack it, please. Jim

15 years, 6 months

Updates on repairing Xerox Alto

by nick.allen＠comcast.net

Couple updates and requests for help. Got the CRT repaired and WORKING! The culprit was the 100k sliding pot control on the underside of the CRT. Now that I have a working CRT, it is on to the next step of diagnosing in which I need advice. I noticed the cursor is a hardware cursor, does this mean if I get the display board working (and if only the display card is working) will it output the cursor to the CRT? If so, this is great news as I can focus on repairing a single board. If not, do you know which boards I need to get working at a MINIMUM to get ANY display on the CRT (either the hardware cursor, or some sort of diagnostic boot code to output to the CRT)? Thanks! Nick

15 years, 6 months

Introduction - Terry Stewart (tezza)

by dm561＠torfree.net

> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:43:53 +1300 > From: "Terry Stewart" <terry at webweavers.co.nz> > Subject: Introduction - Terry Stewart (tezza) > > Hi, > > I joined a few days ago and feel I should introduce myself to others on > this > list. Some here may know me as tezza on Eric Klein's Vintage Computer > Forums, a handle I also use on a few other vintage computer places around > the Net. ... > Terry Stewart (Tez) > http://www.classic-computers.org.nz ------------------- Nice to see you made it; see, all you had to do was ask ;-) Enjoy, mike

15 years, 6 months

Semi-OT: Texas Instruments calculator battery packs?

by dm561＠torfree.net

Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:17:36 -0500 From: "Michael B. Brutman" <mbbrutman-cctalk at brutman.com> Subject: Re: Semi-OT: Texas Instruments calculator battery packs? I just looked at my TI Programmer - how on earth do you even get into the BP-8? The flex tabs that hold it together won't budge, and I'm not interested in breaking them. If I could get into it, I'd like to rebuild the battery pack. Mike ---------------- Not to start one of our flamefests over here, but it should be pretty straightforward; gently pry out the short 3 finger side with something wide enough to catch the whole width, and it will just tilt open. Hope your batteries aren't too corroded. I've replaced mine several times, as well as another TI calc using a similar pack. I _might_ even have an inverter module for the OP; still looking. mike

15 years, 6 months

Semi-OT: Texas Instruments calculator battery packs?

by dm561＠torfree.net

Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:17:36 -0500 From: "Michael B. Brutman" <mbbrutman-cctalk at brutman.com> Subject: Re: Semi-OT: Texas Instruments calculator battery packs? I just looked at my TI Programmer - how on earth do you even get into the BP-8? The flex tabs that hold it together won't budge, and I'm not interested in breaking them. If I could get into it, I'd like to rebuild the battery pack. Mike ---------------- Not to start one of our flamefests over here, but it should be pretty straightforward; gently pry out the short 3 finger side with something wide enough to catch the whole width, and it will just tilt open. I've replaced mine several times, as well as another TI calc using the same pack; hope your batteries aren't too corroded. I _might_ even have an inverter module for the OP; still looking. mike

15 years, 6 months

Oldest original proper computer (stored program etc)

by roger.holmes＠microspot.co.uk

> From: William Donzelli <wdonzelli at gmail.com> > >> I am not interested in machines which have not been powered up for more than a year, even if they were operational when stored, the likelihood of them working when turned on again is low. Expansion and contraction, static electricity, chemical reactions especially in old electrolytic capacitors take their toll. Computers were built to be used, one which cannot be operated is no more interest to me than the hull of an old ship. > > Interesting you mention hulls of old ships and oldest operating > computers. It is likely that any list of "oldest operating computers" > would probably be dominated by special purpose digital* computers > (fire control, navigation, crypto, etc.) on ex-US and Soviet warships > serving in third world navies. Even in the backwaters of the US Navy > there are still some ancient machines still going. I have a mental picture of a mercury delay being rocked back and forth by the motion of a battleship :-) Certainly mechanical analogue computers were common in fire control, and must have got replaced by something more modern, but I would restrict the list to stored program machines. Nickel delay lines were likely used and drums used directly for executing code would of course work on a ship too. Williams tubes maybe, and the earliest core memory machine would have been military too. > Military computing tends to be 800 pound gorilla in the room that > historians tend to dismiss. Maybe because they are excluded by secrecy, as happened with the UK's WW2 German code breaking machines until the story got out and Bletchley Park was saved. In my first job I came across several military computers, but they were for use in aircraft and so much less heavy. I worked on the Mk2 Nimrod, based on the Comet, and I've heard tell that in its first incarnation it was bright aluminium because if they painted it the weight of the paint would have stopped it from becoming airborne. > * The submarines of Taiwan still use the Mk IV Torpedo Data Computers > (mechanical analog), installed when the boats were still US during > World War 2. Interesting, but not a stored program computer.

15 years, 6 months

HTL

by ragooman＠gmail.com

-----Original Message----- Date: Thursday, October 21, 2010 1:13:29 pm To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> From: "William Donzelli" <wdonzelli at gmail.com> Subject: Re: HTL > You'd use the same precautions, in-circuit or out, that you'd use > with any bipolar logic chip, be it HTL, DTL, RTL or TTL. ?No special > precautions or lack thereof because it's HTL. Being bipolar does not mean ESD safe. ECL is somewhat static sensitive. Also, with HTL being such an old family, I am unsure as to its sensitivity. DTL and TTL have become more static insensitive over time with die revisions and better processes. Did HTL, always a low-runner, go through this process? There's different levels of ESD protection for handling components. Whether your just storing parts for a hobby, development lab or a full production facility. A simple static wrist strap can avoid any confusion in many situations and should be in your pocket whenever handling components, boards, etc. And if your in the sticks somewhere, without a proper grounding station, you should at least be prepared with a static bag stuffed in your toolbox to cover the cards when handling a rack full of cards. Never touch with bare hands as taught in ESD class. You know the old adage being, don't leave home without it :)

15 years, 6 months

Semi-OT: Texas Instruments calculator battery packs?

by charlesmorris800＠centurytel.net

Does anyone know where I can find a BP-8 battery pack for my TI Programmer (calculator) that I've owned since the early 80's? It has a small dc-dc converter and two AA nicads inside, supplying 9 volts to the snap-on connector. The board is corroded beyond salvaging by badly leaked nicads :( It will run on a 9 volt battery too (max drain with all digits on is 44 ma according to this interesting German site): http://www.christophlorenz.de/calc/ti/programmer.php?l=en and I suppose I could just put one inside the plastic housing of the BP-8 which of course would not be rechargeable. I also need a pack for my otherwise clean SR-51A, a BP-1A. This would be trivial to repair except that it's completely missing and I have no idea where it went! thanks Charles

15 years, 6 months

IBM 7010 Photo (Re: What Computer is This and Who is This Guy?)

by kb-internet＠comcast.net

Hi I was looking for the picture of the IBM 7010 - is it still available? I think I used to program on this back in the late sixties at Chevrolet. Thanks Trina

15 years, 6 months

Sequent Tape Drive

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

I have a small Sequent SCSI cabinet with a 8mm tape drive in it - untested. Any Sequent fans need this before I send it to the grinder? It is a typical single full high SCSI box with power supply. Cheap! -- Will, in 10512

15 years, 6 months

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