Sam:
could you please tell me what isbn number and the publisher was on the
"Computer power for small business" book though I could try and track it
down in some used book syores around here.
thanx
Chris
At 10:25 AM 06/02/98 -0800, you wrote:
>
>I added another 37 volumes to my vintage computer library yesterday.
>
>By far the most valuable from a historical standpoint is the book
>_Computer Power for the Small Business_ from 1979. It is a buyer's guide
>for microcomputers of the mid- to late -0's era. Talk about a treasure.
>This book has pictures and decriptions of many computers I've never even
>heard of.
>
>It contains information on systems we know much of, such as the Atari's,
>Apple, PETs, Radio Shack, etc. But it also has blurbs on systems that
>I've not seen mentioned anywhere else (at least not in a way that is
>looking back on these systems with a historical perspective) like the RCA
>Cosmac VIP, the Sol-20, Exidy Sorcerer, Heathkit H-8 and H-11, Intecolor
>8031.
>
>The best part is the descriptions of systems I've never knew about before.
>Has anyone ever heard of an Outpost computer? Its a fully integrated
>package with keyboard, display and 5.25" drive, but its almost three feet
>wide, with the two 5.25" drive bays to the side of the display! How about
>the PeCos One from APF Electronics. I have a pong machine made by APF but
>who would've thought they once made computers? How about The Renaissance
>Machine (aka Compucolor II)? There's also mention of the Teal SHC-8000,
>which is sort of like a pet with display, keyboard and cassette player in
>one unit.
>
>It then has a listing with about 40 different system descriptions,
>including CPU, memory, external storage, input (ie. keyboard, lightpen),
>output (ie. display, printer) and basic cost. There's also the company
>address which is extremely valuable for research.
>
>Here's an interesting tidbit. Apparently Data General made a line of
>computers dubbed "The Digital Group". According to this entry in the
>table, they were systems based on the Z-80, 8080A, 9080A, 6800 and 6502
>processors; they had 2K of main memory; they used cassettes for storage.
>Can anyone verify this?
>
>I also got another similar book entitled _The Peter McWilliams Personal
>Computer Buying Guide_ circa 1985. I haven't had a chance to go through
>it in much detail but it is basically more nice descriptions of early- to
>mid-80's computers, again some of which I've never heard of. I'll do a
>review later.
>
>In my travels I also picked up a Victor 800 electric adding machine. I
>don't collect adding machines and only rare grab them for specific
>reasons. In this case, this is the same Victor as the Victor 9000
>computer. I knew right away because the 'o' in the "Victor" emblem was
>that striped-circle that is telling of a Victor product (plus it had a
>Scott's Valley, CA address on the back).
>
>Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass
>
> Coming Soon...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0
> See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
>
>
>
> That sounds right. In fact, the readers are even labeled
< > "DECtape55"s. How much do these hold?
Around 185-230k 12bit words depending on how formatted.
1464 blocks of 128 words, randomly block addressable with an index.
Another scheme used 129 word blocks with over 1400 available. It was
low cost disk like and moderatly fast storage. One tape could hold a
complete OS and utilities along with a language.
Allison
< >Standard paper tape stores 10 characters/inch. Each row of holes across
< >the tape is an 8-bit character, with a small 'sprocket' hole which is
< >either used to drag the tape through the reader, or to provide a strobe
< >pulse.
<
< Is that enough to actually do some decent stuff with the PDP-8.
Humph, PC mentality... Back beofre Gates could stand there were computers
and programmers programmed such that tens of kilobyte requirements for OSs
were inconceiveable as being bloated.
Considering the basic PDP-8 has 4k 12 bit words. Yes.
< I also have some reels of film-like tape. What's the proper name for it?
< How does it compare to the paper tape?
There are two things, mylar tape (does not decay around oils) and if the
tapes have a 4" hub and say dectape then it's a old low cost magtape.
Allison
>> >A full reel of tape was 1000' I think. That's about 100K of data (to give
>> >an order of magnitude). A full box of fanfold tape would be about the same.
>>
>> I also have some reels of film-like tape. What's the proper name for it?
>> How does it compare to the paper tape?
>
>Are these little reels about 4" in diameter of 3/4" magnetic tape? If so,
>they're the original DECtapes.
That sounds right. In fact, the readers are even labeled
"DECtape55"s. How much do these hold?
What is used to 'punch' the paper tape? My reader certainly doesn't
look like it's capable.
Thanks.
Tom Owad
--
Sysop of Caesarville Online
Client software at: <http://home.earthlink.net/~tomowad/>
On Fri, 17 Jul 1998 05:54:31 -0800 (PDT), Tim Shoppa
<shoppa(a)alph02.triumf.ca> wrote:
>It's probably not too far off target. The original QDOS was certainly
>developed on a S-100 CP/M-80 system - Tim Paterson's articles in _BYTE_
>make this much obvious - but most Microsoft products
>of the era were cross-compiled from one of several DEC minicomputers
>that Microsoft owned or "leased" time on. I know that most of their early
>Macintosh products were developed on a TOPS-10 system, in particular.
>I would guess that after they bought QDOS, Microsoft moved development
>to a TOPS-10 platform.
>Tim.
Do you have copies of those articles handy? I'd really like to get
copies of them.
Thanks.
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin! Charter Member
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
> Right now only one of the drives is hooked up, set to drive '0'.
>It will boot and run the UCSD stuff and it will boot RT-11(V2.0)....
>except that, in 7 out of the 7 packs with RT-11.... it is as if KMON
>was missing or damaged; it boots up to the dot prompt and then
>returns the ?ILL? message no matter which command I give it. I have
>RT-11(V5.0) on my 11/73 and it is fully functional, so I have had
>some cursory (N.P.I.) experience with the OS.
Ah... you're playing with an RT-11 which didn't have DCL... there are
no quick shortcuts to accomplish things. To get a directory of
your disk:
R PIP
*RK0:/L
*^C
There is no 'HELP' command... each utility has to be run explicitly.
There is no BUP, DUP, DIR... the functions that were split out into
DUP and DIR are still in PIP...
Back when I first used V2... I wrote what I called a supplementary
command scanner which was invoked if KMON couldn't otherwise identify
the command. So I had a sort of CCL way back in 1976 or so (when I
was at WPI).
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
(1978-1992)
User of RT-11 since 1975
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of ' ' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
Hello, all:
While going through the old Popular Electronics magazines that I
recently got, I found two article series that I would like to have complete,
but I'm missing two issues...bummer.
Does anyone have the following and would be willing to mail me a copy:
1. Popular Electronics, March 1977, Part 3 of the "Build the
Cosmac Elf" construction article.
2. Popular Electronics, November, 1981, Part 3 of the "Designing
with the 8080 uP" article.
I'd be more than happy to reimburse for copying/postage. Thanks.
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin! Charter Member
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
I ran across a consignment store that has a large supply of shrink-wrapped MSDOS 6.x they are selling for $1 each. Probably be about $5 including postage. Please let me know if anyone is interested.
Regards,
Bob
Those of you interested I have been doing some updating to my Commodore pages.
Let me see if I can give you a list:
* Added a better 'original PET' graphic to the PET page
(Yeah Doug, that picture does look awfully familiar, hope you don't mind..)
* Added a picture of my Pet Rock (as a link in the PET page)
* Added to the PET FAQ two sub-pages on PET BASIC (one small, one REALLY BIG)
both are adapted from the Commodore 64 Programmer's Reference text
from Project 64 with changes/additions to be PET specific.
also a nother question or two
* Started a Commdore 8-bit Troubleshooting Guide
(stuff like don't put things to close or to the left of monitors, etc)
I have a couple 64 and 1541 fixer charts I plan to add someday too.
* P500 Page has all new pics! (with close-up of the back panel)
much re-wording (also found a pic of an Ultimax to add) Unfortunately
my QuickCam can't do a screen-shot, the monitor refresh
through the camera is too messy.
* Did a bit of work on the BBS history, still have to add a link
over to the CBBS North West page (4th BBS in the U.S!)...
If any of that sounds interesting, click on the link below and check it out.
(BTW I know the long PET BASIC page 4.0 command portion is incomplete, I got
lazy, what can I say.)
--
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (300-2400bd) (209) 754-1363
Visit my Commodore 8-Bit web page at:
http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/commodore.html
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
In a message dated 98-07-18 21:53:03 EDT, you write:
<< A friend of mine called me today and told me that he stopped at a garage
sale and that they had some kind of large Apple laptop computer for sale.
The owner claimed it was some sort of prototype and was asking $100 for it.
Do this sound like anything that you're interested in? >>
i dunno. ive heard that "its a prototype" line before so unless they have
incontrovertible evidence, they are probably lying. it's probably just a mac
portable. i'll pass.
> I was just pointing at that in the US, the telcos have far
>less ability to control how many phones you have the house than in
other
>parts of the world.
>
>Anyway, point taken.
>
Is there any reason for a telco to worry about the number of phones in a
house besides for purely financial concerns? Of course, if you have 100
phones all plugged in, it's possible there won't be enough power for all
of them, and certainly not enough to make them all ring. I believe the
FCC controls stuff about the amount of power a phone can use for
ringing.
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< > TRS80 model II with 3 physically huge 8 meg HDDs
<
< 8 meg ? not five ? Whats the type and manufacturer ?
< Do you have an online picture ?
Back then SA4000, Memorex M101s were as common as the new ST506/412
drives. I have a M101 here operational on a CCS s100 crate big and
like most of the 8"s clear plastc cover to watch the goings on.
Allison
Looking for a good source of info, parts, specs, etc. for the Atari 1040
ST. Haven't found much yet out in netspace.
-
- john higginbotham ____________________________
- webmaster www.pntprinting.com -
- limbo limbo.netpath.net -
i've got just about every compact mac model made except for a 128. while
selling some things at a radio rally today, i came across a guy who said he
had a complete working one for sale. turns out this guy even works in the same
facility i do! here's what i got for $10
imagewriter // in original box.
mac128 in its original box with manuals and system disks. also has keyboard
and mouse in their boxes also along with the purchase list and other
literature. machine is dirty and will have to be disassembled and cleaned. one
thing he told me is that it has some sort of scsi upgrade. the battery door
has been replaced with a db25 connector so im not sure if it has a genuine 128
board in there. nonetheless, i will keep it in its current modified status
because the upgrade it's had is almost as "rare" as the machine itself. i also
have a lead on another guy that has about 30 compact macs in several designs:
512, plus,se and probably some more 128 models which i might also get. for
some reason, i couldnt sell all the plus and 512k models i had...
>Standard paper tape stores 10 characters/inch. Each row of holes across
>the tape is an 8-bit character, with a small 'sprocket' hole which is
>either used to drag the tape through the reader, or to provide a strobe
>pulse.
Is that enough to actually do some decent stuff with the PDP-8.
>A full reel of tape was 1000' I think. That's about 100K of data (to give
>an order of magnitude). A full box of fanfold tape would be about the same.
I also have some reels of film-like tape. What's the proper name for it?
How does it compare to the paper tape?
Thanks.
Tom Owad
--
Sysop of Caesarville Online
Client software at: <http://home.earthlink.net/~tomowad/>
Do those panels have any circuitry in the back? Switches that are
stamped with the date? Could you make pictures of the back as well?
>A bit ago, I posted a request to help identify some old front-panels
>that have been in my collection for about 20 years. I didn't get a
>single response! With all of the wise guys (sorry - smart folks ;-)
>in this group, I'm disappointed! Somebody has to recognize them!
>Allison? Anyone? Anyone? (The pictures are on my web page at
>http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r. Just click on the "Classic
>Computers" link, then "Unidentified Technological Artifacts".) Your
>help would be appreciated?
>
>
> -Bill Richman
> bill_r(a)inetnebr.com
> http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
> (Home of the COSMAC Elf Simulator!)
>
______________________________________________________
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On Fri, 17 Jul 1998 14:45:11 +1 "Hans Franke" <franke(a)sbs.de> wrote:
> Anyway, this plus a message from one of our own, results in an
> interesting question. How, in 1982 (or in 1980-81, when Project Acorn was
in
> beta), would Microsoft have written and compiled DOS 1?
>>86-DOS (the base of MS-DOS 1.0) at least was developed on
>>a DEC 2020 station and transfered via serial line to an
>>INTEL ISIS system for writing Disks, or to the SCP 8086
>>S100 system for runntime tests.
What is a DEC 2020?
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin! Charter Member
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
I picked up a PDP-8, 8L, 11/20, and a bunch of accessories this week.
That PDP-8 is one cool looking computer.
Of interest in the lot was a "high speed paper tape reader" and quite a
bit of tape. The tape, one inch thick, looks to be of incredibly low
density. Just how much does this stuff hold?
More questions to come as I learn more about the PDP's. Thanks in
advance.
Tom Owad
P.S. I'm looking for an inexpensive Mac Classic or SE, 4/40
configuration, w/kb & mouse. Anybody?
--
Sysop of Caesarville Online
Client software at: <http://home.earthlink.net/~tomowad/>
On Jul 16, 19:28, Tony Duell wrote:
> > I suspect it used the same ROM as the Z80. A colleague used to have a
> > Graduate, so I'll ask him today.
>
> Please do. I've got the Z-80 host ROM (and know of a few more if this one
is
> dead), but I don't have any other Torch ROMs.
My friend reports that the Graduate doesn't have a BBC ROM, and indeed
doesn't use the Tube. It uses the 1MHz bus to access BBC I/O, apparently.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Dept. of Computer Science
University of York
Thankfully, I was using a T1 at the time I first looked at this page and
didn't notice the size of the images. The first thing you should do is
reduce them from RGB to Grayscale. I tried it and it doesn't reduce
image quality at all. Also, does anyone currently own the rights to
this? I would like to make an HTML and DVI version of it, which would be
much easier to read, since it wouldn't involve as much horizontal
scrolling.
Now, some questions about the computer itself.
A) How much did it cost in 1998 dollars?
B) Was there ever a DIGI-COMP II?
C) What type of plastic was used in it?
D) Has anyone tried to make one?
E) How popular was it?
F) What year was it terminated?
Basically, a brief history.
>Due to popular demand, I have finally gotten around to
>adding the DIGI-COMP 1 Assembly Instructions to the
>collection of other scanned DIGI-COMP 1 manual pages at
>http://galena.tjs.org/digicomp/ . They are all 300 DPI
>grayscale images - in other words, huge! The parts list
>alone (Page 1) should be immensely helpful for those
>wishing to create their own DIGI-COMP.
>
>Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me over the past few
>days!
>
>Tom
>--
>
>This account is used so mailing lists don't
>clutter up Tom's real account. If you really
>want to talk to Tom, use tom(at)galena.tjs.org
>
>
______________________________________________________
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A bit ago, I posted a request to help identify some old front-panels
that have been in my collection for about 20 years. I didn't get a
single response! With all of the wise guys (sorry - smart folks ;-)
in this group, I'm disappointed! Somebody has to recognize them!
Allison? Anyone? Anyone? (The pictures are on my web page at
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r. Just click on the "Classic
Computers" link, then "Unidentified Technological Artifacts".) Your
help would be appreciated?
-Bill Richman
bill_r(a)inetnebr.com
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
(Home of the COSMAC Elf Simulator!)
< >they couldn't charge you on anything if they found out you were
< physically messing with the line.
HERE IN THE USA:
If you violate the NI (bell parlance for network interface) which is the
demarcation line to your home or business and damage their equipment you
will likely be at the end of both criminal and civil charges. The key
issues would be if the cause is deliberate, neglegence or accidental.
They do actively persue this as deliberate tampering with their business
as both a public safety issue and interfering with their conducting
business in an unlawful manner (mischeif, vandalism).
I would bet in Europe there are certain actions available as well.
The oddity of it all is if you fry the phone line who really looses?
Your out the use of the phone and their interface equipment is likely
protected as they have to worry about power distibution lines and
lightining getting into their stuff. The damage would be more to the user
than TPC (the phone company).
Allison
Is there anything I can do at home that will damage phone company
equipment? I suspect that 240v in a telco switch is nothing pretty.
>That was when you could get away with free phone calls by messing with
the
>line voltage.
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>> A _very_ good book for the older stuff (manual switchboards, relays,
>> step-by-step 2-motion selectors) is called 'Telephony' by (IIRC) Herbert
> and Proctor. It's a UK book,...
Hmm, I'll have to check that out.
>
>> 'Tip' and 'Ring' refer, of course to the 2 contacts on a 3-wire jack
>> (phone?) plug - like a stereo headphone plug, used on the old manual
>> switchboards. The other contact - sleeve (aka the 'P wire') was used in
>> the exchange to check if a line was in use (P=Private, I think).
I always did wonder. I've got a couple of old (can't remember the exact
date, but I'd say early 70's at a guess) answering machines somewhere
which make use of such plugs. I'd love to wire one of these things up to
a phone circuit if possible, I doubt that it could be done though - the
systems were badged "Ansafone" IIRC, making use of enormous reel-to-reel
tape decks and foot pedals... :)
(I suppose this could be judged almost-on-topic, if the phone system is
deemed to be some giant computer, and the technology, after all, is more
than 10 years old)
cheers
Jules
>
I don't know how much truth there is in those descriptions of various
boxes, but there a very frequent warnings on messing with line voltage
because of what "hackers" call "gestapo".
>That's what's funny about the phone companies in the UK versus those in
>the US. I could plug my phone line into a 240v outlet and the phone
>company couldn't do a damn thing about it.
>
>Sam Alternate e-mail:
dastar(a)siconic.com
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Ever onward.
>
> September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2
> See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
> [Last web page update: 07/05/98]
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>they couldn't charge you on anything if they found out you were
physically
>messing with the line.
Couldn't they cancel your service if they felt that their station
equipment was at risk of damage?
______________________________________________________
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You can order them with equivalent ease from Radio Shack, for about
$7.75. It might end up being cheaper, since RS won't charge you shipping
and handling. Of course, they might be getting it from the same source
as you.
> Now all I need is the batteries...
>
>Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
> - ClubWin! Charter Member
> - MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
> - Preserver of "classic" computers
><<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
>
>
>
>
______________________________________________________
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Picked a few things this week for the museum , so pleas do not ask me about
selling them. If I ever get month off to check what all I have in storage I
will be unloading all extras. The finds: 1) Franklin ACE2100 cpu and
monitor (mono) not tested yet both were free; 2) Franklin ACE2200 cpu,
monitor (mono), keyboard, Franklin joystick, and all cables, it also was
free; 3) EXELTELII was a trade; 4) new IOMEGA cleaning kit for 8" media $1
at Goodwill; 5) OPENDOC video from Apple; 6) TG Products chip tester;
7)Super Expander cartridge for the C64 60 cents at Thrift; 8)Super Graphix
jr by XETEC for the Commodore cost $1.60; 9)IQSuperPC Trivia Blitz
cartridge A cost $1.80; 10)AppleColor RGB monitor 80 cents at thrift not
tested yet; 11)some QX-10 items for free; 12) about 15 various books.
That's been it so far I will be going out later today to the thrift's about
45 miles from my home and working my way stopping at any place looking
interesting. Keep computing John
If anyone can help this fellow out, please contact him directly.
-=-=- <snip> -=-=-
On Fri, 17 Jul 1998 16:07:29 -0400, in comp.sys.dec you wrote:
>>Hello everyone in DEC land.
>>
>> I'm a student at Eastern Connecticut State University and was wondering
>>if someone out there had an old DEC workstation that they were going to
>>throw out and would be willing to donate. I'd be willing to travel
>>through most of New England to fetch it (CT,MA,RI,Southern VT, Part of
>>NY/NJ). It would have a loving and useful home next to my SparcStation
>>LX and I could finally dispose of my PC.
>>
>>Donald Lewis La Barre III
>>iggy(a)megahits.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave (Fido 1:343/272)
http://table.jps.net/~kyrrin -- also kyrrin [A-t] Jps {D=o=t} Net
Spam is bad. Spam is theft of service. Spam wastes resources. Don't spam, period.
I am a WASHINGTON STATE resident. Spam charged $500.00 per incident per Chapter 19 RCW.
Hi Doug and all,
At 05:19 PM 7/17/98 -0500, you wrote:
>> 5) Check the +8, +/-16, and GND pins on the bus connectors before
>> powering up, make sure nothing's shorted.
>
>I found the power supply wasn't very well regulated, so you might see
>higher voltages without a load. Which pins on the S-100 bus correspond to
>those volatages? I just checked the mobo terminals, one of which was
>unlabeled.
Pins 1-50 on front, 51-100 on rear.
Pin 1, 51 +8 Volts. Leftmost from the front, front and back. Unregulated
(just filtered rectified DC from the power transformer) for the +5 volt
regulators.
(Usually very easy to trace or test)
Pin 2, +16 Volts, unregulated.
Pin 52, -16 Volts, unregulated.
In my system I put fuses in these lines. Make sure the filter capacitors
have bleeder resistors attached, so they will discharge without a load.
Otherwise you might have problems when plugging in a card later :-(.
Pin 50, 100 Ground.
There were other ground lines on later cards, which you may have to check
for when you start to mix cards,
such as pins 20, 70, which were Unprotect, Protect in the early S-100 systems.
-Dave
There are actually three boards I need to ID, the third is possibly a tape
controller. Here's the rundown:
#1 A Q-bus dual width board made by DTC. Has a 50-pin header next to a
single ejector handle. All TTL chips, no LSI or CMOS devices. Two 8-section
DIP switches on board. Only markings are a FAB, ASSY, REV and S/N numbers.
The ASSY number is 007-00002.
Could this be a Q-bus SCSI board (I hope, I hope, I hope)? But there's no
CPU or ASIC, etc. onboard to handle DMA, SCSI device protocoll, etc. :( An
appropriate driver in conjunction with the OS would have to do this.
#2 A Q-bus quad width board of unknown manufacture. Two 50-pin headers at
handle-edge of board. A marking on the component side says it's a "Q
BUS/LEXID INT." with a number 77D609871P1 under it. A number stamped on the
backside is "GE77D609871G1" with "SER NO- 44" under it. Those part numbers
look like old GE part numbers. Did General Electric make any equipment for
the DEC world?
#3 This is what I feel is an Archive tape controller. It has "ARCHIVE
CORP. Copyright 1983" silk screened onto the component side. No other
numbers on the silk screen, dang it. It is 5.5" x 7.75" with a 50-pin edge
connector (marked "J1") on one 5.5" end and a 50-pin header (marked "J3")
at the other end. "J2" is a 4-pin recepticle which is the same as the power
connector on a 5.25" floppy or hard drive and is on the edge connector-end
of the board. The EPROM label has 80182-010 on it. Has an 8031
microcontroller chip, an 8155 and an Archive LCC ASIC plus a bunch of TTL
and one small CMOS RAM chip (Mitsubishi M5M2167P-70). Other numbers found
on the board seem to be component part numbers however there is a
hand-written number on the solder side which is 80158-013/A. Could this be
an important identifying number?
I want to try to identify these boards to see if theyt are useable in the
systems I'm keeping, especially item #1.
Thanks for the help.
--Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
Due to popular demand, I have finally gotten around to
adding the DIGI-COMP 1 Assembly Instructions to the
collection of other scanned DIGI-COMP 1 manual pages at
http://galena.tjs.org/digicomp/ . They are all 300 DPI
grayscale images - in other words, huge! The parts list
alone (Page 1) should be immensely helpful for those
wishing to create their own DIGI-COMP.
Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me over the past few
days!
Tom
--
This account is used so mailing lists don't
clutter up Tom's real account. If you really
want to talk to Tom, use tom(at)galena.tjs.org
I live in Union County NJ. Are there any good old computer sources
around here???
Mike
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After a little research, I figured out how to rebuild a MacPortable
battery pack for about 1/3 the cost of buying one on the resale market (I've
seen prices between $60 and $75 per battery).
Anyway, the pack is rated at 6v/5ah, and contains three, 2v/5ah Gates
Cyclon "X" cells. The X cells are two sizes above the conventional D
battery. Gates no longer makes these batteries, having gotten out of the
battery business. Hawker Energy Products (http://www.hepi.com) now makes
these cells.
These are available from Battery Specialties (1-800-854-5759) for $7.24
each ($21.72 total).
Opening the battery case is also easy. The pack top is ultrasonically
welded to the bottom case, but if you score the top plastic in the groove
where it meets the bottom case, and then bang it with a small slot-headed
screwdriver and a hammer, you can open it easily.
Replace the internal cells with the new ones, observing all polarity
markings and ensuring that all insulating plastic and foam pieces are
replaced. You can then seal it with plastic welding cement such as X7.
The only problem that I can see is creating the bars that join the
cells. I'll probably use 12g copper wire in stead of bus bars.
Now all I need is the batteries...
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin! Charter Member
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
One of my recent curbside finds is a machine put out by a Canadian company
based in Waterloo Ont called Volker-Craig model vg-400. On the front it has a
title VC404 The Standard. It has a k-b attached with ribbon cable which is
about the size of a C64 with Function Pf1-12 buttons as well as a separate
pod with APL,PAGE,FULL,LOCAL on the left vertically. There is a full
qwerty alphabet and numerical pad as well as some specialized keys the most
unusual of which is a key labelled "rub-out" and no down arrow. In the back it
has a 25 pin RS232 connector, a BNC labelled "composite video" ,2 switches :
one 3-pos.to configure parity the other "Transparent on off" It also has
cutouts for parallell and serial (maybe a 9pin dshell for different modems)
I haven't opened it up yet, and I must admit to doing what the impeccable
Tony Duell would deem unforgiveable (sorry Tony, Couldn't he'p m'se'f)
I plugged it in and tuned it on. It worked except for a stuck k-b which
stopped printing to screen when I punched another key than local on the
right-most pad.
Obviosly a terminal of some sort, but the keypads are not what I would expect.
My guess is it's a terminal for the deaf which hooked up to a service. But why
all the other k-b functions. Any ideas ?
ciao larry
lwalker(a)interlog.com
Well... I finally found one, I ordered a used Imsai 8080 from an
undisclosed place in CA (they had one on consignment) and they're
shipping it to me here in Boston.
Thanks to those on the list who gave me pointers on how to find one.
Now I gotta order replacement switches for the front panel (Tony heads
to his web browser)
Tony
< 2) DISCONNECT THE FRONT PANEL AC SWITCH!!! Put an on/off power switch
< in the back, use a hole next to the fan (most back plates had one.
< Don't run the AC power through the front panel.
This one applies to Altair8800s BIGTIME and any others that has mains ac
near logic. The designers that did that should be made to stand in a
puddle and work on it!
Allison
Not so easy, you would have to grind down the back spacers so the front
panel stayed in alignment with the bus slot. Just adding the ring would
push the panel card forward.
Jack
>Don't know how they are but I can guess - has anyone tried puuting the
screws in, then the spacers, then putting a C or E ring on the screw as
a keeper to make it a captive screw and spacer?
> Well... I finally found one, I ordered a used Imsai 8080 from an
> undisclosed place in CA (they had one on consignment) and they're
> shipping it to me here in Boston.
Advice to a new IMSAI owner:
1) if you take the front panel off, tape the plastic sandwich with the
film for the front panel logo so it doesn't come apart. Also, tape the
allen head screws on so they don't come out. This is real handy when
the time comes to reassemble. You will discover you need 4 hands to do
it: one to hold panel, one to position screws, one to hold spacers in
back, one to tighten screws.
2) DISCONNECT THE FRONT PANEL AC SWITCH!!! Put an on/off power switch
in the back, use a hole next to the fan (most back plates had one.
Don't run the AC power through the front panel.
3) If its been heavily used, chances are the bus connectors may be worn.
Wiggle cards a bit when STOPed and see if status lights change. You
might have to hunt for the least worn slots.
4) Look for purple plague. If it's old, the socketed IC pins or card
edge connectors may have oxidation (usually purple or black
discoloration). You may need to check the front panel for this if it's
socketed.
5) Check the +8, +/-16, and GND pins on the bus connectors before
powering up, make sure nothing's shorted.
Jack Peacock
Using IMSAIs since 1975
Hi,
So can any of you recommend a good book on how transputers work in a
broad sense? I occasionally have the urge to take all the old PC system
boards lying around and construct some form of transputer system - ok,
so it's impractical, would be a lot of work, and wouldn't be of any
benefit at all, but it would be an interesting exercise :)
(so I'm crazy... just seems a shame that I've got various system boards
lying around unused that can't be made into complete machines and are of
no use to anyone else...)
Jules
>
The reason is that if the cord runs through the whole IMSAI, a problem
can cause a whole lot more damage. Also, if there is a problem with
insulation, you are a lot more likely to electrocute yourself by
touching a switch in the front than in the back.
>Why not? I powered-up through the front panel, but with the
>front-panel removed from the backplane.
>-- Doug
>Using IMSAIs since 1998 :-)
>
>
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>> So can any of you recommend a good book on how transputers work in a
>> broad sense? I occasionally have the urge to take all the old PC system
>> boards lying around and construct some form of transputer system - ok,
>> so it's impractical, would be a lot of work, and wouldn't be of any
>> benefit at all, but it would be an interesting exercise :)
>
>> A transputer is a specific type of processor from inmos (IIRC), so you
you learn something new every day (or in my case, several hundred things
;)
I always thought that transputer was a general term for any processing
component in a parallel system.
>> However, you could certainly build a parallel processing supercomputer
>> from a bunch of old PCs. In fact, that was the original idea behind Cal
>> Tech's Cosmic Cube which eventually led to Intel's hypercubes (such as the
>> iPSC/1).
hmm, wait for Java chips to really take off and write the whole lot in
Java... now there's a plan... :*)
>
>> I wouldn't be surpised if somebody still has the Cosmic Cube code around,
>> which would allow you to network some 8088-based machines to create a
>> hypercube. I have an old Unix-based hypercube simulator from Intel which
>> was based on the Cosmic Cube code, but I haven't looked into the copyright
>> issues.
parallel systems was a whole area that I never got too heavily in to at
university and regretted it afterwards (and being a fairly specialist
area it probably means you can get away from bad products produced by
monopolising companies :^)
I was tempted to ask how fast these 8088-based 'cubes were, but I
suppose it's really hard to describe real-world performance of such
systems without actually using them...
Jules
>
What exactly is a transputer and how is it different from a normal CPU?
>A transputer is a specific type of processor from inmos (IIRC), so you
>wouldn't be able to easily make one from bits of other computers
How many processors were in the Cosmic Cube? What kind of speeds did it
reach? There was once a Circuit Cellar article on building a parallel
processing computer out of a 286 and IIRC from 16 to 256
microcontrollers. All that could do was calculate the mandelbrot set,
though, at speed reachable by an i486 (yes, I know that's not the
point).
>In fact, that was the original idea behind Cal
>Tech's Cosmic Cube which eventually led to Intel's hypercubes (such as
the
>iPSC/1).
>
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>>Doing it in transistors wouldn't be the same :-)
I assume that with enough picking and matching it is possible, _in
theory_, to build a similar circuit by replacing vacuum tubes with
transistors, i.e. it's just a matter of taste in your case.
>>
>>-tony
>>
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Tony Duell quoted me as having written:
>> battery - 12V was all that was left after voltage drop when the 30mA or
>
> Don't forget the few volts (probably 10V or so) dropped across the line relay
> coils at the exchange to sense the off-hook condition. The system is
> (obviously) designed so that a short on the line (no matter how short the
> line is) won't cause damage. Applying 'battery' straight to a line wouldn't
> allow for this.
Good point.
>> had to go the several miles to your house and back. May still be like
>> that, come to think of it.
>
> AFAIK it is. The specs of 'phone lines rarely change, and there are plenty
> of 706's and 746's still in use. Maybe even the odd 300-series.
I still use a tone-dial 746 as one of my phones and a rotary dial
300-series wall mount version (don't know the number) as my other. The
only two reasons I don't use my type 332 are 1) the induction coil is
dead and 2) I have now borrowed microphone and speaker diaphragm to keep
the wall mount one going.
> Note for US types. UK 'phone wiring then was even stranger than it is
Another note for US types. Type 330 and its derivatives = pre-war
design of phone. My 332 actually has cloth insulation on internal
wires, although the (much rarer) wall mounted one has plastic
insulation. Late 1950s (?), much lighter design, PCB based, introduced,
called 706. As components got smaller, the number and size of PCBs
reduced, and the 746 has all the components, including the line drop
compensator (resistors, diodes, light bulbs) on a single PCB. This
design remained in use for around 20 years - PCB from phone circa 1970
interchangeable with PCB from phone circa 1990, the main difference
being the size of the capacitors and (if you're lucky) the provision of
a few extra screw terminals. (dial, bell, handset etc. all terminated
with ring or fork (spade) terminals to screw onto these).
I keep several type 746 phones in stock - people still occasionally want
rotary dial phones...
>> the 1960s (? What date is the 706 anyway ?), many UK phones had the
>> "line drop compensator" on a plug-in module, presumably so you could
>> swap it for one with different resistors...
>
> AFAIK the 'line drop compensator' had a constant-current barretter lamp
> on it, and there was only one version. Certainly I've only ever seen one
> version, and that's the one shown in all schematics. Alas my copy of
I've only ever seen one version, but then again, I've never seen a
schematic that actually gives the resistor values.
> You could plug the 'line drop compensator in upside-down, whereupon it
> was out of circuit and it bridged the appropriate terminals to use the
> 'phone without it. I beleive you did this at the end of very long lines.
Could be what I was thinking of.
Philip.
Hi All,
At 12:57 AM 7/17/98 +0100, you wrote:
>>
>>
>> Has anyone built any of these? Does anyone have any extra copies?
>> >Indeed it is. 1966 IIRC
>
>One day I might have a go at said robotic dog - assuming I can find
>enough DF92s, etc. Doing it in transistors wouldn't be the same :-)
>
>-tony
>
Any kind of description would be appreciated! What did it do? How many
tubes/valves, etc.?
I looked up the U.S. equivalent tube for the DF92 valve and found the
1L4. A similar one, much more common is a 1U4, used in many portable radios
before transistors. All battery filament (1.4 volts, 50mA) miniature pentodes.
>86-DOS (the base of MS-DOS 1.0) at least was developed on
a DEC 2020 station and transfered via serial line to an
INTEL ISIS system for writing Disks, or to the SCP 8086
S100 system for runntime tests.
This seems to be another one of those cases where what was once a common
software development technique is being lost to changing times. In the
70's, when micros first came out, it was common practice to buy a
cross-assembler and simulator that ran on a mini or mainframe. Code was
developed and maintained in a familiar environment, run through the
simulator, testing as much as possible, then burned into EPROM and
installed in the target system. IIRC the original IBM PC BIOS was built
this way.
When Intel came out with the 8086, they did offer an assembly language
translator for 8080 to 8086 code. For the most part there is a 1:1
correspondence for 8080 instructions, except when it came to status
flags, so the translator was relatively easy if you had a clean design.
In practical terms it was less useful because all you got was the same
program without taking advantage of the features unique to the 8086,
like segments or 16-bit operations.
Cross-assemblers were not unique to micros either. The lab where I
worked in the 70's had several stripped down DG Nova 1200s used as
embedded controllers. These machines had no console or disk, no
operating system, just a paper tape reader bootstrap and a front panel
plus some custom electronics. The development cycle was to write a
program on the mainframe (CDC 6600), punch a paper tape (yes the CDC did
have paper tape output!), load it into the Nova, sacrifice a candy bar
to the computer gods, then hit the Run switch. Debugging was front
panel lights/switches, several cases of Coke, vending machine candy, and
the good ole Single-Step toggle.
Jack Peacock
On Jul 16, 19:28, Tony Duell wrote:
> > devices play merry hell with Acorn's Tube code, which tends to see that
> > something is there but can't deal with it.
>
> :-(. What do you do on a machine with a DNFS ROM, then if you add a Torch
> Copro?
It depends on the version of the Torch ROM. In some cases, changing the
order of the MCP (for Torch Z80) and DNFS ROMs makes it usable. Usually I
softload the MCP ROM, though, else it complains if the Torch Z80 isn't
there.
> > I suspect it used the same ROM as the Z80. A colleague used to have a
> > Graduate, so I'll ask him today.
>
> Please do. I've got the Z-80 host ROM (and know of a few more if this one
is
> dead), but I don't have any other Torch ROMs.
I forgot :-( I'll remember today, honest. I've got several versions of
the MCP ROM, if you need one.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Dept. of Computer Science
University of York
Ok, so given that there are people out there who know about phone
systems, how would I build a device that sat on the phone line and could
detect whether the line was in use or not - it's extremely annoying when
you have a modem and voice phone on the same line and your voice call
gets interrupted by a burst of modem noise! :)
btw, this is for a UK system - I've seen curcuits to do exactly this
job, but they never say whose phone systems their designed for, and I'd
imagine that US and UK systems work with different setups....
cheers
Jules
(ok, so it's not on-topic - thought I'd ask though before this thread
disappears :)
> TRS80 model II with 3 physically huge 8 meg HDDs
8 meg ? not five ? Whats the type and manufacturer ?
Do you have an online picture ?
> Phillips Micom 2000 dedicated WP with an 8" Shugart
> and a Qume daisy wheel printer that has a power supply big enough
> to power a small villiage.
Same here: Any picture for the Micom 2000 available ?
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
> Kai Kaltenbach wrote:
>>[...]
> Is this the same Kai that the "power goo" software was/is created by? Haven't
> seen the name in here before and guessing he's a recent signon? (I may just be
> on a drug flashback and imagining all of this)
I think you are talking about Kai Krause - he is already
living somehere in California :)
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
> Anyway, this plus a message from one of our own, results in an
> interesting question. How, in 1982 (or in 1980-81, when Project Acorn was in
> beta), would Microsoft have written and compiled DOS 1?
86-DOS (the base of MS-DOS 1.0) at least was developed on
a DEC 2020 station and transfered via serial line to an
INTEL ISIS system for writing Disks, or to the SCP 8086
S100 system for runntime tests.
Gruss
h.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
One of my recent time sink-hole projects is de-compiling DOS 1.1. I
figure that I needed a computing challenge :)
Anyway, this plus a message from one of our own, results in an
interesting question. How, in 1982 (or in 1980-81, when Project Acorn was in
beta), would Microsoft have written and compiled DOS 1?
I know that DOS as we know it was purchased from Tim Patterson of
Seattle Computing Products (Is this the right name? I don't have a copy of
one of my many Gates books handy.), so the source code in printed, magnetic,
or paper tape form would have existed. Would they have used a PC simulator
running on another computer (the same way they wrote BASIC for the Altair)?
Would they have waited to receive a beta unit to test/develop it live after
months of writing blind code based on IBM's specifications documents?
Anyway, I digress. I've pretty much finished the boot sector code, and
IBMBIO is done. So, now I'm working on IBMDOS. Does anyone know anything
about how early DOS versions loaded? Looking at the DOS1 code and comparing
it to DOS6 code, it seems like the DOS1 boot sector loads both BIO and DOS
back-to-back in memory (producing a single image, if you will), and then
jumps to BIO. DOS6, in comparison, the boot sector loads IO, which then
loads DOS.
Any thoughts? I felt this qualifies as "classic" since the file dates
are May 7, 1982 <g>
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin! Charter Member
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
At this point in CP/M and DOS development, it was common to use
an automated translation tool to convert 8080 and Z-80 assembler
to 8088 code. I believe this was used on early DOS, too. I remember
seeing the "signature" of this in disassemblies by the way something
was done less than efficiently.
- John
< Ok, so given that there are people out there who know about phone
< systems, how would I build a device that sat on the phone line and could
< detect whether the line was in use or not - it's extremely annoying when
< you have a modem and voice phone on the same line and your voice call
< gets interrupted by a burst of modem noise! :)
for this the US and euro systems are sufficiently the same.
<
< btw, this is for a UK system - I've seen curcuits to do exactly this
< job, but they never say whose phone systems their designed for, and I'd
< imagine that US and UK systems work with different setups....
the only thing you need to do is detect if the line voltage is above or
below some level. that point is best set mid way between battery off hook
and battery on hook (easily measured). The only other need is to do it such
that you do not load the line(or you look like your off hook) and can
withstand the ring without failing the circuit. Likely the circuits you've
sen will do that.
Allison
< I would _guess_ that MS-DOS was written and assembled on a CP/M system of
< some sort, until it was self-hosting. Although, it's also quite possible
< that MS-DOS was assembled on a QDOS system, since that's basically what
< it was :)
it could have been done under intel ISIS using the MDS-311 package or
IRMX-80 or IRMX-86 along with ICE pods. the 8088/86 was a already a
mature product by time IBM started the PC and there wre at least three
second sources. Also 8086 development tools from Intel, AMD and HP to
name a few were available. So developing 808x code was not a problem.
I know that as we built a system using 8088 at 8mhz to play with the
7220 GDC which was the hottest thing for graphics on one chip for before
the PC would escape into the world.
Allison
CL>> -tony
CL>>
CL> Well, it looks like I'm going to have to read up on terminals. I really kno
CL>little about them. It has baud rate settings on the back 300 - 19.2 . I'm
CL>surprised at the speed. I would have thought 2400 or at most 9600.
CL> Thanks for the help.
CL>ciao larry
CL>lwalker(a)interlog.com
The baud speed really isn't that surprising since 19.2 is the speed of
the Atari SIO.
> The voltages must remain the same in order to be compatible with old
> equipment per government regulations. Believe it or not there are still
> many people out there with old (ancient) rotary dial telephones.
a) Don't forget about these pseudo modern phones - keys, but
still emiting pulse scemes.
b) I had, until I switched to ISDN, still a 1927 Telephone
in every day use. Worked fine, even with the latest (analogue)
exchange :) - Noy I connect it via an a/b adaptor.
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
At 09:40 PM 7/16/98 +0100, Tony wrote:
>> Has anyone built any of David Heiserman's robots? He's written several robot
>> construction books. Some with hardwired logic, some with microcomputers.
>
>I don't think I've come across these - can you provided titles, etc, please
>
He wrote many, I think about all for TAB books, now part of McGraw Hill.
'Build your own working Robot', 1976. TTL, sorry my copy has been borrowed
and lost. Must still be much easier to find, at least in the U.S. than
"We Built our own Computers"
'How to build your own self-programming Robot', 1979. Used a 8085. Has a
convoluted final algorithm (to me) to determine responses.
'How to build your own working Robot, the second Generation', 1987. Still
TTL, about 30 ic's, 4 bits input (bumpers), 4 bits output (2 drive motors).
Other's I haven't seen are '101 Programming Surprises and Tricks for the IBM
PC'.
Of course today there are all sorts of robots with PIC microcontrollers, etc.
-Dave
< running on another computer (the same way they wrote BASIC for the Altair)
< Would they have waited to receive a beta unit to test/develop it live afte
< months of writing blind code based on IBM's specifications documents?
Likely they used a intel MDS800 running asm86 or PLM86. They could run
on intel ISB86 systems (multibus 8086 based). the 8086 was introdued in
'78 and available in '79 so hardware was not a problem. Heck they could
ahve used a Seattle Computers S100 8086 crate.
< it to DOS6 code, it seems like the DOS1 boot sector loads both BIO and DO
< back-to-back in memory (producing a single image, if you will), and then
< jumps to BIO. DOS6, in comparison, the boot sector loads IO, which then
< loads DOS.
<
< Any thoughts? I felt this qualifies as "classic" since the file dates
< are May 7, 1982 <g>
The monolithic load is an artifact of the CP/m heritage in general and
specifically CP/M1.4. It's effect was to make loading drivers difficult.
That resulted in later version loading the IO which is more extensable and
then using the io to load the DOS. I may add that CP/M2.x put more of the
burden in the bios and also seperated the load preocess more. Parallel
development.
Allison
Well, then why don't the other phones sound out the data string with the
ringers?
>Wrong.
>
>Caller id senses the ring and does not go off hook as that would
disturb
>the CO and it is uneeded. Instead the ring is an alert to the caller
ID
>that data will follow and it's already camped on the line using a
non-DC
>(capacitor coupled) connection to avoid loading the line. this allows
>it to hear the ring and the data.
>
>Allison
>
>
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Hi all,
At 11:09 PM 7/16/98 +1000, Phil wrote:
>-----Original Message-----
>From: dave dameron <ddameron(a)earthlink.net>
>>Speaking of books,
>>has anyone seen the book "We Built our own Computers" by A.B. Bolt,
>>Cambridge Univ. Press, published about 1966. ^^
>
>Yes, I've got it here (bought as part of a $3 per bag haul from a charity
>book sale a month ago).
...
>I see a few other replies, so that it is not all that rare :(
>- but what exactly did you want to know for?
>
OK, Thanks,
One of my collection interests is for computer construction books and
articles. This book was mentioned in another article without any details.
If copies are floating around, I might find one yet.
-Dave
Has anyone built any of these? Does anyone have any extra copies?
>Indeed it is. 1966 IIRC
Are any still in publication or recently gone out of?
>I don't think I've come across these - can you provided titles, etc,
please
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Hello, all:
I thought that I'd share with you that I'm beginning my own classic
computing web site. I was fortunate enough to find a gentleman in Vancouver
who will sponsoring this effort. His particular interest is in PDP
equipment. Right now, he hosts a PDP8 document archive.
The first thing to be posted will be scans of the printsets that I
recently got. I'd also like to reproduce the hardware user manuals that I
own (which are on the order of 2 or 3 copy paper boxes worth).
I also intend to post the Altair scans that I've been holding, server
space allowing, of course.
I'll take some time, but when it's up, I'll solicit document donations.
More to come...
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin! Charter Member
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
> When a phone is on-hook (hung-up) there is a 48V potential on the line.
> When the phone is ringing, there is 90v (nominal) AC on the line during
> the ring cycle to activate the ringer. When a phone is off-hook (you're
> talking) there is 12v on the line.
I think the 48V on hook and 12V off hook is historical - in the days of
long copper wires back to the exchange, it was all done from the 48V
battery - 12V was all that was left after voltage drop when the 30mA or
so (apparently the carbon microphone needs at least 23mA to work well)
had to go the several miles to your house and back. May still be like
that, come to think of it.
Those on shorter lines had higher resistance phones to compensate. In
the 1960s (? What date is the 706 anyway ?), many UK phones had the
"line drop compensator" on a plug-in module, presumably so you could
swap it for one with different resistors...
Philip.
< > When a phone is on-hook (hung-up) there is a 48V potential on the line.
< > When the phone is ringing, there is 90v (nominal) AC on the line during
< > the ring cycle to activate the ringer. When a phone is off-hook (you're
< > talking) there is 12v on the line.
the voltages are wildly approximate. It's current that does the work!
On hook is sensed by some current flowing and the threshhold is about
5-10ma may be more. Ring is ac coupled but the voltage is set so the
energy level of the ringer is met despite the loop (line) resistance.
the only one that was nominal was onhook of ~48v.
Allison
In Denver try Fistell's Electronics and Crump Electronics and in Boulder try
J.B. Saunders.
- Doug
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Uncle Roger [mailto:sinasohn@ricochet.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 1998 7:53 PM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: Denver sources?
>
>
> My girlfriend and I are hoping to go on holiday at the
> beginning of August,
> and right now, it looks like Denver/Boulder will be our
> destination. So,
> does anyone know of any good thrift shops/swapmeets/etc. in the area?
> (And, off-topically, antique or teacher stores? Gotta keep
> the gf happy
> too! 8^) Thanks!
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> ------- 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/
Hi Tony and all,
At 09:28 PM 7/15/98 +0100, you wrote:
>>
>> [We built out own...]
>>
>> Oooh! Scan! Scan!
>
>Well, it's all relay logic, and switches, but it's still fun.
>
>May I also recomend 'Practical Robot Circuits' from the Philips Technical
>Library series. It describes a robot dog built from DF92 etc valves, and
>includes schematics. The radio control book in the same series is
>interesting as well.
>
This must be 30 or so years old.
Can one still get these from Philips? I didn't find anything on Philip's site.
Has anyone built any of David Heiserman's robots? He's written several robot
construction books. Some with hardwired logic, some with microcomputers.
-Dave
Yesterday I acquired two boxes, each about the size of a UK telephone
directory, that were described as "AppleTalk to serial convertors".
Opening them up reveals a Mac 512 motherboard, a nice Farnell psu,
and a homebrew card in place of Apple's analog board. There are a
couple of other mods such as the programmer and reset
switches mounted on the front panel, small speaker mounted inside the
case, no internal floppy, keyboard extender.
The Mac board in box #1 appears to be completely standard. The
homebrew board contains 2 * SN74LS221N and 1 * 74LS256N with a lead
joining it to a composite connector. Does anybody have any idea what
the video output might be for? I understand that there were a number
of homebrew video mods of this type published in Mac magazines in the
mid 80's.
The Mac board in box #2 appears to be slightly non standard. At the
location F3 the original SN74F253N has been piggy backed with a
7F153PC (I think). There are also a few connections to the chip at
location F2 and to a factory solder pad on the motherboard. The
homebrew board looks similar to that in box #1 but is better made and
clearly hand labelled "composite video".
Which size floppy drive should these boards support? The ROM HI is
Apple # 342-022 and ROM LO is # 342-0221.
Any thoughts,
Phil
**************************************************************
Phil Beesley -- Computer Officer -- Distributed Systems Suppport
University of Leicester
Tel (0)116 252-2231
E-Mail pb14(a)le.ac.uk
Spotted this in the DEC newsgroup. For our euro friends.
DO NOT REPLY TO ME - REPLY TO ORIGINAL POSTER
From: Peter Mueri <MPe(a)pop.agri.ch>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec.micro
Subject: FS DEC material
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 20:14:18 +0000
Organization: 64 Bit Linux/AXP forever!
For Sale
1 Vaxmate Computer with HD Box sFr. 100
1 DEC uVAX 2000 sFr. 200
1 DEC uVAX 2000 4MB Memory Board sFr. 20
1 DEC VaxStation2000 RD54 RGB-19" sFr. 400
1 DEC Monitor 19" B/W VR100 55kHz sFr. 30
1 PDP-11/70 Plessey Core Memory sFr. 10
1 Rainbow Computer with DOS and CP/M and table sFr. 100
1 DEC VT100 sFr. 20
1 DEC VT240 Console sFr. 20
various DEC MFM HDs
Prices are pick/up prices in Switzerland.
Willing to trade-in McIntosh CPUs.
Peter
lwalker(a)interlog.com
< OK, easy on that anti-MS stuff. Kai might be reading :) Anyway, Scandisk
< is useful for erasing lost files which is all I use it for. Does anyone
First of all MS didn't write scandisk... anyone that uses norton tools
should recognize it. it a stripped vendor version the norton tool.
I have had excellent success with norton tools and still used copies
I've had for over 8years.
Allison
> In a message dated 98-07-15 10:58:12 EDT, you write:
>
> << I just acquired an IBM 3380 HDA which weighs 70 lbs, and is in a clear
> plastic case. Does anybody know the lineage of this? The HDA has IBM
> 390X-001 as well as 13-E8719-CJ printed on a label.
> >>
>
> hmmm, i remember seeing 3380/3880 dasd units back in 1992 when i was a
> computer operator running an IBM 4381 and later an ES9000. kinda useless for a
> pc although fascinating to look at. belt drive and everything!
3380s and 3880s were certainly around when I was at IBM in 1985-86,
mostly on 308X mainframes. I'll have a look-see if I have any info
(probably just marketing bumf as usual).
It is the clear plastic case that intrigues me. Do you mean you can see
the platters and heads and things? I have a vague memory of the HDs in
our system/34 being like that. Nice.
I also once saw a later disk model (9330 or something like that?), demo
version, which not only had a clear plastic case, but had the platters
replaced by discs of clear plastic, too. It didn't power up or anything
- strictly for showing tourists when on the factory tour...
Philip.
Nope, I'm not that Kai, and I'm far from a recent addition to the group,
either :)
Kai
-----Original Message-----
From: Russ Blakeman [mailto:rhblake@bbtel.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 1998 5:39 AM
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
Subject: Re: Places to visit in Silicon Valley?
Kai Kaltenbach wrote:
> I'm going to be visiting the silicon valley area and I'd appreciate any
tips
> on where to look for interesting old computer gear.
>
> This is a one-time visit so if you're afraid of spreading the word around
on
> your favorite spots, send me email instead of posting to the list, I won't
> tell anyone your secrets, I swear!
Is this the same Kai that the "power goo" software was/is created by?
Haven't
seen the name in here before and guessing he's a recent signon? (I may just
be
on a drug flashback and imagining all of this)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
On Jul 16, 1:50, Tony Duell wrote:
> Subject: Re: How many computers?
> > >That sounds like a Torch Graduate machine. An MS-DOS copro for the
BBC=20
> > >micro. I have one, but alas I'm missing the host ROM and systems disk
=
> > for=20
> > >it :-(.
> > I dont thing it needs a rom in the BBC , I have the system disks If
>
> I am suprised. I guess it works with the standard Tube host routines.
> Odd, as it doesn't (IIRC) contain a Tube ULA. Or does it use the same
> host ROM as the Z80 copro (those I have).
>
> Does anyone know for certain? I'd not want to waste your time if there
> are other bits I need.
I'm sure it doesn't use the standard Tube routines; in face most Torch
devices play merry hell with Acorn's Tube code, which tends to see that
something is there but can't deal with it.
I suspect it used the same ROM as the Z80. A colleague used to have a
Graduate, so I'll ask him today.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Dept. of Computer Science
University of York
Hey! A great way to bring this thread back on topic! How do those
electronic switches work, and what is the approximate network topology
of the system? Is there a reference guide to it somewhere? I'd love to
take a look.
>>From about the 1970s and on (somewhere around there...about the time
the
>first electronic switching systems start appearing)
***snip***
As far as I know, a telephone rings because when it's on hook, any
current on the phone line is connected to the ringer. When someone is
trying to connect, the company sends a periodic AC signal to the phone.
If the caller ID data signal was sent first, it would cause jittering in
mechanical ringers, and a maddening noise in electronic ones. When the
ring is detected, the caller ID can 'pick up' the phone line briefly to
check the data signal, which should be extremely brief. The station
knows to keep ringing the phone if the user has caller ID. This is my
theory.
>I don't know the specific reasons that are behind sending the data
burst
>after the first ring. It may have a lot to do with the caller ID boxes
>needing some sort of indicator to let them know a call was coming and
they
>should start monitoring for the carrier. I think the caller ID boxes
>could have easily been designed to continually monitor the line for a
>carrier and then capture the data that came before the first ring.
>
>Sam Alternate e-mail:
dastar(a)siconic.com
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Ever onward.
>
> September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2
> See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
> [Last web page update: 07/05/98]
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Hi Chuck:
> My question is how can I figure out if the 8/M chassis has the
> requisite 8v lamp supply so that if I found an 8/e front panel I
> could plug it in? Alternatively, if I pulled the 8/e panel I have
> off, and plugged it into the other one to see if it would work,
> would this damage it? (the FAQ says that you can run the LED
> panel on an E but the going the other way is ambiguous.)
You can run a LED front panel in an 8/E, Tim Shoppa and I tried this
about January. There are two connector lugs on the left hand side of both
types of front panels. The 8/e uses both lugs, an 8/f or other LED-style
panel only the blue. The blue lead is -15V, the yellow is 8V. The lugs on
the front panel are labelled "YELLOW" and "BLUE", just connect the proper
wires. Leave the yellow wire unconnected to use the LED front panel in
your 8/e. This works, we tried it.
To find out if your supply has an 8V output, best dig out the voltmeter
and check the leads coming from it!
> I need an omnibus extender card, did such a thing
> exist?
I'm sure that they did, but I've never seen one. I'm currently waiting on
connectors so that I can make one. Heck, I could make two if you need one.
If anyone wants to make their own, the connectors are hard to find. Here's
a suitable part number:
Manufacturer: EDAC, they're at 416-754-3322
Part #s: 346-036-540-201
346-036-541-201
346-036-540-202
346-036-541-202
346-036-540-802
346-036-541-802
Any of these connectors will work, they are 0.125" spacing 36 contact edge
connectors, 18 per side. You'll need 4 for an omnibus extender.
The first two types are best, as they don't have mounting ears. The last 4
parts have mounting ears that can easily be cut or ground off to allow the
connectors to be properly spaced.
Hope this helps,
Kevin
--
Kevin McQuiggin VE7ZD
mcquiggi(a)sfu.ca
Phil Beesley wrote:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: dave dameron <ddameron(a)earthlink.net>
>> >Speaking of books,
>> >has anyone seen the book "We Built our own Computers" by A.B. Holt,
>> >Cambridge Univ. Press, published about 1966.
>
> If anybody in the UK is interested in getting this book, I saw a copy
> of this recently (two or three pounds) and I'm happy to go back for
> it.
Yes please. I'll try and pop into Leic. again soon and pick it up (I
live at Coalville). If I thought I'd get to Leic. this weekend I'd say,
tell me where and I'll buy it myself. But I am fully booked for the
next three weekends, I think :-(
Philip.
PS Don't forget to read it before you give it to me!
< > < Will an RL01 pack be readable in an RL02 drive?
< >
< > Yes.
<
< I think you have to rejumper the RL02 to RL01 for it to work.
Bill, you just got the good memory award. ;)
Allison
<If the caller ID data signal was sent first, it would cause jittering in
< mechanical ringers, and a maddening noise in electronic ones. When the
< ring is detected, the caller ID can 'pick up' the phone line briefly to
< check the data signal, which should be extremely brief. The station
< knows to keep ringing the phone if the user has caller ID. This is my
Wrong.
Caller id senses the ring and does not go off hook as that would disturb
the CO and it is uneeded. Instead the ring is an alert to the caller ID
that data will follow and it's already camped on the line using a non-DC
(capacitor coupled) connection to avoid loading the line. this allows
it to hear the ring and the data.
Allison
< Well, then why don't the other phones sound out the data string with the
< ringers?
The amplitude is low compared to the ring signal and it's very short blip
of data. Ring is 90-120v, voice and id are in the under two volts region.
Max, please edit the copy string! bandwidth is limited and I can remember
what I wrote even at my advenced age.
Allison
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dave dameron <ddameron(a)earthlink.net>
> >Speaking of books,
> >has anyone seen the book "We Built our own Computers" by A.B. Holt,
> >Cambridge Univ. Press, published about 1966.
If anybody in the UK is interested in getting this book, I saw a copy
of this recently (two or three pounds) and I'm happy to go back for
it.
Phil
**************************************************************
Phil Beesley -- Computer Officer -- Distributed Systems Suppport
University of Leicester
Tel (0)116 252-2231
E-Mail pb14(a)le.ac.uk
I'm going to be visiting the silicon valley area and I'd appreciate any tips
on where to look for interesting old computer gear.
This is a one-time visit so if you're afraid of spreading the word around on
your favorite spots, send me email instead of posting to the list, I won't
tell anyone your secrets, I swear!
thanks,
Kai
Allison (>>) and Tony (>) wrote:
>> media you may pit it some or at least remagnetize a small area, disaster
>> for servo tracks.
>>
>> FYI/note: Why do ALL drives spin up then load the heads? It's to allow
>
> A lot of winchesters land the heads on the platter - and not always in a
> special 'landing zone'. This implies the heads start flying as the disk
> gets up to speed.
>
> It also implies that the heads can land on the platter without damage. On
> the other hand, there's a difference between the landing when the drive
> spins down, and crashing due to hitting a dust particle.
>
>> the airflow from the spinning media to establish the clean airflow inside
>> the drive. Also any dust on the active portion of the media spins off the
>> media and is then captured in a filter.
>
> Agreed...
A lot has been said about dust in hard drives, most of it assuming that
the dust is dry. But only one person (sorry, can't remember who) has
talked about other things.
Remember, not all pollutants are dry. Some (water, spittle) are wet,
and some are quite sticky (ever parked your car under lime trees?).
These will mess a hard drive up something cruel!
Yes, if you take reasonable precautions, you may well be OK. But one
day, if you haven't got a clean room, you will come to grief...
BTW, I have two questions. What does HEPA stand for? And (Christian
will parobably be able to answer this) how do you grade clean rooms? I
take it it has something to do with the size of the largest particles
you'll find in the air and/or how many of them you have...
Oh yes. I take it "Tobacco for chewing only" goes without saying ;-)
Philip.
THe site is www.pandaproject.com. The reason why your suggestion won't
work is that the drives are right in one of the corners.
>Hmmm... Seems to me that two PC's stacked on top of each other is just
>about a cube. So, why not a case that has two motherboards, with an
>integral Monitor/kb/mouse switch...
>
>
> _______________
> ||--- ||
> ||--- ||
> ||--- ||
> || [ ] ---||
> || [ ] ---||
> || [ ] ---||
> ---------------
> ^ ^ ^
> | | \
> | \ ---- Mobo 2 with Exp Cards
> \ ---- Drives (Shared Floppy?)
> ---- Mobo 1, with Exp Cards
>
>
>Okay, so maybe there isn't any point or anything, but I still think
it's a
>cool idea... Hmmm... Mac on one side, PC on the other?
>
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
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/
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
The 4066/XE's belong to the US Government. From what I understand,
when an agency excesses a machine it is up for grabs by any other
federal agency, then state agency, local government, schools etc.
until it is sold at GSA auction which is where you should look.
Marty
______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Dell 4066/XE info needed
Author: Russ Blakeman <rhblake(a)bbtel.com> at internet
Date: 7/16/98 9:19 AM
Marty wrote:
> Not that I'm aware of. We are supporting a couple hundred Dell 4066/XE
> Interactive Unix servers which are at the end of their life cycle and
> being replaced by Compaq Proliant 2500 and 5000 servers. We have one
> in-house 4066/XE for building root drives for field servers. All other
> times the 4066/XE sleeps.
What (tell me please) are you/they doing with the XE's as they are replaced? I
would love to get sme parts such as a Pentium upgrade board to make it a
45xx/XE
as well as drive rails, hard drives, hard drive mounts, etc and I wouldn't
even
mind considering some for purchase if reasonable enough. Sure they are heavy
but
in the process of messing with this one I thought what agreat machine for a
local church group that runs 15-20 machines and has limited funds, to be able
to
run their homeschool machines with the same software available.
I guess I ought to take this to private email as well....
> Marty
>
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator
> _________________________________
> Subject: Re: Dell 4066/XE info needed
> Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet
> Date: 7/16/98 8:44 AM
>
> Marty wrote:
>
> > Found an easy path to the info you need:
> >
> > 1. Access www.dell.com
>
> Marty is your Phoenix bios in your 4066/XE at A17? This is supposed to fix
a
> lot of
> things including some sort of Y2K bug. Just installed it and it works
nearly
> invisible. It's on Dell's web site or FTP as 4xxXEA17.EXE
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Russ Blakeman
> RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
> Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
> Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
> Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
> ICQ UIN #1714857
> AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
> * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
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RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
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Oh man! Talk about a day late... I "donated" a whole ton of Amiga
mice/keyboards to a friend when I moved from Chicago to Boston.
Tony
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Uncle Roger [mailto:sinasohn@ricochet.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 1998 10:53 PM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: Amiga Mice (and Atari)
>
>
> At 06:55 PM 7/7/98 +0100, you wrote:
> >> >Also, are the keyboard and mouse PC-compatible?
> >>
> >> Alas, no. The keyboard will run you about $60, and the
> mouse about $15.
>
> There seems to be a guy who posts Amiga/Atari mice for sale pretty
> regularly on the Antique Computers section of Haggle (or it
> may be either
> Workstations or Other Computers); I think they sell for about
> $15. There's
> also a woman (Brenda Watson?) who sells Atari mice; I bought
> one and it
> seems fine. No connection, yada yada yada.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> ------- 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/
Weird Stuff Warehouse! The ultimate store for computer junk!
http://www.weirdstuff.com/
Tony
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kai Kaltenbach [mailto:kaikal@MICROSOFT.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 1998 8:24 PM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: Places to visit in Silicon Valley?
>
>
> I'm going to be visiting the silicon valley area and I'd
> appreciate any tips
> on where to look for interesting old computer gear.
>
> This is a one-time visit so if you're afraid of spreading the
> word around on
> your favorite spots, send me email instead of posting to the
> list, I won't
> tell anyone your secrets, I swear!
>
> thanks,
>
> Kai
>
Not that I'm aware of. We are supporting a couple hundred Dell 4066/XE
Interactive Unix servers which are at the end of their life cycle and
being replaced by Compaq Proliant 2500 and 5000 servers. We have one
in-house 4066/XE for building root drives for field servers. All other
times the 4066/XE sleeps.
Marty
______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Dell 4066/XE info needed
Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet
Date: 7/16/98 8:44 AM
Marty wrote:
> Found an easy path to the info you need:
>
> 1. Access www.dell.com
Marty is your Phoenix bios in your 4066/XE at A17? This is supposed to fix a
lot of
things including some sort of Y2K bug. Just installed it and it works nearly
invisible. It's on Dell's web site or FTP as 4xxXEA17.EXE
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
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From: Russ Blakeman <rhblake(a)bbtel.com>
To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers"
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Dell 4066/XE info needed
References: <1998Jul13.141642.1767.118341(a)smtp.itgonline.com>
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-----Original Message-----
From: dave dameron <ddameron(a)earthlink.net>
>Speaking of books,
>has anyone seen the book "We Built our own Computers" by A.B. Holt,
>Cambridge Univ. Press, published about 1966.
Yes, I've got it here (bought as part of a $3 per bag haul from a charity
book sale a month ago).
You are right about year and publisher, but the "author" was Bolt, not
Holt - it is part of a series called School Mathematics Project Handbooks
and A.B Bolt actually lists himself as "supervisor" of 6 Exeter School 6th
form boys who actually wrote the book.
It describes a binary adder, a NIM machine, a noughts and crosses machine
....
I see a few other replies, so that it is not all that rare :(
- but what exactly did you want to know for?
Phil Guerney
Brisbane, Australia
Found an easy path to the info you need:
1. Access www.dell.com
2. Click on the SUPPORT wrench at the top of the home page.
3. Click on TROUBLESHOOT YOUR DELL SYSTEM
4. Now you will be prompted to HELP US IDENTIFY YOUR SYSTEM <or>
OR SELECT YOUR SYSTEM MODEL. Under SELECT YOUR SYSTEM MODEL
click on the last choice, All Other Product Lines.
5. Under All Other Product Lines, click on 80486.
6. Now you will see 80486 highlighted in black on the left of the
screen. On the right side click on the second choice from the top
which is 40XX/XE and you will finally be there.
The address is http://www.dell.com/support/tech/dta/4000XE/index.htm
By the way, the Dell 4066/XE is a great server, very reliable and well
built from my experience.
Marty
______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Dell 4066/XE info needed
Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet
Date: 7/13/98 1:09 PM
Been there, done that. I got driver files but nothing more. Will have to dig a
little further I guess....Nice machine though, but big enough to put a cushion
on use for a couch :-)
Marty wrote:
> At http:/www.dell.com you will find everything you need although you
> will need to do some digging as Dell seems to change this site and the
> method to find info every six months. Anyway, you will find
> troubleshooting info, tech specs, jumper settings, illustrations, etc.
>
> Marty
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator
> _________________________________
> Subject: Dell 4066/XE info needed
> Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet
> Date: 7/11/98 11:10 PM
>
> Just picked up a Dell 4066/XE 486DX2 server unit, complete. It has EISA
> slots, tons of drive slots, etc...It is in a BIG case!!....
>
> Anyone possibly have a manual for one of these? I'd like to buy one, pay
> for a copy, get a scan over the net, something. With all of you that
> work in corporate business someone might have one, or know of an online
> text or PDF copy.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Russ Blakeman
> RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
> Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
> Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
> Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
> ICQ UIN #1714857
> AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
> * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
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> Subject: Dell 4066/XE info needed
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--
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
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Subject: Re: Dell 4066/XE info needed
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My girlfriend and I are hoping to go on holiday at the beginning of August,
and right now, it looks like Denver/Boulder will be our destination. So,
does anyone know of any good thrift shops/swapmeets/etc. in the area?
(And, off-topically, antique or teacher stores? Gotta keep the gf happy
too! 8^) Thanks!
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
Folks, here's something I found on the Boatanchors Swap List.
Wonder if they're ASR-33's? If so, they are of interest to us that collect
early DEC and Data General, etc. computers.
Of course, contact WA6GYD directly to rescue these -I'm just passing this
lead on....
>X-Authentication-Warning: ns1.foothill.net: majordom set sender to
owner-baswaplist(a)foothill.net using -f
>From: WA6GYD(a)aol.com
>Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 21:02:04 EDT
>To: baswaplist(a)foothill.net
>Subject: Free Telatype brand telatypes
>X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 for Windows 95 sub 49
>Sender: owner-baswaplist(a)foothill.net
>
>2 late model machines with re-perfs on floor stands with power supplys.
>These need to be picked up this week 16th or 17th July or they will be
thrown
>in dump.
>
>they are located in So San Francisco. need reply of interest tonite or
>tommorow.
>
>Don
>
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
Found on Usenet. If you're interested, get hold of the fellow directly.
Attachment follows.
-=-=- <snip> -=-=-
On Wed, 15 Jul 1998 16:35:25 -0700, in comp.os.vms you wrote:
>>From: Mike Graff <mgraff(a)aimnet.com>
>>Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
>>Subject: LA120 available - interested?
>>Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 16:35:25 -0700
>>Organization: Wombat Internet Guild
>>Lines: 12
>>Message-ID: <35AD3CA4.AFB9FECD(a)aimnet.com>
>>Reply-To: mgraff(a)aimnet.com
>>NNTP-Posting-Host: host52.macsource.com
>>Mime-Version: 1.0
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>>X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.05 (Macintosh; U; PPC)
>>Path: blushng.jps.net!news.eli.net!news.burgoyne.com!news.eecs.umich.edu!nntprelay.mathworks.com!newshub.northeast.verio.net!news1.best.com!204.188.144.17.MISMATCH!batnet!not-for-mail
>>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>I've got an old LA120 hardcopy terminal (aka DECWRITER III) to give away.
>>
>>The unit is fully functional (as far as I can tell). I've got some spare
>>ribbons for it too.
>>
>>You come haul it away, it's yours. I am located in the San Francisco Bay
>>Area. First come first served. Email me at mgraff(a)computerware.com.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Mike
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave (Fido 1:343/272)
http://table.jps.net/~kyrrin -- also kyrrin [A-t] Jps {D=o=t} Net
Spam is bad. Spam is theft of service. Spam wastes resources. Don't spam, period.
I am a WASHINGTON STATE resident. Spam charged $500.00 per incident per Chapter 19 RCW.
> The tapes are spoken for. John Lawson claimed the stack, with Dave
>Jenner a close second. Glad to see they're going to a good home. Thanks,
>folks!
Any chance someone could determine if there are any sig tapes among the
stack which aren't currently available from any of the pdp-11 archives
and make sure the archives get a copy? (Tim Shoppa?)
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry(a)zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg(a)world.std.com |
| Digital Equipment Corporation | |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
Fellow sent me a message to the effect that he's got a stack of various
DEC and T1000 boards available. If interested, please contact him directly at:
jboldway(a)cottagesoft.com
List follows.
-=-=- <break> -=-=-
Here's a list of boards:
2 X G114
2 X G235
1 X H207
2 X H217
1 X M225
1 X M3104
4 X M7168
2 X M7169
1 X M7231
1 X M7233
1 X M7234
1 X M7235
1 X M7236
1 X M7238
2 X M7555
2 X M7606
2 X M7607
2 X M7608
1 X M8012
1 X M8027
1 X M8186
2 X M8637
1 X M8639
4 X M9047
2 X clearpoint Q-RAM 11B with 76 256K chips per board
packed in as tight as you could put them. Bet these burned out from heat
problems really fast!
"Codar Technology" model 120 calender clock. A battery backup, I presume -
2 x 3V duracell batteries on this board.
The other T1000 boards:
3 X T1019
1 X T1003
1 X T1002
1 X T1012
1 X T1014
2 X T1001
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fidonet 1:343/272)
(Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)jps.net)
"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..."
At 01:10 PM 7/12/98 PDT, you wrote:
>black cube, the size of a NeXT cube, but balanced on one corner with
>little feet supporting it. It's made of aluminum and is just a regular
Actually, that sounds like a pretty neat idea. I'll have to check it out...
>uglier than the NeXT, and I don't quite know the reason for making it a
Simple... To differentiate it from the hordes of other technically
identical PC's available. If I had to choose between a standard PC-type
case and something like that (on a consumer level) I'd definitely go for
the oddball. Consider Bang and Olufsen stereos -- same thing.
>cube - it doesn't support four motherboards or anything! Just thought
>you people might be interested.
Hmmm... Seems to me that two PC's stacked on top of each other is just
about a cube. So, why not a case that has two motherboards, with an
integral Monitor/kb/mouse switch...
_______________
||--- ||
||--- ||
||--- ||
|| [ ] ---||
|| [ ] ---||
|| [ ] ---||
---------------
^ ^ ^
| | \
| \ ---- Mobo 2 with Exp Cards
\ ---- Drives (Shared Floppy?)
---- Mobo 1, with Exp Cards
Okay, so maybe there isn't any point or anything, but I still think it's a
cool idea... Hmmm... Mac on one side, PC on the other?
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
At 06:55 PM 7/7/98 +0100, you wrote:
>> >Also, are the keyboard and mouse PC-compatible?
>>
>> Alas, no. The keyboard will run you about $60, and the mouse about $15.
There seems to be a guy who posts Amiga/Atari mice for sale pretty
regularly on the Antique Computers section of Haggle (or it may be either
Workstations or Other Computers); I think they sell for about $15. There's
also a woman (Brenda Watson?) who sells Atari mice; I bought one and it
seems fine. No connection, yada yada yada.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
>But Andromeda has long supported 3.5" floppies under MSCP
>emulation, both as 1.2 Mbyte
>and 1.44 Mbyte devices. It's very possible that the UDC11 has
>been configured to report back the drive type as RX33. My Andromeda
>SCDC can be configured to work either way. Don't you have a ESDC,
>Megan? Ever try a 3.5" floppy on it?
Nope, because I don't have the adapter that is required for
connecting to such a drive...
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry(a)zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg(a)world.std.com |
| Digital Equipment Corporation | |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
>Do there exist DEC drives A and B such that A and B have their own
>(different) 'native' packs, and packs from A can also be read (at least)
>in B, but not vice versa
I don't know of any such disk packs (in fact, there is one combination,
I forget which, which will result in a volume spindle swedged into the
drive spindle -- making the drive so much worthless hardware)
However, TK50 and TK70 fit the bill... you can read TK50s on a TK70,
but not write them. Tapes written on a TK70 cannot be read on a TK50.
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry(a)zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg(a)world.std.com |
| Digital Equipment Corporation | |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+