--- "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh(a)aracnet.com> wrote:
> Allison wrote:
> >You left out the terminals:
> >
> > Vt100 set a standard.
> > Vt220 advanced it.
>
> And the dual input VT420 perfected :^) What can I say, I love VT420's!
>
> Zane
We had dual input with the CiTOH 101e in 1984 (plus a built-in clock on the
setup screen with the model 101). My employer bought those in favor of
DEC terminals because they were only $1700 in 1982-1983. I still have a
cabinet of them (plus the manuals). Great clone terminals.
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
<First, the infamous ones
<
<Computer with the worst keyboard: (tie) Sinclair ZX-81/Timex Sinclair 1000
<IBM PC Jr.
You forgot the commodore pet... another really baaddd one.
<Computer with the most limitations: Timex Sinclair 1000/Sinclair ZX-81.
Only exceeded by the base cosmac elf, NSC SC/MP and a slew of other SBCs.
<Computer with the best keyboard: (tie) Commodore 64(C), & TRS-80 Model 12.
IBM PC XT, layout is not a favorite of mine but the feel was the best.
<Most famous "vaporware" computer: Xerox Alto.
Nope Check up on World Power Systems... read scam.
You left out the terminals:
Vt100 set a standard.
Vt220 advanced it.
Allison
--- Allison J Parent <allisonp(a)world.std.com> wrote:
> <First, the infamous ones
> <
> <Computer with the worst keyboard: (tie) Sinclair ZX-81/Timex Sinclair 1000
> <IBM PC Jr.
>
> You forgot the commodore pet... another really baaddd one.
Only the original static PET with the built-in tape drive. Later PETs had
adequate keyboards.
> You left out the terminals:
>
> Vt100 set a standard.
> Vt220 advanced it.
Agreed. I've always love the original VT100 keyboard since I first used
one in 1984.
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
"Most famous "vaporware" computer: Xerox Alto."
Excuse me?
Exactly what part of the Alto was 'vaporware' (which implies to me a product,
which the Alto was never intended to be)
Well, another bee in my bonnet...
I'm experienting with an x86-based hobby robotics controller, but I'd like
to graft certain functionality onto old MSDOS (don't ask why), including a
ROM monitor, etc.
I remember that MS carried a special version of MSDOS for people who need to
modify the code for specific hardware. Certain portions of DOS are provided
as source and the rest as object code.
Does anyone have a copy of this?
Rich
[ Rich Cini/WUGNET
[ ClubWin!/CW1
[ MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
[ Collector of "classic" computers
[ http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/
<---------------------------- reply separator
I have the chance to get thie following monitor...
> JVC color monitor display -measures 18" diagonally
> Model # GD-H422ous
> 120V 60HZA 2.3A
> Manufactured November, 1989 (older than we thought)
> Serial # 16460054
Fortunately, it's local (no shipping ;-), but the other geeks in my area
who know about it think it's CGA (I've never seen it, myself). Is there
a way to get JVC model numbers translated these days?
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
On Dec 25, 17:28, Tony Duell wrote:
> But that's not the calendar we all use. The 19th century ended on
> 31/12/1900, and the 20th centrury started on 01/01/1901. That's within
> living memory (just). Now, if you can honestly justify a century of 99
> years, I'd love to know how.
>
> Celebrate the year 2000 if you want. But don't call it the start of the
> next millennium.
The "official" line here is shown in the banner on the Royal Observatory
Greenwich's page, amongst other places:
"2000 is the Millennium Year. The New Millennium officially starts on 1
Jan 2001."
I guess that's official speak for "We have to go along with the
ignoramuses. However, we know they're wrong" :-)
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Dept. of Computer Science
University of York
On Friday, December 24, 1999 1:54 PM, Chuck McManis
[SMTP:cmcmanis@mcmanis.com] wrote:
> Well if these guys expect to get $75 for the metal strip from the top of a
> front panel I don't think I can afford their actual front panels. I'm
> guessing they want between $600 and $1000 for them right?
I know that they've sold panels in the past for considerably less. However,
the price for any "collectable" is what the buyer and seller negotiate.
That's why you need to contact Data Sales for asking prices, and then decide
whether you want to make a counter-offer.
They've been listing prices and minimum bids in their eBay offerings.
However, you will note that few people are bidding on things, and Data Sales
has a lot of "headers", TCM's, etc.. On the other hand, Jim at Data Sales is
aware of the 360/50 control panel that sold on eBay for considerably more
than $500, so that may raise his idea of what his inventory is worth.
Note that I've very uncomfortable discussing prices like that for computer
equipment. My motivation for acquiring what I've got is emotion (affection,
nostalgia, respect for those 1960's engineers, etc.) and it feels icky
(technical psychology term) to put dollar values on that.
However, much of this stuff wouldn't exist if someone hadn't salvaged it,
transported it, warehoused it, etc. I think that those people are entitled
to reasonable compensation, and again, "reasonable" is defined by
negotiation between buyer and seller.
-- John
Tony Duell wrote:
In a message dated 12/25/1999 12:55:18 PM Eastern Standard Time,
ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk writes:
> This whole millennium mistake is actually very worrying. It shows how
> easily the genneral public will accept false information without
> bothering to check it, even when it's easy to verify. One wonders how
> many other lies are doing the rounds.
You don't have to wonder any more -- there are hundreds of them. Usenet
groups are packed solid with the most outrageous (to an informed and logical
mind) proposals, especially in the fields of health and medicine. I was
recently forwarded an advert for a "cellular phone screen" to be worn over
the listening ear when talking over a cel phone. This item claims to "block
harmful electromagnetic radiation from entering the brain through the ear
canal." Too bad someone hasn't developed a device to block harmful garbage
>from entering the brain throught the same orifice ;>)
My own wife (poor dear) is convinced (due to "information" from the 'net)
that aspartame is actually more injurious to one's health than sugar and
causes everything from MS to epilepsy.
To check out a few of the more innocuous rumors and cuckoo-bird ideas go to
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm
Apologies to the group for the OT.
Glen Goodwin
0/0
--- Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> > Now, for a question. I could go dig this info up myself but it'd take me
> > hours. Here, I'll bet someone knows off the top of his/her head. Are the
> > pinouts for the pdp8's KL8-JA serial board compatible enough with those of
> > the DL11-W, such that I might use the same cable for either?
>
> Should be OK. Or at least I use an ex-PDP11 (DL11-E or DL11-W) serial
> cable with the M7655 cards in my PDP8/e. The M7650 seems to use the same
> cable as well. As do some other DEC serial cards (DUP11?, for example).
My research confirms the above as well, for what it's worth.
(i.e., me, too)
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
--- Phil Clayton <musicman38(a)mindspring.com> wrote:
> >Does anyone out there have any pointers to internals information?
>
> You are in luck. I am a collector of old video games, and the RCA Studio II
> is by far my most favorite.
I've wanted one since I played with it at the local RatShack 21 years ago!
> What I thought what you may be interested in is that in 1978 I purchased
> plans on how to turn this game machine into a working fully programmable
> computer...
Yes!
> Let me know if you are interested, and I will attempt to scan the diagrams
> for you..
Please!
Muchas Gracias,
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
<The board itself resembles the Quest Elf in its layout style - lots of
<room and waves of curved, parallel traces. Outside of the RF cage are
If you look at the COSMAC VIP you will find a family resemblence that is
remarkable. It will help you greatly.
<The ROM carts use a .154"-spacing single-sided 22-pin connector, so RatShac
<has boards I can use to make my own.
Yep, so did the VIP. Consult that to confirm the pin out.
Allison
>Does anyone out there have any pointers to internals information? I'd love
>to pull the ROM and disassemble the code, but with no idea of which I/O
>port the video is on nor how the game controllers are interfaced, it makes
>reverse engineering the code more difficult (of course, knowing what the
code
>does can make reverse engineering the *hardware* much easier ;-)
You are in luck. I am a collector of old video games, and the RCA Studio II
is by far my most favorite. I have one in mint condition still in the
original box. Also another one that I have modified for various projects.
BTW: I have the schematics for the machine.
This machine has some very interesting history, and I have complied 20 pages
on it.
What I thought what you may be interested in is that in 1978 I purchased
plans on how to turn this game machine into a working fully programmable
computer, in 1802 machine/assembly language. The only thing required is to
burn an EPROM and mount it on a circuit board that plugs into the game slot
on the RCA.
Essentially you have a cartridge that you plug in and the machine becomes a
programmable computer almost exactly like the RCA Cosmac computer..
I have the complete diagrams and the instruction set for the EPROM you would
need to burn. Also the basic schematics for the game unit itself..
The fact that the RCA Studio II has 2 keypads it makes it easy to type in
your program and display the results on your television.. I modified mine
the use a composite video monitor for better resolution..
Let me know if you are interested, and I will attempt to scan the diagrams
for you..
Phil..
I discovered several D116 paper tapes in my garage with original labels. I
was wondering whether there was a way I could attemp to read them
manually. The tape has 8 bit positions. Three hole positions, tractor
drive perf line, and then 5 more hole positions.
All the tapes I have appear to be Octal debug, extended debug, ALU
exerciser, Mag Tape Diag. D116 Loader and DG Loader. Is DG format different
than D116 Format?
Most interesting handwritten label is something called "Twiddle" I think it
is a sample program or a front panel light excerciser.
Any Help with decoding Digital Computer Controls D116 Code on Paper Tape?
I have a D116 and the Paper tape reader, but nothing on it's assembly code
Or D116 programming. Asre there any D116 site out there??
Does anyone know or know where I can find the Dip
switch settings for this host adapter? I have a friend who
needs some help. The last time he tried:
http://www.cmd.com/
he was able to get the Dip switch settings, but now they seem
to restrict the site to specific users. Can anyone help?
I know it's bad form to reply to your own posts, but here it is.
--- Ethan Dicks <ethan_dicks(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Today I finally picked up an RCA Studio II home video game...
> ...it uses the RCA 1802 processor (and the 1861 video chip).
>
> Does anyone out there have any pointers to internals information?
I just opened it up... some previous owner has scrawled lots of notes in pencil
about what does what. Address lines labelled, component symbols (on the
solder side), memory address ranges, controller key numbers... Lots of good
info.
The board itself resembles the Quest Elf in its layout style - lots of
room and waves of curved, parallel traces. Outside of the RF cage are
the CDP1802CE, an RCA TA10171V1 (the video chip), four 1822 256x4 SRAMs
($0800 - $09FF), four 1831 ROMs (512 bytes each) [$0000 - $07FF] and the
glue logic: one 4042, one 4001 and one 4515 (which I think is the latch
for the game controllers). The timing and power section is a 555 and a
7805, pretty pedestrian stuff. The date codes suggest a timeframe of 1Q77.
The ROM carts use a .154"-spacing single-sided 22-pin connector, so RatShack
has boards I can use to make my own.
It's just stunning to open this up and have this kind of documentation in
place. The 1802 is a simple beast. This guy obviously did what I was going
to do - start with the known CPU signals and work out. What I _wasn't_
planning on doing was marking up the original. I'm glad he did.
One odd thing about this design - DC power come into the RF switchbox
that clamps to the TV. There is a single RCA cable that connects the
switchbox and the game unit. It appears as if power goes one way down the
cable and video data goes the other way. Strange.
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Today I finally picked up a device I've been searching for since I was
a lad - an RCA Studio II home video game. It is especially precious to
me because it uses the RCA 1802 processor (and the 1861 video chip).
Does anyone out there have any pointers to internals information? I'd love
to pull the ROM and disassemble the code, but with no idea of which I/O
port the video is on nor how the game controllers are interfaced, it makes
reverse engineering the code more difficult (of course, knowing what the code
does can make reverse engineering the *hardware* much easier ;-)
I'm also interested in picking up any game cartridges for this thing. I've
seen a few, here and there on the web. I can probably find some with
Altavista,
but I thought I'd check here first.
Enjoy,
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
--- Bruce Lane <kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com> wrote:
> At 18:25 24-12-1999 +1, you wrote:
>
> >> Save the LARTs for someone really deserving.
> >
> >Just for the menataly (or it that abrevationaly) challenged among us,
> >what the heck is a LART ? I know about the BART ....
>
> Ah, sorry. LART = (L)user Attitude Readjustment Tool.
At McMurdo, we had the "Network Tutor", a square-cut 24"-long, hunk of hardwood
with a rough handle that was designed to beat the black snowy crud off the
bottoms of trucks before driving on the pristine white snow road to the
airfield
(since the black crud would absorb solar radiation and melt potholes).
When ever a Luser would call with a particularly inane question (it had to
be a _good_ one, mind you), we would suggest to the dispatching technician
that perhaps some Network Tutoring was in order.
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
I guess in my old age I've gotten a bit slow on the uptake.
Can any of you Ebay pros tell me what this means?
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=223611784
For those without a browser, this Ebay auction item, under the heading
Computers - Vintage, consists of one word (pointy brackets are mine)
<begin description>
dumb
<end description>
First bid: $50
Number of bids: 0
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.
Glen Goodwin
0/0
At 01:11 PM 12/24/99 -0600, John wrote:
>There are obviously vastly different levels of resources available to
>those who make a successful business out of vintage computers. My comment
>was aimed at hobbyists, who still make up the heart of this community.
>
>See
><<http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221488360>http://c
>gi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221488360> for Data Sale's
>photo of some 300 "headers" from 360/370 machines that they have
>scrapped. It's clear that plenty of 360 machines have become available
>over the years--my guess is that the lack of running personal 360's
>indicates that the obstacles are significant for most people.
Well if these guys expect to get $75 for the metal strip from the top of a
front panel I don't think I can afford their actual front panels. I'm
guessing they want between $600 and $1000 for them right?
--Chuck
On Thursday, December 23, 1999 2:56 PM, John B [SMTP:dylanb@sympatico.ca]
wrote:
> "NOTE--These panels are from machines that have already been scrapped,
many
> more than two decades ago. I too would have liked to see these machines
in
> running condition, but given their size, power and air conditioning
> requirements, etc., I doubt that there would have been very many takers."
>
> Your kidding me, right? I am partnering in with someone on this list to
> restore/sell the next 360 I get and I and my partner have received *very*
> serious offers. Please e-mail if you ever find any 360/1401 parts. I am
sure
> to need them.
Then contact Data Sales at the address I gave in the previous email. They
have two warehouses in Minnesota and one in Arizona filled with salvaged IBM
parts.
There are obviously vastly different levels of resources available to those
who make a successful business out of vintage computers. My comment was
aimed at hobbyists, who still make up the heart of this community.
See <http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221488360> for
Data Sale's photo of some 300 "headers" from 360/370 machines that they have
scrapped. It's clear that plenty of 360 machines have become available over
the years--my guess is that the lack of running personal 360's indicates
that the obstacles are significant for most people.
I hope you are recovering from your injuries. Have a good holiday season.
-- John
ITS WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Special thanks to Tony's idea of hooking up an isolation transformer (6.3V
but rated to 3000V)..
Okay, I did some of Christians tests and I found that the Transformer indeed
was arching into the main supply. (I won two of these scopes on EBay).
Here is the funny part.. I rarely go into surplus stores but tonight I made
an exception. I told the guy at the counter what my problem was and he had a
box full of 6.3Volt isolation transformers rated to 3000KV
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH.. I could not believe it. I bought a few and tried one out.
The scope now has a perfect trace. On XY the dot is crisp and very stable. I
have to align the scope.. but will do so after I get all brand new tubes in
it.
Second funny part, As I was leaving the store I went over to his lightbulb
section (get the hint yet).. Yes, brand new bulbs [equivs] for my 8/S and my
8-I still in the package!
What a day...
I can't wait to get spacewars up and running.
Thanks for the info Chris and Tony, I have one more scope to restore and
have placed orders for another 8 of them... so I have some serious tube work
over the next couple of weeks.
(comments below)
-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Fandt <cfandt(a)netsync.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Saturday, December 04, 1999 5:34 PM
Subject: Re: Tube experts! - I need your assistance.
>Upon the date 10:42 PM 12/3/99 -0500, John B said something like:
>>I don't like tubes. My experience with tubes is *very limited*. I have had
a
>>few crash courses over the past few years......
>
>Well John B., I *like* tubes :-) As you may have noticed I'm an electronic
>historian and old radio collector. Tubes pervade my very being it seems. I
>grew up learning about and fiddling with tube gear :-) Love it! Wish I
>could afford getting (or even *finding* an old IBM tube machine like a 704
>or such.) A few others here enjoy the same background. Anyway, I went up to
>my library and dug out my Tektronix type 503 manual. The RM503 is simply a
>repackaged 503 which fits into a 19" rack.
>
The only reason I don't like tubes is because they are very flakey in old
mini computers.. From what I have heard from people who use to support them
every power cycles was a nightmare. I am trying to stick to minis that can
run off of 110/200Volt. I have a lot of design experience in transistors and
IC/analog stuff... little to no tube knowledge.
>Below, I'll speak as if you've had very little exposure to tube circuits,
>'scopes of this vintage, etc. as I really don't know your old technology
>background as of yet. At least others here who are not tube savvy and will
>someday have to fiddle with an old scope may get something out of this
anyway.
>
Very limited.. but I have to use these old tube scopes as I am putting the
original tek scopes back into the minis.
>>Okay, I bought the Tek RM503 for my PDP-8/S. When I turned it on I heard
>>some terrible noises and found the power supply voltages were all over the
>>place (way off , like 10V was 500 etc..).
>
>Not good of course. Limit the on-time while testing please.
>
>>
I did.. to about 30 seconds... Got lucky though.. the 4 transistors did not
die.
>>This scope uses a primary transformer to supply the 6.3V to most of the
>>tubes and has a separate winding for 6.3V for the CRT heater. Off this
>>transformer another winding fed to a voltage doubler and then to an
>>oscillator with another transformer to create a wide range of voltages.
(12V
>>to -3000).
>
>I sense you have a manual too as you give a good basic layout of the power
>supply and indicate expected voltages.
>
Yes, I got it with the scopes.. I do have to buy a bunch of RM560s. Do
youhave any manuals for those?
>>
>>Picture this... the -3000 volts is fed right into the CRT heater (which
>>happens to be directly coupled with the primary transformer). I have been
>>able to locate the problem somewhat. If I remove the -3000 volt line
between
>>the HV rectifier tube and the CRT itself then the scope works fine! All
>>waveforms are proper and the power supply works great (no picture of
>>course).
>
>So, by removing the -3KV line, things settle down.
>
Yes
>First thing in mind is that either of the two pots in the voltage divider
>resistor string may be arcing over to ground. They are the FOCUS and
>INTENSITY controls.
>
The focus *kind* of worked... nothing on intensity.
(they both work now)
>Second thing and at least this is easy to check, does the CRT heater light
>up? With the -3KV left disconnected from the CRT do you measure 6.3 to 6.5
>volts AC across the heater connections (pins 1 and 14)?
>
Yes
>Third thing, and most undesireable, is the CRT envelope got broken and the
>tube went to air. This will *definitelly* cause arcing inside the CRT's
>electron gun. You know the shiny metallic spot you often see inside vacuum
>tubes? That's the gettering which basically had taken up most of the
>leftover oxygen after the manufacturer had drawn a vacuum on the tube and
>tipped it off. Never saw a 503 tube so can't say where to find it but it
>usually would be on the inner surface of the neck somewhere maybe 5 or 10
>CM in from the base. If you see a milky white spot on the inner surface of
>the envelope in that region then the tube's gone to air :-(
>
Thanks.. I wil check out the other scope I have to work on next.
>You mention that instead of 10 volts you measured 500. Thank Heaven this is
>not a solid state scope!!! Smoke City!!
>
I know.. What scares the hell out of me is I am hooking this thing up to my
8/S.. I am going to put some highvoltage diodes between the 8/S,8I and the
scope to make sure if the scope goes bananas I don't blow a few hundred
transistors in the minis.
>>
>>It can be a few things... I am hoping someone here who use to work on tube
>>units might be able to tell me which problem below it most likely is:
>>
>>#1) A bad HV rectifier tube causing the HV to come back to the second
>>transformer which would put a few thousand volts back into the secondary
>>winding taps causing high voltage everywhere.
>
>A shorted 5642 HV rectifier tube would present a high frequency AC voltage
>of some level on the -3KV line. Maybe 5-7 KVAC peak to peak. The freq would
>be 25KHz as generated by the 6DQ6A oscillator tube. Hard to see the little
>filament in the 5642 to verify whether its glowing and you really cannot do
>any measurements with a standard voltmeter on this part of the circuit
The 5642 was glowing and arching inside (looked really bad).. It is happy
now.
>(your meter would not tolerate the high voltage unless you use one designed
>for, say, 5KV or more.) I'll assume you may not have such a meter and
>cannot measure even the -3KVDC. Check to see if the tube envelope is
I do. I worked in a TV repair shop in my early teens for weekend money.. I
picked up the high voltage meter when the business went south.
>broken. This tube has gettering also and see if it's milky. The filament
>could fail and flop down onto the plate thus making a short circuit. Been
>there, done that. I haven't hunted for 5642's for a long time and they may
>be hard to find now. But I know one of the ham radio community folks could
>come thru if they have a junker Tek 'scope on hand for parts. Let me know.
>
I found a canadian retailer that has them in stock:
http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/tekparts.html
also,
http://www.vacuumtubes.com/ has all the tubes in stock (all new in the
box).. It is costing me over $300 for three sets of the tubes though :-(
6DJ8 Amperex tubes are over $30 each :-(
>>
>>#2) Bad insulation on the primary transformer secondary "crt heater"
winding
>>which jumps over to the other winding that happens to be the main
>>powersupply winding (125V X 2)
>
>Turn off all room lights this evening, close shades if the city lights are
>bright too. Turn on unit and look for faint arcing around the circuit. Keep
>your hands in your pockets! ;-) You may smell ozone from the arcing. The
>FOCUS and INTENSITY pots are in the resistor divider circuit and are
>mounted on the front panel. Listen carefully to help zero-in on the noise.
>Keep your earlobe in your pocket too! ;-) {ZZZapp!}
>
>>
>>#3) The -3000 volt wire is closely tied to the other low voltage wires. Is
>>insulation breakdown possible due to a crack?
>
>Yes. Do the lights out trick to verify . . .
>
>>
>>My next step will be to take a reading on the primary transformer (first
>>transformer, secondary winding [doubled winding]) and see if thousands of
>>volts are there... That might help determine if there is an insulation
>>breakdown but from what I can tell when the -3000V is hooked up every
>>voltage goes crazy.
>>
>>I am going to bed.. Hopefully I wake up to a great answer ;-)
>
>Hope this helps John. Sorry to be late with this but family stuff and my
>schoolwork got in the way all day.
>
Thanks for the info. It is much appreciated. I have a lot of these scopes to
quickly restore....
john
http://www.pdp8.com/
>Let me know if you need other info/help. Regards, Chris
>-- --
>Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
>Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net
> Member of Antique Wireless Association
> URL: http://www.antiquewireless.org/
>
I just had a kind of odd request.
This one's for the Apple gurus on the list: Is it at all possible, through
hardware, software, or 'other,' to read 5.25" floppies written on an Apple
IIe on a PC?
Taking that one step further: Has anyone heard of the word processing
program 'Zardax,' and if so, do you know if it's possible to convert its
files to a more common format?
Thanks in advance.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com // E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our
own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
It's quite possible that the cache supply voltage and the main memory supply
voltage were set to different values while the board didn't know that and
hooked them together. I did that about 5 years back. That same mobo used a
cache simm which could be plugged in backward. That wasn't good either.
Trying to fix the thing will take a lot of time and won't yield results
worth having. Best to follow the suggestions below.
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: John Foust <jfoust(a)threedee.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, December 24, 1999 8:15 AM
Subject: Re: OT: Need PC MB help!
>At 08:53 PM 12/23/99 -0800, Sellam Ismail wrote:
>>Anyway, I have a bad pentium MB that I'd like to use for parts. The
>>transistor that blew is HB1084 5C (what is that?) The one on the salvage
>>MB is D45H2A. Are they compatible?
>>I'm hoping one of you electronics gurus can help me out. I have to get
>>this system rady cuz Santa's got to deliver it tomorrow.
>
>I called Santa's workshop, and they said it would be easier to
>get the nephew a cheap Celeron motherboard from any ol' computer
>shop in your well-stocked neighborhood, and fix the other MB some
>other day.
>
>Something went wrong to blow the transistor. The transistor became
>a fuse. Replacing the transistor doesn't fix the problem. When the
>second transistor blows, you will receive enlightenment.
>
>- John
>
DAMN DAMN DAMN!
I'm putting together a PC for my nephew. Everything is going fine, then
KAPOW! A power transistor on the motherboard blows. I have no idea why.
All I know is the last thing I inserted before it blew is the cache RAM
DIMM thingy that goes next to the Pentium processor (at least that's what
I think it is).
Anyway, I have a bad pentium MB that I'd like to use for parts. The
transistor that blew is HB1084 5C (what is that?) The one on the salvage
MB is D45H2A. Are they compatible?
I'm hoping one of you electronics gurus can help me out. I have to get
this system rady cuz Santa's got to deliver it tomorrow.
Any help will be greatly appreciated and will be rewarded with amazing
amounts of karma!!
Please reply to sellam(a)siconic.com.
Sellam International Man of Intrigue and Danger
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking for a six in a pile of nines...
VCF East? VCF Europe!? YOU BETCHA!!
Stay tuned for more information
or contact me to find out how you can participate
http://www.vintage.org
At 08:53 PM 12/23/99 -0800, Sellam Ismail wrote:
>Anyway, I have a bad pentium MB that I'd like to use for parts. The
>transistor that blew is HB1084 5C (what is that?) The one on the salvage
>MB is D45H2A. Are they compatible?
>I'm hoping one of you electronics gurus can help me out. I have to get
>this system rady cuz Santa's got to deliver it tomorrow.
I called Santa's workshop, and they said it would be easier to
get the nephew a cheap Celeron motherboard from any ol' computer
shop in your well-stocked neighborhood, and fix the other MB some
other day.
Something went wrong to blow the transistor. The transistor became
a fuse. Replacing the transistor doesn't fix the problem. When the
second transistor blows, you will receive enlightenment.
- John
A recent trip to an office supply store turned up boxes of 8" & 5.25" floppy
disks. Two of the 8" disk boxes (original IBM!) are opened, one is almost
full, the other only has 1 disk in it. There are also 4 or 5 other boxes of
disks (3M) that are *still factory sealed*
They also have many boxes of 5.25" floppies, some are opened, & come in a
variety of different manufacturers.
Here is the Phone #, E-mail, & address of the store where I found them:
Address:
Hengst Printing & Supplies
155 West Travis
La Grange, Texas 78945
Phone Number:
1-800-468-1270
E-mail:
Graphtex(a)aol.com
Better act fast! Because when the disks are gone, they are gone!
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
it's a 7 or 9 track tape drive exerciser for ampex, kennedy, or
pertec (unformatted) drives.
the three cable style drives were pretty common and were an alternative
to 'pertec formatted' two cable interfaces.
--- Wayne Smith <wsmith(a)gj.com> wrote:
> I just came across fairly clean photocopies of a few old IBM manuals. They
> are:
>
> IBM Electric Punched Card Accounting Machines - Principles of Operation -
> Automatic Summary Punches (1946) 25 pgs...
Too old for what I need. I _am_ looking for service manuals related to the
IBM 026 card punch. I have one that needs some attention.
Thanks,
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
I just came across fairly clean photocopies of a few old IBM manuals. They are:
IBM Electronic Statistical Machine Type 101 - Preliminay Manual of Information (1949) 70 pgs.
IBM Electronic Statistical Machine Type 101 - Principles of Operation (third rev. 1949, 1953) 90 pgs.
IBM Electric Punched Card Accounting Machines - Principles of Operation - Automatic Summary Punches (1946) 25 pgs.
IBM 513, 514 Reproducing Punches - General Information Manual (1945, 1958) 30 pgs.
If anyone is interested in copies at cost (.03/pg.; $6.50 total) + postage, and is willing to indemnify me on the copyright issue :-), let me know.
-W
"NOTE--These panels are from machines that have already been scrapped, many more than two decades ago. I too would have liked to see these machines in running condition, but given their size, power and air conditioning requirements, etc., I doubt that there would have been very many takers."
Your kidding me, right? I am partnering in with someone on this list to restore/sell the next 360 I get and I and my partner have received *very* serious offers. Please e-mail if you ever find any 360/1401 parts. I am sure to need them.
john
http://www.pdp8.com/
OK, question of the day, how many RAM boards can a MicroVAX handle? It's
living in a Sigma Rackmount chassis.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
A followup to a previous discussion about Amigas, Palm Pilots, instruction
sets, etc.
--- Gareth Knight <gaz_k(a)onlyamiga.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> From: "Gareth Knight" <gaz_k(a)onlyamiga.freeserve.co.uk>
> To: <ethan_dicks(a)yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: Motorola 68k family ( was Re: Comparison of system specs. )
> Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 23:24:37 -0000
>
> Ethan Dicks
> > I did see Dave Haynie mention that there were some fundamental differences
> > in the Dragonball that caused binary-level compatibility problems, but I
> > don't recall the specifics, either.
>
> I had a look through the Team Amiga archives and found this. I would
> appreciate it if you could forward it onto the list.
>
> From: Dave Haynie <dhaynie(a)jersey.net>
> To: <teamamiga(a)thule.no>
> Sent: Friday, December 03, 1999 6:59 PM
> Subject: Re: Fw: Re: [TA] Re: Look what those wily Atarians are up to!!!!
>
>
> >
> > On Fri, 03 Dec 1999 15:33:49 +0100, "g'o'tz ohnesorge"
> <gohnesorge@lh-compute
> > rtechnik.de> jammed all night, and by sunrise was overheard remarking:
> >
> > > Jim Mackoy schrieb:
> >
> > > > Unfortunately, I am not sure the 68040 or 68060 was ever
> > > > reduced to VHDL file. The Coldfire was, and Dragonball,
> > > > but these are pretty low performance compared to the the
> > > > synthesizeable versions of Mips, x86, Sparc and PPC
> > > > Sad, because in many way ways the 68K was the most complete
> > > > and elegant microprocessor of the lot.
> >
> > I don't think DragonBall or any other Motorola 68K variation is fully
> > synthesized -- Motorola made a fairly big to-do about the fact that
> > ColdFire is, whole chip. MIPS has a killer (for embedded stuff)
> > synthesizable core you can licence. I don't know of any decent x86 core
> > (there are probably low-end things, and you can find an 8052 core in the
> > public domain I think). I don't know any PPC offering, either internally
> > or as a licensable core. There are tons of ARM cores; like MIPS, it's
> > been simple enough to offer since back when these things had to be pretty
> > simple (due to weak VHDL compilers). Ed Hepler's company offers a whole
> > 40MHz 68K compatible in VHDL.
> >
> > > Sure. But something like ColdFire in VHDL is a start at least; the
> missing
> > > commands could be added, and while they might be slower this way than a
> > > "perfect" solution, they'd still be faster as a whole than any Amiga now
> > > ..
> >
> > So far, Motorola's not actively licensing the core (don't know if that's
> > a "won't" or a "would, but not what we like to sell" thing), but of
> > course the could if necessary for competition. Primarily, it's a way for
> > them to release new version with different features faster than in the
> > past. The did this without synthesis throughout the MC683xx line, using
> > standardized component modules (design and layout largely prefabbed, more
> > or less like standard cell), but it's much more efficient with VHDL. And
> > of course, this way, any I/O block you design for ColdFire could be
> > reused for PowerPC or any other design that comes along.
> >
> > > and cheap like a Nintendo GameBoy along the way.
> >
> > That's a 6502-like thing.
> --
> Gareth Knight
> Amiga Interactive Guide http://aig.amiga.tm
> Mystery of Life? I found it on Aminet!
>
>
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com
I just dug out an old single board computer which was made by a company
called "The Computerist" which is called a "Video Plus", probably around
1981-82. Its a 6502 based board with the same form factor as the Kim-1 and
I believe the same pin outs on the two 44 pin edge connectors. It has some
6522 vias and some video signal generating chip, a composite video output,
sockets for eprom, four 2114 ram, etc.
Does anybody have documentation on this board? I lost mine years ago when
I sold off my old KIM-1 stuff :-( and would like to resurrect this board.
Its in very good shape, but is missing some socketed chips. Need docs
though to get anywhere.
Any leads would be appreciated, even a contact to someone who ran the
company or worked there could help. They had a lot of neat products!
The COMPUTERIST, INc.
P.O. Box 3, S. Chelmsford, MA 01824
Thanks!
John Lewczyk
jlewczyk(a)his.com
in addition to getting a very clean PS2 80 and 65, i found a pcjr with
strange modifications. a switch was added to the front of the jr that says:
OFF/ON PC MODE. the computer sits on top of a case that's about XT form
factor and it is called an EXTEC 1. It appears to have a hard drive, serial
port and RJ11 jacks on it. a wide cable connects the jr to the extec. the jr
also has 3 carts; one is jrVideo by pc enterprises, the second is pcjr clock
cart by integrity tech, and one that says hardbios jr by MSC (HDD BIOS
routines for the jr and RIM HD system it says) . also got an adaptor made by
synetics sw and systems that allows two carts to plug into one cart slot.
havent tested it yet since it rode home in the back of the truck and needs to
acclimate to room temp before testing.
DB Young coming in 2000: nothingtodo.org !
--> this message printed on recycled disk space
view the computers of yesteryear at
http://members.aol.com/suprdave/classiccmp/museum.htm
(now accepting donations!)
--- John B <dylanb(a)sympatico.ca> wrote:
> I am still looking for the following items and I hope someone out there can
> help:
> MicroVAX 2000 (loaded)
I can help you with this, depending on what you mean by "loaded".
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com
Hi,
Sorry to post nothing but junk, but I've been contacted by people on this
list before who are active in donating/setting up computers for charities.
Anyway, I recently came across 20 or so copies of Aldus PhotoStyler
version 2.0 which are completely Spanish language. If there's anyone on
the list who is doing work in Mexico/Latin America and want's these, let
me know and I'll ship them out to you.
Cheers,
Aaron
<OK, question of the day, how many RAM boards can a MicroVAX handle? It's
<living in a Sigma Rackmount chassis.
You have three limits. Available power, max address space and Q/CD slots.
I cant tell you home many Q/CD slots you have or how much power. The max
address space for the Microvax depends on version.
So you can in many cases run out of addressable space if the other two
parameters are not a limit.
Microvax1 4mb (Q22 limit)
MicrovaxII 16mb (implementation limit)
MicrovaxIII/Cvax (32 or 64mb I forget which)
Allison
I am still looking for the following items and I hope someone out there can
help:
Centronics 704 printer (I think it's 704, maybe 104.. anyway, it has 4
heads, upper case only, 800 LPM)
CalComp 563 or 565 or IBM 1627 Plotter
MicroVAX 2000 (loaded)
That's it.
Please address any wishlists to me to wishlist(a)pdp8.com . That way I can
catalog them and be able to fill them easier. Ie: someone asked me for docs
to an RH11... I now have them available... who is it?
john
PDP-8 and other rare mini computers
http://www.pdp8.com
"Yes, and the current high bid is by about the best person I'm aware of for
it to go to. He's got the space, and it *will* be safe.
"
No argument there!
Hi,
Can anyone explain to me what make a PC recognize whether there's a
keyboard attached or not? Is it something as simple as current/voltage, or
does the bios actually have to receive some kind of recognizable signal
>from the keyboard? I have a vintage ThinkPad that doesn't like my external
keyboard, yet it works fine with other external keyboards that I've tried.
Mine works fine on another system...
As always, any help would really be appreciated,
Aaron
It seems that nobody has noticed that on ebay is going for sale an IBM 604
calculator. This is the oldest electronic machine I've never seen for sale,
and if it weren't for an ocean dividing me and it...
The IBM 604 was launched in 1948, and kept in commerce up to about 1953.
It's about 2000 pounds total, 1400 tubes, a programmable calculator reading
programs out of an punch reader (offered in this sale).
There is a specimen of this machine at this dutch computer museum, with a
photo of the little thing:
http://www.wins.uva.nl/faculteit/museum/604.html
This is how IBM depicts the 604 in it's own history:
http://www.ibm.com/IBM/history/timeline.nsf/products2
The specimen on ebay has the 521 card punch/reader. This is the description
of the seller:
>IBM 604 weights 1300 pounds. LxWxH 52 1/4" x 31" x 60".
>IBM 521 weights 740 pounds. LxWxH 41" x 25 1/2" x 50".
>They require 220 volts & draw 36 amps running & 30 amps
>at idle. These 1950s era EAM machines have around 1,000
>glass tubes & will heat up a room quickly. Sold as is,
>may not be complete, some manuals but no parts catalogs.
>This pair probably has not been used in 20 years. I repair
>IBM card punches but not these babies!
The machine is in Santa Fe, Texas, and the current bid is $224,
ridiculously low if you consider that a single IBM tube of that series has
been sold for up to $170 on ebay, and there is one currently going for $50.
There are 1400 of them in the machine, and if somebody here does not act I
am afraid the machine will be bought and cannibalized to sell pieces!
There is still 1 day, 5 hours to the sale close! This is the ebay URL:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=219958046
Ciao
Francesco Bonomi (from Italy)
PS please let it be clear to anyone that I am not the seller; I just would
like to be the buyer, but I can't becaus of obvious distance problems!
Hi Everyone!
Just an update on the great DEC/Compaq collection that arrived last week
>from New Hamsphire. Over 90,000 lbs of historical DEC hardware arrived
thanks to a generous grant to cover shipping from Compaq. Mike Zahares of
TransTech, our North American Van Lines agent, did his usual brilliant job
of making sure everything was handled with kid gloves over the 3,000 mile
journey!
Thanks to the many volunteers who helped in the receiving of these rare
artifacts, they now have a permanent home (the artifacts, not the
volunteers! Although some volunteers _do_ seem to live here!) :_)
Special thanks, therefore, to: Lee Courtney, Bill Pitts, Bobbi and Steve
Rabinowitz, Charlie Pefferkorn, Jake Feinler, Mark Schaeffer, Ron Mak, Rob
Shaw, Ken Sumrall, Al Kossow, Grant Saviers, Joe Frederik, John C. Green,
Sam Ismail, Mike Baxter, Eli Goldberg, Ed Thelen, John Francis, Wayne Chin,
Bob Joslin, Thomas J. Ackermann, Mike Zahares, Len Shustek, Mason Brown,
Bud Warashina, and LaFarr Stuart. Forgive me if I have forgotten anyone!
And History Center staffers Karen Mathews, Wendy-Ann Francis, Jack
Hotchkiss, and Chris Garcia all pitched in and made sure the project went
off without a hitch.
Without all the hundreds of hours of help from these volunteers, who
believe so firmly in the preservation of computer history, we could not
have done this!
Pictures of the arrival are available at:
http://www.computerhistory.org/events/latest/
Note: photos of actual machines will be posted at this same URL on or about
January 13th so check back then--we are creating a new exhibit on the DEC
contributions to computing that opens to the public on that day!
Thanks everyone for your support! Hope to see you at the Center or on-line
soon...
Sincerely,
Dag.
--
Dag Spicer
Curator & Manager of Historical Collections
Editorial Board, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
The Computer Museum History Center
Building T12-A
NASA Ames Research Center
Mountain View, CA 94035
Offices: Building T12-A
Exhibit Area: Building 126
Tel: +1 650 604 2578
Fax: +1 650 604 2594
E-m: spicer(a)computerhistory.org
WWW: http://www.computerhistory.org
<spicer(a)tcm.org> PGP: 15E31235 (E6ECDF74 349D1667 260759AD 7D04C178)
S/V T12
Read about the latest History Center developments in
"CORE," our quarterly on-line newsletter:
http://www.computerhistory.org/events/core/1.1/
OK,
First, does anyone have docs/software for and FPS 5300 Array Processor? I
know what it is and what it does, but I need more than that.. lol... Second,
anyone have manuals and software for the Professional 325? I need them
badly... Third, same for Honeywell DPS-6/54... Fourth, I need an Interdata
7/32C front panel. Fifith, an Interdata card reader. 6th, an Interdata line
printer. 7th, some Data General binders circa Nova 1210, if such critters
exist, to house my docs for said machine. 8th, advice on whether or not I
should try to restore a VAX 8650, its currently upside down and cardless,
but I have more than half of the cards and it doesn't look rusty or
anything.. also 2 Unibus cabinets, 2 SBI cabinets, and the FEP..
Will J
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
On Sun, 19 Dec 1999 16:19:42 -0800 Bruce Lane
<kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com> writes:
> Three DSD-880's with multiple manuals and diagnostic disks.
> Also included is a DEC-produced VHS training video on how to service
the beasties,
> and at least one each of UniBus and Q-bus controllers for them (I say
at
> least because I'm not sure how many of each I have). I will also
include
> rack slides for the lot.
Do you think you could make a copy of the manual for the DSD-880 for me?
I'll pick up postage, plus a little extra for your time . . . .
You sure make me wish to hell I lived in the pacific northwest. I really
would have *loved* to grab some of the stuff off of the 'LIST'.
Thanks
Jeff
___________________________________________________________________
Why pay more to get Web access?
Try Juno for FREE -- then it's just $9.95/month if you act NOW!
Get your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.
Can you format one 1.44MB down to 720K? Early Laptops had 720 K diskettes.
Should be a format switch like / 720 or s:720
-----Original Message-----
From: mark belles [mailto:mrbelles@pittstate.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 1999 11:15 AM
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
Subject: Honeywell Bull:Laptop
Hey,
Anybody familiar with the Zenith Data Systems line of Honeywell Bull
laptop computers? I just recently got one from a friend, complete with an
inkjet printer. I have pretty much all the specs/manuals that originally
came with it. No software. I booted it up for the first time and got into
the BIOS and fiddled with it enough for it to boot. It had DOS installed on
it. Does anyone know if that is the original OS, if not what was it? Now
here's the problem, when it boots now I can't get into BIOS or even into the
system monitor program. I have tried boot disks, nothing. I can't get it to
read the disk. hard disk or floppy. The boot disks I have tried have all
been 1.44 mb, do you think that maybe a low density disk would make a
difference, and if so does anyone know where I can get my hands on one?
Anyone have any ideas? Sure could use some advice!
Thanks,
Mark Belles
--- Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> >
> The platten, at least on friction-feed models, is a plastic moulding and
> it's very unlikely to bent (I have had one break off at the end :-().
My concern is that something heavy may have been left on this thing for
multiple months/years and bent the plastic over time. I don't know this
for certain, but when I got home, the cover was broken (crack in the
clear acrylic panel at a corner, small bits broken off the opaque cover
adjacent). I'll disengage the heavy spring from the front ratchet and see
how freely this platten turns. For my tests last night, I was turning the
platten manually with a light grip on the feed knob and, depending on the
angular position of the platten, sometimes the platten would turn, other
times, my hand would slip on the knob. With the plattens exchanged, the
better unit turns easily and freely about the whole revolution and didn't
miss a single line feed in several feet of tests.
> Most likely there's uneven waer or stickyness on the ratchet teeth on the
> platten. This is a common problem and causes the feed pawl to stick.
It is not stickiness on the ratchet teeth. I remove the platten and cleaned
each tooth with a cloth and blunt stick. It could be uneven wear.
> > I did discover that you need to remove the print mechanism
> > from the base to get access to a spring...
>
> Actually, you can take the linkage apart above the chassis and leave the
> spring connected underneath. It's a bit of a fiddle to get it back, though.
I saw that the linkage could be disassembled, but at least this way, I didn't
have to readjust the tolerances. Fortunately, I think this is a one-time job.
> Take off the ribbon. Optionally (but I always do it because it makes life
> easier) take off the ribbon feed mechanism by loosening the 2 screws under
> the front edge and lifting it up and out.
Got that already.
> Unhook the carriage return spring...
Easy enough.
> (This bit is not in the manuals AFAIK, but it's essential). Pull out the
> rubber insert from the damper piston on the left side of the carriage.
An important tip. Many thanks.
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com
Hey,
Anybody familiar with the Zenith Data Systems line of Honeywell Bull laptop computers? I just recently got one from a friend, complete with an inkjet printer. I have pretty much all the specs/manuals that originally came with it. No software. I booted it up for the first time and got into the BIOS and fiddled with it enough for it to boot. It had DOS installed on it. Does anyone know if that is the original OS, if not what was it? Now here's the problem, when it boots now I can't get into BIOS or even into the system monitor program. I have tried boot disks, nothing. I can't get it to read the disk. hard disk or floppy. The boot disks I have tried have all been 1.44 mb, do you think that maybe a low density disk would make a difference, and if so does anyone know where I can get my hands on one? Anyone have any ideas? Sure could use some advice!
Thanks,
Mark Belles
I don't know of any simulators for the Univac 36 bit series. It would
be an interesting project, though. I wonder how much documentationf or
the original ERA machine still exists.
Exec 8 or it's descendents may be tough to find, though.
This is sort of off-the-wall, but does anyone know if there are any
emulators extant for my other favorite 36-bit machines - the
Univac 1100 series? Yet another one I might try to work on an emulator
for, assuming I ever retrieve my docs from my mother's house ... Of
course, I don't have a copy of OS1100, so I don't know what I could do
with such a thing....
(And, you can still buy a lot of this documentation, too - it's still
listed as available, and purchasable on-line, on Unisys's web site...).
--Pat.
OK... I found and fixed the lack of paper feed problem. It was
caused by there being a variable amount of force needed to turn
the platten depending on where it was in the rotation. In other
words, there is a flat spot or the platten itself is bent (I only
suggest this because one of the units may have had something
resting on top due to a bad garage packing job done by my former
roommates when I was out of the U.S. for a time). When I swapped
plattens between my two TTYs, the recipent unit turned over like
a breeze.
I did discover that you need to remove the print mechanism
>from the base to get access to a spring that's critical in
the line feed linkage. Fortunately, I found out the easy
way and not by busting something.
Now all that remains is the type cylinder/print hammer
retraction problem. I can type zeros all day and it
behaves nicely. Most keys, however, do not yield
satisfactory results. I currently suspect that the bar
that rides up and down on the 2cm-tall pegs (topped with
circlips) on either side of the type cylinder is gummed
up in some fashion. It moves up and down freely by hand,
but there is a bit of stickiness that I don't think
should be there. If I could figure out how to remove the
entire assembly, I'd swap it with the other unit.
At this point, I can manage exchanging entire assemblies
much more than individual parts. I did locate my wiring
diagrams (B-sized, blue covers, about a dozen pages) but
but not the grey maintenance manuals. :-(
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions so far. I've been
wiping and oiling (carefully) as I go along. I did get
those replacement print hammers from Western Numeric Control.
They are $2.50 each and just slip around the groove on the
bar face. I didn't know there was a groove there because
my old pad was clogging it. I wasn't experiencing any
problems with the sticky foot, but I do like to use the
proper parts when available.
Speaking of proper parts, I got some of the gear grease
on me from the helical-cut gears by the motor. I take
it that these gears take a graphite-bearing grease or
something similar. It certainly isn't axle or lithium
grease. Any ideas?
TIA,
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com
"Two questions about old machines I saw; don't know if there are chances
to get any of them.
Solbourne 700. With some surfing I got the impression it is a 4 way SMP
running SunOs 4.1.x. Saw this machine only in a photo that a friend of
a friend took.
"
Tom Dowdy has a nice page on Solbournes at
http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~dowdy/Solbourne/Solbourne.html
They aren't bad machines (other than being prone to overheating). We just
retired our last Series 6 machine at spies.com about two months ago. They
are SPARC based (either Cypress (series 5) or TI SuperSPARC (series 6))
but the hardware is completely unique (they have their own main bus with
VME for expansion)
If someone in the Bay Area has a use for them, and would make me a resonable
offer, I have a lot of series 5 and 6 spare boards.
"Funniest part: I loaded the trucks sooo heavy that every time I turned the
corner the back bottomed out and ground down the tires. The border did not
stop the trucks... let me through without taxes.
"
Would it make sense to find people near these locations and store the stuff
near where it is coming from, or find some cheap warehouse space?
All of this sounds like more than one person's worth of work to me...
Please check out my web site for info on my collection and computer
collecting in general. The URL is:
http://members.aol.com/lfessen106/8-bits.htm
I would also appreciate any tips, tricks or tidbits of information you may
have for collecting, refurbishing, repairing, and using old computers. I
would like to build a helpful page for our hobby.
-Linc.
-----Original Message-----
From: Al Kossow <aek(a)spies.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Wednesday, December 22, 1999 12:13 PM
Subject: Re: ***Load details part 1***
>"Funniest part: I loaded the trucks sooo heavy that every time I turned the
>corner the back bottomed out and ground down the tires. The border did not
>stop the trucks... let me through without taxes.
>"
>
>Would it make sense to find people near these locations and store the stuff
>near where it is coming from, or find some cheap warehouse space?
>
Most of the stuff is new. I had *no* idea what was there. I thought maybe 20
racks...I made the deal on the phone without ever seeing the stuff. Even the
DEC guy had no idea what was there. I had the help of three others and we
all got beaten. I was told I could pick and chose but gave up and decided to
take everything - and that was much appreciated. I quickly went out and
rented more large 1-way trucks and we loaded them all -didn't even make a
dent in the place. I got back to TO with no idea where to put it. I know the
owners of a large apartment building here and rented the largest apartment
they had and rented it. My Dad donated the bottom floor of his home and I
filled storage units. I am trying to arrange for a large warehouse now.
>All of this sounds like more than one person's worth of work to me...
>
It is... My dad is 60 and almost had a heart attack. I had the flu going
down there. The DEC guy (who has a lot of experience with DEC stuff from
'68-90) was completely exhausted. He laughed at me when he heard I wanted
the TU56 drives.. he called them pure junk and really dislikes them. I don't
know what to expect next there.. visibility is only about 3 feet and I have
a long way to go... somehow I think there is a lot more than 14,000 pounds
of DEC stuff left there....
I am feeling a bit better today and hope to fire up one of those 11/20s.
john
Greetingz classiccmpistas.. I am in the market for a floppy drive
for the MicroVax II... the machine I wish to add to has a TK50 and
an RD54 (I think) and a Cipher 880 looking like a TS11.
Even if there are aftermarket units existing, I would still like to
get a DEC unit. I saw one on a nice uVax at one of the recent TRW
swaps here in SoCal, but its custodian wanted $300 for the chassis
and was rather offended when I suggested that he had got the decimal
point shifted one decade to the right.. ;o
Is anything other than the physical drive needed? Cards? Cables?
Drivers? VouDou/Santeria rites?.. (and if so, a good source for live
chickens in the LA area...?)
AND>>>> The last, very last TRW Swap Meet of the 1900's will be
held on Saturday, the 25th December, 1999, from 7:30am -> 11:00am PST.
PLEASE NOTE: that the venue has shifted slightly, and not just
due to PacRim plate tectonics. The previous lot has been sold, and
the New Venue instructions follow....
From the 405 (San Diego) freeway, take the Rosecrans exit west.
Travel west on Rosecrans approximately one mile to Aviation. Turn
left (south) on Aviation [under the curved Metrolink train bridge]
and proceed south on Aviation. Continue south another mile until you
pass the intersection of Marine Avenue. Continue south past Marine,
and the Swap Meet will be on your left.
It is now in the SouthEast quadrant of the intersection of
Aviation and Marine. PREVIOUSLY it was in the NorthWest quadrant. I
have spaces G22 and G24. If you are in the nieghborhood, drop by
and check it out. This coming Saturday most likely will not be the
most populous, but then again... the hardcore swappers will be
there, and Bah: Humbug!! to those with 'other' priorities.
Cheers and Best of the Season
HoHOhO
Here's something I'm willing to ship.
I've turned up three HP1000 pocket guides. These are small blue plastic
binders that seem to have quite a wealth of info on the HP1000's inside
(they're about 1.5 inches thick).
$5.00 each + $3.20 priority mail = $8.20 each. If you're local, you can
come and pick one up for $5 even.
Thanks much.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com // E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our
own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
--- Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> wrote:
> At 05:44 PM 12/16/99 -0800, you wrote:
> >> Can anyone id this light pen?
> >> "http://www.intellistar.net/~rigdonj/misc/lpen.jpg". It looks like it was
> >> built into the body of a standard ink pen. The components on the circuit
> >> board are covered with a black tar looking substance giving the board a
> >> bumpy look. There is a male card edge connector sticking out of the
> >> reverse side on the circuit board.
> >Hmm, would that plug into the side of an Amiga 500 or what? Wierd.
No. Wrong number of pins. This device has 40.
> I *think* I remember seeing one like this on a Commodore Pet but I'm not
> sure. That was a long time ago. Does the Pet have a card edge connector or
> socket?
All PETs have a user port on the back that's an card edge. Original, static
RAM models have a card edge connector for memory expansion. Later models had
a pair of 40-pin pin connectors.
Given the apparent 0.1" spacing on this device and the number of pins, I'd
suspect that it's a TRS-80 device. I don't think it attaches to a Commodore
of any vintage.
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com
I am in need of the RX01(753A9) and RK05(756A9) roms for the M9312
boot/term board. Can trade any of my "extra" roms, RL:(751A9),
RX02(811A9), DP:/DB:(755A9), or MM:(757A9).
I can probably also be talked into attaching one of my spare M9312's to
any of said roms to make this trade. Thanks.
Nick
Here's a brief list of stuff that needs to go, free to anyone willing to
haul it away:
(2) Sun 386i - case only, includes power supply. These look similar to a
mid-size tower PC case.
(2) ADDS terminals. These things are huge, but I believe they work.
MAG PC monitor, 14 or 15". No high voltage.
Assorted WYSE terminals for parts.
If nobody wants this stuff it will probably end up in the garbage very
soon (except for the ADDS terminals, which will go to Goodwill if they
will accept them). I live in Aloha Oregon, which is a suburb of Portland.
-----------------------------------------------------
Mike Newman INTERNET: mike(a)delos.rain.com
Aloha, Oregon USA -or- mike.w.newman(a)gte.net
http://home1.gte.net/res003ki/index.htm
-----------------------------------------------------
Fellow CLASSICCMP'ers,
I need help cleaning out, and I DON'T want to ship anything this time, so
this will be LOCAL PICKUP ONLY from Kent, WA (southeast of Seattle).
I'm not going to set fixed prices on anything because I would far rather
see it get put to use than sit on it until someone offers me something.
What I will say is that if you find something you like, and you feel like
making some sort of contribution, that's fine. If not, that's still OK.
Translation: Freebies with a donation can set up nearby. ;-)
With that in mind, here's a (mostly complete) list of what I want to get
rid of.
FAIR WARNING: If this stuff fails to move within the next month or so, I'm
going to drop it at whatever local metal recycler will take it, and/or rent
a dumpster from the local landfill.
I hate to do that, but I'm out of room, dang it! I need to MOVE this stuff!
THE LIST
Three DSD-880's with multiple manuals and diagnostic disks. Also included
is a DEC-produced VHS training video on how to service the beasties, and at
least one each of UniBus and Q-bus controllers for them (I say at least
because I'm not sure how many of each I have). I will also include rack
slides for the lot.
A Fujitsu 'Super Eagle' SMD hard drive. Big rackmount beastie, spins up,
comes ready, runs wonderfully quiet for its size. I've not tested it
in-depth, but I see no reason why it should be anything but functional.
Includes rack slides (nice aluminum-alloy ball-bearing ones, no less).
Two Cipher 880 series front-load 9-track drives. One is a straight Cipher
drive, the other is an OEM unit they did for DEC (a TSV05 if I'm not
mistaken). I can also throw in at least one Qbus controller card, and at
least one set of rack slides.
A mid-size box full of 8" floppies with various software, including old
versions of RT11. There's also a bunch of misc. DEC manuals. The only rule
I'll make on this pile is that if you want any of it, you have to take it all!
Two MicroVAX 2000's. One has been set up by me to be a handy formatter for
those RD52's and RD54's that you Just Can't Find the Service Diagnostics
tape for. I did this by making a special ribbon cable for it that's about
twice as long as the original.
This next item should be of interest to those who want to do graphics on
the MicroVAX II and III: I have at least a pair of complete VCB02 graphics
subsystems. This means two each of the controller boards, four each of the
4-plane color boards, two BIG 19" RGB monitors, cabling, keyboards, and
'hockey-puck' style electronic rodents.
While not exactly computer-related, there might be some of you who have
wanted to install an old 1A2 key telephone system in your place. Well,
here's your chance! I have a Western Electric 551 series "shoebox" key
service unit and some line cards to go along with it. You can route up to
four lines through this beastie: All you need are some 25-pair cables and
some keysets to go with it.
I'll also be getting rid of a pair of rackmount SCSI drive enclosures.
These are nice ones made by Control Data. The drives mount in special trays
which then slide in the front (they hold two drives each) of the
enclosures, and there are thumbwheel switches on the backside to select
SCSI ID for each position.
There may be some other bits and pieces that I'll find in the process of
cleaning out, but that's the bulk of it. If you're interested in anything,
please drop me an E-mail note and we'll set up a meeting.
Thanks in advance.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com // E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our
own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
Okay... I am still in extreme pain (a nail went into my head at this site,
not to mention other damage from being squashed by some stuff) but here goes
an attempt to list what's on the first truck (I still have at least 3 more
shipments to do):
Hardware:
PDP-1 software, 40 trays, all the DECUS stuff too, I expect a new or near
completed PDP-1 as we get through the building
Classic-8 rack mounted, looks new. -Already spoken for ... I promised this
to a friend a few years ago.. I will get more of them.. I hope.
PDP-16
PDP-11/20 (new)
PDP11/15 (new)
PDP8/L (2), 1 new and one with 12K core [mem expansion]
PDT-11/130 new in box
PDP-11/35 one new, 3 others in racks
RK05s,06s,07s
TS02s,TS03s
PDP-11/05 (3) , and 2 "Industrial 11s - blue panel"
(9+) ME-11 core memory expanders - all 24K
PDP 11/03s
RX01s/RX02s (many, many new)
1200 R/W series flip chips boards
PDP-8/S parts (was damaged in flood in 1969)
(4+) TU56s, some new
TU56 prototype
spare new unibus boards (700+)
spare new CPU boards (a few hundred)
expanders filled with >????? (10+)
new backplanes/font panels for PDP-8Ls,PDP-11s,LSIs, peripherals.. etc..
lp25 band printer (cool!)
various stands and racks used in pictures in DEC photos
PC05s, etc...
TC11
TC01
RK05 track writer and exerciser (cool)
I know there is a lot more but I can't think of it right now....
Manuals (extensive... far beyond what I imagined):
Microfiche for every device, peripheral, board made by digital from 1965 to
1978 (mostly PDP-8,PDP11,LSI but I did find a box full labeled PDP-10)
15 boxes of PDP-8 manuals for everything you could think of including the
338 display
too many boxes to count of PDP11 CPU/Peripheral manuals
Every DEC handbook ever made
Internal DEC manuals "DEC Tips" and training material for the
8/s,8/I,8/e,etc...
DEC module bible -1984 :-))))))) , in print and disk, and tape.. sweet..
every module in order with description and unit installed in...
Software:
234 trays of PDP-11 paper tape software
40 trays of PDP-8 paper tape software
a few hundred mag tapes
96 dectapes (both 8/11)
hundreds of floppy disks
[I have told that I will have every version of every piece of software both
in beta and released in every format PT,dectape,magtape,rx01,rx02.. I still
have a huge room to clean out filled with RSTS,RSX,and RT11, OS/8]
65 RK05 packs, both PDP8,and 11, LSI
Tools:
Extenders
KM11s
dual KM11 extenders
serial handheld tools ??
portable microfiche readers
calipers and gauges
too many things to list....
Upgrade kits and spares
Many TU56 parts (new wheels, etc)
Printer parts from hell.
disk/tape cleaning kits, new heads,filters, etc...
Coolest stuff (stuff I will keep):
TC11
new TU56s
LP25 :-)
microfiche (even PDP-8 schematics, schematics for every module made in order
>from A-series to Z) :-)
Stuff I saw but have to pull out next trip:
300 more boxes of manuals
200+ boxes of software
PDP-11/35s
PDP-11/05s
PDP11/20s
PDP-11/34s (all old style)
PDP-11/03s (all with RX02s)
LA30
Decwriter everything.....
VT100s 20+
and....
there is the "unknown" building where everything PDP-11/20 and before
went... I will try and clean a path to it next.. I looked through a window
[visibility is 3 feet] and saw a bunch of R-series backplanes, 11/20s,
11/15s, and what looks to be more PDP-8Ls. (again.. stacked 10 feet high)
How I got the nail in my head? I spoke to an old DEC at the warehouse.. He
told me they stacked old pre PDP-8 stuff (light) in the rafters... I climbed
up and saw out of the corner of my eye a box labeled "R107"... thinking
about my PDP-8/S I dove for it... only to have a nail take a chunk out of
me... while recovering on very *weak* beams I dropped down a 1100 flip chips
and the PDP-1 software. There is still alot left up there but I was in a lot
of pain and the trucks were full.
19 hours to load (two days), 12 hours to unload... A lot of this stuff will
be for sale/trade. An inventory is almost impossible as I expect a few
thousand UNIBUS boards, a few thousand flip chips, at least 300 core memory
boards, now, at least 75 minis, manuals, paper tape when done. I don't know
what I am going to do yet. [I did not expect this].. Maybe a super
Keyways???. I did rent the largest apartment I could find and filled it. I
also have two storage units filled and my lab. AT&T gave me the bottom floor
of one of their buildings to use but.... [you'll never guess].. it's filled
with MicroVAX's and PDPs from a company they bought out a little while
ago... I get that stuff next month.
Funniest part: I loaded the trucks sooo heavy that every time I turned the
corner the back bottomed out and ground down the tires. The border did not
stop the trucks... let me through without taxes.
I will try and put up picture in the next day or so on my site... I am
really sick right now and am trying to recover for XMAS.
OHH, by the way.. I got a call today and have a warehouse to go to that has
a ton of HP-2 stuff, software, manuals, boards, and wang tube stuff,
also...????
Sad part is I doubt I will be able to find any more *cool* stuff after
march.. Most of this was scheduled to go to the dump in March and most
companies are pitching anything non-Y2K complaint over the next 3 months.
john
PDP-8 and other rare mini computers
http://www.pdp8.com
At 12:36 AM 12/21/99 GMT, you wrote:
>Who (by company, that is) invented the first "clamshell" laptop? I am
>tempted to believe it is either GRiD or Zenith Data Systems that introduced
>this style, but if I had to, I'd lay my money on GRiD.
Take the money and run.
GRiD Compass: 1982 (Sometime in the fall)
Sharp PC-5000: 1983 (March)
Gavilan: 1983 (March or April)
TRS-80 m100: 1983
TRS-80 m200: 1985?
I don't know what Zenith's first clamshell was, but I'm pretty sure it was
much later on.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
>I call UPS and have them make a one time pickup. They say that it costs
>$5 extra but I've compared the cost of that and taking it to their drop off
>counter and it's almost always cheaper to have them come get it. No idea
>why unless there's some hidden charges involved in dropping it off.
The UPS ship rate is higher at the counter than it is for pick-up. It costs $4-5 more
to ship a 50 lb. package cross country from the counter than it does for a pick-up.
That about offsets the pick-up fee. Isn't as favorable for lighter packages, obviously.
-W
well, the lcd screen for the //c only sits on top of the computer and does
not fold down and is not integral with the rest of the computer so it really
doesnt apply. I think the time zone was 1984 or thereabouts.
In a message dated 12/21/99 8:30:06 PM Eastern Standard Time,
jim(a)calico.litterbox.com writes:
> I would have said Apple, with the LCD screen that went on the Apple 2 C.
> But I think that was after 1982.
>
> >
> > At 12:36 AM 12/21/99 GMT, you wrote:
> > >Who (by company, that is) invented the first "clamshell" laptop? I am
> > >tempted to believe it is either GRiD or Zenith Data Systems that
> introduced
> > >this style, but if I had to, I'd lay my money on GRiD.
> >
> > Take the money and run.
> >
> > GRiD Compass: 1982 (Sometime in the fall)
> > Sharp PC-5000: 1983 (March)
> > Gavilan: 1983 (March or April)
> > TRS-80 m100: 1983
> > TRS-80 m200: 1985?
> >
> > I don't know what Zenith's first clamshell was, but I'm pretty sure it
was
> > much later on.
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
> >
> > Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
> > roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
> > Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
> > San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
> >
>
>
> --
> Jim Strickland
> jim(a)DIESPAMMERSCUMcalico.litterbox.com
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> BeOS Powered!
DB Young coming in 2000: my new site at www.nothingtodo.org !
--> this message printed on recycled disk space
view the computers of yesteryear at
http://members.aol.com/suprdave/classiccmp/museum.htm
(now accepting donations!)
At 10:46 PM 12/21/1999 -0000, you wrote:
>I ordered some manuals
>from them about two months ago, including the 360 Principles of Operation,
>the 360/30 Functional Characteristics, and the 360/67 Functional
>Characteristics.
I remember reading the 360 manuals 25 years ago. Are the manuals you
recently received still in that lovely line printer + ASCII graphics
motif?
Lance.
Lance Costanzo http://www.webhighrise.com
System Administrator Website and Virtual Domain Hosting
lance(a)costanzo.net starting at $5/month, no setup fees
Just a little trivia question I thought I'd ask everybody, here it is:
Who (by company, that is) invented the first "clamshell" laptop? I am
tempted to believe it is either GRiD or Zenith Data Systems that introduced
this style, but if I had to, I'd lay my money on GRiD.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Dwight Elvey <elvey(a)hal.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, December 21, 1999 11:13 AM
Subject: RE: Olympia Olytext 20 OS question.
>"Ernest" <ernestls(a)home.com> wrote:
>> Hi Don. I may be able to get a copy of CP/M-80 but it won't be for my
>> specific system. That's the problem. I don't have the OS for it. That's
why
>> I was curious about how difficult it would be to set up a generic copy of
>> CP/M to run on it. I've never assembled (?) CP/M for a computer, but I've
>> been reading a how to on doing it, and interested in giving it a shot.
I'm
>> not even sure of how to load/run the system monitor to ID the various
>> address' but the thing is, as with anything, there's always a first time,
>> and you have to start somewhere.
>>
>
>Hi Ernest
> Most of CP/M is generic but the part called BDOS has to
>be specifically written to work on your computer. This
>part contains both the disk, printer, punch and serial I/O.
>The most important are the disk and serial. Usually the
>serial is easy because there were only a limited number
>of serial chips used. You don't have to make the serial
>interrupt driven. It is easier to make it a simple polled
>system at first. I've left mine as a polled system because
>I see no need to setup serial when I'm the only user.
> The disk I/O is a little more difficult. You'll need
>to know how the disk interface works. Most of the newer
>disk interfaces use one of the Western Digital series
>of chips. The reading and writing of sectors is relatively
>easy. You'll still need to have some understanding of
>disk formats and how the sectors are addressed.
> If you can find examples of code for the interfaces you
>have, 95% of the battle is won. You'll need a way of getting
>the code into the memory and then to the disk of your machine
>or someone else with a running machine can create the
>disk. The IMSAIs have the advantage that they have front
>panel switches. The machine may have a ROM based monitor
>that can be handy. If not, you'll need another machine
>to help boot strap your machine. The other machine doesn't
>need to be the same type, it only needs to be able to
>write the same disk format.
> I brought an old IMSAI back to life by doing a BDOS for
>it. It had an AY-3-1015 serial chip that was typical
>of the older machines. These are generally easy to work
>with since there is no software initialization ( other
>than clearing power up trash ) that needs to be done.
>The 8251 and 8250 type parts require initialization
>but they are also more versatile. The disk interface, on
>my machine, was an early TTL interface that had DMA to the
>machines memory. This took me quite a while to figure out
>and it wasn't until I found a schematic that I was able to
>figure it out ( it also was broken ). Luckily for you, most
>of the newer interfaces use standard chips and are easier to
>deal with. In many cases, you can make progress without
>schematics and only the chip manufactures spec sheet.
> It is also possible that many of the functions you need
>are already in ROMs on your machine.
>Dwight
>
>
I am trying to unsuscribe to your classiccmp. How do I do that? Thanks,
Dale Applegate
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, December 21, 1999 11:42 AM
Subject: Re: An odd request...
>>
>> I just had a kind of odd request.
>>
>> This one's for the Apple gurus on the list: Is it at all possible,
through
>> hardware, software, or 'other,' to read 5.25" floppies written on an
Apple
>> IIe on a PC?
>
>Yes, it's possible, because all things are possible :-)
>But it's not easy. The PC disk controller is physcially incapable of
>reading the GCR encoding on an Apple ][ disk. So you _can't_ simply use
>software to read the disks.
>
>There are/were accessory controller boards for the PC that connected
>between the normal controller and the floppy drive. These controllers
>could then handle the Apple GCR data. There were also Apple ][ emulator
>cards for the PC (basically a complete Apple ][ on an ISA card) that did
>the same sort of thing. No idea where you'd find these (for sale --
>people on this list have them but are hanging on to them) these days.
>
>You could always use an Apple ][ + its native disk controller and link it
>to a PC using either a serial (easier) or parallel link.
>
>-tony
>
>
--- CLASSICCMP(a)trailing-edge.com wrote:
> I'm pleased to announce that I've finally organized the PDP-10
> related material in my posession and put it on-line. At
>
> http://pdp-10.trailing-edge.com/
Cool. Thanks.
> I'm open to comments, suggestions, criticism, etc., on the layout
> of the archives and how they are presented over the web. Fire away!
> And if anyone has any material to add to the archives, I'm willing
> to do whatever it takes to preserve this software.
Suppose I have this account on an XKL-10. Now suppose I want to transfer
some freeware off of it. How do I preserve the 36-bitness with ftp? Do
I just use binary mode for executables and TENEX mode for text?
I only ever got to dabble with the DEC-20 at OSU before it was gone. I was
never a whiz with it. Perhaps there's a FAQ for TOPS out there?
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com
I'm pleased to announce that I've finally organized the PDP-10
related material in my posession and put it on-line. At
http://pdp-10.trailing-edge.com/
you will find several hundred megabytes of TOPS-10 and TOPS-20
tape images (largely from Megan Gentry's efforts at rescuing
several KS10's in Cambridge earlier this year), individual files
extracted from those tapes, and several
hundred megabytes of DECUS TOPS-10 and TOPS-20 freeware.
You will also find, interspersed among the contents of that page,
numerous plugs for me and my capabilities to archive digital media
for the future, and my absolute dedication to exact tape images.
The TOPS-10 and TOPS-20 material is provided to aid those
folks who have accepted the terms of the 36-bit Hobbyist
license in fulfilling their responsibilities as outlined in
section 3.1 of that agreement. Please see the full text of the
license at the above URL.
I'm open to comments, suggestions, criticism, etc., on the layout
of the archives and how they are presented over the web. Fire away!
And if anyone has any material to add to the archives, I'm willing
to do whatever it takes to preserve this software.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
Can anyone help this lady out?
Please reply to: CABOCEAN(a)aol.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 19:18:51 EST
From: CABOCEAN(a)aol.com
Subject: Vintage Computers IBM 5155 Portable
Hello,
I am seeking software/hardware and a manual for this computer. I gave the
computer to my Dad with the accompanying Smith Corona Typewriter and he is
having a great time with it?
Help, guidance and suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank You,
Claire
Sellam International Man of Intrigue and Danger
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking for a six in a pile of nines...
VCF East? VCF Europe!? YOU BETCHA!!
Stay tuned for more information
or contact me to find out how you can participate
http://www.vintage.org
John,
Yes, the terminal is set up exactly the way the MicroVAX 3100 manual said to
set it up, 9600, 8-n-1, I believe.. I can hear the disk spin up. I can
hammer away on the keyboard all I want and the terminal never reads more
than that gibberish...
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
I am having a problem with my Indus GT disk drive that is conntected to my
Commodore 64C. I have already cheked the obvious (plugged in, turned on,
etc.), but it still refuses to power up. Is there a fuse somewhere that
needs to be replaced? Or is it just the power supply?
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Can someone help this guy out?
Please reply to: RABIHfromPA1924(a)webtv.net
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 21:56:08 -0500 (EST)
From: Rabih Albaki <RABIHfromPA1924(a)webtv.net>
To: vending(a)siconic.com
Subject: work slate wk100
If it is possible, Iam looking for the peripheral 8 pin modular
plug to buy for that unit at any cost to me. Iam looking foreward
to hearing from you. Thak you sincerely.
Sellam International Man of Intrigue and Danger
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking for a six in a pile of nines...
VCF East? VCF Europe!? YOU BETCHA!!
Stay tuned for more information
or contact me to find out how you can participate
http://www.vintage.org
>Doesn't the RX33 require a higher rev. of the RQDX3 than is normally
>available? ISTR, that I've got a whole pile of RQDX3's, but only one of
>which is capable of driving a RX33.
It depends on what value of "normal" you have :-). Only the very oldest
RQDX3's won't drive a RX33, but for some reason these tend to be very
common in collections of scrounged RQDX3's!
>OTOH, Tim's comment about the 3rd Party controller I suspect just did me a
>big favor with the MV3 that I'm currently working on.
Hmm - I think that instead of attributing that to my profound insight, it
should instead get chalked up to dumb luck, because I don't have the slightest
idea what favor I just did for you :-)
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
"Oddly enough the only 5.25 drive for a mac I know of only reads PC formats.
correct. it used a nubus card with a 756 controller on it to allow people to
read DOS discs on nubus macs.
the AII compatibility card for LC's allowed for external discs, though, but
>from memory I don't recall any way to use it as a disc controller on the mac
side.
Attached is the E-mail I got from the fellow who needs those Apple IIe
disks read. Given the situation (I don't have the hardware), and that he
may be interested in joining our ranks (my assumption), I'm just going to
forward his note here and let those who can help contact him directly.
He'd probably be willing to pay at least a small fee, though I probably
would have handled such a simple request at no charge if I'd had the
MatchPoint stuff.
Thanks much.
-=-=- <break> -=-=-
From: Joe Nunnelley <Joe-Nunnelley(a)stlabs.com>
To: "'sales(a)bluefeathertech.com'" <sales(a)bluefeathertech.com>
Subject: Request for a quote for data conversion
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 17:43:53 -0800
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2448.0)
Hello,
I would like to get a quote for converting data from an older format to
either a hard copy or to a PC compatible ASCII format on disk.
The Item: Two 5 1/4 inch floppy disks with text documents stored by an
Apple II e computer (circa 1983). These text documents were created using a
word processing software called "Zardax" (Zardax 6.0 to be more specific).
I have the Zardax program and The Diskware DOS 3.3 from Apple (both on 5 1/4
inch floppies).
I am searching for someone who has an Apple II e and who can move the data
>from the disk to another format (paper or PC formatted and ASCII text
document.). Please let me know if this is something your organization would
be able to do, and if so, how much it would cost.
Regards,
Joe Nunnelley
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com // E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our
own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
> Greetingz classiccmpistas.. I am in the market for a floppy drive
>for the MicroVax II... the machine I wish to add to has a TK50 and
>an RD54 (I think) and a Cipher 880 looking like a TS11.
>
> Even if there are aftermarket units existing, I would still like to
>get a DEC unit. I saw one on a nice uVax at one of the recent TRW
>swaps here in SoCal, but its custodian wanted $300 for the chassis
>and was rather offended when I suggested that he had got the decimal
>point shifted one decade to the right.. ;o
You'll have to be more specific about what sort of floppy drive
that you want to hook up. 8 inch? If so, RX01 or RX02? In this
case you'll also need a RXV211 or clone controller in the Q-Bus
backplane. 5.25 inch? If so, RX33 or RX50? In these cases you'll
just attach to the existing RQDX3/breakout box. 3.5 inch? If so,
you'll need a third-party Q-bus controller to run the drive, unless
you get your hands on a prototype RQDX4 :-)
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
>> The spacing between pins along a row is I think 0.1 inches. The spacing
between
>
> You have some strange D connectors there (at least for Normal Density
> ones). Try holding a piece of stripboard or an IC against one. The pins
> do _not_ line up (just tried it). The D-pin spacing (normal DB25 is the
> one I had to hand) is larger than 0.1". As is the row spacing, which
> seems to be the same as the pin spacing in a row.
I stand corrected. A slightly more accurate measurement gives pins within a row
at 2.75+/-0.01 mm, between rows 3.00+/-0.10 mm (the latter more likely to be
less than more).
My mistake arose because the row of 13 pins on a DB25 measures almost exactly
1.3 inches, pin centre to pin centre. How could I do such a thing? There
really is no excuse!
Philip.
**********************************************************************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
the system manager.
This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept
for the presence of computer viruses.
Power Technology Centre, Ratcliffe-on-Soar,
Nottingham, NG11 0EE, UK
Tel: +44 (0)115 936 2000
http://www.powertech.co.uk
**********************************************************************
Picked up a LQPX2-SW tonight; its a 2-port 25-pin serial A/B switchbox
with the d|i|g|i|t|a|l logo on it, made out of shiny "burnished" stainless
steel.
I didnt know they even made their own switchboxes!
Bill
--
+-----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|Bill Bradford | mrbill(a)pdp11.org | mrbill(a)mrbill.net |
|http://www.sunhelp.org | http://www.pdp11.org | http://www.mrbill.net|
+-----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
Does anybody know what is the asking price for a GRiD PalmPad (XT class)? I
am thinking about getting one of these one of these days.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
<Picked up a LQPX2-SW tonight; its a 2-port 25-pin serial A/B switchbox
<with the d|i|g|i|t|a|l logo on it, made out of shiny "burnished" stainless
<steel.
<
<I didnt know they even made their own switchboxes!
They did 40,000 items of one sort or another. LQP02 switchboxes were one.
FYI: it's aluminum I have two.
I use them to make small radios and the like as it's a handy size, they are
like flies and were often seen on DECmates and PROs so you could do draft on
a LA50 (dotmatrix) and LQ on a real LQ!
Allison
Allison
You might be right and maybe the Mac will only read Apple II formatted 3.5"
diskettes and I might have been thinking of hooking up a real Apple II
5.25" drive to an Apple IIe card in an LC or something.. Apologies for any
inaccuracies :)
-Sean Caron (root(a)diablonet.net)
In a message dated 12/20/1999 3:49:20 PM Pacific Standard Time,
netsurfer_x1(a)hotmail.com writes:
> anufacturer: Computype, Inc.
> Model: Compuedit
> Year: 1981 (?)
>
It is the front end computer to a dedicated typesetter in the early 80s.
Paxton
John,
<Yes, the terminal is set up exactly the way the MicroVAX 3100 manual said t
<set it up, 9600, 8-n-1, I believe.. I can hear the disk spin up. I can
<hammer away on the keyboard all I want and the terminal never reads more
<than that gibberish...
Your pinout (connections) are munged. I'll bet you used pin1 from the
terminal(protective ground) instead of pin7 (signal) ground.
Allison
Unfortunently, I think it's impossible, as Apple disks used a totally
different recording format than PC disks do/did. AFAIK, the only
alternatives are an original Apple box or a Mac decked out with the
Apple 5.25" drive.
-Sean Caron (root(a)diablonet.net)
I have a pair of 3B2 400s that need to find a new home. I also have a
large stack of manuals for them. Located in central Florida. Best offer
plus shipping.
Joe
In a message dated 12/20/99 9:19:04 PM Eastern Standard Time,
kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com writes:
> I just had a kind of odd request.
>
> This one's for the Apple gurus on the list: Is it at all possible, through
> hardware, software, or 'other,' to read 5.25" floppies written on an Apple
> IIe on a PC?
This is an all too common question and has been answered before. the only way
to do it is to use one of those apple // emulation cards in a pc, such as a
trackstar card.
DB Young coming in 2000: my new site at www.nothingtodo.org !
--> this message printed on recycled disk space
view the computers of yesteryear at
http://members.aol.com/suprdave/classiccmp/museum.htm
(now accepting donations!)
> I just had a kind of odd request.
>
> This one's for the Apple gurus on the list: Is it at all possible, through
>hardware, software, or 'other,' to read 5.25" floppies written on an Apple
>IIe on a PC?
Yes. Two ways:
1. Use a specialized "free-format" floppy disk controller in a PC-clone.
Typically requires a non-negligible $ and time investment.
2. Hook an Apple ][ with disk drive to the "output target" system
via a serial cable.
Really, the best way to do this (and I've been doing this for
a few decades now!) is #2 - the best Apple ][ floppy disk controller
for a PC *is* an Apple ][!
> Taking that one step further: Has anyone heard of the word processing
>program 'Zardax,' and if so, do you know if it's possible to convert its
>files to a more common format?
Sure, it's largely flat ASCII with some escape codes thrown in (and, IIRC,
it has the high bit set through most of the text, very reminiscent
of Pr1me text files.) Image the floppy, dump the files, no big deal.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
--- Dann Lunsford <dann(a)greycat.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 20, 1999 at 07:26:29PM -0500, Allison J Parent wrote:
> > <You did, but you also spoke up first (at least as far as I can tell). If
> > <it's not a problem, I do want it.
> > <
> > <-ethan
> >
> > I repeat, _IF_ someone else didn't want it. There is no, I'm first in
> > that. ;)
> >
> > By all means claim it. I just didn't want a useful item like that to go
> > to waste.
Thank you, Allison.
> Heh. Didn't mean to start a food fight :-). Ethan, send me your shipping
> addy...
I'll send it under a private cover. Thanks.
-ethan
=====
Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February.
Please send all replies to
erd(a)iname.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com
Has anyone gotten a eMail message that appears to have come from the
mailing list with the header "Re: Help identify a Control Data piece", when
in reality it looks to have come from "helpdesk-pc.pittstate.edu
[198.248.209.153]" if I'm reading the headers right.
Included in the message was a Windows executable that is supposedly a
recent animation from the site their advertising. Somehow I suspect a
Trojan Horse, but doens't really matter I'm using Eudora on a Mac.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
I'm not in San Diego, but I got Andy's permission to forward this to the
list in case anybody IS there (or willing to go there) and rescue these
machines...
Bill
----- Forwarded message from Andy Bustamante <ACBustamante(a)earthlink.net> -----
Reply-To: <ACBustamante(a)earthlink.net>
From: "Andy Bustamante" <ACBustamante(a)earthlink.net>
To: <mrbill(a)mrbill.net>
Subject: Re: announcing pdp11.org
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 00:28:05 -0800
Where are you? I have PDP 11/84's in San Diego waiting to be either
scrapped or sold for parts. You'll have to come get them.
----- End forwarded message -----
--
+-----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|Bill Bradford | mrbill(a)pdp11.org | mrbill(a)mrbill.net |
|http://www.sunhelp.org | http://www.pdp11.org | http://www.mrbill.net|
+-----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
<You did, but you also spoke up first (at least as far as I can tell). If
<it's not a problem, I do want it.
<
<-ethan
I repeat, _IF_ someone else didn't want it. There is no, I'm first in
that. ;)
By all means claim it. I just didn't want a useful item like that to go
to waste.
Allison
Hmm.. I agree with you, either Zenith or Grid, but I think it might have
actually been Zenith... or so I think i remember seeing once :)
-Sean Caron (root(a)diablonet.net)