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

by cfandt＠netsync.net

Will, I've tried a couple of times to contact you by email regarding whether you intend on obtaining the remaining DEC gear I still have. Didn't bounce back but I figure maybe Hotmail doesn't notify senders of non-delivery. Anyway, could you get back to me ASAP with your intentions on this stuff? I must move on this soon as I need the space very much. Apologies to the list for using the bandwidth. -Chris -- -- Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net Member of Antique Wireless Association URL: http://www.antiquewireless.org/

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by Robert_Feldman＠jdedwards.com

Yes, providing a default ROM monitor program would be useful and simple to implement. The Otrona Attache would go into terminal mode if it couldn't boot the OS. It also provided a set of diagnostic routines that could be run from terminal mode. I agree with you that error messages should be more informative. One problem is that they often just tell you the last of a series of errors. "No ROM Basic" accurately describes the last "error," but it might be more useful to the user to also know that the system got to that point because it couldn't boot from disk. - Bob -----Original Message----- From: ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk [mailto:ard@p850ug1.demon.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 5:43 PM To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Re: IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof <snip> I wish more manufacturers would put a program in the boot ROM that allows reading and writing to memory, running (machine code) programs and preferably also reading/writing I/O ports (if they're not memory mapped). It makes debugging the machine a lot easier if it can't boot a disk (or if you don't have a bootable disk for the machine, at least you can do something with it. Tiny (or otherwise) BASIC allows one to do this. So does Forth. Or just a little machine code monitor. With ROM space being so cheap these days you'd have thought they could find room for something like this... -tony

25 years

3
2
0 0

6502 BASIC or Assembler and Intel 8271/WDC 1770 info req'd

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

The 8271 is a poor choice as it does not do MFM (double density). Either use 8272 or the 1770 you have. The 1770 does not overclock reliably. Allison -----Original Message----- From: Philip Pemberton <philpem(a)bigfoot.com> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Friday, October 05, 2001 12:20 PM Subject: 6502 BASIC or Assembler and Intel 8271/WDC 1770 info req'd >Hi, > I'm building myself a 6502-based single-board computer, with the aim of >running it off a 4.8V NiMH or NiCad battery pack. But I've got a problem. I >need a programming language for it. Aparrently there were many BASIC >interpreters sold for the Synertek SYM-1 (aka SY-VIM-1), MOS KIM-1 and >Rockwell AIM-65. Anyone know what happened to the companies that produced >these? Ideally I'd like the source code for a 6502 BASIC interpreter, but >binary code would be OK too. The SBC will communicate via a small LCD panel, >RS232 (so I can hook it up to a "dumb terminal") and will have a hexadecimal >keypad and an optional hard drive, too. Anyone care to make any suggestions >(or submit some code)? > >BTW, I also need some info on the Intel 8271 disk controller - I've got two >of these little devils and Intel's datasheet makes absolutely no sense at >all. I've also got a Western Digital WD1770-PH 00-02 that I might be able to >use instead. First of all, which is the better controller? The 8271 or the >1770? Also, is it possible to overclock a 1770 or an 8271 like you can a >1772? >I'd love some schematics and/or some source code. I really don't fancy >disassembling Acorn's 8271 DFS and Watford Electronics' 1770 DFS... > >Thanks. >-- >Phil. >philpem(a)bigfoot.com >http://www.philpem.f9.co.uk/ >

25 years

1
0
0 0

Restoring classic kits we built way-back-when

by mtapley＠swri.edu

Ethan Dicks wrote: >one aspect of classic kit building I have a question for the group >about is, what about stuff that we built ourselves 10+ years ago that >still works, but might need some touch-up. If the solder joint in question meets the following criteria: a) bad enough that fail-open is a credible risk b) in a pathway such that fail-open could cause damage to other components (particularly hard-to-replace ones) I'd say it should be retouched. In any other case, I'd say that the risk of damage, plus the loss of historical value, are convincing arguments to leave it alone. Bottom line, though, is that they are your kits, and whatever you want to do with them is Ok. Good question, though. - Mark

25 years

1
0
0 0

Book on Silicon Valley

by vcf＠vintage.org

A book that the VCF and many computer collectors prominently figure in is coming out on November 1. It's called _Artifacts: An Archaeologist's Year in Silicon Valley_ by Christine Finn. Those of you who have been to a VCF in the past year and a half will recognize her as a recurring speaker. A website has been established for the book at: http://www.artifactsthebook.com/ Tonight is Christine's first book reading at a bookstore in Menlo Park, California. If you are a local and would like to attend, the information is posted to the website above. Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org

25 years

3
3
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On October 5, Brian Knittel wrote: > > I believe the first voice-coil drvie in that family was the ST-4096, > > but I'm not positive of that. That was one nice drive. > > A nice drive? You must have gotten the one that worked. I ran > into 5 or 6 of them, and after a couple of months, every one of > them failed, as did their warranty replacements. I only found > one that ended up being useful for several years (as a door stop). > > They sounded like chain saws. Hmm, interesting. I installed about two dozen of them in customer machines with no problems. They were all relatively close together time-wise; I suppose I got lucky and scored a batch from a good production run. -Dave -- Dave McGuire Laurel, MD

25 years

1
0
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by brian＠quarterbyte.com

> I believe the first voice-coil drvie in that family was the ST-4096, > but I'm not positive of that. That was one nice drive. A nice drive? You must have gotten the one that worked. I ran into 5 or 6 of them, and after a couple of months, every one of them failed, as did their warranty replacements. I only found one that ended up being useful for several years (as a door stop). They sounded like chain saws. brian =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- _| _| _| Brian Knittel / Quarterbyte Systems, Inc. _| _| _| Tel: 1-510-559-7930 Fax: 1-510-525-6889 _| _| _| Email: brian(a)quarterbyte.com _| _| _| http://www.quarterbyte.com

25 years

1
0
0 0

6502 BASIC or Assembler and Intel 8271/WDC 1770 info req'd

by Lee.Davison＠merlincommunications.com

Ideally I'd like the source code for a 6502 BASIC interpreter, but binary code would be OK too. Phil, go see http://www.geocities.com/leeedavison/ . You'll find what you want there. 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.

25 years

1
0
0 0

AIX

by vance＠ikickass.org

Hi. Anyone have AIX 1.x disks for PS/2 around anywhere? Peace... Sridhar

25 years

2
1
0 0

TECO manuals

by IVIE＠cc.usu.edu

>> Anybody know of any online TECO manuals? I've got a set of >> DECsystem-10 TECO manuals that I'll scan if they dont already >> exist online.... > >I'm not aware of any TECO manuals online, and I'm almost positive that there >aren't any DECsystem-10 TECO manuals online. These would be a great >addition. There's a bunch of TECO stuff over at http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/teco/ but I don't think there's a TECO-10 manual. There is, however, a TECO-6 manual at http://www.enteract.com/~enf/lore/teco/teco-64.html What I'm looking for is a piece of software called "Video TECO". It's a fairly nice (from my limited perspective) full-screen TECO in C that I used for some time under Ultrix. I still have a printout of the manual somewhere, but I seem to have lost my copy of the sources and haven't been able to find a site online containing it. Roger Ivie ivie(a)cc.usu.edu

25 years

4
3
0 0

Z80 or 68K Xinu source?

by ncherry＠home.com

Does any one have the source code to Xinu for the Z80 (prefered) or the 68K? I'm working on Circuit Cellar's HCS II (10 in Jan a now Open Sorce :-) and I'd like to take advantage of Xinu and Zilog's newer Z80 derivatives. Thanks -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)home.net http://members.home.net/ncherry (Text only) http://linuxha.sourceforge.net/ (SourceForge) http://hcs.sourceforge.net/ (HCS II)

25 years

3
3
0 0

Semi OT: Radio Shack Armatron & May '85 issue of Radio-Electronics

by knightstalkerbob＠netscape.net

Greets, arm6.tif.1 worked this time, but 2 & 3 still show "Not a valid TIFF" in Paint Shop Pro. Bob Mason "Sean 'Captain Napalm' Conner" <spc(a)conman.org> wrote: >It was thus said that the Great Mike once stated: >> >> From: Chris <mythtech(a)Mac.com> >> > Can you get pic 2,3 or 6 to open? I can't get them to work (your >> >> OK, I reuploaded 2,3, and 6 to the same spot. Try them again at: >> >> http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/arm2.tif >> http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/arm3.tif >> http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/arm6.tif > > I just resnagged them and you can view them at > > http://www.flummux.org/radio/ > > The original ones I snagged earlier are still there under the original >name, while the new ones have a `.1' extention. If someone can test them >and get back to me, I would appreciate it. > > -spc (They are different, even if they are the same file size ... ) > > -- Bob Mason 2x Amiga 500's, GVP A530 (40mhz 68030/68882, 8meg Fast, SCSI), 1.3/3.1, 2meg Chip, full ECS chipset, EZ135, 1084S, big harddrives, 2.2xCD Gateway Performance 500 Piece 'o Crap, 'ME, 128meg, 20Gig, flatbed. Heathkit H-89A, 64K RAM, hard and soft-sectored floppies, SigmaSoft and Systems 256K RAM Drive/Print Spooler/Graphics board HDOS 2 & CP/M 2.2.03/2.2.04 __________________________________________________________________ Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas. Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop@Netscape! http://shopnow.netscape.com/ Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com/

25 years

2
1
0 0

OT: Archaeological restorations (was RE: Restoring classic kits w e built way-back-when)

by Robert_Feldman＠jdedwards.com

On topic: Leave your old hardware the way it is, for historical reference. Off topic: Coins are so boring ;) (though they last and are dated; I admit I have used them myself, though). When I backfilled my excavations of a 3000 BC temple mound on the Peruvian coast, I put a basket-full of old shoes in first (the site was being used as the modern town's garbage dump). In another case, I dumped a load of washed and sorted shells in a pit at a village site, and put in a dated newspaper page. A few years later, another group re-excavated at the village, found the shells, but thought the newspaper was intrusive (there is a lot of site looting in Peru) until they happened to mention to me the "cache" of shells they found, whereupon I told them what had happened. -----Original Message----- From: Ethan Dicks [mailto:erd_6502@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 10:17 PM To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Restoring classic kits we built way-back-when <snip> Specifically, I have several things <snip> that I made when I was a teenager. <snip> I'm debating re-soldering these items <snip> I took history and archaeology in school; <snip> When my advisor restored the bed of a large monochrome mosaic near Isthmia, he threw several modern coins into the concrete bed so that future excavators would know that it wasn't ancient concrete. <snip> -ethan

25 years

1
0
0 0

HP 9000/847S

by lance＠costanzo.net

>That's true :). I'm sort of doubting that about the H50 because it's just so >fast (well, 96MHz) but the memory helps out a lot. The CPU is a pain in the >back to carry though. Nearly broke my back when carrying it up the stairs. Pull the power supplies and disk cages next time.

25 years

2
1
0 0

Scrapping LA100 & Diablo printers

by mhstein＠usa.net

Am scrapping several DEC LA100 DM and Diablo/Wang HyType DW printers; anybody need any parts before they go? Also have manuals including Service manual for the LA100. mike mhstein(a)usa.net

25 years

10
11
0 0

HP 9000/847S

by steven_j_robertson＠hotmail.com

I have HP/847S and found it to be a very effective space heater. Since I wasn't particularily impressed with it's performance, I have opted to run a smaller and more energy friendly HP/832. I use my HPUX box(s) primarily as a database server (running APACHE, PERL, and INFORMIX), application develpment using a Z80 cross assembler, and a backup system for all my other "stuff". I have more trust in 9-track tapes than other backup media. As part of their Y2K support program, HP offered HPUX-10.2 as a free upgrade. The upgrade package included everything you would need to get your box up and running. As far as I know, the upgrade program has been discontinued. You can find release notes and installation instructions at: http://docs.hp.com As I recall, the basic install will give you licenses for two concurrent users. Additional licenses can be activated by installing the license upgrade. This requires a key to activate. The keys were provided by HP with the upgrade based on the number of licenses the user had previously bought. As with the software, those "Free" license upgrades are probably no longer available. Some of the CDs included applications but, you need keys to install them. An alternative is to download and install apps from the HPUX freeware site (http://hpux.cs.utah.edu ). Send me your address off list and I'll get a copy of the OS to you. NOTE: You'll need a bootable CD player to install the software. ALSO --- If any your disks already have an OS installed, there is a simple way to circumvent the ROOT password. SteveRob >From: jarkko.teppo(a)er-grp.com >Reply-To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org >To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org >Subject: HP 9000/847S >Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 09:16:35 +0300 > >Hello, >I just picked up a 9K 847S, upgraded to H50 with two SCSI-buses, one mux >panel, a few disks and 384MB of memory (hmmmmm...). I'm not sure on the >ten year rule as I'm relatively clueless regarding this machine. This is >my second PA-RISC machine and it seems refreshingly better than the 840. > >A few questions: >a) Introduction date ? >b) Where can I get HP-UX 10.x cheaply :)? (ie. for free) > >-- >jht _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

25 years

4
4
0 0

IBM 4965

by Diff＠Mac.com

Hello, I have been offered a rather large collection of machines, including an IBM PC with the original monitor, and an IBM 4965 with an 8" floppy drive. The 4965 is mounted in a large white rack, with a power supply mounted at the bottom, and the cover has been removed from the power supply, Anyone know anything about these machines? It looks as though all the original disks and documentation is there, but I am wondering whether its worth my time to clean this up. Zach

25 years

12
14
0 0

Cold/Hot storage of computers -- OK?

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Oct 4, 17:22, John Foust wrote: > At 05:36 PM 10/4/01 +0000, Pete Turnbull wrote: > >The easiest way to deal with it is to ensure that the loft > >is ventilated, but a better way would be to use a dehumidifier. They're > >not too expensive to run (at least, not compared to heating or air > >conditioning) > > They're like little refrigerators, and most of them > aren't very smart about the set-point you've selected > in consideration of the actual temperature and humidity, > so they'll happily run when they can't do their job. > They work by condensation on the cooled coils. That's a good description, and it's true they're not very smart, but they do work. If the air gets too cold, just run a PDP-11 to warm it up :-) -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

25 years

1
0
0 0

TECO manuals

by mrbill＠mrbill.net

Anybody know of any online TECO manuals? I've got a set of DECsystem-10 TECO manuals that I'll scan if they dont already exist online.... Bill -- Bill Bradford mrbill(a)mrbill.net Austin, TX

25 years

5
6
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by technos＠nerdland.org

On Friday, October 05, 2001 12:58 AM, Absurdly Obtuse [SMTP:vance@ikickass.org] wrote: > On Thu, 4 Oct 2001, Dave McGuire wrote: > > > The ST225 was indeed 65ms...scary slow. It made a great distinctive > > "peep-peep" sound, though...which I liked even more than the [still > > rather cool] "chirp-chirp" sound of the ST251 and ST251-1. :-) > > I *love* that sound. Another good one is the IBM WDA-105. That was a > nice-sounding drive. Another melodic one. Only 5 megs though. > > Peace... Sridhar I used to have a pair of full height Micropolis that sounded just wonderful.. Jet-engine noises on startup, and a thick twang-beeeeep sound when it seeked. Dun remember what model, and I'm too lazy to dig em out and see, but I'm sure they were 170M units. Jim

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

Tony Duell wrote: > However, I've seen too many computers with incorrect labelling. I've seen > PCs with a DE9 COM port with a mouse icon over it. OK, so the > pre-installed version of Windows presumably expected a serial mouse on > COM1: . That does not make that port a mouse port, though, at least not > to a hardware hacker like me. You are absolutely right that the port is not a "mouse" port, but if it has a picture of a mouse next to it then Suzy will know where to plug her mouse in. Glen 0/0

25 years

2
1
0 0

Anyone looking for an MSM Terminal Server for their museum???

by montkw＠sbcglobal.net

This was just passed on to me: -----Original Message----- From: Francis Girard [mailto:fgirard@cisco.com] Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 11:23 AM To: canada(a)cisco.com; sales-eng(a)cisco.com Subject: Anyone looking for an MSM Terminal Server for their museum??? A customer just called me to inform me that they're about to throw away about 10 very special terminal servers. They bought these back in 1990, and have serial numbers 000001 through 0000010! Hydro-Quebec may have very well been the first customer to purchase our MSM Terminal Server. I have no idea what these look like, but their still functional. Is anyone interested in these??? Let me know ASAP as he's about to junk them. Note that, although he didn't suggest any form of compensation, I'm sure this customer would be very pleased of getting some sort of promo item (please, not a stress ball).... Let me know. Francis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Francis Girard Ing?nieur de r?seau Les Syst?mes Cisco Canada Cie 1501, avenue McGill College, Bureau 600 Montr?al (Qu?bec) H3A 3M8 Tel : (514) 847-6853 Fax : (514) 847-6802 Pager : 1-800-68CISCO fgirard(a)cisco.com www.cisco.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

25 years

1
0
0 0

houston (mostly DEC) garage sale/giveaway

by oliv555＠arrl.net

My acquisition rate has exceeded my storage capacity so am making the following available to list members pre-eBay. Bigger items to Houston area only, (no shipping at this time). All items in working condition unless otherwise noted. IBM RS/6000 7012-370;aix3.x, kb, mouse, no key, FREE no pwd,1gb hd, fdd, xtra boards, vid cable DEC PDP 11/73; ba23, m8190ab, m8637dh, rx33, rqdx3 $100 rlv21,dhq11, rd52(doa), rt11 v5.4d kit RA81 logic bd; cond ? FREE ACT-10340 qniverter $10 mvII cpu+mem; m7606af, m7608bp $5 mvII cpu+2mem; m7606et, m7609ah, m7609ap $10 dssi m7769;s-handle $10 MAC 6100/66; w/DOS board, kbrd, mouse FREE MAC 6100/66, not working FREE MAC IIci FREE DEC ba23 cabinet, unpopulated FREE DEC ba213 cab, unpopulated FREE DEC sz-12 storage expansion; rz55 FREE DEC Ext Strage box, rz56 FREE Vaxstation 4000/model 60;no hd $25 Vaxstation 3100/m76 SPX; vms6.x $25 Vaxstation 3100/m76 SPX $20 Microvax 3100/20e; vms $20 Infoserver 100; rz23(2)rrd.. $10 VT420 / LK401 $10 -nick o 281-553-6507

25 years

3
4
0 0

HSD05 Results

by dittman＠dittman.net

I found one DSSI cable to connect one of my two HSD05 controllers to my VAX 4000/500 (I'm still looking for another). I've read that the HSD05 controller is not very fast, so I used the disk speed benchmark mybenchmark and tested an RZ28B vs. an RF72 and find the HSD05-connected RZ28B is slightly faster than the RF72. I'm going to test my RF73 tomorrow. I'm curious as to whether the smaller RF3x drives are faster than the RF7x drives. Does anyone have any benchmarks? -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/

25 years

1
0
0 0

Osborne OCC1

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

Louis Schulman wrote: > #I have come across an Osborne model OCC1 Serial # 134033. This unit has the > #300 baud modem. It also has 5 1/4 disk with it. (SuperCalc, WordStar, > #Qbasic) The unit boots up and runs the software but after about 15 to 20 > #minutes it starts to overheat.(smoke) > #My question is - What is the selling price for a unit like this and where > #would be the best place to sell it? > > Well, I have a related question. I have an '86 Dodge that runs fine for 10 or 15 minutes, but then the > passenger compartment fills with smoke and flames shoot out of the grill. > > What is the blue book on an "86 Dodge with flames and smoke? (Louis, that's *funny*!) Uh, the blue book value is -$10,000 -- you'd have to pay me to take possession of it. I hate to tell this guy but I think the last thing most of us wants is another insane computer . . . Glen 0/0

25 years

1
0
0 0

Restoring classic kits we built way-back-when

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

> them) or leaving them the way they are a) because if it works, don't > screw with it, and b) it's a snapshot of my own context in the greater > historical framework. Personally I think the real issue here is that if it works don't mess with it. So your soldering might be sloppy. Big deal. Yes, I'm a big fan of if it works don't mess with it. Zane

25 years

1
0
0 0

LK401 mystery circuit

by optimus＠canit.se

After Tony's suggestion that I test our faulty LK201s with a VT terminal, it turned out that both worked fine with a VT420. So I thought I'd give our LK401s a try as well. And it actually turned out that one worked! The other still didn't. I opened them up and connected them to the VT, and after a while, I noticed that a small (14 pins DIL?) Motrola IC called LC74750P was much hotter on the faulty board. I established that the fault was on the PCB by connecting the working one to the keyboard matrix of the faulty one. The 74750P was only pleasantly warm in the functioning keyboard, whereas it got as hot as a Pentium processor after a while on the faulty PCB. So I thought I just had to nip down to the shop and get some standard TTL (it does begin with a 74...) chip and solder back (in a socket =). No such luck. The clerk couldn't find the chip in store, in any catalogue or any databook. He suggested that it might have been made as a batch only for DEC. Does anyone know what kind of chip this might be, and if it's available anywhere? As for the LK401, the PCB contains three ICs: 1 ? 74750P (???) 1 ? i8051 (microcontroller, does this have some on-board ROM which prevents drop-in replacement?) 1 ? AMTEL something or other. Could it be a ROM? -- En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. Die Malerei ist stumme Poesie, die Poesie blinde Malerei. --- Leonardo da Vinci

25 years

1
0
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On October 3, Ethan Dicks wrote: > RD50 - ST506 > RD51 - ST412 > RD52 - Quantum 540? Yes, Q540. > RD53 - Micropolis 1335 > RD54 - Maxtor XT2190 > RD31 - ST225 > RD32 - ST241-1 Just a nit...the RD32 is an ST251...not a -1 model. The ST251 had an average access time of 40ms (if memory serves) and the ST251-1 was 28.5ms. An easy performance upgrade for RD32-based systems is to replace the DEC-badged Seagate ST251 with an ST251-1...the controller won't know the difference...but the user will! :-) -Dave -- Dave McGuire Laurel, MD

25 years

2
1
0 0

Altair 8800a on EBAY

by gmphillips＠earthlink.net

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1280822959 I have been considering buying one of these machines as an investment. While I am a computer programmer by trade, I have no clue how to operate or program one of these things which really does not matter since I would be buying it as an investment. Any comments concerning what would be considered a "fair price" on this machine would be appreciated. I seem to recall seeing one sell on EBAY a few months ago for around 1800.00 but I don't think it had a monitor and drives. My guess (given the current economic situation) is that 1800.00 - 2200.00 might be sufficient to win the bid on this box. Comments?

25 years

17
40
0 0

Superfile for DOS?

by vcf＠vintage.org

Might anyone have a copy of Superfile for DOS they can shoot over to me? Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

Jeffrey S. Sharp wrote: > You forget: when this was state of the art, the vast majority of users > were just like Tony. Well, the thing is, the message was on mobos long after it was state of the art, which was my original point -- why was the message still there, when the BASIC wasn't. Also, *no one* is/was "just like Tony" :>) (Tony -- this is a compliment ;>) Glen 0/0

25 years

2
1
0 0

Cold/Hot storage of computers -- OK?

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Oct 4, 11:48, SUPRDAVE(a)aol.com wrote: > Most halfway modern things have environmental criteria for when it's running > and when it's off. For humidity, I've seen the storage range be from 5%-95% > noncondensing and temp range from 0F-110F when not running. I'm running out > of space as well finally, but will not store things in the roof. The key word in there is "noncondensing", which isn't likely to be the case part of the time, unless you do something about it. Corrosion could be a real problem. The easiest way to deal with it is to ensure that the loft is ventilated, but a better way would be to use a dehumidifier. They're not too expensive to run (at least, not compared to heating or air conditioning) and you could run a short drain hose out of the dehumidifier and out of the loft to dispose of the water. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rich Beaudry" <r_beaudry(a)hotmail.com> > > Since I am rapidly exhausting all space in my basement workshop, I need to > > move some of my computers to the loft above our garage. The problem is, > the > > garage is completely UNinsulated, and has only a metal roof (i.e., thin, > and > > NO resistance to temperature -- hot or cold). -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

25 years

2
1
0 0

back in the saddle again

by ghldbrd＠ccp.com

finally back online with a mailer here. Still getting used to Linux PC over my Amiga 3000. Just for some laughs out there, I want to pass this along . . . . I downloaded about 20k, yes 20,000 emails. Seems my former (and present) ISP maintaianed my email addy and there was an accumulation of emails from last February. took about 7 hrs to dowload, and another 6 to chip through them. Might this be a Guiness Book world's record?? gary Hildebrand

25 years

1
0
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by dittman＠dittman.net

> >I suppose you *COULD* write a driver that lets you use the board > >for non-booting devices if you had enough information available. > > That depends on exactly why the firmware > will not play with VAX. My *guess* (based > on exactly no information ...) is that it has > intimate knowledge of some internal > OpenVMS Alpha data structure (page > tables or such like). That's what I meant by enough information. You'd need the source for OpenVMS Alpha, OpenVMS VAX, and the driver as the bare minimum along with hardware specs. > So it is quite possible that you would need > to re-write the firmware to be able to do > *anything* with the board at all. Or you could possibly do the setup in the driver initialization. It would be much simpler to use a CIXCD to an HSJxx controller. When you factor in the development costs the CI solution would be much less expensive as well. We use CIXCD boards in our VAX 7730 systems (actually two for redundancy to dual Star Couplers). -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/

25 years

2
1
0 0

classiccmp-digest V1 #737

by andyh＠netcomuk.co.uk

Tony stated: > FWIW, I have never treated _anything_ as a black box where I don't have > to care about what goes on inside. I find it's easier to do good work if > you do understand the internals of the tools and equipment that you are > using. And therefore I have little time for people who aren't prepared to > learn about the insides of their computer/car/whatever... >>>> start of OT rant Although I like to be able to know about the "inside" of things, I am not convinced that it is possible to have anything more than a simplistic view (or even that much) for some things. GSM phones are, at best, borderline. DAB ("Digital Radio") seems to have gone to the level where only a very small proportion of the population (possibly less than a few thousand people worldwide) can really and accurately claim to fully understand how it works*. It worries me somewhat that such a technology is being deployed (as also does the potential for control by government and big business that is lacking in AM and FM radio), but possibly such complexity is inevitable. * sure, I can waffle on about using a spread spectrum technique in Band III to transmit a multiplexed bit stream than demultiplexes to several compressed sequences of digital samples - I might even, with a little research, be more convincing about how this bit stream is handled - but as for really understanding the transmission mechanism, "pass"! <<<< end of OT rant Andy

25 years

2
1
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by Antonio.Carlini＠riverstonenet.com

> Eric Dittman wrote: > >I suppose you *COULD* write a driver that lets you use the board >for non-booting devices if you had enough information available. That depends on exactly why the firmware will not play with VAX. My *guess* (based on exactly no information ...) is that it has intimate knowledge of some internal OpenVMS Alpha data structure (page tables or such like). For example, the DMB32 did exactly this - it could run in at least 4 different modes: given physical address (PA), given PA of a VAX page table, given SVA of buffer and given SVA of process page table. I assume the firmware engineers had time to kill :-) So it is quite possible that you would need to re-write the firmware to be able to do *anything* with the board at all. Antonio

25 years

1
0
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by Antonio.Carlini＠riverstonenet.com

> > Does that apply to all revisions of the XMI SCSI? > > > > > > T2029-AB XMI-SCSI adapter > > > > > > The XMI-SCSI adapter is only supported on Alpha systems. > > That applies to all revisions. There are no VAX drivers for the > card in VMS. AFAIK, there is no VAX-compatible *firmware*, so you cannot even hope to write your own drivers ... Antonio

25 years

2
1
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by dittman＠dittman.net

> T2029-AB XMI-SCSI adapter The XMI-SCSI adapter is only supported on Alpha systems. -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/

25 years

2
3
0 0

Scrapping Tektronix 4695 (was Re: Scrapping LA100 & Diablo printers)

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>Sometimes a network connection, even old slow LocalTalk is the most >convient thing to use. Up until the power supply blew on my Powerbook... I always carried this little pair of Farallon adaptors for localtalk. They were single RJ-11 connectors that plugged into the printer port (basically a standard teletalk connector, but the 2nd port was permanently terminated). They took almost no space (about an inch square for the pair), and almost no weight (maybe an ounce for the pair), and used my already carried modem's phone cord to connect between. I think hardly a meeting went by that I didn't use them to transfer files to someone else's computer. Localtalk was always pleanty fast for moving a few word files or a powerpoint presentation... and used WAY less battery power than the IR port (and was easier to use, as I had a Powerbook 1400 which used apple's crappy slow IR protocol, most other people had nicer, newer ones that used IRda, and although could "dumb down" to apple's, it just sucked). -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

1
0
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by dittman＠dittman.net

> > > Does that apply to all revisions of the XMI SCSI? > > > > > > > > T2029-AB XMI-SCSI adapter > > > > > > > > The XMI-SCSI adapter is only supported on Alpha systems. > > > > That applies to all revisions. There are no VAX drivers for the > > card in VMS. > > > AFAIK, there is no VAX-compatible *firmware*, > so you cannot even hope to write your own > drivers ... Yes, I forgot to mention the lack of firmware as well. I suppose you *COULD* write a driver that lets you use the board for non-booting devices if you had enough information available. -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/

25 years

1
0
0 0

Cold/Hot storage of computers -- OK?

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

Most halfway modern things have environmental criteria for when it's running and when it's off. For humidity, I've seen the storage range be from 5%-95% noncondensing and temp range from 0F-110F when not running. I'm running out of space as well finally, but will not store things in the roof. In a message dated 10/4/2001 10:18:11 AM Central Daylight Time, menadeau(a)mediaone.net writes: << Extreme cold will damage LCDs--I live in NH, and lost an IXO handheld terminal that way. At my previous home, my storage was similar to what you describe. Also, the heat of an attic will warp some plastics, and I suspect that it accelerates the yellowing process. I didn't have a problem with circuit boards, however. Hot and cold extremes will not be kind to software or to some types of paper. Temperatures aren't the only thing you have to worry about with the type of storage you describe. Vermin (insects, spiders, mice, bats) will also be a problem. I kept my stuff covered with old blankets and tarps to cut down on damage from dust and droppings. The coverings will also help with certain weather conditions common to New England. In springtime when the humidity is high and the temperature rises, moisture will form on metal and plastic surfaces. --Mike Michael Nadeau Editorial Services 603-893-2379 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rich Beaudry" <r_beaudry(a)hotmail.com> To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 10:06 AM Subject: Cold/Hot storage of computers -- OK? > Hello all, > > Since I am rapidly exhausting all space in my basement workshop, I need to > move some of my computers to the loft above our garage. The problem is, the > garage is completely UNinsulated, and has only a metal roof (i.e., thin, and > NO resistance to temperature -- hot or cold). > > My concern is that the cold of winter or the heat of summer might get to > them. I live in Massachusetts, so winter is not -40 degrees F, but we are > talking below freezing, and possibly below zero for short stretches. In the > summer, it must easily hit 100 degrees F in the loft, due to the hot metal > roof, and the trapped air (no windows!). > > I'm not so worried about the circuit boards, but I am worried about floppy > drives, hard drives, and CRTs. Does anyone know if such temperatures will > kill these things? Obviously I would let the computer acclimate for about > 24 hours after I move it back into my house, to avoid sudden temperature > swings, or condensation. I'm more worried about the storage affecting > them.... > > Thanks! > > Rich B. >>

25 years

1
0
0 0

Cold/Hot storage of computers -- OK?

by r_beaudry＠hotmail.com

Hello all, Since I am rapidly exhausting all space in my basement workshop, I need to move some of my computers to the loft above our garage. The problem is, the garage is completely UNinsulated, and has only a metal roof (i.e., thin, and NO resistance to temperature -- hot or cold). My concern is that the cold of winter or the heat of summer might get to them. I live in Massachusetts, so winter is not -40 degrees F, but we are talking below freezing, and possibly below zero for short stretches. In the summer, it must easily hit 100 degrees F in the loft, due to the hot metal roof, and the trapped air (no windows!). I'm not so worried about the circuit boards, but I am worried about floppy drives, hard drives, and CRTs. Does anyone know if such temperatures will kill these things? Obviously I would let the computer acclimate for about 24 hours after I move it back into my house, to avoid sudden temperature swings, or condensation. I'm more worried about the storage affecting them.... Thanks! Rich B.

25 years

2
1
0 0

Model 12 <-> Okidata 600e

by kc4fwz＠bellsouth.net

I'm trying to help a friend of a friend interface an Okidata 600e printer with a Radio Shack Model 12 computer. Any idea if this is possible? He claims to have created an interface cable, but it doesn't work. Robert Matthews

25 years

7
9
0 0

MAI Computer (uk) (fwd)

by kevan＠heydon.org

Please contact Matt directly if you are interested in this system. Kevan ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mail <info(a)rothenberger.co.uk> Subject: MAI Computer Our company has in storage a MAI Basic 4 Information System,which I believe to be complete and functioning. We have no use for this and would be grateful if you could let me know whether this has any value and/or any people or companies you know of who might be interested in making me an offer. Matt Maguire Supply Chain Manager (Rothenberger UK Ltd.)

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM S/36 5363 Question

by mldrew＠drewtech.com

My $10.00 (not including packing and shipping... Ouch!!!) System 36-5363 arrived today!! It is much bigger than I thought! The case is built like a tank How do I get it open??? I got the back cover off, no problem... There is no obvious way in. Any hints would be greatly appreciated. Mike -- =============================================================================== Michael L. Drew Drew Technologies, Inc. 41 Enterprise Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Phone: (734) 623-8080 Fax: (734) 623-8082 ===============================================================================

25 years

3
3
0 0

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by gunther＠aurora.regenstrief.org

Hi, I might purchase some VAX boards for a good price, which I need to negotiate first and I need some help with finding out if I can use those in a VAX 6000-400 and/or -600 (XMI, VAXBI) machine. Here goes the list and following are specific questions T1010 DWBUA VAXBI-UNIBUS adapter (BI side) T1022/1023 DRB32, VAXBI-DRB adapter and DR11-W adapter T1031 KFBTA (AIE) BI RD Drive Controller T1060 VAX 9000 PEM Module T2020 XMI/NI controller T2022/2023 KDM70 XMI-SI adapter pair T2027 DEMFA XMI-FDDI controller T2028-AA XMI-LSB adapter T2029-AB XMI-SCSI adapter T2036-AA KFSMA, XMI-DSSI adapter T2080-YA CIXCD-AC XMI-CI adapter (for AXP and VAX 7k/10k) The intriguing thing about this pile is that it's relatively unusual hardware. I don't have this stuff yet and I don't get it for free. If you want any of it, chime in and tell me what you'd spend. I could make a bundle order that can give yet a better basis for negotiation. Detail: T1010 DWBUA VAXBI-UNIBUS adapter (BI side) - what cab-kit assembly is needed, is this something extremely hard to find? Can you give a model number for the cab-kit so I might find it somewhere? - I might want that because I plan to have a UNIBUS cabinet besides a VAX 11/780 in the near future. I could kind of swap the Unibus between the two machines. And I could use the UNIBUS frame buffer set that I might also get sometime. T1022/1023 DRB32, VAXBI-DRB adapter and DR11-W adapter T1031 KFBTA (AIE) BI RD Drive Controller - what the heck are DRB bus and what are the accessories needed to do anything useful with it? - and what are RD drives? Old junk? Are those available? How are they connected to the KFBTA? T1060 VAX 9000 PEM Module - there is actually a bunch of other 9000 modules. Anything useful to do with this in a VAX 6000's BI bus? T2020 XMI/NI controller - is this an XMI ethernet controller? Can it be used in an 6400 XMI bus? 6600? or only a 7000 and 10000? T2022/2023 KDM70 XMI-SI adapter pair - SI bus? Is this yet another disk/tape storage bus? Availability of disks? Old or new? This isn't the same as SBI (11/780) or SDI (KDB50) right? T2027 DEMFA XMI-FDDI controller - This should work on a 6400 XMI bus, right? T2028-AA XMI-LSB adapter - Laser bus? That's the 10000's bus, right? I assume that would require a whole LSB backplane, power, etc. etc., not feasible with a VAX 6000. T2029-AB XMI-SCSI adapter - Just checking: are these -AA, -AB, etc. suffixes anything that can make or break 6400 XMI compatibility? T2036-AA KFSMA, XMI-DSSI adapter - dito -AA -AB, etc. any issues there? T2080-YA CIXCD-AC XMI-CI adapter (for AXP and VAX 7k/10k) - dito. This sounds like a cool alternative for a faster CI link than through the BI bus. Your comments on any or all of the above are appreciated. And let me know if your heart is longing for anything of it and how much you would pay. (I don't make a profit from this, I'm trying to get a good price on a bulk order.) thanks, -Gunther -- 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

25 years

2
1
0 0

IBM S/36 5363 Question

by pjschilling＠gcstech.net

Sridhar, I would be interested in those tech docs. Got a S/36 5363 sitting at my office. Phil -----Original Message----- From: owner-classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org [mailto:owner-classiccmp@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Absurdly Obtuse Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 5:55 PM To: Michael L. Drew Cc: 'classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org' Subject: Re: IBM S/36 5363 Question Nice find! Want technical docs? Peace... Sridhar On Wed, 3 Oct 2001, Michael L. Drew wrote: > My $10.00 (not including packing and shipping... Ouch!!!) > System 36-5363 arrived today!! > > It is much bigger than I thought! > > The case is built like a tank > > How do I get it open??? > > I got the back cover off, no problem... > > There is no obvious way in. > > Any hints would be greatly appreciated. > > Mike > > > > > -- > > ============================================================================ === > > Michael L. Drew > Drew Technologies, Inc. > 41 Enterprise Drive > Ann Arbor, MI 48103 > Phone: (734) 623-8080 > Fax: (734) 623-8082 > ============================================================================ === > > >

25 years

2
1
0 0

FDDI Cards

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

The only ones i've seen are SK-net brand, of which I have two in my IBM server 95s. In a message dated 10/2/2001 10:17:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time, vance(a)ikickass.org writes: << The problem with eBay though, is that many of the cards going through there are SAS and unlabeled. That. and I've never seen an IBM FDDI/MC on there. Peace... Sridhar On Tue, 2 Oct 2001, Gunther Schadow wrote: > on ebay :-) > > yes, I've seen them scroll through recently. Several of them. > > -Gunther >>

25 years

2
1
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> Hmmm...are there EPROM's in it, or ROMs? I built a PC > compatible with a bare board and stuffed the chips and > soldered it when I was broke in college. The BIOS it > came with wasn't very PC compatible. So (and I'm not > making any excuses for this..) I wrote a program in > disk based GW-BASIC (I actually BOUGHT it) that looked > like it did something when in reality it was writing > 2048K ROM images of the BIOS and BASIC ROMS of a real > IBM PC to floppy. I took it to an IBM store (IBM had > "stores" then) and told the salesman that I wanted to > know if my program would really run on an IBM PC/XT. I > ran it, it "worked", I said, "thank you very much", > went to work, blew the EPROMS, stuffed 'em in my > motherboard, and then, my PC, although it had a wooden > case and a power supply shielded with Erector Set > parts, was really, really, definitely IBM PC > compatible!! Brilliant move! Glen 0/0

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> Hmmm...are there EPROM's in it, or ROMs? I built a PC > compatible with a bare board and stuffed the chips and > soldered it when I was broke in college. The BIOS it > came with wasn't very PC compatible. So (and I'm not > making any excuses for this..) I wrote a program in > disk based GW-BASIC (I actually BOUGHT it) that looked > like it did something when in reality it was writing > 2048K ROM images of the BIOS and BASIC ROMS of a real > IBM PC to floppy. I took it to an IBM store (IBM had > "stores" then) and told the salesman that I wanted to > know if my program would really run on an IBM PC/XT. I > ran it, it "worked", I said, "thank you very much", > went to work, blew the EPROMS, stuffed 'em in my > motherboard, and then, my PC, although it had a wooden > case and a power supply shielded with Erector Set > parts, was really, really, definitely IBM PC > compatible!! Brilliant move! Glen 0/0

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

Jan Koller wrote: > Glen, >> Why not display something understandable to a common user, such >> as "no bootable device?" > The same common user that needs their ports both labeled and color coded? Jan -- Yes, the same user. Most of them know what "boot" means, whereas ROM and BASIC are completely foreign to them. Glen 0/0

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

Jan Koller wrote: > Glen, >> Why not display something understandable to a common user, such >> as "no bootable device?" > The same common user that needs their ports both labeled and color coded? Jan -- Yes, the same user. Most of them know what "boot" means, whereas ROM and BASIC are completely foreign to them. Glen 0/0

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

Jan Koller wrote: > Glen, >> Why not display something understandable to a common user, such >> as "no bootable device?" > The same common user that needs their ports both labeled and color coded? Jan -- Yes, the same user. Most of them know what "boot" means, whereas ROM and BASIC are completely foreign to them. Glen 0/0

25 years

1
0
0 0

Altair 8800a on EBAY

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Oct 3, 13:54, Richard Erlacher wrote: > e.g. th Alpha-Micro, which was > reputed to be every bit competitive with the '11's. I don't know how they > compared in cost, however. The AM was "sort-of" S-100, in that it used S-100 > memory, but I can't say whether it worked with other devices. > > The Alpha Micro was pretty sought-after among the lip-service, but I never saw > one in someone's possession. I was offered one several years ago. I'm not sure of the configuration, but the storage was 2 x 8" floppies and I think it was a lot cheaper than a small PDP-11. Unfortunately, I didn't appreciate what I was looking at, turned down the (free) offer, and apparently it ended up in a skip (dumpster). Thank you for reminding me to kick myself :-) -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

25 years

1
0
0 0

Cromemco S100 systems

by mhstein＠usa.net

Any Cromemco fans on this list? I've got piles of systems, cards & manuals looking for a home (Toronto area) mike mhstein(a)usa.net

25 years

2
1
0 0

Philips machines (and AMT DAPs)

by twentech＠mercatel.nl

Mr. Fox, For information on the Philips minicomputers from the 1970's have a look at: http://home.debitel.net/user/groener1/comp_045.htm#Serien I am looking for a P857 computer myself. If you would find one, please let me know. Good luck. Edward P. Woldendorp 7602 ALMELO the Netherlands phone: +310546-873134 or 873135

25 years

3
3
0 0

Toshiba T300 (Toronto area)

by mhstein＠usa.net

Anybody interested in a Toshiba T300 (Dual 600Kb floppy, semi-PC-compatible) w/disks & manuals? mike mhstein(a)usa.net

25 years

1
0
0 0

Vector MZ's (Toronto area)

by mhstein＠usa.net

Anybody need any cards or parts for a Vector MZ S100 system? mike mhstein(a)usa.net

25 years

1
0
0 0

AIM65 stuff - Toronto area

by mhstein＠usa.net

Anybody want or need any AIM65 stuff? Boards, keyboards, manuals but not many working printers or displays. Also a new AIM65-40 40 column printer (not compatible with the 20col model) mike mhstein(a)usa.net

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> > "No ROM BASIC" does not tell the user what happened. "No bootable device > > found" would be more helpful. > > Yes it does tell the user what happened. The system attempted to enter > ROM BASIC, there is no ROM BASIC and thus the system was halted. As Hans > said, INT 18h can be called from anywere, not just the bootstrap. Would > 'No bootable device found' make sense if another program tried to call > ROM BASIC, not as part of booting the system? Tony, have you dealt with any typical personal computer users lately? I do every day, and I can tell you that none of the ones I deal with -- and I mean *none* -- know what a ROM is, or what BASIC is. "No ROM BASIC" tells you, Tony Duell, what happened, but for the vast majority of users, it doesn't mean a thing. Glen 0/0

25 years

3
2
0 0

Hyperion System disk needed

by mhstein＠usa.net

Does anyone have a system disk for a Hyperion that they could image and e-mail to me? I'd be most grateful. Also, I have a second Hyperion for parts if anybody needs anything (Toronto area) Thanks, mike mhstein(a)usa.net

25 years

1
0
0 0

Semi OT: Radio Shack Armatron & May '85 issue of Radio-Electronics

by mythtech＠Mac.com

> I just now copied them and they are available at: > > http://www.flummux.org/radio/ > > I can hold them indefinitely (I control the server (486, so it's within >the charter of this group 8-) and have plenty of disk space) but I would >prefer they go someplace more appropriate than my digpile domain 8-) Can you get pic 2,3 or 6 to open? I can't get them to work (your copy or the originals) on either my Mac, or my winME machine. If you can get them to open, can you either email them to me, or ftp them to ftp.mythtech.net (drop them in the incoming directory... I already have 1,4 and 5 there). I would also be happy to permanently host them (although I don't know how much more appropriate my domain is than yours... but either way). I can also convert them to a single PDF if people want. Thanks -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

4
4
0 0

VAX 4000 Power Cord (BA440)

by dittman＠dittman.net

I remember a couple of months ago there was discussion on the proper cable for a BA440 power supply (normal North American three prong power cord but with a notch where it plugs in to the power supply). Was there a consensus on the designation (and any place in the US that sell them)? -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net

25 years

9
12
0 0

Radio Shack Armatron NEW page

by mythtech＠Mac.com

Ok.. the May 85 Radio-Electronics pages have been moved. The (or should I say A, since others are welcome to mirror them) page to download them is: <http://www.mythtech.net/armatron/> There are 6 pages, you can DL them individually (approx 150k each JPEGs), or you can download the single PDF of the pages (approx 5mb). They can stay here until someone that owns the copyright to them yells at me to take them down... or until further notice (which means, by tomorrow, I will have forgotten they are on my site, and they will end up being there pretty much forever). If anyone wants the original TIFF files, let me know. There was no real difference between the TIFF and the JPEG, except that the JPEG is about 4 times smaller. I have no plans on posting the TIFFs, but I will be archiving them to CD if anyone decides they want them. Thanks go out to Mike for taking the time to scan these, and work with me to get a good copy of them. -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

1
0
0 0

Semi OT: Radio Shack Armatron & May '85 issue of Radio-Electronics

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>Hmmm, is it me or is everyone else having problems with arm2.tif and >arm3.tif? >I was able to open arm6.tif though.... > >Ram Yes, there was something wrong with the images 2,3 and 6... but thanks to Mike's infinite patience... I now have a complete set. The pages will be available on my web site in JPEG format (cuts them from about 1.2mb tiffs down to about 200k jpegs) and in a PDF "collection". They should be available by the time you read this (or within a few minutes after) at <http://www.mythtech.net/armatron/> -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

1
0
0 0

Semi OT: Radio Shack Armatron & May '85 issue of Radio-Electronics

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>I am planning on converting the Radio Shack Armatron to run off the >parallel port >of a PeeCee but need the plans to do it. I found the following site >that contains the conversion >needed for an Atari at: > >http://www.bitsofthepast.com/atari/arm.html > >The May '85 Radio-Electronics has the necessary instructions, sooo I was > >wondering if someone would be kind enought to either scan or mail me the > >article. I hate to sound like an AOL'er, but ME TOO! (that is, email me the directions too)... I have never thought of doing this, but it certainly would make my old armatron WAY more fun. (Humm... now I am going to have to pull it out and see if I can hook it up to my Lego Mindstorm... toss a remote control car body to the bottom, and I can terrorize my cat for hours!) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

6
7
0 0

Bad bad DECstation

by optimus＠canit.se

Our DECstation 3100 has been in a sad state recently. Both the monitor (that old monochrome thing without a stand which was used with the VS2000 amongst others) and the keyboard (LK201) had given up the gist (the monitor would just make a flickery sound, without the CRT coming alive, the keyboard didn't blink and the console would blink "??" when it reached test 3). I plugged in a Nokia monitor, which worked, if you can live with the green picture, and another LK201. That worked for a while, but when I managed to boot it (NFS wasn't so cooperative this day), and reached X, the mouse just stopped moving after a while. I rebooted it, and suddenly this keyboard had died as well. What the hell is going on? Is it possible to save the LK201s? We're running short of DEC keyboards as it is, and we certainly don't need this. -- En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. If the designers of X-Windows built cars, there would be no fewer than five steering wheels hidden about the cockpit, none of which followed the same principles -- but you'd be able to shift gears with your car stereo. Useful feature, that. - Marus J. Ranum, Digital Equipment Corporation

25 years

4
6
0 0

Central Florida Junk Fest report.

by steven_j_robertson＠hotmail.com

I was able to see them yesterday but, now they are gone. SteveRob >From: "Glen Goodwin" <acme_ent(a)bellsouth.net> >Reply-To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org >To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> >Subject: Re: Central Florida Junk Fest report. >Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 23:40:16 -0400 > >Hey Mike, I'm getting a 404 on all of these :>( > > > The pics didn't come out very well with alot of cc gear hiding in the >shade, > > but here they are: > > > > http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/Jf1.jpg > > http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/Jf2.jpg > > http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/Jf3.jpg > > > > > > > ;) > > > - Mike: dogas(a)bellsouth.net > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

25 years

1
0
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8080 vs. 8080A

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

Track the clock through the logic... there is a divide by 2 in there. Also the 9080 250ns part was late in the game and hard to find. If you want an 8080 that was really fast use a 8085-5 (5mhz) or the later 80c85-6(6mhz). the latter was a nice part as it was CMOS. I still have a potload of 8080s and 8085s and my design favorite for small systems is the 8085 over the Z80. Allison -----Original Message----- From: Richard Erlacher <edick(a)idcomm.com> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Sunday, September 30, 2001 8:23 PM Subject: Re: 8080 vs. 8080A >Well, Allison, it appears you're right. The AMD 9080 was the one with the 250ns >clock (4 MHz) period, now that I've looked a couple of references. Thanks for >clearing that up. > >However, that doesn't explain what's going on in my iSBC8020-4's. I'll have to >figure that one out. > >Dick >----- Original Message ----- >From: "ajp166" <ajp166(a)bellatlantic.net> >To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> >Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 5:12 PM >Subject: Re: 8080 vs. 8080A > > >> no, it was 2mhz. >> >> using 8224 the usual crystal was 18.435 (2.0483333*9). >> there was a -1. -2 and -3 version of the part but the fastest was 3mhz. >> >> I used to sell upD8080AF for NEC and I had to know my competition. >> >> Allison >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Richard Erlacher <edick(a)idcomm.com> >> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> >> Date: Sunday, September 30, 2001 6:23 PM >> Subject: Re: 8080 vs. 8080A >> >> >> >BTW, the 8080 was a 2.5 MHz part, wasn't it? I've got a couple Intel >> app-notes >> >where they generate a baud-rate clock from 24.576 MHz and generate the >> CPU clock >> >from that, at 2.4576 MHz for the CPU. That's on an i8080-2. >> > >> >Dick >> > >> >----- Original Message ----- >> >From: "ajp166" <ajp166(a)bellatlantic.net> >> >To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> >> >Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 2:31 PM >> >Subject: Re: 8080 vs. 8080A >> > >> > >> >> Wrong! >> >> >> >> The I8080A is AS fast as the i8080. the i8080A-1 is faster but not >> twice >> >> as the fastest 8080[A] was only 3mhz and hte standard part was 2mhz. >> >> >> >> Allison >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >> From: John Galt <gmphillips(a)earthlink.net> >> >> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> >> >> Date: Sunday, September 30, 2001 3:57 PM >> >> Subject: Re: 8080 vs. 8080A >> >> >> >> >> >> >"The i8080A is essentially twice as fast as the >> >> > standard i8080 and COULD be used more easily with low-power logic >> since >> >> its >> >> >demands aren't as stringent". >> >> > >> >> >Ok, that's a good start. >> >> > >> >> >But, I don't think "low power" TTL (transistor transistor logic) had >> >> >anything to do with the complexity of the code being executed on the >> >> chip. >> >> >True? I had assumed >> >> >that the references to the 8080 only being compatible >> >> >with "low-power TTL" and the 8080A being compatible >> >> >with "standard TTL" had something to do with the support chips (Ram, >> >> clock, >> >> >etc) that could be used with the 8080 vs. the 8080A. >> >> > >> >> >Since I'm new to this mail list, let me explain why I would >> >> >show up here and ask such a question to begin with. >> >> > >> >> >I'm a chip collector. I am trying to document the differences >> between >> >> the >> >> >different early Intel microprocessors. Not worried about massive >> >> detail, >> >> >just the major differences (PMOS, vs. NMOS, vs. >> >> >HMOS, clock speed, transistor count, etc). >> >> > >> >> >The only microprocessor that I don't have a good handle >> >> >on is the 8080 and the difference between the 8080 and 8080A. >> >> > >> >> >I also know that the 8080 was introduced sometime >> >> >around April 1974. I have not been able to find an >> >> >introduction date for the 8080A. Was it introduced at >> >> >the same time? Does anyone know? >> >> > >> >> >I also need an Intel C8080 or C8080-8 for my >> >> >collection. If you have one, I want it. I have been looking >> >> >for one for months and have not been able to find one. >> >> >If you have either of these chips in good condition >> >> >(no desoldered parts wanted), I'm offering 400.00 >> >> >for the C8080-8 and 500.00 for a C8080. >> >> > >> >> >If you need a replacement for the C8080 or C8080-8 you sell me, I'll >> >> GIVE >> >> >you a D8080A free as part of the >> >> >deal. >> >> > >> >> >----- Original Message ----- >> >> >From: "Richard Erlacher" <edick(a)idcomm.com> >> >> >To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> >> >> >Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 1:21 PM >> >> >Subject: Re: 8080 vs. 8080A >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> This makes no sense at all, though it may be because I'm >> >> misinterpreting >> >> >the way >> >> >> in which you've put it. >> >> >> >> >> >> I have Intel boards that come in versions with the i8080 and also, >> >> >> optionally,with the i8080A, and, aside from the clock frequency and >> >> memory >> >> >> access times, they're identical. The i8080A is essentially twice >> as >> >> fast >> >> >as the >> >> >> standard i8080 and COULD be used more easily with low-power logic >> >> since >> >> >its >> >> >> demands aren't as stringent. >> >> >> >> >> >> The i8080A will, AFAIK, replace the i8080 in all applications >> without >> >> ill >> >> >> effects. >> >> >> >> >> >> BTW, please turn off "rich-text" mode in your email editor when you >> >> >compose >> >> >> messages for this group, as some folks' mail readers can't >> interpret >> >> the >> >> >> rich-text/HTML format. >> >> >> >> >> >> Dick >> >> >> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> >> From: John Galt >> >> >> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org >> >> >> Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 10:17 AM >> >> >> Subject: 8080 vs. 8080A >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Can anyone here describe the technical differences between >> >> >> an Intel 8080 and Intel 8080A CPU? >> >> >> >> >> >> The ONLY ref. I have been able to find seems to indicate that there >> >> was a >> >> >bug in >> >> >> the 8080 and as a result it would only work with low power TTL? >> >> >> >> >> >> The problem was fixed in the 8080A and it would work with standard >> >> TTL? >> >> >> >> >> >> Does this make sense to anyone? >> >> >> >> >> >> Could anyone put this into laymans terms for me? >> >> >> >> >> >> Thanks, >> >> >> >> >> >> George Phillips - gmphillips(a)earthlink.net >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> > >

25 years

6
7
0 0

HP 9000/847S

by jarkko.teppo＠er-grp.com

Hello, I just picked up a 9K 847S, upgraded to H50 with two SCSI-buses, one mux panel, a few disks and 384MB of memory (hmmmmm...). I'm not sure on the ten year rule as I'm relatively clueless regarding this machine. This is my second PA-RISC machine and it seems refreshingly better than the 840. A few questions: a) Introduction date ? b) Where can I get HP-UX 10.x cheaply :)? (ie. for free) -- jht

25 years

2
1
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IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by alan.pearson＠cramer.com

QBASIC's sitting on my machine here at work (NT4), so I guess it's part of the default NT installation. There's no reason for us to use QBASIC here, it's too useful - we're mostly doing PL/SQL or MFC ;-) -al

25 years

1
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Central Florida Junk Fest report.

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

Hey Mike, I'm getting a 404 on all of these :>( > The pics didn't come out very well with alot of cc gear hiding in the shade, > but here they are: > > http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/Jf1.jpg > http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/Jf2.jpg > http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/d/o/dogas/Jf3.jpg > > > > ;) > > - Mike: dogas(a)bellsouth.net

25 years

1
0
0 0

FDDI Cards

by vance＠ikickass.org

Anyone know where I might be able to find DEC DEFPA's, DEC DEFTA's, IBM FDDI/MC's and thing of the like? Peace... Sridhar

25 years

2
2
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IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by cmurillo＠emtelsa.multi.net.co

I believe that qbasic was included in some older nt and win9x installations only as support for "edit"; i.e., you typed "edit autoexec.bat" and the qbasic editor would be the actual invoked program. carlos. At 05:52 PM 10/2/01 -0500, you wrote: >Yay on NT4 Server, nay on NT2K Server. > >George > >On 2 Oct 2001 11:6:7 +0100, Iggy Drougge wrote: > >>Glen Goodwin skrev: >> >>>> Isn't QBASIC delivered even to this day with Windows systems? That's a >>>much >>>> nicer basic, and it features online help, which is great for kids. >> >>>No BASIC of any kind from Win95 on up. >> >>Since my only Windows machine is de-electrified right now, I can't test that, >>but I am certain that I've run QBASIC on it. Would anyone sitting at one try >>that from a prompt? >> >>-- >>En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. >> >>"Real life is full of idiots, and tons of ads. I don't see how IRC is any >>different, other than a lot more people want to have sex with you." >> -- m3000 >> > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------- Carlos E. Murillo-Sanchez carlos_murillo(a)nospammers.ieee.org

25 years

1
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Boot Disk Needed

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> Drop to DOS on any machine with a 5.25" drive you have access to. Type: > > format /u /s a: Okay Sellam, I'll bite -- what's the /u parameter? Glen 0/0

25 years

8
8
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IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Chris <mythtech(a)Mac.com> >I just did a search in win95 for basic (this is a fresh install of win95, >so no other software has been added)... and there are NO matches. Going >to a command line and typing Qbasic give a "bad command or file name" as >I would expect since find found nothing. the standard install does not copy it to the disk. Check the CDrom as it's there in a seperate directory. >WinME has the same results. I can't test 98 or NT 4 or 5 from home, so I >can't say what is on them, but I would guess the same thing (nothing). It's also on my NT4/server, Nt4/workstation, 98 and 98se none of which install it automagically. it can be installed on W2000 from what I've been told but again it's a manual install. Allison

25 years

2
1
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IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

I also have W95osr2 cdroms with Qbasic on them as old software. My dos 5.0 kit has Qbasic and the 6.22full kit has it as well. the 6.22 upgrade does nto as it already part of the system (upgrade from dos5.0). Allison -----Original Message----- From: Sipke de Wal <sipke(a)wxs.nl> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 7:55 PM Subject: Re: IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof >My CD-ROM is a special release for educational institutions and >may have the PLUS CD incorporated ! > >Sipke de Wal >--------------------------------------------- >http://xgistor.ath.cx >--------------------------------------------- > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Russ Blakeman <rhblakeman(a)kih.net> >To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> >Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 12:04 AM >Subject: RE: IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof > > >> Not on my 95, 98 second edition or ME machines, even searched using >> FIND...nope but it is on my Windows 3.11 machine, as it came with DOS >> 6.22... >> >> -> -----Original Message----- >> -> From: owner-classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org >> -> [mailto:owner-classiccmp@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Iggy Drougge >> -> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 12:00 AM >> -> To: Glen Goodwin >> -> Subject: Re: IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof >> -> >> -> >> -> Glen Goodwin skrev: >> -> >> -> >> Isn't QBASIC delivered even to this day with Windows systems? That's a >> -> >much >> -> >> nicer basic, and it features online help, which is great for kids. >> -> >> -> >No BASIC of any kind from Win95 on up. >> -> >> -> Since my only Windows machine is de-electrified right now, I >> -> can't test that, >> -> but I am certain that I've run QBASIC on it. Would anyone >> -> sitting at one try >> -> that from a prompt? >> -> >> -> -- >> -> En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. >> -> >> -> "Real life is full of idiots, and tons of ads. I don't see how IRC is any >> -> different, other than a lot more people want to have sex with you." >> -> -- m3000 >> -> >> -> >> > >

25 years

1
0
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> Isn't QBASIC delivered even to this day with Windows systems? That's a much > nicer basic, and it features online help, which is great for kids. No BASIC of any kind from Win95 on up. Glen 0/0

25 years

8
8
0 0

IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>>No BASIC of any kind from Win95 on up. > >Since my only Windows machine is de-electrified right now, I can't test that, >but I am certain that I've run QBASIC on it. Would anyone sitting at one try >that from a prompt? I just did a search in win95 for basic (this is a fresh install of win95, so no other software has been added)... and there are NO matches. Going to a command line and typing Qbasic give a "bad command or file name" as I would expect since find found nothing. WinME has the same results. I can't test 98 or NT 4 or 5 from home, so I can't say what is on them, but I would guess the same thing (nothing). -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

1
0
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IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

I wrote: > > This was the point to my original question: why would clone makers go to > > the trouble of displaying the message and then halting the system, instead > > of just *halting the system*? (Unless they were using stolen code.) Just > > doesn't quite make sense . . . Hans replied: > To tell the user what had happened? > The code pointed to by Int 18H is responsible for printing that message > and could be invoked from elsewhere than th BIOS boot sequence so it > seems just user friendly to display some message if you are going to > hang the system. "No ROM BASIC" does not tell the user what happened. "No bootable device found" would be more helpful. > Of course today you would get a BSOD - much more informative ;-) Yes, thank God for Bill Gates ;>) Glen 0/0

25 years

2
1
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Tandy 1800HD

by millerbj＠umich.edu

So I dropped by the computer shop today and they had a Tandy 1800HD laptop for $10. I grabbed it. It's in excellent condition. Unfortunately, someone stole the power-supply... Any idea where I can get one? Also, were might I find a scanned manual for this thing? Blair

25 years

1
0
0 0

Boot Disk Needed

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>/U (do a REAL format) is faster for you than >/Q (DON'T do a real format, just write an empty directory) ?? > >Would you care to post some measured times for how much faster it is? Speed will be HIGHLY dependant on what size disk it is. A 360k disk formats with /u fairly fast, and although it is STILL quicker to do /q, it isn't a huge difference... however, when doing a 1.4 disk, it cam be the difference between over a minute and under 10 seconds. /q is basically the same as doing "del *.*", it doesn't reformat the disk at all, it just rewrites the FAT so the disk thinks it is blank, the fastest way to clear a disk is "format a: /q /u"... UNLESS there are only a few items on it, then del *.* might edge it out Also, with all this /u business... be careful when doing that on 5.25" disks in a high density drive. If you put a DD disk in, and do format /u, it will NOT warn you that it is going to attempt to format a DD disk as HD. In MS DOS, when you format on a HD 5.25 drive, it automatically tries to format HD... you need to specify the format size (or use /4) to format 360k... leaving off the /u will warn you that the format is different then what you are about to try. Unfortuantly, leaving off the /u ALSO fails to remap bad sectors, AND saves the unformat info adding a few more seconds onto the disk format. None of this warning business applies to 3.5" drives, they will detect the HD vs DD disk, and format correctly... so with those it is safe to always use /u if you want to. -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

1
0
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Semi OT: Radio Shack Armatron & May '85 issue of Radio-Electronics

by rmeenaks＠olf.com

Hi, I am planning on converting the Radio Shack Armatron to run off the parallel port of a PeeCee but need the plans to do it. I found the following site that contains the conversion needed for an Atari at: http://www.bitsofthepast.com/atari/arm.html The May '85 Radio-Electronics has the necessary instructions, sooo I was wondering if someone would be kind enought to either scan or mail me the article. Thanks, Ram -- ,,,, /'^'\ ( o o ) -oOOO--(_)--OOOo------------------------------------- | Ram Meenakshisundaram | | Senior Software Engineer | | OpenLink Financial Inc | | .oooO Phone: (516) 227-6600 x267 | | ( ) Oooo. Email: rmeenaks(a)olf.com | ---\ (----( )-------------------------------------- \_) ) / (_/

25 years

1
0
0 0

ASCII Terminal Giveaway - Ottawa Canada

by jimmiejimjim＠hotmail.com

I've got a used ASCII Terminal, with detached keyboard for whoever is the first to contact me to take it away. (wife + messy basement = get rid of unused "junk"). I'm in the west end of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. If interested, contact me directly via email: jimmiejimjim(a)hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

25 years

1
0
0 0

Odd VT100 question

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

OK, I'm thinking of doing a wierd mod on a VT100, just how much room is inside one of them? I need room for a 7 1/2" x 9" x 2 1/2" board (the 2 1/2" is thanks to the heatsink and RAM), and would also like to be able to fit in a smallish 250W PS (3 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 6"), and a 3 1/2" HD. I've got 2 or 3 VT100's, but they're so buried it's going to take a lot of work to get to them so was hoping to get an idea if there is room first. Basically I'm trying to build a PDP-10 into a VT100 by using an Intel D810EMO MicroATX board. Zane -- | Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Administrator | | healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | OpenVMS Enthusiast | | | Classic Computer Collector | +----------------------------------+----------------------------+ | Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, | | PDP-10 Emulation and Zane's Computer Museum. | | http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |

25 years

9
11
0 0

CT Junk Fest? (was RE: Central FL Computer Junk Fest)

by DAW＠yalepress3.unipress.yale.edu

! From: Joe [mailto:rigdonj@intellistar.net] ! ! At 10:33 AM 9/28/01 -0400, you wrote: ! >Hmmm, is there going to be one up here around Connecticut sometime? ! ! Sure, if you'll organize it. ! ! Joe ! Okay then, what's involved with one of these festivals? Can someone who organized one of the other fests e-mail me with the info? --- David A Woyciesjes --- C & IS Support Specialist --- Yale University Press --- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu --- (203) 432-0953 --- ICQ # - 905818

25 years

1
0
0 0

Central Florida Junk Fest report.

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>LOGO YEAH... that was the language (logo, topal... hey this goes back to the 4th grade, I am lucky I remembered playing with it at all) :-) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

1
0
0 0

Power connectors

by tniemann＠msn.com

Hans.... I may be wrong in my explanation to the following question you posed but I will give it a shot.....You said: I don't know any reason why the system has to be keyed, I always assumed the US development of keyed plugs was triggered by old DC systems (since in DC Eq. it is necersarry to know the orientation), but not a new addition. Strange, we dropped all orientationwhen switching to AC (with Protective Ground). Could anyone give give a reason why the system has to be keyed _IF_ a Protective Ground is included (other than define the Protective Ground pin) If you hook an scope up circuit such as a TV and hook the ground probe up to signal ground but you have the plug reversed the circuit will short out and you will blow the device you are testing. That is because you just provided a current path to frame ground for the signal which you thought was signal ground. TV repairman who have used scopes have done this more than once. Tony Niemann 2606 Merriwood Avenue Louisville Kentucky 40299 tniemann(a)msn.com 502-267-9233

25 years

1
0
0 0

Boot Disk Needed

by Lee.Davison＠merlincommunications.com

> /u = Unconditional, it will do a real format, as opposed to > quick format > /U - unconditional, prevents checking of sectors for read errors before formatting them. This is the only way to format unformatted or non MSDOS disks or to overwrite any blocks on MSDOS disks that are marked as bad. 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.

25 years

1
0
0 0

DECserver 700

by Antonio.Carlini＠riverstonenet.com

Just in case: The default password at the "#" prompt is access The default privileged password is system Otherwise, I'll see if I have the manual around somewhere to dig out the set-to-factory-defaults sequence. Antonio > -----Original Message----- > From: Absurdly Obtuse [mailto:vance@ikickass.org] > Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 6:34 AM > To: Classic Computers Mailing List > Subject: DECserver 700 > > > > Hey there. I was wondering if someone could help me break into the > privileged mode on my DECserver 700 without the password. Do > I have to > remove the RAM, the battery, or something? Thanks. > > Peace... Sridhar > > >

25 years

1
0
0 0

DECserver 700

by vance＠ikickass.org

Hey there. I was wondering if someone could help me break into the privileged mode on my DECserver 700 without the password. Do I have to remove the RAM, the battery, or something? Thanks. Peace... Sridhar

25 years

2
1
0 0

Central Florida Junk Fest report.

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>...and stuff that I couldn't even give away and had to pack back up at the >end of the half day: > > Robbie Robot Which Robbie the Robot would this be? I am thinking of that thing used by grade school kids to learn about programming (forget the language name... Topal?). The idea was to write simple programs that got the robot to move around. Is it THAT Robbie? > Oscilliscope A working Oscilliscope? I have been wanting to lay my hands on one for some time... just for play/learning, so I haven't wanted to spend any real money on one (but have been hoping to find one at a garage sale or similar). What would you want for it? (And depending on the Robbie, what about it?) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

25 years

2
1
0 0

Central Florida Junk Fest report.

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> It was small. Myself and 4 other people came with loads of classic computers > and I had a fun morning with the similarly afflicted. Nice seeing y'all! > > I scored a tonne of stuff including: [snip] > While there, I was able to dump^h^h^h^htrade^h^h^h^h^hfind new homes for: [snip] > ...and stuff that I couldn't even give away and had to pack back up at the > end of the half day: > > a few Olympia ETX-II computers > Amiga 2000 > Robbie Robot > Burroghs Calculator [snip] &(&%$@#$#^%$!!! You had a Burroughs calculator and you didn't tell me about it? > There were several Grid, Apple, IBM, HP computers, a few AT&T 3B2s, and > others, books, software, and test gear as well that I wasn't able to bring > home. > > I took a few digital pics and will post them shortly. Cool! Keep us posted! > Thanks for hosting it Glen and let's do this again. Got new toys to play > with. Later! Thanks for being there! Glen 0/0

25 years

1
0
0 0

FT: Alpha Architecture Docs

by cmcmanis＠mcmanis.com

The Alpha was started by DEC in 1988 as a replacement for the VAX, it extends the address space to 64 bits and switches from a CISC architecture to a RISC architecture. I've got a copy the Alpha Architecture Reference Manual (AARM) and the Alpha Architecture Handbook (AAH) which combined give you everything you need to know about the Alpha. They're extras. I'd like to offer them in trade to anyone who has EITHER: KA640 Technical Manual KA680 Technical Manual Also published by Digital. --Chuck

25 years

2
1
0 0

Anyone ever heard of a Canon BX-1?

by greg＠cosc.canterbury.ac.nz

I have recently acquired a Canon BX-1 Desktop Computer. It's a self-contained unit incorporating an alpha keyboard, a single-line alpha display, thermal printer and 5.25" disk drive. From the markings on the keyboard it seems to be programmed in some dialect of Basic. Does anyone know where I can find any information about this machine? A web search turned up exactly one page mentioning it, which didn't tell me much. It didn't work at all when I first switched it on. I found and repaired a fault in the power supply, but that doesn't seem to be the end of its problems. At switch-on, it beeps, and then starts flashing a row of up-arrows in the display. There is *almost* no response from the keyboard, except that after about 20 or so keystrokes it flashes something like KEYBOARD OV'FLO very briefly and then goes back to the up-arrows. Is there anyone out there with any experience with one of these things who can tell me whether it's trying to signal some sort of error condition with the up- arrows, or is it just totally insane? Thanks for any help, Greg Ewing, Computer Science Dept, +--------------------------------------+ University of Canterbury, | A citizen of NewZealandCorp, a | Christchurch, New Zealand | wholly-owned subsidiary of USA Inc. | greg(a)cosc.canterbury.ac.nz +--------------------------------------+

25 years

1
0
0 0

Altair 8800a on EBAY

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

Hi, Please understand I dont collect for economic gain. I'd have to hit the big one to pay back for some of the machines I built new back when. I collect to have the machine I could not afford back when but wanted to experiment with. So happens along the way some of them became interesting as so called rare items. To me my Altair was a relly poor machine and the NorthStar I replaced it with was far superior, yet the first is collectable even though it was truly a peice of junk compared to even the IMSAI. Anywho I'll look when time permits. Allison -----Original Message----- From: John Galt <gmphillips(a)earthlink.net> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Monday, October 01, 2001 9:15 PM Subject: Re: Altair 8800a on EBAY >I see where you are coming from, but given the recent return of some of my >"real" investments, it's hard to imagine >this computer being any worse;) > >Thanks, > >George Phillips > > > >Well, my "real" investments have not been doing >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Louis Schulman" <louiss(a)gate.net> >To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> >Sent: Monday, October 01, 2001 7:34 PM >Subject: Re: Altair 8800a on EBAY > > >> On Mon, 1 Oct 2001 18:40:02 -0400, John Galt wrote: >> >> #I have been considering buying one of these machines as an investment. >> #While I am a computer programmer by trade, I have no clue how to operate >> #or program one of these things which really does not matter since I would >> #be buying it as an investment. >> >> Well, if you are considering this as an investment, I would also consider >rubies, pork belly futures, penny >> stocks, and going to Las Vegas. You could call this an investment, but it >would really be nothing but a crap >> shoot. If we are seriously talking investments, this isn't it. >> >> There is no basis to assume anything about future value. Other forms of >antique electronics have not >> become that valuable. You can still buy a working Atwater-Kent radio for >a reasonable price. >> >> Anyone who follows eBay can tell you that prices go up and down. Most >have gone down in the last year. >> You can barely give away a Kaypro. >> >> So, buy it to enjoy it. Otherwise, I'd look to real investments to make >money. >> >> JMO >> >> Louis >> >

25 years

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8080 vs. 8080A

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Oct 1, 2:01, Tony Duell wrote: > > Sure you're not thinking of a Z80? The standard speed for the original Z80 > > parts was 2.5MHz (4MHz for Z80A and 6MHz for Z80H). > > Just a minor correction. I believe the Z80B is 6MHz and the Z80H 8MHz. SGS-Thomson list them as 6MHz and 8MHz now, but IIRC the Z80H was originally 6MHz. I could be mistaken, of course. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

25 years

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ZX Spectrum internals (Was: ZX81 kits)

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Oct 1, 21:31, Tony Duell wrote: > > I've been thinking about SZ Spectrums all the time. > > Oh well, I might just ask anyway, since I've opened it up... > > What is that chip next to the Z80? It's labelled PCF1306P. > > If it's another 40 pin chip, then that's the custom ULA chip that > includes most of the glue logic. If it's a 28-pin chip it's the ROM, a 23128, IC5. The ULA is the other 40-pin chip, IC1, near the modulator. It may have different numbers depending on the revision. There's more than one ROM version as well. > > And why is there a switch glued on top of the Z80 with wires going to the > > character ROM? Since it's a localised character ROM piggybacked on top of= > > the > > one soldered to the motherboard, could it be for switching charsets? > > Does the Spectrum really have a separate character generator ROM. Doesn't > sound right to me... It's not a character generator, it's just code. The screen memory is part of the main DRAM and accessed directly by the ULA to drive the video. I imagine the switch is to select different code versions. The thing I like most about the Spectrum service manual (apart from the inclusion of a proper schematic and other diagrams) is the fault-finding list. Most such lists begin with mundane things like checking the fuse. The Spectrum begins with: "TV appears dead. Smoke appears" and describes additional symptoms as "TR4 shorted. TR4 blows again". -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

25 years

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blank 11/16" paper tape rolls available.

by f.bonomi＠agora.stm.it

Hi all If anyone is interested I have some rolls of paper tape available for shipping cost, if anyone has a good use for them (i.e. anyone has a punch in need of paper) Must be rather standard, where used in a Telex, but due to my ignorance in tape I will try to describe as precisely as possible. characteristics: Tape width 11/16" (ca 17.9 mm) tape length: unknown (should I unroll one of them ?) color (white-ish) Rolls diameter abt 7"" (18 cm) The "hole" of the rolls (about 2" or 5 cm in diameter) has a "square wave" profile to be better mounted. Anyone interested? Only drawback: I am in Italy, shipping will not be cheap... ciao Francesco

25 years

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8080 vs. 8080A

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Carlos Murillo <cmurillo(a)emtelsa.multi.net.co> >At 11:07 PM 9/30/01 -0600, you wrote: >The >>8085, at least, doesn't require three supplies. I don't know why they wasted >>all those pins on things like the pseudo-serial I/O and all those interrupts. >>Hardly anyone ever figured out how to use them well. It would have been more >>sensible to put the 8 address lines there and save the external latch and the >>strobe for it. > >Those irq's are exactly why I liked the 8085. Extremely simple >to use. Appropriate for early embedded stuff. that is the exact reason why the 8085 was successful. As to the comment about the SIO/SID pins they were used by the TU58 for serial data and were very hand for when a few bits of IO were needed for simple things. Allison

25 years

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