Hmmm... Is the 4046 the SCSI Floppy Disk/Hard Disk rack mountable unit?
Tony
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joe [mailto:rigdonj@intellistar.net]
> Sent: Monday, August 17, 1998 11:55 AM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: Re: Minor Tektronix success story.
>
>
> I just picked up a Tektronix 4041 computer. I think it's a general
> purpose HP-IB instrument controller similar to a HP 9915.
> How close is it
> to your 4052? I HAD a Tektronix 4046 disk drive unit for
> the 4041 a few
> months ago but I traded it off (A_ S___!) Does anyone know
> anything about
> the keybaords for the 4041? It uses a strange 4 pin
> connector. I've heard
> that you can operate them from a terminal. Does anyone know
> anything about
> this?
>
> Joe
>
> At 07:14 PM 8/17/98 GMT, you wrote:
> >A minor success story compared with some I read here, but I
> wanted to
> >share it with you...
> >
> >This weekend I finally got my Tektronix 4052 graphics
> computer loading
> >and saving on a Commodore 8050 disk drive. The problems:
> >
> >Commodore's weird handling of IEEE-488 protocol, especially
> with OPEN
> >and CLOSE. This requires bit 7 (the 128s bit) to be set
> when sending a
> >secondary address; bit 4 - usually the 16s bit of the
> address - tells
> >the drive whether it's an open or a close.
> >
> >This was easily solved - the Tektronix WBYTE statement gives full
> >control over such things.
> >
> >But the Tek is designed as a tape based machine. You FIND a
> file on the
> >tape and type OLD to load it. The machine then resets and loads the
> >program.
> >
> >On a disk, you WBYTE @40,240: some bytes to specify the file
> name. But
> >if you type OLD @8,0: it asserts IFC during the reset, thus
> causing the
> >drive to have forgotten all about your program by the time
> it comes to
> >load it...
> >
> >So I toyed with the idea of cutting the IFC line in a
> suitable cable.
> >But then I came across the APPEND statement. "APPEND @I/O
> address:line
> >number" loads a program without resetting, renumbering it to
> start at
> >the specified line. Neat.
> >
> >So I now have a program to display the directory of the
> disk, prompt you
> >for a filename and APPEND the file on the end of itself. It then
> >performs an INIT (initialise variables, IFC and things) and
> drops into
> >the program.
> >
> >Saving is easier, so less automated. You type something like
> >WBYTE @40,241:48,58,80,82,79,71,82,65,77,32,78,65,77,69,-13
> >WBYTE @63:
> >SAVE @8,1
> >WBYTE @40,225,63:
> >
> >Not perfect, but it works. If anyone has an 8050 at the VCF, I'll
> >happily demonstrate!
> >
> >Now, has anyone got a PET hard drive? And, for that matter,
> has anyone
> >got a MUPET system for sale?
> >
> >Philip.
> >
> >
>
A guy in Sweden put 4mb and a uVaxII and some MFM (RQDX?) in one
< with no problem and some serious wire wrap work.
<
< I don't think it's impossible -- especially with a reworked
< power supply.
Sorta agrees with what I said.
I looked at my Vt100 and it would be possible to shoehorn a set of VS2000
boards power supply and a disk into the VT100 case. It's easier to sit it
on top. ;)
Allison
> With all the DEC enthusiasts here, maybe someone can help:
>
> Was DEC's EDT text editor ever `ported to any non-DEC platforms, such as
> PCs or unixes? It is still my favorite text and program editor, and I'd
> love to have on on some of my "everyday" machines.
You might want to look into JED - it has EDT keymaps available, as well
as Wordstar and Emacs. It runs nicely on Unixes, and Win95 ports seem to
be happening as well. It's available at:
ftp://space.mit.edu/pub/davis/jed/
You'll also need the Slang library, available at
ftp://space.mit.edu/pub/davis/slang/
Slrn and Most, also available at that site, are my favorite newsreader
and pager, respectively. I haven't used Jed as much.
--
Ben Coakley http://www.math.grin.edu/~coakley coakley(a)ac.grin.edu
CBEL: Xavier OH, Season 15 champions CMEL: Xavier
>With all the DEC enthusiasts here, maybe someone can help:
>Was DEC's EDT text editor ever `ported to any non-DEC platforms, such as
>PCs or unixes? It is still my favorite text and program editor, and I'd
>love to have on on some of my "everyday" machines.
Yes, there have been several ports of EDT. By far the most complete -
and the most expensive - is Boston Business Computing's. Everything
that is in real EDT is in BBC's EDT. See http://www.bbc.com/ for details.
There are several less worthy emulations, that do a pretty good job
of emulating EDT's CHANGE (ala "full-screen") mode but which don't
even attempt to emulate non-keypad or line modes. In particular,
an emulation package for EMACS falls into this category, as well as
the shareware JED.
-----
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology Voice: 301-767-5917
7328 Bradley Blvd Fax: 301-767-5927
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
Some folks may recall that my classic computer web pages (at
<http://www.sinasohn.com/clascomp/>) are automatically generated by a
program I wrote. Well, I've finally got the docs in some semblance of
order, for them what was interested. There's a link at the bottom of the
page, or you can go straight to
<http://www.sinasohn.com/clascomp/bldhtm.htm> for the related page. You
can also download the whole shebang there. Sorry it took so long!
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
< ObCC: Supposedly, MITS came out with a hobbyist machine a couple of year
< before the Altair called the MITS 816. I haven't found much info about
< it. Is it real?
The only prior products to the altair were a hand calc (several) and also
some hobbiest telemetry bits. If there was another computer it was a
maybe to compete in the MARK-8 realm (8008 based).
In the 8008 realm there were several companies that predate MITS. There
used to be a company here in MA called Control Logic I think that had
their "L series" modules that were 8008 based.
Personally I view collecting Altairs to wine... altair was the first lot
produced by a particular vintor. It was as drinkable as hog urine but,
it was their first and the vintor would become famous and fail making
that first lot scarce and "collectable".
Most of the early altairs had to be hacked (required) to make them work.
They are now shelf addornments and should be held up as an example of
how not to do it. I'm being serious. Anyone that wants a S100 front
pannel box to actually run would do far better with an IMSAI, Ithica
Intersystems, or several others. Most however learn the first thing
with these is that once you have it running the first code you want is
a terminal keyboard monitor as replacement switches are a few bucks each
and the originals are getting poor. Also toggling in 25 or 50 bytes every
power up or crash gets tiring. I say this as someone that lived with the
MITS ACR (sill have the analog board for one) where you toggle
in a 33byte loader, then load MITS basic crash half way through (10
minutes), toggle in the loader again, load the tape... I think that
lasted three months until I made my first PROM card using 8223 proms.
A few weeks later the ACR tape interface would be removed in favor of
a digital tape of my own design. The load, crash, reload cycles were
a great detriment to the goal of doing some serious programming. I
still feel the flakey hardware and really awful audio cassette kept me
>from doing anything useful for the first 6-7 months of ownership.
Hacks applied to mine to make it work with some reliablity before it was
replaced with a NS* system in early 78.
* Moved AC power from front pannel switch as I felt it was dangerous
having an unprotected traces with 110v on them.
* 8V DC line was 7.8v with cpu and two 4k dram cards. Added 12 turns to
the winding. Upgraded filter cap to larger value, replaced undersized
rectifers. Mits offered a new transformer at users cost.
* +-16V DC line marginal, rectifers fried, upgraded.
* Backplane was in four slot segments and was a single sided affair.
I had 8 slots and had to add bussbar to the power and ground lines
as the power distribution from one end of the bus tot he otehr was
poor.
* modifed memory cards (88MCD) to improve timing and signal quality.
* Replaced backplane with a improved two sided one from third party.
* Replaced 2mhz crystal and oneshots used for 8080 clock with 8224 and
18mhz crystal.
* modified memory cards to replace 4060s with uPD410 static devices of
the same pinout.
After all this the system would load MITS basic and run for a week solid
without crashing.
By the middle of '76 I'd be up to 4 memory cards of both the 88mcd design
and a vastly better 88S4k design. a then whopping 16k of ram. That would
be eclipsed by the addition of a Seals 8k static card that was 1/3 the
cost of the first 16k and still works!
If I'd waited a year and bought an IMSAI I'd have saved all that time,
about $3000 and had a machine that would not have required replacement.
The upside is by that time I'd learned how it should NOT be done.
Allison
RE: VAX/OpenVMS
< I would have thought so. I don't think there were any features "retired"
< going form 5.2 to 5.5. Of course, there were lots of new things added
< although sitting here I can't think of what - it's been a while since 5.
< was released!
I've been operating VMS 5.4-5.5 without docs for about five years. I'd
consider a 5.2 docset a windfall! The differences from 5.2 to 5.6 are
in part bug fixes (odd releases, like 5.3, 5.5) and feature additions
(5.2, 5.4, 5.6). that's not absolute but it generally follows that
pattern. Also within a version 5.x major changes will not happen or it
becomes 6.x! Also if the system is complete there will be a features
and additions page in the help file.
Allison
< http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=25437342
<
< When I last looked (an hour ago?) no-one had bid, the minimum bid is
< $1.00 (though there's work involved getting the stuff), there's a bit
< under two days to go, and here's the description:
<
< >Hundreds of tubes of brand-new 7400 & 74LS TTL DIPs and resistor
< >networks. 8 MHz 68000's and 16K DRAMs. Boxes and boxes of brand-new 3M
snip...
Sounds interesting but I'm cubed out here.
Allison
Almost sounds like something from the government - even the name. How
much are they asking for it? If it's not that much, it may be worth it
just to get it and see just what the heck it actually was for...
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: What the hell is a NightHawk 5800?
> Date: Tuesday, August 18, 1998 1:07 PM
>
> I was offered a NightHawk 5800 computer today. What the &*&% is it?
I've
> never heard of one. It was made by Harris Computer Systems and it's
> supposed to have 16Mb, Memory tape unit, a 5802 processor, 64 Meg Local
> Memory, 64 Meg Global Memeory, 2 slot front plane (front plane???), SCSSI
> Interface (no that's not a typo), Eagle Eatha Net Card, 4 mm DAT drive
and
> two 1 G hard drives. The operating system and a LARGE pile of manuals
are
> included. Any one know anything about this? ANY idea what it's worth?
> Is it usefull for anything?
>
> Joe
>
>>Same guy. Dunno, might be same machine. $10,000 reserve!
>
> I hope E-OverPay eats him up with the listing fee!
>
> Joe
Actually, it costs him nothing to relist. The initial
listing cost him $2 but he is afforded one free relist
if the item does not meet it's reserve.
Now, I know that many of you want to chase the moneychangers
out of this temple. And some probably even think that I
am the anti-christ who came in on a black helicopter.
But please try to help me understand something. If I
put something up for auction on Ebay I have not held
a gun to anyone's head and forced them to buy anything.
If, by their own free will, they make the decision to
bid an amount that is more than the accepted value
of that item then what have I done that is unethical?
If someone goes to a high priced Mom and Pop hardware
store and pays $30 for a Weller soldering iron when
he can buy the same iron at Wal-mart for $20 did Mom
and Pop do something unethical by offering the iron for
$30?
I know many of you have occupations in which you (or
your employer)
sell products or services at retail. And I'll bet
some of it is sold at what many would deem "sucker" prices.
Does that make you unethical? Simply because
you are not willing to price at wholesale?
What is the difference?
Bob Wood
>
>
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