- test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org - classiccmp.org

Datapoint 1100, 2200 and 5500 processors

by spedraja＠ono.com

Hello. I recently received one book named "A guide for operating Datapoint Equipment". It is 88 pages long and describes very good all the processors and peripherals that could be attached to one of these systems. In another place in the Internet mentions that the cassette operating system of these machines was the CTOS (yes, the processor appeared to have a couple of cassette units and load the OS from one of it). Do somebody has software for this machine ? Is it possible to get something for one repository or download place ? Do it exists some documentation scanned or available ? I should like to know experiences of everyone with this machine if this can be possible. And finally... Somebody knows a place where one of these systems would be working or at least operative ? Thanks and Greetings SP

24 years

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70's Mattel Handheld Football game...

by bpope＠wordstock.com

All, Someone was asking about this awhile ago. Target is now (re)selling the 1970s "Handheld Electronic Classic Football Game" for $12.99 At: http://www.target.com/common/catalog/product.jhtml?prodid=83988&navAction=j… If you also go to http://tomheroes.com/retrotimes_51.htm#New%20(Old)%20Handhelds%20(Are%20Bac… there is info about other handhelds being rereleased. Now speaking of handhelds, does anyone remember playing the handheld pinball game? I can't think of the name of it right now... Cheers, Bryan Pope

24 years

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PDP-8/E questions

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Nov 25, 19:39, Tony Duell wrote: > > Ah. That would probably explain why I have a cable with two white wires on > > pins 1 and 3, and a red wire on pin 2, connected to a 6-pin single-row > > Mate-N-Lok (like the ones used on power regulators). > > 8 pin Mate-n-lock, surely. Oops, you're right. Of course they're 8-pin. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years

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PDP-8/E questions

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Nov 25, 19:41, Tony Duell wrote: > The DEC LED module looks like a bi-pin bulb, and has a plastic base > moulding hiding the resistor, etc. It sounds like you have something > home-made, perhaps. It was done by someone who was obviously patient, and very neat. They look identical. I wonder if it was a DEC field mod? Unlikely, I suppose, as Field Service would have had the modules. > > The resistors look like modern miniature metal film, but could = > > be > > 20 years old. > > They are not exactly critical :-) No, they're not :-) I was just trying to guess the age. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years

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Dead Intel MDS controller board

by dmabry＠mich.com

Well, much to my dismay, but not too surprising, my last set of floppy diskette controller boards has failed and my Intel MDS is severely crippled. In my days of designing systems with Intel Microcomputer Development Systems I saw many of the floppy controller boards fail. That system had a two-board set of multibus cards in order to control up to four floppy diskettes. Seems kind of funny to call those huge 8" floppys "diskettes", but that's what they are. Anyway, of that two board set, I always have seen the same one fail. One card called the Channel Card which was based on Intel's 3000 series bipolar microprocessor never failed. It was always the other card, the Double Density Interface Board. When I "retired" all the MDSs where I worked, I kept three sets of those boards to keep my MDS going, fully expecting to have one or maybe even two go "bits up". Alas, last week, my third and last board set failed. And, yes, it was the interface card. The purpose of this post is to see if there might be someone on this list who would be able to advise me on a strategy for troubleshooting it (Tony Duell?) Better yet, but I'm not going to hold my breath on this one, would be someone who has an SBC-202 board-set he might be willing to part with, sell, trade, etc. Any ideas or leads would be appreciated. And, Tony, I might have a space ICE-80 manual for you. Will know next week. Thanks. Dave -- Dave Mabry dmabry(a)mich.com Dossin Museum Underwater Research Team NACD #2093

24 years

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Datapoint 1100, 2200 and 5500 processors

by mhstein＠usa.net

-----------------Original Message------------------- Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 10:26:11 +0100 From: "SP" <spedraja(a)ono.com> Subject: Datapoint 1100, 2200 and 5500 processors Hello. I recently received one book named "A guide for operating Datapoint Equipment". It is 88 pages long and describes very good all the processors and peripherals that could be attached to one of these systems. In another place in the Internet mentions that the cassette operating system of these machines was the CTOS (yes, the processor appeared to have a couple of cassette units and load the OS from one of it). Do somebody has software for this machine ? Is it possible to get something for one repository or download place ? Do it exists some documentation scanned or available ? ++++++ Hello, Sergio: There were some Datapoint software manuals in the stuff I just sent to Norm (norm(a)docnorm.com); ask him what he plans to do with them. mike OS/2 is either the operating system that will take us into the 21st century or (it) will take Microsoft into Chapter 11. -Mark Minasi, 1988

24 years

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old 8080 micro system available

by frustum＠pacbell.net

I'm forwarding this information from a fellow who sent me an email asking if I was interested in his computer. I'm not, but I told him I'd forward his contact information. Please reply to him for requests about more information. Based on his area code, it looks like he is in or near Houston, TX. Thanks. --- start of 1st email --- Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2001 17:18:02 -0600 From: Sewell Martin <sewell(a)hal-pc.org> Subject: Old computer To: frustum(a)pacbell.net Message-id: <004d01c17475$19e4b860$1381b4ce(a)halpc.org> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2919.6600 Content-type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_004A_01C17442.CE701500" X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 X-Priority: 3 Please advise me as to whether you may be interested in a very early model (circa 1976) 0f an Intel 8080 based microcomputer system with dual 8" Shugart diskette drives with 2 digit serial numbers, and a Centronic model 700 RO printer serial 086? The original maker was an engineer from Warner Swayze Corp., Cleveland Ohio, Abe Zeewe. The operation system was ISIS, the programming language was a pseudo-fortran. I programmed a prescription processing application for a retail pharmacy. If you need additional information, please let me know. Sewell Martin e-mail: <mailto:sewell@hal-pc.org>sewell@hal-pc.<mailto:sewell@hal-pc.org>org Phone: 713-728-5526 ---- end of 1st email ---- ---- start of 2nd email ---- Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2001 14:18:35 -0600 From: Sewell Martin <sewell(a)hal-pc.org> Subject: Re: Old computer To: Jim Battle <frustum(a)pacbell.net> Message-id: <000a01c17525$330219e0$c581b4ce(a)halpc.org> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2919.6600 Content-type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 References: <4.3.2.7.0.20011124011346.00bb1540(a)postoffice.pacbell.net> X-Priority: 3 I would very much like for you to pass my info around. I don't know if it still works. This machine was a prototype developed for Realistic Control Corp. of Cleveland. I developed the software. The translator and the operating system are still on the machine. The last time it ran was around 1980. There are many items inside that are hand wired. To permit additional air flow, the engineer cut an "X" in the front of the case, which was covered by 4 layers of gauze bandage acting as the filter. I am asking for an amount commensurate with the historical value plus shipping. I am also including the Centronic model 700 RO printer (serial # 086) and an Ann Arbor terminal. I may also have wiring schematics available. Side note: I remember personally running jumpers from various pins on the processor to make the machine work. ---- end of 2nd email ---- ----- Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net

24 years

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Northstar Horizons Possibly Available

by r.stek＠snet.net

Kevin - I, too, have sufficient Horizons (besides if the shipping didn't kill me, my wife would). But if you are of a mind to restore them, I can offer xerox copies of most docs for about a nickel a page, or you can borrow them and make your own copies. Of course I have boot disks for N* DOS as well as CP/M, and California Digital still sells hard-sectored floppies (WWW.CADIGITAL.COM). I'd bet that if you couldn't find a list member to give them a home, you could sell them on eBay for $100-$200 each in working condition. Good luck with them. They are still one of my favorite S-100 boxes. Bob Stek Saver of Lost Sols

24 years

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RESCUE: DEC hardware for the taking

by cfandt＠netsync.net

Greetings those who are interested in older DEC PDP-11 systems! I must clear out excess gear remaining after The Great Haul From Summer '98. I've separated pretty much what I will keep, a few others have in their possession some other items. What remains is listed below. It's been setting in our garage. I must clear it out ASAP as I need to move the items that I'm storing in a storage unit into its place. I can't justify anymore spending of the $$ on that storage unit when I can be using it to pay towards my bills. Plus, I need to have that mostly antique radio-related stuff home to work on and perhaps sell/swap. Additionally, and this is important for you to know, if I cannot find a home for what DEC gear remains I must regrettably SCRAP it. It cannot stay here. Here's the list. See notes below list. 1. PDP-11/24 with two RL02s in short rack, same footprint as an 11/750. Has RK-11 and UDA-50 boardsets. 2. PDP-11/34A -seems to be older model "A" with early Programmer's Panel. Early, I think, because it's made of boxy-shaped stamped sheetmetal and not the thermofoam cast bezels like we usually see. Same electronics though. In short rack. 2. RK07 in short rack. 4. RK07 in short rack. 5. RA81 in short rack. 6. TS03 Tape system in 6' rack with BA-11 controller chassis & boards. 7. RK07 in short rack. Said to possibly not work. 8. RA60-AA in short rack. 9. A couple of BA-11 chassis. 10. 2 units: Decwriter III (LA120) 11. 1-Decwriter II 12. Two or three RL02s, no rack. 13. RL01-A, no rack. 14. Bunches of tapes. Mostly TS-03 7" reels. Take them all. 15. Bunches of RL01 and RL02 disc paks. Several RK07 paks. Take one, then all will go with it. 16. 7' tall tape storage rack. 17. Maybe a couple of terminals, VT-100, ADM-3 18. Perhaps some other useful stuff that I uncover. End. Notes: * As is, where is. Naturally, for a rescue. I simply do not have any resources to ship this equipment. * I refer to a 'short rack' as the one which is about 4' tall and rolls around. Same styling as VAX 11/750 cabinet, etc. as some of you already may know. I just can't recall the 'H' -part number of these racks right now nor see the numbers without pulling big piles of stuff out of the way. ** No documentation available. I've kept all that pertains to the gear I'm keeping; swapped off other items (and lookin' for a few more bits). ** Unknown what the original 11/24 setup was although the RK-11 boardset inside belies one or more of the RK07 drives possibly being hung off it. In fact, only the 11/750, which has since found a new home, had any systemic configuration history that I could figure out from all the various PDP-11 and VAX gear rescued in the original '98 Great Haul -except of course for the small 11/53, 11/23 and MVII systems which are in my collection now. Came out of Bradford, PA -a very much rural city even by Jamestown's standards. ** Plan on taking the gear as soon as you can get one or more "Rescue Brigades" arranged. Find folks who will divide it up with you. ** It all has to be out of the garage as soon as possible. You really should bring a truck with a liftgate, truck with ramp and a strong assistant or two, "lowboy" trailer with ramp -or whatever it takes because I have no loading dock on my garage, of course. ** Price is cheeeep. Just take it all away. Unless, at your option, in trade you have some bits for my VAX 11/730 that will yield for me a nicely runable system (mass storage, boot tape, documentation, etc.) or some SCSI interface boards (QBUS & UNIBUS) or whatever else you think I can use (small stuff!). I'm in Western New York State. Jamestown is on Interstate 86 (old NY State Route 17 Expressway) about 45-50 miles east of Erie, PA. Interstate 90 is on the western terminus of I-86, near Erie. Figure around 80 miles to here >from the Buffalo city center. Thanks for helping rescue this DEC equipment! Best regards, Chris -- -- NNNN Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net Member of Antique Wireless Association URL: http://www.antiquewireless.org/

24 years

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Ahh.

by meltlet＠fastmail.fm

*settles back into the list* Hello again guys, i've missed you. I've also accumulated a couple of questions in my absence: Have any of you heard of an Applix DIY computer? Apparently it's m68k-based, but I know little more. I've found the manuals online quite easily, but i'd like to know any experiences with one - what OS and so on. Actually, if you have any information on 680x0 homebrews, let me know! Thanks Alex

24 years

1
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Adam Computer

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

In a message dated 11/25/2001 2:02:51 PM Eastern Standard Time, gehrich(a)tampabay.rr.com writes: > Does anybody have any idea of the value of a brand new in boxes Adam > computer? > like the old saying goes, it's worth whatever someone will pay for it.

24 years

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PDP-8/E questions

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Nov 25, 1:28, Tony Duell wrote: > > What's J5 (3-pin Mate-N-Lok) on the PSU for? > > AC output (centre-tapped) to the line time clock board or power-fail > interrupt board. Watch out, it comes straight from a secondary on the > mains transformer. There is a fuse, but it's in series with the centre > tap only. Which means that shorting the outside 2 pins together can burn > out the transformer. Ah. That would probably explain why I have a cable with two white wires on pins 1 and 3, and a red wire on pin 2, connected to a 6-pin single-row Mate-N-Lok (like the ones used on power regulators). > > And lastly (for now :-)), which direction should the fans blow? > > I am not sure what the offical way is, but if you reverse the fanse > aren't you going to be blowing hot air (heated by the PSU) over the logic > cards? Most machines I've got where the fans are between the logic and > the PSU draw air in over the logic and blow it out over the PSU heatsinks. It doesn't get very warm, but then there's not much in the machine at the moment. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years

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PDP-8/E questions

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

I've got my PDP-8/E cleaned (no more "small" of cat) and partly re-assembled. I've successfully toggled in and run Allison's inchworm program. I handwashed the plastic front panel. I treated the plastic foam from under the backplanes to the hottest wash the washing machine can do, and replaced the rest of the foam (which was crumbly) from the lid. I ran the cards (not the core matrix, though!), backplanes, and over-the-top connectors through the dishwasher, along with some of the smaller parts of the case. I dried the cards with compressed air, and washed out the backplanes and connectors with IPA before blowing them dry too. I treated the switches to a little low-residue cleaner/lubricant. I washed the case with Flash (a proprietary household detergent-type cleaner for floors). I took the fans and relay out of the PSU and then sprayed the inside with enzyme/detergent-based stain remover, hosed it off, drained it, rinsed with about a litre of IPA and then dried it off (compressed air first, then warm air from the hair drier for a few hours). It smells fine now, and it's *very* clean :-) I've almost put everything back together, but I have a few questions before I finish it off. The front bezel (frame round the panel) has been repainted white, and the paint has flaked or chipped off in places, to reveal a chipped coat of beige paint. I'd like to refinish and respray it. What's the correct colour? I'm toying with the idea of replacing the LEDs with bi-pin bulbs, as the panel was originally a bulb panel. The resistors for the warm-up current have been clipped out. What value should they be? What's J5 (3-pin Mate-N-Lok) on the PSU for? And lastly (for now :-)), which direction should the fans blow? The fans in this machine are not original, and I suspect they were put in back-to-front. They were drawing air in from the right (as you look from the front) of the machine, through the cards, into the PSU, and blowing it out through the six large heatsinks and out of the left side of the machine. I think this is the wrong way round, as the laminar flow over the cards won't be as effective as the turbulent flow in the other direction. But what's the normal way in an 8/E? And was there supposed to be a filter anywhere?

24 years

3
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Lisa Success.....finally...

by beesley＠mandrake.demon.co.uk

On Sunday, November 25, 2001, at 04:43 pm, classiccmp-digest wrote: > From: Jeff Hellige <jhellige(a)earthlink.net> > Subject: Lisa Success.....finally... > > Well after working on it off and on for over two years I > finally got my Lisa to actually boot up tonight. I've been trying to > put it back to Lisa2 specs vice Mac XL and I had swapped a 400k > floppy back into it in place of the 800k upgrade that had been > peformed. Unfortunately the machine would never power on properly > without the XL screenkit installed. Finally tonight I said the heck > with it and reinstalled all the parts to the XL screenkit and powered > it on, attempting to boot from Macworks XL 3.0 and the Macworks > System Disk (Mac Finder 4.1). It worked! Both disks were 400k disks > and made from images gotten off of the web. I'm tempted to put the > SCSI card/drive back into it and see what I can do with it, though > it'd be nice to still figure out what's going on with the > original-style CPU card and video system and get it working as a Lisa > again. I'm looking forward to performing similar surgery on my Lisa 2/5 with screen mod kit installed. A couple of questions: 1. Did you disconnect the screen transformer that goes between the video board and yoke cable? An obvious question but thought I'd ask. 2. Did you just swap the cpu board with screen mod ROMs for a standard Lisa 2 board, or have you tried putting your Lisa 2 ROMs in the board that you know works? 3. I understand that you need to tweak some of the potentiometers on the video board and possibly the psu. The Sun Remarketing DIY guide to Lisa repair has a section on installing the screen mod kit, so removal should "simply" be the reverse of that procedure... My understanding is that the Lisa will boot with incorrect voltages but the display will be distorted. 4. What symptoms were displayed when you tried booting without the screen mod kit? Phil

24 years

2
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Intel C8080A chip brings $565 on EBAY

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> National made an MM5203 that was also 256-bytes in size and was also difficult > to program. It was an even more suitable part for jewelry, as it had a gold > flash all over its upper surface. It was quite a striking piece of hardware > with its large gold surface and extra thick quartz window glued to the top. Ditto the 5204, which PTC used in the first SOL personalty modules... -dq

24 years

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Say it ain't so, Joe!

by achim.buerger＠online-club.de

Hello Joe, I feel sorry that I can't pick up a 9825 because I live in germany. Is there any chance to ship a machine? Regards, Achim

24 years

1
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Rescue two CDC 844 (big) drives in Hamilton, Ontario

by jfoust＠threedee.com

Reply to him, not me. - John >Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 04:59:28 -0500 >From: Homer Seywerd <homers(a)sentex.net> >To: jfoust(a)threedee.com >Subject: Computer Rescue needed! > >Hello, >My name is Homer Seywerd and I know of two complete CDC 844 disk >drives. (sorry no cpu). These weigh about 500 lbs each, but have nice >rollers underneath, and are easy to push. (This makes them easy to push >up onto a truck, or more likely in this case, into a skip). > >I have been browsing the internet looking for a news group or something >to advertise their availability, and would appreciate your help in >locating a home for them. If now one is interested, I guess I'll strip >them for parts. Size is 4-1/2' x 2-1/2' x 4' approx. > >These are located in Hamilton, Ontario CANADA. There shouldn't be any >problem getting them across the border. > >Thanks, >Homer Seywerd >Dundas, Ontario

24 years

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HP Composite Video Interface Card

by fmc＠reanimators.org

"Wayne M. Smith" <wmsmith(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > I am using an HP composite video card (98204A) in a > 9000/200 series and am getting a very small multiple > image on the screen. Is there something special about > HP composite video or is this just a bad card? I've > tried the card in both a 9000/200 and 9000/220 with the > same result. Any ideas? Just a wild guess, but if you have an HP 35731A monochrome monitor, try it with that. That wants composite video but with a horizontal frequency of 30KHz instead of the more usual 15KHz. HP used that on several different systems. There may also be a jumper on the video card to select the horizontal frequency, but the only thing I ever saw this on was the HP Multimode Display Adapter for the Vectra (sort of a combination of the IBM MDA and CGA that was good for confusing "smart" software). -Frank McConnell

24 years

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Preserving old literature (was: Re: Tandy 10 Info Wanted)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Aren't the copy machines you find in the libraries > designed to copy pages in a book without breaking it's > spine/back. Just makes copies at the library, then > scan the copies. There are copy machines that can optically adjust the image distortion that takes place as the page curves away from the scanning bed? Cool! We don't have them around here, tho... libraries around here are lucky to be able to keep the electricity on... -dq

24 years

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PDP-8/E questions

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Ben Franchuk <bfranchuk(a)jetnet.ab.ca> >> >have been clipped out. What value should they be? >> >> leave the leds, likely that mod was done very long ago. The lamps >> tended to die too often. >What about using white leds? >Ben Franchuk. Why? Back then when the led mod was common red was the only available visible color for leds. White leds are a bit blue rich though they would work. One point is that there are some 28 or so leds/lamps and good ones will not be cheap and cleap ones will not be good. Allison

24 years

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FS/FT: PDP core memory boards

by mrbill＠mrbill.net

I've got two of these: (from the Field Guide): H215 Unibus 8-Kword 18-bit (parity) H213 (used in MM11-LP, ME15) in what looks to be great (for their age) condition. I dont have a box to test them out in, however. Would like to trade for 10baseT ethernet switches, especially Kalpana or Cisco. Bill -- Bill Bradford mrbill(a)mrbill.net Austin, TX

24 years

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Northstar Horizons Possibly Available

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Kevin McQuiggin <clascmp(a)highgate.comm.sfu.ca> >The machines are the earlier version from what I can tell from the 'Net, >as they have wooden cases. They are currently in a pile with a bunch of The wood case does not denote model age. Also they could have been upgraded as it was cheap and simple to do. >Thanks for the info, I'm not really into S-100 but I hate to see any early >machine scrapped! Cant blame you for that. I have two and they take enough room that more would be tough to take. However one of them has been in use for nearly 23 years now! >Kevin McQuiggin VE7ZD >mcquiggi(a)sfu.ca Ever work 6M? Allison KB1GMX

24 years

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Video Tape Backup device.... (was: Re: Additional drive and supplemental info.)

by fmc＠reanimators.org

UberTechnoid(a)home.com wrote: > I saw one advertized for the Atari 8-bits back in early 80's called the > "Mirror tape" backup system from iirc Corvus? Yes. I don't think it was so much for the Atari as it was for the Corvus hard disks. > To tell the truth, I never really believed something like this would be > reliable, but for three grand or more it HAD to be. Right? I've heard mixed reports, never actually tried to use it myself. > I'm still trying to wrap my head around how something like that worked. > Just automate the front panel of a vrc and..... You could do random access > even. Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwww. Gives me the willies. Especially a 'kit' > version..... Go check out US patent 4,380,047. That's the Corvus Mirror patent. -Frank McConnell

24 years

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Northstar Horizons Possibly Available

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

I have two already, not adoption here. But if you need info... Basic machine is S100 Z80/4mhz, if ut ran NS* dos no memory below 2000h so usual config there is 48 maybe 52k. If it's running CPM then ram from 0000 to E800 and continues at F000 to FFFFh. Two serial ports, One parallel that can be centronics compatable as an option. FDC is raw TTL, runs hard sector 10 per track and if the later controller is installed double density at 10 sectors by 512bytes with up to 80 tracks and two sides (800k). The older single density controller was 10 sctors by 256 by 35/40 tracks single sided(80/100k) . Media is getting hard to find but is reliable. An easy machine to get and keep running. Most common upgrade was memory and a softsector controller. Allison -----Original Message----- From: Kevin McQuiggin <clascmp(a)highgate.comm.sfu.ca> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Saturday, November 24, 2001 7:15 PM Subject: Northstar Horizons Possibly Available >Hi Gang: > >I just completed grad school yesterday, and as such am hoping to be back >into classiccmp more regularly! > >I noted this afternoon that there are 2 Northstar "Horizons" possibly available >on campus. > >I'm not into these S-100 (IIRC) beasts but others may be. Can anyone tell me >something about them? > >Anybody interested in adopting them? They're in poor to fair shape, but look >like one could get them going again without too much trouble. > >Kevin > >-- >Kevin McQuiggin VE7ZD >mcquiggi(a)sfu.ca

24 years

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Northstar Horizons Possibly Available

by clascmp＠highgate.comm.sfu.ca

Hi Gang: I just completed grad school yesterday, and as such am hoping to be back into classiccmp more regularly! I noted this afternoon that there are 2 Northstar "Horizons" possibly available on campus. I'm not into these S-100 (IIRC) beasts but others may be. Can anyone tell me something about them? Anybody interested in adopting them? They're in poor to fair shape, but look like one could get them going again without too much trouble. Kevin -- Kevin McQuiggin VE7ZD mcquiggi(a)sfu.ca

24 years

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Video Tape Backup device.... (was: Re: Additional drive and supplemental info.)

by UberTechnoid＠home.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following message is forwarded to you by UberTechnoid(a)Home.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- >From: UberTechnoid(a)Home.com >Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2001 14:47:04 -0500 >To: "Bruce Lane" <kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com> >In-Reply-To: <200111171454420865.087C791A(a)192.168.42.129> >Subject: Video Tape Backup device.... (was: Re: Additional drive and supplemental info.) I saw one advertized for the Atari 8-bits back in early 80's called the "Mirror tape" backup system from iirc Corvus? To tell the truth, I never really believed something like this would be reliable, but for three grand or more it HAD to be. Right? I'm still trying to wrap my head around how something like that worked. Just automate the front panel of a vrc and..... You could do random access even. Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwww. Gives me the willies. Especially a 'kit' version..... Regards, Jeff In <200111171454420865.087C791A(a)192.168.42.129>, on 11/17/01 at 02:54 PM, "Bruce Lane" <kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com> said: > This one is light and small enough to be shipped. It's a 'Gigastore' >drive from Digi-Data Corp. Best of all, it includes the >operation/maintenance manual(!). > The 'Gigastore' is a weird device. What Digi-Data did is take a regular >VHS VCR, make some modifications to the transport assembly, and added >their own electronics to provide a Pertec interface. The result was a >tape backup system that used regular VHS tapes, could store up to 2.5 >gigabytes of data, and could interface to any Pertec controller. > This one's cheap: $25.00 or best offer, plus shipping. > Also, FYI: The HP 9-track drive I mentioned earlier would include the >manual. > Thanks much. >-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >Bruce Lane, Owner & Head Hardware Heavy, >Blue Feather Technologies -- http://www.bluefeathertech.com >ARS KC7GR (Formerly WD6EOS) since 12-77 -- kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com >"I'll get a life when someone demonstrates that it would be superior to >what I have now..." (Taki Kogoma, aka Gym Z. Quirk) -- ----------------------------------------------------------- Jeffrey S. Worley Asheville, NC USA 828-6984887 UberTechnoid(a)Home.com ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------- -- End of forwarded message ----------------------------------------------------- -- ----------------------------------------------------------- Jeffrey S. Worley Asheville, NC USA 828-6984887 UberTechnoid(a)Home.com -----------------------------------------------------------

24 years

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[Fwd: RA90: What's error E0 and 7C (and others)?]

by gunther＠aurora.regenstrief.org

Hi, please, someone with an RA90 service manual (Joop?) can you give me a list of the error codes? Or is the RA9x service manual scanned somewhere? I have tested out my two SA600 racks' worth of RA90 drives and found that 7 out of 16 have some problem. They all had a problem with their fans not spinning up at first, but after a couple of attempts this seems like not a big problem. There is only one that's really dead (drive, not power supply) in that the green LED at the rear (on the power supply) lights up only dim and nothing will come up at the front at all. This is same with a different PSU swapped on, so it's the drive, not the PSU. Not quite sure what to do with that one. But 4 or so of them fail only when trying to spin them up and return an error code 7C. It sounds like they do spin up but when trying to seek the fist time they immediately determine they failed. OTOH, in at least one case just retrying it a couple of times will eventually bring it up and running. Another 2 of them fail earlier when trying to spin up. They come up with erorr E0 pretty much as soon as it's trying to spin up. Yet another one comes up with various errors even before spinning up, and one more seems to work but somewhere down the road may or may not fail with various errors. 54 is one I can remember, but there were all kinds of numbers, none of which mentioned in the RA9x user manual. thanks for your generous advice, -Gunther PS: But I do have one full SA600 rack with working drives and boy, it's pretty impressive firing this up. So many buttons to push and lights to monitor, it's fun. One drive contains VMS 7.2 and I'm sure lots of goodies, but I will not back those up. Once I've switched to UNIX I can try RAID with them :-). Does anybody know if the HSC90 by itself does RAID given a disk array and the proper configuration? -- Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D. gschadow(a)regenstrief.org Medical Information Scientist Regenstrief Institute for Health Care Adjunct Assistant Professor Indiana University School of Medicine tel:1(317)630-7960 http://aurora.regenstrief.org -- Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D. gschadow(a)regenstrief.org Medical Information Scientist Regenstrief Institute for Health Care Adjunct Assistant Professor Indiana University School of Medicine tel:1(317)630-7960 http://aurora.regenstrief.org

24 years

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PDP-8/E questions

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Pete Turnbull <pete(a)dunnington.u-net.com> >The front bezel (frame round the panel) has been repainted white, and the >paint has flaked or chipped off in places, to reveal a chipped coat of >beige paint. I'd like to refinish and respray it. What's the correct >colour? DEC gray #68 A color close to eggshell toward very light gray. >I'm toying with the idea of replacing the LEDs with bi-pin bulbs, as the >panel was originally a bulb panel. The resistors for the warm-up current >have been clipped out. What value should they be? leave the leds, likely that mod was done very long ago. The lamps tended to die too often. >What's J5 (3-pin Mate-N-Lok) on the PSU for? Power controller. astly (for now :-)), which direction should the fans blow? The fans >in this machine are not original, and I suspect they were put in >back-to-front. They were drawing air in from the right (as you look from >the front) of the machine, through the cards, into the PSU, and blowing it >out through the six large heatsinks and out of the left side of the >machine. I think this is the wrong way round, as the laminar flow over the >cards won't be as effective as the turbulent flow in the other direction. > But what's the normal way in an 8/E? And was there supposed to be a >filter anywhere? Unknown on direction, I think "out". Filter was a layer of foam where there was one. I have a an 8f so they are somewhat different but the fans blow in across the cards. The PS in the reaw with its own fan. The 8e has the power supply down the left side(facing the front from front) and thefrom right (input) to left (out through the PS). The power supply will tolerate higher temps if memory serves than core. Keeping the core cool and at a relatively constant temp was the key to stable ops. Allison

24 years

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Northstar Horizons Possibly Available

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Nov 24, 15:56, Kevin McQuiggin wrote: > Hi Gang: > > I just completed grad school yesterday, and as such am hoping to be back > into classiccmp more regularly! Congratulations! How timely... you'll see I have questions realted to my recently-acquired PDP-8 :-) -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years

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Say it ain't so, Joe!

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

Hi Dan, At 11:20 PM 11/12/01 -0500, you wrote: > From the Classic Computer list: > > > I've had to dispose of all my classic computer stuff > >What? What happened? Pressure from the OL and I just got fed up with everything. > >You were my HP hero! You had all of the vintage HP gear >that I'm trying to collect! Well there's still a pile of the bigger and less popular HP stuff here if you want to come get it. Here's a list of what I can remember off the top of my head: Complete and working HP 150 and Touchscreen II systems with drives and manuals and SW, etc; a lot of HP 110s, again with manuals and SW; about 20 HP 9825s with loads of accessories; about 15 HP 85s again with loads of manuals, ROMS, etc; several HP 9920s including a full blown and loaded one that came from Litton Laser Systems; several 9826s and 9836s including a 9836CU; and bunches of interfaces and peripherals for the above. Also a dead 9830 and a dead 9821, parts of a 9835, several 9845s and at least two HP Integrals in unknown condition. Also a working HP 120 CPM machine with SW. But I don't have time to ship them so you HAVE TO come get them. I haven't decided what to do about the HP 9915s and the 9831 yet. All of the following are gone: ALL of the HP handheld calcs; all the extra HP SW paks and manuals; all the HP catalogs; all of the HP Journals; the HP 9100 and accessories; all the HP 97s, 9815s and small desktop calcs; the HP 125 CPM machine; all the AIM 65s; the Apple Lisas; the DEC 11/23 system; all the S-100 stuff except for a few Cromemco cases with backplanes; both Altairs; the Rubicon; the SB-180; all the HP 9000 series 300 machines; all six Osbornes; both Z-100s and all the manuals and extra parts; all the Intel and Motorola SBCs; the Tektronix 31 calc; the Tektronix 8051 computer and all accessories and manuals; the Tektronix CPM computer; the Intel 235 MDS; the Sony/Tektronix Logic Analyzers; the Dolch MPM computer/logic analyzer; ALL the general computer manuals and books; all the test equipment except for one OLD HP logic analyzer and all the machine tools and tooling except for the 12 x 48" lathe (it's spoken for but we have to tear down the building to get it out!) Joe

24 years

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OT: paging MAC expert(s) --- What's a Performa?

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Richard Erlacher [mailto:edick@idcomm.com] > really well. Lots of folks have drawn the erroneous > conclusion that they're in > the business of writing software. That's not the case. > They're in the business > of SELLING software. It's not their job to protect the > consumer. It's the > consumer's job to protect himself. The consumer's been > falling down on the job, All too true. Unfortunately, some of those consumers employ me, so it becomes my problem too. :) I should clarify that I don't dislike my employer. I only dislike the fact that (like most companies) they're stupid enough to run parts of their business on microsoft software. > hence, he keeps on buying that Microsoft product line. If he > were smart, he'd > stick with the devil he partially knows, and let M$ go under. > SO much for > Billy-bashing ... Very clear cut. I wish everyone saw it that way. ;) > I'd like to see someone write a chunk of software that does > as much as this one > in 20 minutes, BTW. I don't think something this size will > even link in 20 > minutes. I was exaggerating to show my point. [snip] > longer the case. In fact, so much wierd stuff goes on > internally to the drive, > since the controller function is dedicated on each drive, > that it's hard to know > what is different between two drives. Too true, again. I blame whoever decided IDE hard drives were good to shoehorn into any system ;) (Maybe that was apple?) Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years

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OT: paging MAC expert(s) --- What's a Performa?

by Lee.Davison＠merlincommunications.com

Interestingly, the A590 has an XT-IDE controller, ... So does the A2091. Lee. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- This email is intended only for the above named addressee(s). The information contained in this email may contain information which is confidential. The views expressed in this email are personal to the sender and do not in any way reflect the views of the company. If you have received this email and you are not a named addressee please delete it from your system and contact Merlin Communications International IT Department on +44 20 7344 5888. _____________________________________________________________________ This message has been checked for all known viruses by Star Internet delivered through the MessageLabs Virus Scanning Service. For further information visit http://www.star.net.uk/stats.asp or alternatively call Star Internet for details on the Virus Scanning Service.

24 years

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Continuing tale of the Powerserver 320H

by cmurillo＠emtelsa.multi.net.co

At 11:32 PM 11/23/01 -0600, Paul wrote: >That is a neat trick. Now when you mount your root disk and it moves root >to there does this show a normal number of files in the various /bin /sbin >/etc directories? > >I am wondering if perhaps someone tried another neat trick of an rm -rf * >on your disk which stopped after rm was deleted or number of files rm >could handle was exceeded due to environment limitations. No, I think that /dev/hd2 and /dev/hd4 still have all the original files. There are binaries for ls and others there, but when I try to run them I immediately get a succint "killed" message. I wonder if this "recovery" shell isn't meant to run executables on the HD. carlos. -------------------------------------------------------------- Carlos E. Murillo-Sanchez carlos_murillo(a)nospammers.ieee.org

24 years

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Anyone got a spare QBus VAX CPU (and/or DELQA)?

by vax＠knm.yi.org

Hi, I'm sat here in my room at home looking at a completely empty BA23 and thinking - I should get this up and running :&) I have another BA23 that's up and running with a MVII (KA630+8M board) and I was thinking another KA630 would make this BA23 into another operable machine :&) If someone in the UK has any spare Qbus bits laying around... :&) On a slightly more urgent point - I'm in need of a DELQA (or a DEQNA(?)) for my MVII - I can probably get away without a cab kit and manufacture something myself - I've got a spare ethernet transceier and a couple of 15pin D sockets (from old ISA IO cards, when they came with a game port :&) I'm happy to pay postage in the UK - might even stretch to a pickup if it's not too far from manchester :&) (oh - and I'm probably in london mid december sometime for a day) -- Matt --- Web Page: http://knm.yi.org/ http://pkl.net/~matt/ PGP Key fingerprint = 00BF 19FE D5F5 8EAD 2FD5 D102 260E 8BA7 EEE4 8D7F PGP Key http://knm.yi.org/matt-pgp.html

24 years

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Intel C8080A chip brings $565 on EBAY

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> John, > > What would some of the white ceramic package with gold leads 1702 eproms > be worth? I watched that one ebay auction for five finish, but the > comments on the retracted bid makes me wonder. I've got a PTC 2KRO with some white/gold 1702s in it... with some kind of monitor, haven't plugged the board into the SOL to see what they are... I was afraid they'd end up at an address that would keep the SOL from booting. I wonder if my Needham burner can read 1702s? -dq

24 years

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NeXTs (was Re: Radio Shack abandons components)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> On Fri, 23 Nov 2001, Douglas Quebbeman wrote: > > > Apparantly, there are parts of the US where you can't swing a dead cat > > without hitting a Lisa that someone wants to get rid of... > > Yeah, but probably because there are no readily available dead cats in > those parts. Ah, Fiesta Cats, I read about that in a Famous Comic Book Once Upon a Time... Anyone remeber Freewheelin' Franklin's motto? (no posting the quote, please.. way OT). -dq

24 years

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Continuing tale of the Powerserver 320H

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Nov 23, 22:43, Carlos Murillo wrote: > >> # passwd > >> cannot execute > > > >Probably the executable isn't in your PATH. > > No, apparently when the file isn't found the msg is ": not found" . > I tried all sane locations for the passwd program. "cannot execute" > means something else, perhaps a permissions or restricted shell issue. I meant that it may find the file /etc/passwd and realise it's not executable. To be honest, I wouldn't expect most things -- including passwd -- to work under a maintenance shell. > > If you have the filesystems > >mounted (BTW, why "mymnt" not just "mnt"? That's what mnt is for) you can > >add the relevant directories > > > >PATH=/mymnt/hd2/bin:$PATH > > I did something similar; I copied all stuff in the ram-based /usr > to another ram-based /usr1 and added /usr1/bin, /usr1/sbin and so > on to the path, the idea being that after I used getrootfs I would not > lose the previously available tools (while getrootfs seemed to change > the actual anchoring of / from the ram to the HD device, it failed to > properly mount /usr; however, the earlier ram-based tree at /usr became > unavailable after the execution of getrootfs, leaving out the "mount" program, > even though the mounting of /dev/hd2 at /usr had failed) > > >but it might be better (if you just have two partitions on the hard drive) > >to mount hd2 directly on /mnt, and then mount hd4 on /mnt/usr. At least > >then things will be in the correct places relative to each other. There > >isn't a directory called "/root", is there? > > Yes, I did not keep relative mounting closeness in my arrangement. > I'll have to check about the existence of /root (I'm away > from the machine now) If you *can* run things from the mounted filesystems, the relative positions of the bin, lib, etc directories may matter. But the contents may not work anyway; you're not running a full kernel, only a very limited stand-alone maintenance program. > >You could try the "users" command, though I expect it only works on a > >normal system (ie not from the maintenacne shell, which is sort of a mini > >system, like the miniroot or standalone shell in IRIX and Solaris). If you > >can edit /etc/passwd with ed, you can probably remove the password field > >from root's entry, leaving a null field (no password). > > No ed so far; Then it seems you'll have to use cat and echo, I suppose. Cat the file to see what's in it, then use echo to put modified versions of the lines you need into some other file. > /mymnt/hd4/etc/security/passwd and opasswd exist, but they > are in a totally unknown format--anything like unix. What does a line in each of those look like? Normally etc/security/passwd contains lines with username, encrypted password, lastupdate, restrictions (if this is null, it means "none"; alternatives are "nologin" and "nouse"), and a field describing audit classes used for accounting. /etc/security/passwd is roughly the equivalent of the /etc/shadow file used by other UNIXes, not the equivalent of /etc/passwd; opasswd is either an older version, or the original /etc/passwd before it was converted to use shadowing. It might be worth trying to rename them or move them somewhere else, then replace /etc/passwd (move the original somewhere else) with one containing a null field instead of the indicator (usually 'x' in UNIX but '!' in AIX) that tells AIX to look in /etc/security/passwd of the password data. So you end up with an /etc/passwd that has a line like: root::0:0::/: instead of root:!:0:0::/: > Could I replace a known encrypted (that is, under another unix > variant) password in the corresponding token? I can't remember if AIX of that vintage used the same algorithm for encrypting passwords. I think so. But I think it would be much easier just to null out the password field (in either /etc/passwd or better still in /etc/security/passwd). If you can then boot the system properly and log in as root with no password, then you can set one in the normal way. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years

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Continuing tale of the Powerserver 320H

by cmurillo＠manizales.autonoma.edu.co

A kind soul sent me the AIX dianostics disk set to try to break into the powerserver 320h, and I am having mixed results. With the switch in service mode, I was able to make the machine boot off the floppies; eventually it reaches a menu: AIX 3.2 INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE Select the number of the task that you want to perform >>>> 1 Install AIX 2 Install a system that was created with the SMIT "Backup the System" function or the "mksysb" command 3 Install this system for use with a "/usr" server. 4 Install a limited function maintenance shell. Type the number of your selection, then press "Enter": 4 Type 'exit' to return to the main menu. Use the getrootfs command to access file systems that reside on the root volume group. #ls ls: not found #vi vi: not found #cat /etc/mnttab #getrootfs usage: /usr/sbin/getrootfs [-f] diskname -f disregard status of hd5 Available disks: location: hdisk0 00-01-00-00 #getrootfs -f hdisk0 Importing Volume Group... rootvg /dev/rhd4 (/): ** Unmounted cleanly - Check supressed /dev/rhd2 (/usr): ** Unmounted cleanly - Check supressed /usr/sbin/getrootfs: mount: not found checking all mounts and the existance of df /usr/sbin/getrootfs: mount: not found /usr is not mounted #ls ls: not found #mount mount: not found #umount Usage: umount [-sf] {-a|-n Node|-t Type|all|allr|Device|File|directory|File System} # Further investigation revealed that if I "umount /usr", then there is some mount executable in the ram disk. Ok, so I make /usr1, copy all the stuff in the ramdisk /usr to /usr1 (also in ramdisk) and run getrootfs again. Still no luck mounting /usr . So, using the tools that I copied into /usr1 I mount /dev/hd4 in /mymnt/hd4 and /dev/hd2 in /mymnt/hd2 ; further investigation reveals that there indeed exist directories /mymnt/hd2/bin, /mymnt/hd2/lib, /mymnt/hd4/etc and so on; I seem to have mounted / and /usr from the HD correctly. I still cannot use any executables in the HD, though: #/mymnt/hd2/bin/ls killed typing # cat /mymnt/hd4/etc/passwd reveals that AIX seems to have shadow passwords but I can't find any of the usual files (master* etc) . # passwd cannot execute #/mymnt/hd4/bin/passwd killed So, does anybody know what's going on? carlos. -- Carlos E. Murillo-Sanchez email: carlos_murillo(a)spammers.not.ieee.org Universidad Autonoma de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia ---- "I'm not going to get involved in peer-review mumbo-jumbo." -- John Doolittle, House Republican, confronted by a reporter with the peer-review nature of the environmental studies he was dismissing. "Peer review is in fact the great mumbo-jumbo detector." -- Carl Sagan.

24 years

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NeXTs (was Re: Radio Shack abandons components)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> >Now that's a machine that I really want. I have a lead on a couple of > >Lisa 2's if the guy ever gets them out of his storage building. > > If you get an extra, send one my way! Apparantly, there are parts of the US where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Lisa that someone wants to get rid of... but the three of us don't live there! -dq

24 years

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Preserving old literature (was: Re: Tandy 10 Info Wanted)

by cmurillo＠emtelsa.multi.net.co

At 01:44 PM 11/23/01 -0500, you wrote: >> I swear, from some of the things you folks say, it >> seems like most of you live in some third world country. > >Oh, God, I feel another song coming on... > >But instead, yeah, Louisville KY metro area. Third World. >Ten years ago, in a Wendy's, this guy comes in looking >enough like Li'l Abner (plaid shirt, bluejeans w/rolled- >up cuffs and bare feet) that I had to check to make sure >that a Dogpatch musical wasn't playing... it wasn't, this >guy had never heard that you can't enter a restaurant with >bare feet. >A major local issue is the destruction of roads by steel- >wheeled tractors. They're not just for Amish, you know. > >And the cable company will be the only provider of "the >last mile" to my subdivision for at least the next 5 years. >I'm 19473 feet away from my CO, so unless a new technology >gets deployed, I'll be on 56k dialup for the forseeable >future. That ain't smoke signals or talking drums, but it >ain't really high tech anymore, either. Hah. In Ithaca, upstate NY, there is a sudden change of connectivity as soon as you cross RT 13 and enter the township of Lansing. 70 meters is the difference between roadrunner cable access and rural (max 28kbps) phone lines. carlos. -------------------------------------------------------------- Carlos E. Murillo-Sanchez carlos_murillo(a)nospammers.ieee.org

24 years

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Continuing tale of the Powerserver 320H

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Nov 23, 14:44, Carlos Murillo wrote: > #ls > ls: not found > #vi > vi: not found I'm no AIX expert, and I've not used it in years. I think 3.2 uses shared libraries, and vi probably needs something in a library that's not mounted (or not in the right place) when running the limited maintenance shell. I'm surprised ls doesn't work, though. The shell should support ls, dd, backup, restore, chown, mkfs, mknod, mount, and things like that. And of course, our editor of choice: ed. > #cat /etc/mnttab Have a look in /etc/filesystems and see what it thinks it should mount for "mount all". I think AIX actually deletes /etc/mnttab as part of the normal startup, and does a "touch /etc/mnttab" to leave an empty file. > #getrootfs > usage: /usr/sbin/getrootfs [-f] diskname > -f disregard status of hd5 > Available disks: location: > hdisk0 00-01-00-00 > > #getrootfs -f hdisk0 > Importing Volume Group... > rootvg > /dev/rhd4 (/): ** Unmounted cleanly - Check supressed > /dev/rhd2 (/usr): ** Unmounted cleanly - Check supressed > /usr/sbin/getrootfs: mount: not found > checking all mounts and the existance of df > /usr/sbin/getrootfs: mount: not found > /usr is not mounted > > #ls > ls: not found > #mount > mount: not found > #umount > Usage: umount [-sf] {-a|-n Node|-t Type|all|allr|Device|File|directory|File > System} > # > > Further investigation revealed that if I "umount /usr", then there is > some mount executable in the ram disk. Ok, so I make /usr1, copy all > the stuff in the ramdisk /usr to /usr1 (also in ramdisk) and run > getrootfs again. Still no luck mounting /usr . So, using the tools > that I copied into /usr1 I mount /dev/hd4 in /mymnt/hd4 and /dev/hd2 > in /mymnt/hd2 ; further investigation reveals that there indeed exist > directories /mymnt/hd2/bin, /mymnt/hd2/lib, /mymnt/hd4/etc and so > on; I seem to have mounted / and /usr from the HD correctly. > I still cannot use any executables in the HD, though: > > #/mymnt/hd2/bin/ls > killed > > typing > # cat /mymnt/hd4/etc/passwd > > reveals that AIX seems to have shadow passwords but I can't find any > of the usual files (master* etc) . Possibly in /etc/security/passwd, /etc/security/group, and so on. Don't believe AIX is UNIX. It's not. > # passwd > cannot execute Probably the executable isn't in your PATH. If you have the filesystems mounted (BTW, why "mymnt" not just "mnt"? That's what mnt is for) you can add the relevant directories PATH=/mymnt/hd2/bin:$PATH but it might be better (if you just have two partitions on the hard drive) to mount hd2 directly on /mnt, and then mount hd4 on /mnt/usr. At least then things will be in the correct places relative to each other. There isn't a directory called "/root", is there? You could try the "users" command, though I expect it only works on a normal system (ie not from the maintenacne shell, which is sort of a mini system, like the miniroot or standalone shell in IRIX and Solaris). If you can edit /etc/passwd with ed, you can probably remove the password field >from root's entry, leaving a null field (no password). -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years

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Preserving old literature

by mranalog＠home.com

Matt London <classiccmp(a)knm.yi.org> wrote: > I've found that hanging one edge of the magazine over the side of the > scanner works - you have to put the scanner on something thin and tall, so > the whole side of the magazine droops down - the only problem then is the > width of the plastic edges of the scanner surface/sides of scanner I once disassembled my scanner to investigate the possibility of removing the entire "plastic edges of the scanner" all the way to the edge of the scan area.(Hoping to be able to scan old books only open to a 90 degree angle.) It looked like a good idea because the outside track is inside the scan area. Unfortunately after I got the scanner apart, I discovered that the xenon(or whatever) tube not only does not light all the way to it's end, but it also has an electrode at the end. It just sticks out too far and has to extend past the edge of the scan area in order to illuminate the whole area. Oh well. On a similar note: I just found this - "Building a megapixel digital camera from a flatbed scanner" http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/tech/scanner.html Regards, --Doug ========================================= Doug Coward @ home in Poulsbo, WA Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center http://www.best.com/~dcoward/analog =========================================

24 years

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Intel C8080A chip brings $565 on EBAY

by gmphillips＠earthlink.net

Well, it was one of only two known rare purple Intel C8080A's I am always in the market to buy rare old Intel microprocessors and support chips. If you have any old Intel 4004, 8008, 4040, or 8080 microprocessors laying around, I want them. Also buying old EPROMS (C1702's, etc), RAM (C3101, C1101, C1103, etc), clock chips, etc). Contact me at gmphillips(a)earthlink.net

24 years

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New find : AT&T Unix PC7300

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On November 22, gwynp(a)artware.qc.ca wrote: > I was given this today. It has a tape backup (and controler board) and > the DOS-73 "emulation" board w/ 8087 upgrade (but no 8088... are those > NCR chips 8088 clones?). Included is full system software and docs. I > wonder if the 5.25 inch disks are still readable. What are the numbers on the NCR chips? > The computer is slightly dirty on the outside and dusty inside (on the > expansion boards). I think I'll wait untill i can dust out the insides a > bit before powering it. > > So now I have a Real UNIX(tm) computer! heh. Cool. The 7300 is a really neat machine. I sold them years ago at a computer store in NJ, and had one for a few years shortly thereafter. Lots of fun! SVR2 UNIX on a 10MB disk with 512KB of RAM! :-) -Dave -- Dave McGuire St. Petersburg, FL

24 years

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Fixing an eMate

by spectre＠stockholm.ptloma.edu

Just checking if there's anyone out there who might have some connections for repairing an Apple eMate 300 with a shattered screen. Anywhere to buy parts or perhaps an intact (just dead) eMate I can grab the LCD from? -- ----------------------------- personal page: http://www.armory.com/~spectre/ -- Cameron Kaiser, Point Loma Nazarene University * ckaiser(a)stockholm.ptloma.edu -- The world will end at 3 p.m. today, to be followed by a brief symposium. ---

24 years

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50th anniversary of the routine business use of computers

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> "Feldman, Robert" <Robert_Feldman(a)jdedwards.com> said: > > I was looking at the Economist (Nov 17th) at the library last night and saw > > the following (p. 76) > > > > The Lyons Electronic Office (LEO) began use 11-17-1951 in a British catering > > company. > > etc... > > See also: http://www.leo-computers.org.uk/ Business was fast on the heels of government... earlier that year in June, The UNIVAC I was installed a few blocks from where I'm typing this (historical nobody-ever-heard-of-Jeffersonville-Indiana). -dq

24 years

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NeXTs (was Re: Radio Shack abandons components)

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>Apparantly, there are parts of the US where you can't swing >a dead cat without hitting a Lisa that someone wants to get >rid of... but the three of us don't live there! What parts of the US? Sounds like an excuse for a road trip! -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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Happy Thanksgiving, y'all...new find in...

by Oliver.Bruckauf＠gmx.de

Hi! this is exactly one of the things I alsways wanted to have. Is there somebody around who would want to get rid of one? (daisy-wheel printer that is) Oliver. > my basement of all places! > An Olympia RO printer, that is bout serial and parallel and, uses a > diasy-wheel instead of being dot matrix. Wow, I forgot that I had the > thing! > Eric

24 years

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NeXTs (was Re: Radio Shack abandons components)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> On Fri, 23 Nov 2001, Jeff Hellige wrote: > > > >Apparantly, there are parts of the US where you can't swing > > >a dead cat without hitting a Lisa that someone wants to get > > >rid of... but the three of us don't live there! > > > > Well maybe if the list knew where this place was, we could go > > liberate some of these Lisa's? <g> I know around here they aren't > > plentiful like that. It took me quite a while to come up with one > > and it came from California. > > Yeah, we wipe our asses with them here ;) Damned good thing, too, y'all's asses be in severe need of major wiping... <wink, wink> -dq

24 years

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Preserving old literature (was: Re: Tandy 10 Info Wanted)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> > Douglas Quebbeman wrote: > > > We don't have them around here, tho... libraries > > > around here are lucky to be able to keep the > > > electricity on... > > > > Tothwolf wrote: > > > and are very much in need of an overhaul and > > > cleaning (very poor copies). > > > > > > I swear, from some of the things you folks say, it > > seems like most of you live in some third world country. > > Nah, just cities/states where the local government would rather spend > money on fancy buildings and $1000 toilet seats instead of stuff the > community can actually make use of. Yeah; same here in Louisville, but instead, they're thinking about building a stadium downtown in order to attract an NBA team. The Charlotte Hornets were the latest team they courted... -dq

24 years

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Mac SE Sigma Video Card

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Portrait displays are a technology which is sadly extinct nowadays. > Nevertheless, the old PARC machines used such displays, even at a similar > resolution to Apple's. They occupy less space on the table and are ideal for > wordprocessing. I'd really very much like to have an Apple Portrait Display (I think it was called the Full-Page Display). Very nice, I used on on a IIsi, had Xerox Smalltalk-80 loaded on it, used it just like a little Alto. -dq

24 years

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Preserving old literature (was: Re: Tandy 10 Info Wanted)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Douglas Quebbeman wrote: > > We don't have them around here, tho... libraries > > around here are lucky to be able to keep the > > electricity on... > > Tothwolf wrote: > > and are very much in need of an overhaul and > > cleaning (very poor copies). > > I swear, from some of the things you folks say, it > seems like most of you live in some third world country. Oh, God, I feel another song coming on... But instead, yeah, Louisville KY metro area. Third World. Ten years ago, in a Wendy's, this guy comes in looking enough like Li'l Abner (plaid shirt, bluejeans w/rolled- up cuffs and bare feet) that I had to check to make sure that a Dogpatch musical wasn't playing... it wasn't, this guy had never heard that you can't enter a restaurant with bare feet. Most people with tech skills leave for better opportunities on the left coast. In the music scene, "The Louisville Sound" is the sound of a 727 taking our musicians to L.A. A major local issue is the destruction of roads by steel- wheeled tractors. They're not just for Amish, you know. And the cable company will be the only provider of "the last mile" to my subdivision for at least the next 5 years. I'm 19473 feet away from my CO, so unless a new technology gets deployed, I'll be on 56k dialup for the forseeable future. That ain't smoke signals or talking drums, but it ain't really high tech anymore, either. Regards, -dq

24 years

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OT: paging MAC expert(s) --- What's a Performa?

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>Anybody know what a 40 Gb is at CompUSA here in the US? I think I saw in last weeks flyer they were going for about $80 for an IDE internal 7200rpm Maxtor. -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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Trinary circuits

by mtapley＠swri.edu

Iggy et al., > This might interest some of <you> out there: http://www.trinary.cc/ Yep. Interestingly there is an alternate formulation known as the *Balanced* trinary number system. (One of the folks around here wants to label it "BaTeNuS".) The idea is that the digits, rather than being 0, 1, 2 for each place value, are (-1), 0, 1, meaning subtract, don't do either, or add the place value in which that digit appears. For convenience I'll write (-1) as "n" below, though in (LaPlace's?) original work it was written as 1 with an overstrike. Decimal Batenus Explanation ... -9 n00 (-1) * 3^2 + 0 + 0 -8 n01 (-1) * 3^2 + 0 + 1 * 3^0 -7 n1n (-1) * 3^2 + 1 * 3^1 + (-1) * 3^0 -6 n10 (-1) * 3^2 + 1 * 3^1 + 0 -5 n11 (-1) * 3^2 + 1 * 3^1 + 1 * 3^0 -4 nn 0 + (-1) * 3^1 + (-1) * 3^0 -3 n0 0 + (-1) * 3^1 + 0 -2 n1 0 + (-1) * 3^1 + 1 * 3^0 -1 n 0 + 0 + (-1) * 3^0 0 0 0 + 0 + 0 1 1 0 + 0 + 1 * 3^0 2 1n 0 + 1 * 3^1 + (-1) * 3^0 3 10 0 + 1 * 3^1 + 0 4 11 0 + 1 * 3^1 + 1 * 3^0 5 1nn 1 * 3^2 + (-1) * 3^1 + (-1) * 3^0 6 1n0 1 * 3^2 + (-1) * 3^1 + 0 7 1n1 1 * 3^2 + (-1) * 3^1 + 1 * 3^0 ... you get the idea. Notice that negative numbers are built in - no need for an additional (-) symbol leading a number. Also notice that to negate a number, you just negate each digit. Fractions, addition tables, etc. are left as an exercise for the reader. This system is great if you have a balance beam and want a minimum number of known weights. To get an (n), you put a known weight on the same side as the object being weighed, while to get a (1), put that weight on the opposite side. With 4 weights, (27, 9, 3, 1) you can generate every integer weight from -40 to 40 - try that with a decimal set of weights (or binary, for that matter). The problem I see with putting either Batenus or trinary in silicon (or gallium arsenide, etc.) is that all the electric technologies I know of are fundamentally binary. On/off, charge stored vs. not stored, current flowing vs. not flowing, etc. You need two binary bits (4 states) to hold a trinary digit (3 states), so there's a 33% loss. Even ignoring this, you only get a 50% increase in information capability and processing speed at best. Would you rather rebuild your computers from the gate level up, including all of the software, or just wait 6 months for the semiconductor industry to get you the 50% speedup in binary? However, I do notice that SQUID circuits, and some other superconducting phenomena, might well be made to work in a trinary fashion (no current, current circulating left, current circulating right). If so, that might make Batenus or trinary pretty interesting again. Am I Off-topic if I'm 10 years into the future? :-) - Mark Linc, >Calculating in binary code is as easy as 01,10,11. Calculating in Batenus is as easy as 1,1n,10

24 years

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panasonic hhc found hhc chips

by Golemancd＠aol.com

so i found the chips to the hhc but they are all those allstate chips i dont know if they have anything on them other than the insurance programs Joee

24 years

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Trinary circuits

by mranalog＠home.com

"Iggy Drougge" <optimus(a)canit.se> wrote: > This might interest some of the perverts out there: > http://www.trinary.cc/ The web site's tutorial says: > The trinary math system utilizes the 3 natural states > of electrical current flow. A wire conducts in one > direction, or the other, or not at all. Base 4 would > need to have 4 states, which don?t naturally exist. Somebody forgot to spread the word! Scientists Build Tiny Computer From DNA http://news.excite.com/news/r/011121/14/science-science-dnacomputer-dc > The double helix molecule that contains human genes > stores data on four chemical bases -- known by the > letters A, T, C and G -- giving it massive memory > capability that scientists are only just beginning > to tap into. Regards, --Doug ========================================= Doug Coward @ home in Poulsbo, WA Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center http://www.best.com/~dcoward/analog =========================================

24 years

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Mac SE Sigma Video Card

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>>B: What kind of monitor it connects to? (looks like a CGA or EGA >>connector, but could be just about anything... from what I am finding >>Sigma offered a cool SCSI based monitor that had its own custom stuff, so >>I am fearing that it needed a custom monitor too) > > >I'm pretty sure it's a TPD monochrome card IIRC. (TwoPageDisplay) Is their anything special about a two page display? or can I use a more standard monitor (like CGA, or VGA with some kind of adaptor)? -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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OT: paging MAC expert(s) --- What's a Performa?

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> It works pretty much the same as Netscape, just looks a bit different, > (especially if you install alternave buttons etc.) - nothing you can't > easily understand from a litle Netscape experience. > > Now Cyberdog - that *was* different ;-) And still is. I've got it running on the WGS8150/80 sitting behind me. But Cyberdog could well rise again, under Windows... As you know, Cyberdog was essentially a container for a series of net-enabled OpenDoc components. While Microsoft has still never released the OpenDoc-killing Cairo OS they'd promised, Apple and IBM did stop development of OpenDoc; meantime, Micro- soft continued to develop the Component Object model enough that a certain third-party is going to take advantage of it big-time. The party is Stardock, and the product is DesktopX. The next generation of DesktopX will provide a framework for the use and development of COM objects directly by the user. With DesktopX, it'll be almost trivial to recreate Cyberdog using COM (and ActiveX components) instead of OpenDoc. I'll stop there since I'm drifting OT... -dq

24 years

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NeXTs (was Re: Radio Shack abandons components)

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>Now that's a machine that I really want. I have a lead on a couple of >Lisa 2's if the guy ever gets them out of his storage building. If you get an extra, send one my way! -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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OT: paging MAC expert(s) --- What's a Performa?

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Richard Erlacher [mailto:edick@idcomm.com] > the Intel CPU as well as the 'LC040, was 3.11/6.22. I was > working more from the > experience with Windows that I'd had more recently. My > latest Windows, BTW, is > '98SE, and, until they fix some of the very fundamental problems, like > non-working OS utilities, e.g. Backup, I'm not getting any > more M$ OS products. > I'm told it may be a long wait, BTW. Has microsoft _ever_ had a working backup utility? OK, maybe xenix had a working version of tar or cpio (I doubt it had both), but that's it. However, since I'm supposed to "leave my anti-ms baggage at the door," according to the faq, don't get me started ;) > This practice of theirs, of buying a non-functional cast-off from some > financially-troubled software company and then integrating it > into their OS is, > in fact, an example of their "monopolistic practices" since Just ask yourself why most of these companies are troubled in the first place... > they've no intention > of supporting the product as an intrinsic function of their > OS, though that's > what they claim, as in the case of Internet Explorer, it is. > Since you can't go > to anyone else for a competing OS product, I guess they > figure you're screwed, > which is how I see it. Well, my most recent exposure is to windows 2000, which, admittedly, is nearly as stable as NT 3.x was (4 was a joke). I only use it at work, and only because they give me no choice. At home, I have plenty of other options that do whatever I tell them to... ;) Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years

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Altair32 Update - 11/22/01

by rcini＠optonline.net

Hello, all: I got another disk image working -- AltairDOS. And again, I have no manuals so I'm running a bit blind. This image seems to boot to a monitor program and a dot prompt. Does anyone have a command list to go with this? I've also gotten some error codes, so I probably need the whole manual. Also, I'm having a bit of a tough time...because of the configuration of the images I'm using, the status bits returned from the console are the exact opposite of a BASIC implementation. So with the emulator one could use *either* BASIC tapes *or* CP/M for example. So, I'd like to put out a call for someone with the code for a CP/M 2.2 BIOS for an Altair with the MITS floppy controller and an SIO or 2SIO serial card. Also, I'm going to need a layout of the floppy format because I will probably have to write some disk image manipulation tools for Windows so that I can regenerate a bootable CP/M image (straight T/S increments). On a positive note, I was able to get the integrated debugger that I borrowed from Jim Battle's Solace project working. This will prove to be a big help later on. Thanks Jim! Again, any help from those with a real Altair is greatly appreciated. Rich Rich Cini Collector of classic computers Build Master for the Altair32 Emulation Project Web site: http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/ /************************************************************/

24 years

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Radio Shack abandons components

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> >I live just north of Fort Worth, and the big Radio Shack "Outlet Store". > >They have a lot of discontinued things, and a lot of components. I assume > >they'll always have them. > > I've noticed that even the 'bargain bin' area that used to be > tucked back in one corner of most stores seems to be gone as well. > Used to be able to get some cool older discontinued stuff from that > section, including Model 2000 stuff. Unfortunately I also passed on > a portable disk drive in the same area at one point. The portable hard drive? I've got one of those, I really do need to get my 2000 out and play with it for Christmas... -dq

24 years

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I wrote 'Nuke Redmond'

by m_05＠hotmail.com

shut up cuttie

24 years

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Price guide for vintage computers

by mhstein＠usa.net

Hate to prolong this already too-long thread, but that raises an interesting point; since that's exactly what most of us were doing in those long-ago days, hacking around the insides with our soldering irons, is it really a sin to do the same thing today instead of keeping them on the shelf in pristine condition? Comments? m --------------Original Message-------------- Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 10:09:02 -0500 From: Eric Chomko <vze2wsvr(a)verizon.net> Subject: Re: Price guide for vintage computers <snip> Everything is fine with what you state as there is no right or wrong way to collect, IMO. The only exception I would take about your statements above is, if in your quest for beat up machines that YOU would beat them up in order to get them to your liking. I assume that is not what you do, but felt the need to mention it. Even though one's system is theirs and they can do anything they want to with them, I personally take exception to intentional damage of items. Again I am not saying that is what you do. <snip>

24 years

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New find : AT&T Unix PC7300

by gwynp＠artware.qc.ca

I was given this today. It has a tape backup (and controler board) and the DOS-73 "emulation" board w/ 8087 upgrade (but no 8088... are those NCR chips 8088 clones?). Included is full system software and docs. I wonder if the 5.25 inch disks are still readable. The computer is slightly dirty on the outside and dusty inside (on the expansion boards). I think I'll wait untill i can dust out the insides a bit before powering it. So now I have a Real UNIX(tm) computer! heh. -Philip

24 years

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Tandy 10 Info Wanted

by univac2＠earthlink.net

Does anyone know anything about the Tandy 10? It was Tandy/Radio Shack's larger microcomputer around the time the TRS-80 Model I came out. I found a picture of one in a book, and got kind of interested in it (partially a little home-town pride, being from Fort Worth). I can't find hardly any information about it on the internet. Thanks, Owen

24 years

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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>I have a non working 128k unit I'd sure like to get around to fixing...It >actually worked before I located a keyboard and mouse for it, I think I >used the wrong type of keyboard cable. When I powered it up with the >keyboard, heard a snap, and it didn't work anymore :/ YIKES! Yeah, the keyboard cable is supposed to be straight pinned (or was that cross pinned... no it was straight pinned). A standard phone cable is cross pinned (or was that straight pinned... no was cross pinned... LOL). If you use a standard phone cable, you will fry the keyboard controller chip. I am sure that was the snap you heard. You can always use the mouse and the Key Caps desk accessory, type by clicking the letters, then choose cut and paste to move it to whatever you are trying to type in... PITA, but it actually does work (I had to do it once when my sister took the keyboard away from me, and I had to get a paper finished for school... it took me all night, but I finished it... and promptly beat the stuffing out of her the next morning) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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HardCard driver disks

by vcf＠vintage.org

I came across a stash of HardCard driver diskettes today (360K 5.25"). They say on the label that they are for the 20MB version, but I'm sure they would work on the 40MB model as well. Anyhoo, I have three spare copies if anyone is interested. One to each respondent. E-mail me your address and I'll get it out to you. Don't worry about mailing costs. Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org * Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *

24 years

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HardCard driver disks

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>Ok, so what's the trouble with reading a 360K diskette on a 1.2MB drive? >I know we've covered this numerous times before but I'm too lazy to go >searching through the archives. > >I think I'll try to fire up an old school IBM PC with a 360K drive to see >if I have better luck. I've never had a problem READING 360k disks in a 1.2 drive. I have had trouble writing them (but not always, and I think it might be related to the disks being DD's, but formated as HD's and then back to DD's again... not sure). And I do know when formatting them under dos, you need to specify that you are formatting a 360k disk in a 1.2 drive (/f is the switch I think). Just specifying the size as 360k doesn't usually work for me. -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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Happy Thanksgiving, y'all...new find in...

by vze2wsvr＠verizon.net

my basement of all places! An Olympia RO printer, that is bout serial and parallel and, uses a diasy-wheel instead of being dot matrix. Wow, I forgot that I had the thing! Eric

24 years

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HardCard driver disks

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Nope. the compatability is not symetric. You can read with 80track(1.2m) > drives as the head width is narrower than the track for the 40 track(360k). > You cannot relaibly write as the narrow 80tr head cannot fully erase a 40tr > data track. You can fake it if you completely erase the media and use > a 80tr drive to write but reading that reliably is poor. If you then write to > that with a 40tr drive once again it will write the wider track. > > For that reason reading/writing across the 40/80 track drive sizes should > be limited to read only save for special cases (emergency). My experience > is that (read only) is adaquate. If you have cross compatability on read > try erasing the disk completely first. Someone used to market a utility in one of those microscopic ads in the back of Byte magazine that did double-track writes on the 80tr drives to yield diskettes that would read more reliably. Anyone have expericen with that? -dq

24 years

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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Nov 22, 2:30, Derek Peschel wrote: > On Thu, Nov 22, 2001 at 08:44:24AM +0000, Pete Turnbull wrote: > > That's a pity. They weren't always like that; the Apple ][ service manuals > > included complete schematics and diagnostic software, and the service > > Come on, Pete, you should know by now that Apple turned away from its > Apple ][ mentality the instant the Mac came out (if not before, like when > the Mac was being designed) and apparently hasn't looked back since. Well, yes, that's true. Although I'd moved on by then, it was apparently quite difficult to get information by the time the //e was around, even. To be honest, I'm not a great Apple fan. They tend to do things their own way, and then not tell you how they did them. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years

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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by dan＠ekoan.com

At 09:56 AM 11/21/01 -0600, you wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Rich Beaudry [mailto:r_beaudry@hotmail.com] > > > Same for hardcopy manuals. I have some .PDFs, but they're so > > clumsy ... If > > anyone has spare copies of manuals for this machine, > > especially any tech > > references or service manuals, I'll gladly pay postage, and > > some extra, for > > them.... > >I assume they exist somewhere, but the closest thing I've ever seen to a >tech reference or service manual for any macintosh was the Chilton's book on >macintosh repair. Apple published a series of manuals entitled "Inside Macintosh," volumes 3 and 4 of which I found in a thrift shop recently. They are for the "goldfish-bowl" MACs (copyright dates are 1985) and are primarily geared toward programmers, but there are some hardware diagrams and pin-outs (nothing that Tony couldn't figure out in less than 30 seconds, though...) Cheers, Dan

24 years

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HardCard driver disks

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Chris <mythtech(a)Mac.com> >I've never had a problem READING 360k disks in a 1.2 drive. I have had >trouble writing them (but not always, and I think it might be related to >the disks being DD's, but formated as HD's and then back to DD's again... >not sure). And I do know when formatting them under dos, you need to Nope. the compatability is not symetric. You can read with 80track(1.2m) drives as the head width is narrower than the track for the 40 track(360k). You cannot relaibly write as the narrow 80tr head cannot fully erase a 40tr data track. You can fake it if you completely erase the media and use a 80tr drive to write but reading that reliably is poor. If you then write to that with a 40tr drive once again it will write the wider track. For that reason reading/writing across the 40/80 track drive sizes should be limited to read only save for special cases (emergency). My experience is that (read only) is adaquate. If you have cross compatability on read try erasing the disk completely first. Allison

24 years

1
0
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Problem with the Video display

by ezhila＠igcar.ernet.in

Dear sir, I have a DEC PDP11/53 computer with Graftek Single Board Display Adapter Board. I dont get any display out from the card. The self test on the display board flashes LED 5 times indicating that possibly the DMA interface is problem. How do I go ahead in troubleshooting the board.Pl. send me enough information Thanking You Mrs.T.EZHILARASI Sceintific Officer/Engineer Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research Department of Atomic Energy Kalpakkam India phone : 91 4114 80306 fax: 91 4114 80081

24 years

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FreeTradeZone site moving to subscription-only for older part s

by DAW＠yalepress3.unipress.yale.edu

Maybe runs a full-tilt website crawler/archiver program? The kind that grabs whetever pages you tell it, for offline reading, or some such thing? --- David A Woyciesjes --- C & IS Support Specialist --- Yale University Press --- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu --- (203) 432-0953 --- ICQ # - 905818 ! -----Original Message----- ! From: Mark Knibbs [mailto:mark_k@totalise.co.uk] ! Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2001 6:35 AM ! To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org ! Cc: mark_k(a)totalise.co.uk ! Subject: FreeTradeZone site moving to subscription-only for ! older parts ! ! ! Hi, ! ! Some of you have probably used the PartMiner/FreeTradeZone web site at ! http://www.freetradezone.com/ to download datasheets for ! older, discontinued ! chips. This has been very useful to me. ! ! For discontinued products (which I guess is what most of us ! are interested ! in), they are moving to a subscription-only system. ! Subscription cost is a ! whopping US$299 per month (introductory; the normal cost is ! supposedly ! US$375), so future access will only be viable for most people ! if you need it ! for your job. ! ! I don't know when the change is being made, or if it has ! happened already. If ! it hasn't, better download datasheets that you need while you ! still can. ! ! -- Mark !

24 years

3
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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Nov 21, 17:58, Chris wrote: > >I assume these are boardswapper guides and don't include useful > >information like schematics, right? > > Exactly. > > They are wonderful when you are trying to do things like open a Powerbook > to repair the latch spring or the mouse button (both things that are > prone to break on the 190/5300/3400/G3 case design), but totally useless > if you want to know how to repair the fried power supply on a 1400 > (swapping yes, repairing no). > > But that jives with apple and the Mac... they have ALWAYS had a board > swap approach to repair. Even when the repair is something simple. So if > that is all they approve doing, why bother making public (or in the case > of these, pseudo public) manuals that cover anything more detailed. That's a pity. They weren't always like that; the Apple ][ service manuals included complete schematics and diagnostic software, and the service centre package included quite a lot of component spares (though I think we bought those separately, not with the service manuals). I suppose it's not surprising they included the schematics, since some were in the normal user manuals anyway, but the service manual had more information. They were always a bit funny about people doing repairs, though, even out of warranty. We were part of an education auhority, not a comercial service centre, so perhaps that made a difference -- but we didn't find the local Apple Centre much good at that. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years

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Mac SE Sigma Video Card

by mythtech＠Mac.com

I just aquired a Mac SE FDHD (thanks Dave!), and it has a Sigma Designs video card in it. Surprise Surprise, ANOTHER company that seems to deny that they ever made things for the older macs. Needless to say, I can't find much info on it. It is part number 52-000132. It has a DB-9 Female connector for the monitor. Anyone know A: if drivers are needed (probably) and where I might get such (they might be on the computer still, I didn't have anymore space to boot it, nor another keyboard/mouse on hand... so I just opened it on the floor to have a looksee). B: What kind of monitor it connects to? (looks like a CGA or EGA connector, but could be just about anything... from what I am finding Sigma offered a cool SCSI based monitor that had its own custom stuff, so I am fearing that it needed a custom monitor too) C: What kind of video it is... that is, color, greyscale, monochrome... bit depth (if not monochrome), what size it could drive, output freqs... whatever. Thanks for any info -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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2mm spacing connectors

by ghldbrd＠ccp.com

I would like to find a source for 2mm spaced 2 pin connectors, the ones used to add an LED indicator on most new hard drives. Preferably with leads attached, so I don't have to solder and melt . . . . . I can get lots of the .100 spaced, but the 2mm seems to be a odd bugger. Gary Hildebrand St. Joseph, MO

24 years

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Interesting find

by jss＠subatomix.com

I'm not much of a calculator collector, but the following seems to be much more than a mere calculator. I've located an HP 9825 for $5 at a local surplus store. I think I'll go purchase it tomorrow. -- Jeffrey S. Sharp jss(a)subatomix.com

24 years

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NeXTs

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>I'd still like to get my hands on *a* NeXT. Does someone have some >extras stockpiled somewhere they might be willing to do a deal with? >Somenoe on the list a while back found a whole load of them but I >never heard back from the guy and I don't remember who that was, if >you're still out there and still have some and you read sentences this >awkward. :-) For fear of sounding like an AOL'er... ME TOO!!! -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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Another Old-computer dealer.

by mtapley＠swri.edu

All, Located another dealer (Mike Hancock) of old computer parts in S. Central Texas, this one in San Antonio. This is of interest to me, because this is where SwRI's cast-offs go, so there is likely to be some *unique* equipment there. http://www.ctbicompany.com I think he has the same general M.O. as the previous place I found; that is to say, he gets a *lot* of stuff, filters out and saves what he thinks he can sell, then scraps the rest. I have not seen his warehouse. Have we developed a clear, easy-to-use "wanted" list or website for this group? It'd be neat to be able to hand this guy (Mike Hancock) or other dealers the list or URL, and tell them if they see something on the list, save it, it's worth $xxx. Could we set up a database/bid deal, where anyone can add to the list of "want" items, and what they'd pay for it? - Mark

24 years

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Say it ain't so, Joe!

by LFessen106＠aol.com

In a message dated Wed, 21 Nov 2001 5:15:36 PM Eastern Standard Time, Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> writes: > Linc, > > I'm on the east side of Orlando, Florida. I'm two miles north of UCF > (University of Central Florida) and between UCF and the town of Oviedo. > I'm just off of Alafaya trail. My address is 2960 Lowery Dr. Oviedo, 32765 > you can find it on any of the on-line maps. You're welcome to whatever you > can haul away. > > Joe > > At 11:31 AM 11/21/01 EST, you wrote: > >Love to help "rescue" some of the HP stuff - where are you located? > > > >-Linc Fessenden > > > >In The Beginning there was nothing, which exploded - Yeah right... > > > >Calculating in binary code is as easy as 01,10,11. > > > > > > Wow, wish I could get down there - I am way up in PA....

24 years

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OT: paging MAC expert(s) --- What's a Performa?

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Iggy Drougge [mailto:optimus@canit.se] > What kind of bollocks is that? How do you expect to run a web > browser without > a TCP/IP stack? I suppose you wouldn't fancy Netscape on the > Mac any more, > since you had to buy MacTCP in order to run that. > Buyt then again, what browser doesn't require a TCP/IP stack > in order to be > used online? I believe there was at least one MS-DOS browser that didn't (doesn't) require a _separate_ stack. That is, since it is built into the browser. There is also slipknot(slipnot?), which acts as a front-end to a shell-account with lynx. :) (That's an interesting program...) Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years

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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>I assume these are boardswapper guides and don't include useful >information like schematics, right? Exactly. They are wonderful when you are trying to do things like open a Powerbook to repair the latch spring or the mouse button (both things that are prone to break on the 190/5300/3400/G3 case design), but totally useless if you want to know how to repair the fried power supply on a 1400 (swapping yes, repairing no). But that jives with apple and the Mac... they have ALWAYS had a board swap approach to repair. Even when the repair is something simple. So if that is all they approve doing, why bother making public (or in the case of these, pseudo public) manuals that cover anything more detailed. I would LOVE to find another good book on actually repairing Macs (The Dead Mac Scrolls was wonderful, but it only covers thru the II IIRC... I want something that will tell me how to get my PB 1400s power supply working again, or repair/replace the fried printer port on my 6500... that is the kind of book I want to find) >Now, I guess I've come to expect that computer service centres can't >trace a fault in a circuit of 4 components. But if they're going to >board-swap, shouldn't they just swap the defective board? And not also >replace an expensive PSU that's got nothing wrong with it? I know around here, it is very hard to find a "decent" repair shop. That is, one that knows what they are doing, won't try to rip you off, and can do economical repairs. For a while, the local CompUSA (big national computer retail chain for those not in the US), had a GREAT tech. He could do component level repairs, and did them on a regular basis. It was not unusual to take a computer in, and find that it was repaired for the diagnostic fee ($65), plus a dollar or two in parts.... guess what... the CompUSA fired the guy... why? Because they could make more money selling new boards then repairing the broken ones. They looked at it in terms of, they can make no markup on a 50 cent transistor, and no additional labor for the guy to spend 5 minutes replacing it... OR, they can make a 20-30% markup on a new motherboard, AND 2 hours of labor (@ $65/hr) for the tech to replace it, and reset the windows installation to accept it... AND they could use brain dead, no training people at $10/hr to do the work (compared to I am sure a much higher rate for the guy that knew what he was doing). And then you just have apple, that doesn't authorize "custom" repairs on its parts... if it is warranty, or an "authorized" apple repair, it is done as a board swap, and only to the detail they specify (which in many cases means far more gets replaced then needed)... the tech mentioned above used to ask, do you want an apple authorized repair (needed if it was warranty, or you wanted to maintain a warranty if the repair itself isn't covered), or did you want an unauthorized, but cheaper and faster repair. Most people I know took the unauthorized repair for all units out of warranty (can't void what you don't have) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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(no subject)

by joh869＠aol.com

Hi I need a systems disk that contains software for the Toshiba dynabook 286. Also where can I buy a low density floppy? You may -mail me with suggestions @ u-should-b(a)webtv.net N-E HELP will be greatly appreaciated. Thanx

24 years

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Say it ain't so, Joe!

by LFessen106＠aol.com

Love to help "rescue" some of the HP stuff - where are you located? -Linc Fessenden In The Beginning there was nothing, which exploded - Yeah right... Calculating in binary code is as easy as 01,10,11.

24 years

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Say it ain't so, Joe!

by steven_j_robertson＠hotmail.com

Joe, Was thinking about coming to the area to visit some friends on Friday. You gonna be around? SteveRob _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

24 years

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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Unfortunately, Gamba's site has been closed by those folks at Apple that > received their training from M$. Read "cease and desist". The Heretics > sucked the site before his ISP cut it off. I'm thinking that perhaps Apple knew how to do this first, and may well have gotten the leson from Xerox.. >Try > <http://www.artaudsociety.com/manuals.htm> > Nice! Grabbed quite a few of these...

24 years

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Radio Shack abandons components

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> It is always nice to see a company buy out another company just so they can > rape it for all its worth before throwing that companies technology in some > vault so no one else can use it. Can you say "Hewlett-Packard"? Note to HP: Liberate the Apollo systems NOW! -dq

24 years

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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>>I assume they exist somewhere, but the closest thing I've ever seen to a >>tech reference or service manual for any macintosh was the Chilton's book on >>macintosh repair. > >Apple published a series of manuals entitled "Inside Macintosh," volumes >3 and 4 of which I found in a thrift shop recently. They are for the >"goldfish-bowl" >MACs (copyright dates are 1985) and are primarily geared toward programmers, >but there are some hardware diagrams and pin-outs (nothing that Tony couldn't >figure out in less than 30 seconds, though...) Actually, there are tech manuals that give breakdown and assembly, and part numbers for almost every mac, and apple product. They also include basic diagnostic. I believe they are the same manuals the apple authorized repair centers use (which is really sad, since the diagnostics are pathetically simple, so obviously apple doesn't expect their techs to have much of a brain) You can download the manuals from an Apple FTP site, the catch is however, you can't browse the contents of the ftp directory, so you need to know what the manual is you are after. Fortuantly, someone has put up a web site listing many of them (and links to the FTP site for easy download). The web site WAS: <http://www.accesscom.com/~gamba/manuals2.html>, alas as of just checking it now, it seems to be gone. Maybe someone will know a newer site? (thankfully I pulled down copies of everything I own or am after... now I just wish I had taken the time to pull everything available down) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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Remington Rand 409-2/2R

by egendorf＠mit.edu

Hi! I am helping to gather original documents and/or artifacts concerning the Remington Rand 409-series computers for the Remington Rand museum being set up in Rowayton, CT. The models of interest are the 409-2 and the 409-2R. We are interested in documenting the location of all surviving artifacts, but also would like to acquire particularly interesting items by donation or purchase. If you have any original documents or artifacts (even as minor as Remington Rand brand punch cards), please e-mail me at: egendorf(a)mit.edu. Thanks.

24 years

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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>Unfortunately, Gamba's site has been closed by those folks at Apple that >received their training from M$. Read "cease and desist". The Heretics >sucked the site before his ISP cut it off. I knew he had some trouble originally. From the story I heard (well, peiced together), he originally was hosting the manuals directly. Apple complained, so he changed the links to their servers. I figured if Apple complained once, it was only a matter of time before he was shut down entirely. Thanks for the new link... this time I was smart enough to save the page locally, so I can stick it on my web site. I think I will take some time next week to just start pulling all the manuals down (CD-Rs are such a wonderful thing) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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Toshiba disk & DSDD floppy

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>DSDD 3.5 drives are rare too, as most dealers threw them away. I have a >small stash, but I'm haning on to them as they are used in Amigas. I have one DSDD 3.5" drive (720k drive). I *think* it works. It is a standard size 3.5" drive, but the face plate is part of the unit, and it is for a 5.25" hole, so you really need a 5.25 half height bay to fit it. I don't really need it if someone was on the search for one (sorry, missed the beginning of this thread) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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Radio Shack abandons components

by mythtech＠Mac.com

> I've noticed that even the 'bargain bin' area that used to be >tucked back in one corner of most stores seems to be gone as well. >Used to be able to get some cool older discontinued stuff from that >section, including Model 2000 stuff. Unfortunately I also passed on >a portable disk drive in the same area at one point. One of the shacks near me still has that bin every year after christmas. It is nothing more than a big cardboard box full of broken or unpackaged items from the year. They also put all the unsold, or returned xmas gifts with it (which makes up a bulk of it, so is why I assume it shows up after xmas every year). -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years

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50th anniversary of the routine business use of computers

by Robert_Feldman＠jdedwards.com

I was looking at the Economist (Nov 17th) at the library last night and saw the following (p. 76) The Lyons Electronic Office (LEO) began use 11-17-1951 in a British catering company. It was used weekly to evaluate costs, prices, and margins for the week's output of bread, cakes, and pies. It was "the first dedicated business machine to operate on the 'stored program' principle, meaning that it could be quickly reconfigured to preform different tasks by loading a new program. It occupied 5,000 square feet of floorspace, contained 6,000 thermionic valves, and its mercury-delay-line memory could hold 2,048 instructions. LEO was built by a team led by John Pinkerton (pictured), and its design was based on Cambridge University's EDSAC computer."

24 years

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Toshiba Dynabook 286 software/DD disks Was: (no subject)

by csmith＠amdocs.com

-----Original Message----- From: joh869(a)aol.com [mailto:joh869@aol.com] Hi I need a systems disk that contains software for the Toshiba dynabook 286. Also where can I buy a low density floppy? You may -mail me with suggestions @ u-should-b(a)webtv.net I'm assuming that you mean double-density floppy, since that sounds about right for a 286. A quick yahoo search turns these up: http://www.athana.com/html/diskette.html http://www.filmemporium.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/data_storage.html http://www.amservices.com/amsionline/media.htm I don't know anything about these companies, never used them, but it seems that some of them even carry 8" disks (presumably soft-sectored) Regards, Chris

24 years

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Exhibition 20th Anniversary IBM PC in Frankfurt/M (D)

by Hans.Franke＠mch20.sbs.de

This Sunday an Exhibition themed 20th Anniversary of the IBM PC will open in Frankfurt/M, Germany. The show will last until early January, so plenty time to book your tikets. I don't have detailed information about the pices exhibited, but it seams to be a prety mixed up melnage of PCs and other mid 80s machnines. Check http://www.fitg.de/fitg_deutsch/aktiv/pc20j/pc_werbe_00.html (German only) The exhibition is produced by the Förderkreises Industrie- und Technikgeschichte e.V., a non profit organisation dedicated to preserve industrial age and technological artefacts. Also least one of the co-producers (Matthias Schmitt) is also prety active around other classic computing themes. Gruss H. -- VCF Europa 3.0 am 27./28. April 2002 in Muenchen http://www.vcfe.org/

24 years

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Mac Restore CDs/Manuals

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Rich Beaudry [mailto:r_beaudry@hotmail.com] > Same for hardcopy manuals. I have some .PDFs, but they're so > clumsy ... If > anyone has spare copies of manuals for this machine, > especially any tech > references or service manuals, I'll gladly pay postage, and > some extra, for > them.... I assume they exist somewhere, but the closest thing I've ever seen to a tech reference or service manual for any macintosh was the Chilton's book on macintosh repair. (Yes, the same people who do automobile repair books...) It have that book, and it's relatively decent. Only covers old goldfish-bowl style macs, though. :) The copy I have, though, is the only copy of the book I've ever seen. Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years

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Trinary circuits

by optimus＠canit.se

This might interest some of the perverts out there: http://www.trinary.cc/ -- En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. There are two major products that come from Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence. -- Jeremy S. Anderson

24 years

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