test-drb

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

101090 discussions

by trixter＠oldskool.org

Okay, so I saw this today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4SCSGRVAQE It's a video of a floppy disk drive playing music by screwing with the stepper motor. It is my understanding that the video was a hardware hack, but it got me thinking... For those who know floppy drives well, do you think such a thing could be possible via IBM PC floppy controller software calls only? Or is a hardware hack required to generate the right frequencies? -- Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/ Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/ Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/ A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/

17 years, 10 months

HP 85 error 23

by vp＠cs.drexel.edu

> My HP 85 starts up with "Error 23 SELF TEST" > but seems to work. Does anybody know how > to get it to be more specific about what > isn't working correctly? thanks, -kurt You may want to check the service manual for the HP-85 http://www.series80.org/PDFs/HP85-RepairCourse.pdf (username: pdf, passwd: iamhuman) There is also a service manual for the HP-85 at: http://hpmuseum.net/document.php?hwfile=3256 but it assumes that you have the self test ROM. Now back you the SELF TEST error. This can be caused by many things (e.g. RAM problem), but it may be due to the configuration of the machine. Do you have any accessories connected to your HP-85? In particular I believe that if you have the HP-IB interface and the Mass Storage ROM, you may get a SELF TEST error in some cases (I am intentionally vague because I don't have an HP-85 near me to check). Try removing all cards from the back of the computer and power it on to see if you still get the error. Regards **vp

17 years, 10 months

Basic interpreter 8080 source code needed

by jerwin＠PureNetworks.com

I have my Imsai 8080 fully running and communicating with my Mac Pro as a dumb terminal. Many thanks to this group for helpful pushing along the way. I have also modified SCS1, the Imsai monitor program, to my liking and have it burned into PROM. Since I do not yet have a floppy system for this antique, I wrote an Intel hex format loader and just send the hex files over the serial line to load them. Life is good. What I am looking for now is the 8080 asm source code to a good 8K basic interpreter. I found one called TinyBasic but it was so concerned with space the author built in a ton of self-modifying code and trying to follow the logic is like untying a plate of spaghetti. I have another one called BASIC85 which is better but assumes a VIO memory-addressable video system. If necessary I will take this one apart and make it work. I hear a lot about Imsai having an 8K basic, and I can find the manuals, but I can?t seem to locate the actual 8080 source. Anyone out there know of or have the asm source code to a basic interpreter or know what became of the Imsai Basic8K? Jeff Erwin

17 years, 10 months

Wang VS systems around?

by tjunker＠tjunker.com

Jim Battle wrote: > Believe it or not, the Wang VS still lives on. Thomas > Junker, who for a long time was one of the last real > champions of the Wang VS, has actually revived the Wang VS > family. Getronics bought out Wang and then essentially > milked the dwindling user base without introducing new > products. > > Thomas took the initiative, hired a programmer, and wrote a > Linux-based emulator for the VS family. Enough time had > passed the a fast PC with his emulation software is still > much faster than the old high end machines. He worked with > Getronics to make it legal and they are now in some kind of > cooperative arrangement. > > Thomas Junker's page: > http://www.tjunker.com/ > > TransVirtual Systems page: > http://www.transvirtualsystems.com/ Hi Jim, and thanks! The story is close enough for gummint work. The New VS, also called the VS22000 family, is running happily at about 60 sites in 10 countries, and steadily growing. It usually runs in the Dell PowerEdge 2900, although it can also run in the smaller 2950 and even the 1950. The high end is exactly twice the peformance of the top-of-the-line legacy VS18950, and on the newer PowerEdge 29xx III, 220% of the fastest legacy performance. The current VS OS, 7.54.12, handles up to 1,000 devices/users, and the soon to be released 7.54.20 will handle up to 2,000. Current virtual VS disk sizes supported range up to and including 34 GB. In the VS world, where the first VS supported 32 users in 512 KB (yes, KB) of memory, a 34 GB drive is huge. We virtualized not only the VS machine but the principal I/O Coprocessors as well -- SCSI, of course, Resource Sharing Facility (RSF), the VS clustering technology, the "serial" IOC that used to handle coax/twisted-pair workstations and printers, now providing TCP connections to virtualized workstations, telecommunications, virtual Printer Interface Box and other devices. We even built a PCI Universal Serial IOC to actually run legacy Wang coax, twisted pair and fiber links. The latest virtualizations have been a virtual device that provides high-capacity pipes to and from Linux, such as for access to an Oracle database, and an Integrated Virtual Tape, which allows the VS to seamlessy work with image files of tapes instead of physical tapes. Our goal from the beginning was to make the New VS 100% seamlessly compatible with the legacy VS for all VS software from the OS to languages to utilities and applications. We have done that. A New VS is loaded from legacy VS backup tapes or disk drives. No program or data conversion is needed. The New VS runs the unmodified VS Operating System and all other VS software. And yes, we signed a multiyear contract with Getronics (the succesor to Wang) in early 2005 to work together to bring the new generation of Wang VS to market. So it's all legal. Both Getronics and we sell the New VS worldwide. Your correspondent wrote that the VS appears to have been a pretty fair midrange system. It was and continues to be much more than that: The VS is the easiest and most efficient mainframe to program, operate and use that has ever existed. It supports about a dozen languages and is now in its 31st year, with full object code compatibility throughout, something I don't think any other computer company has ever achieved. And, yes, it is a mainframe, distinguished by all the same characteristics that caused the term to be coined to describe the IBM 360 -- decimal arithmetic at the machine level, an instruction set that makes COBOL almost an assembler for the machine, intelligent I/O "channels", huge connectivity for block-mode workstations, disk drives, tape drives, printers and telecommunications devices. The VS has an instruction set and memory architecture almost identical to the IBM 370. Regards, Thomas Junker tjunker )at( tjunker.com +1 281-890-5312 The Unofficial Wang VS Information Center http://www.tjunker.com/ Vice President TransVirtual Systems tjunker !-at-! transvirtualsystems.com www.transvirtualsystems.com +1 832-615-6050 voice +1 832-553-7863 fax 888-796-0601 (toll free, U.S. and Canada)

17 years, 10 months

Fixing a DEC Letterwriter (LA100)

by tiggerlasv＠aim.com

> I've started tracing back from the logic controlling the > LINE and CTS indicators but haven't found anything obviously wrong as > yet. I have however read some funny-looking voltages off the 7406 in > this part of the circuit: 11.something volts while the datasheet says > 30. Could of course be down to my test equipment as I'm limited to a > basic digital multimeter at the moment. Before you start tracing things out, you might want to track down the actual USER manual for the LA100. (It's not on Manx or Bitsavers) As far as I know, the LA100 logic circuitry performs a SELF TEST on power-up, and will illuminate various LED's above the keyboard, depending on the problem found. The user manual may tell you what the various lights are trying to tell you. (Paper jam, etc) T

17 years, 10 months

HP 85 error 23

by hardware＠ees1s0.engr.ccny.cuny.edu

Hello Everybody, My HP 85 starts up with "Error 23 SELF TEST" but seems to work. Does anybody know how to get it to be more specific about what isn't working correctly? thanks, -kurt

17 years, 10 months

Anyone interested in early to mid 90s Mac software?

by oldcomps＠verizon.net

I've got a collection of various software packages for various Mac flavors that I need to get rid of. If there's any interest in such things I'll put together a list. -- Frank ------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Frank Helvey email: cfhelvey at yahoo dot com President home phone: 540.947.2526 Montvale Software Services Inc work phone: 540.947.5364 Blue Ridge, VA 24064 cell phone: 540.529.3740 Classic Comps Email: oldcomps at verizon dot net

17 years, 10 months

Fixing a DEC Letterwriter (LA100)

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Fixing a DEC Letterwriter (LA100) > From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:00:42 +0100 (BST) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >> I have since found the full print set on vt100.net, so I'm all set on >> that front. I've started tracing back from the logic controlling the >> LINE and CTS indicators but haven't found anything obviously wrong as >> yet. I have however read some funny-looking voltages off the 7406 in >> this part of the circuit: 11.something volts while the datasheet says >> 30. Could of course be down to my test equipment as I'm limited to a >> basic digital multimeter at the moment. > >The 7406 has what's called an 'open collector output'. The output pin is >connected to the colelctor of an NPN transsitor (the emitter being >grounded), but to nothing else inside the chip. What this means is that >the output pin is either low (transistor tuend on) or floating >(transistor turned off), it'll never be pulled high bu that chip. > >The 7406 can handle and external voltage oof 30V on the output (that is, >you could connect a resistor between the output pin and any voltage less >than 30V, in shich case that supply voltage essentially becomes the >'high' output voltage). But there's no reason why you _have_ to use 30V. >Any lower voltage is fine. In particualr, using this chip (and its >non-inverting brother, the 7407) to convert between TTL and 12V levels is >quite common, ans what I suspect is happening here. > >-tony Make sure the power supply is working. It's a multiple output deal and it's possible or even likely one output has gone away. Also that machine will error mode if any PS output fails. I have two working LA100ROs here and worked part of the program when I was at DEC. FYI the datasheet for the 7406 only give limits not how it will be used in the circuit. The 11V sounds about reasonable. FYI the common failyure modes for LA100 were Printhead, PS and drive mechanics [Motor and the sprague clutch for ribbon feed]. Logic board failures were commonly RS232 related (usually form really nasty ground loops >25V). The printer can be start in diagnostic and feature setting mode. It requires paper in the printer and a ribbon with a working printhead to see the result. Get the LA100 user manual as the serial interface does use CTS/ and RTS/ unless disabled. there are a bunch of DIP switched hidden under a flap in the printing area that set up some of the features. Allison

17 years, 10 months

Apple Lisa

by dm561＠torfree.net

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:54:22 -0700 From: "Rick Bensene" <rickb at bensene.com> Subject: RE: Apple Lisa >Please apologize for my typo in my original message -- the $10K Lisa sold on eBay in 2004, not 1994. >Rick Bensene ---- Hrmph! I don't see why *we* need to apologize... m

17 years, 10 months

Last call for anyone wanting old AS/400 features, cables, printers

by oldcomps＠verizon.net

All: I have a collection of AS/400 parts all of which I need to get rid of. I'm in the process of scrapping out this stuff, so you have to let me know if there's anything here you want in the next week or its gone. Also, each item is provided for shipping charges. Any donations to help with my time would be appreciated. Its easier to scrap it out that to ship it, but I hate to throw away working hardware... a problem a lot of people on this list have, I think! :) I am pretty much clueless on AS/400 stuff, so if you see something here that doesn't make sense, ask. Features; the busses may still be available. I have cables for these too: 9406-5010/5030 IBM I/O Card Unit Feature (rackmount bus for AS/400) 940x-6019 IBM Card for 5030 feature (bus controller?) 940x-6031 IBM 2 line communications ADAP card for 5010/5030 bus 940x-6040 IBM twinax workstation controller card for 5010/5030 bus 940x-6130 IBM Communications I/O processor card for 5010/5030 bus 5042 IBM Expansion chassis - AS/400, rackmount. Includes some blank panels. Has power controller cards. 940x-2621 IBM removable media device attachment for 5042 bus 940x-2623 IBM 6 line communications controller for 5042 bus 940x-2626 IBM Token ring adapter 16/4 Mbps for 5042 bus 940x-2684 IBM Optical bus adapter (< 266 Mbps) for 5042 bus 940x-6050 IBM Twinax workstation controller for 5042 bus 940x-6140 IBM Twinax workstation controller for 5042 bus 940x-6141 IBM ASCII workstation controller for 5042 bus 940x-6501 IBM DASD Controller for 5042 bus 940x-6501 IBM DASD controller; in box, possibly new/unused, for 5042 bus I also have these two tape drives: 7460 Decision Data Corp Dual 8MM tape drives for AS/400, with 6860-CTRL from IPL Systems Inc. Rackmount, includes rack hardware, SCSI cable. 9348-001 IBM/remanufactured 9 track reel tape drive, SCSI. Includes cable and rackmount hardware. This unit has suffered damage to the front cover; its not known if the unit still works at this time. Twinax printers. 4224-01 IBM These printers that don't seem to work. 6262-T12 IBM Parts only, too big to ship. Telex 225 Genicome/Telex Parts only, already disassembled These Twinax and Token Ring networking parts, including twinax cables and some new twinax covers in bags: 5294 IBM 5294-43185 twinax controller with V.35 interface 2452259 EC 834326 IBM Modem to 5294 controller cable 299AT, OR 3C510013 STAR-TEK/3COM ACTIVE HUB, RJ45 CONNECTORS IC028-A STAR-TEK/3COM 299AT HUB EXPANSION MODULES, RJ45 CONNECTORS, WITH POWER SUPPLY 828AT STAR-TEK Intelligent multistation access unit CPA2501 Cisco CiscoPro access unit. Has 2 cards installed - SMART SM536X29001C457 102396-29 memory expansion, and SM732C1000B-12 093096-13 flash memory card for firmware. 3C510511B 10511B-00 3COM SuperStack II Token ring hubs. 7 units include a connecting cable to interconnect them to another SuperStack II hub. All have power cords. Operational until AS/400 deinstalled. 3C16900A 3COM SuperStack II Switch 1000 main assembly 1690-010-000-3.01 15013002 Madge Pccard token ring adapter, ringnode Mk2, 16/4 Mbps, with cable 15013002 Madge ringnode Mk2 as above without cable 34L1499 IBM Pccard token ring, 16/4 Mbps, with cable 933929 IBM Pccard token ring with cable 3C389 3COM Pccard token ring, 16/4 Mbps, without cable J3264A HP JetDirect 500X token ring print server, w/ power supply 309938-002 Intel Netport Express XL token ring print server, no power supply Intel Netport ExpressPRO token ring print server, w/ power supply ------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Frank Helvey email: cfhelvey at yahoo dot com President home phone: 540.947.2526 Montvale Software Services PC work phone: 540.947.5364 Blue Ridge, VA 24064 cell phone: 540.529.3740 Classic Comps Email: oldcomps at verizon dot net

17 years, 10 months

Fixing a DEC Letterwriter (LA100)

by oldcomps＠verizon.net

Steve: I don't have the doc set for fixing a LA100, but I believe I do have a working LA100 that I need to move out. I should have another one or two LA type printers, but w/o the keyboards. -- Frank ------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Frank Helvey email: cfhelvey at yahoo dot com President home phone: 540.947.2526 Montvale Software Services PC work phone: 540.947.5364 Blue Ridge, VA 24064 cell phone: 540.529.3740 Classic Comps Email: oldcomps at verizon dot net ----- Original Message ---- From: Steve Maddison <steve at cosam.org> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 5:02:54 AM Subject: Fixing a DEC Letterwriter (LA100) Hello all, I have a half-dead Letterwriter 100 KSR here I'd like to get working again. I get a short buzz from the paper feed motor at power-up but instead of flashing all it's indicator LEDs, both CTS and LINE stay illuminated. There's no carriage movement and the keyboard does nothing either. The basic vital signs are OK but I'm stuck without a service manual or schematics. Does anyone have access to these docs? I'd of course also be interested to hear of any common problems and/or things to check before I dive into all-out mending mode... Cheers, -- Steve Maddison http://www.cosam.org/ "The great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from."

17 years, 10 months

H7821 Power Supply

by vrs＠msn.com

I recently acquired an H7821-00 power supply, and I'm wondering if has any technical drawings or specifications for it? Or at least a pinout for the 14-pin connector? Thanks, Vince

17 years, 10 months

Anyone interested in early to mid 90s Mac software?

by oldcomps＠verizon.net

To everyone: I've had three folks come forward so far interested in this s/w, so I'll come up with a list of what I have and post it to the discussion list, hopefully sometime this next week. All of it will be available first come first served for the price of shipping. Donations for my time to pack it up will be appreciated. The software I have is geared towards art production for prepress work, not programming. There should be some general office apps too. -- Frank ------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Frank Helvey email: cfhelvey at yahoo dot com President home phone: 540.947.2526 Montvale Software Services PC work phone: 540.947.5364 Blue Ridge, VA 24064 cell phone: 540.529.3740 Classic Comps Email: oldcomps at verizon dot net ----- Original Message ---- From: Frank Helvey <oldcomps at verizon.net> To: cctech list <cctech at classiccmp.org> Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 11:55:12 AM Subject: Anyone interested in early to mid 90s Mac software? I've got a collection of various software packages for various Mac flavors that I need to get rid of. If there's any interest in such things I'll put together a list. -- Frank ------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Frank Helvey email: cfhelvey at yahoo dot com President home phone: 540.947.2526 Montvale Software Services Inc work phone: 540.947.5364 Blue Ridge, VA 24064 cell phone: 540.529.3740 Classic Comps Email: oldcomps at verizon dot net

17 years, 10 months

invading varmints

by cclist＠sydex.com

> Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 15:57:29 -0700 (PDT) > From: Chris M > I arguably my first vintage computer invaded by > apparently teeny tiny critters once! I had the box, a > TI PC, stuck in my parked van for a winter anyhow. Thank your lucky stars that you didn't suffer the fate of one of our customers several years ago. He'd pulled out his Zorba from storage, opened the door of the A: drive and was bitten by several irritated brown recluse spiders that had decided to call his luggable "home". Out of curiosity, does anyone take any sort of precautions when rescuing an old piece of equipment that's been in storage for awhile? I can imagine that if brown recluse spiders can feel at home inside a computer, black widow spiders also would, not to mention cockroaches, etc. If you're going to fumigate a piece of equipment, what's the least destructive (to the equipment) fumigant? Cheers, Chuck

17 years, 10 months

IBM PC/XT/AT/PS/2s and old Apricot kit up for grabs

by mikewalder＠yahoo.com

Hello fellow Computer Collectors, I have recently got married and moved house, and now no longer have the space for my computer collection: http://www.mikewalder.com/mcm.? I have found new owners for my HP and Digital kit, but still have much of the rest left.? This is all now sitting in storage, costing me ???, and the preasure to move it all is getting greater.? So, the offer is there.? If anybody on this list would like to come down to Wokingham (UK) and collect some or all of the machines, I'll be glad that they are not going on the scrapheap. I have everything on "Mike's Computer Museum" website, except the DEC, HP, Merlin, Sirius, Altos?or Exorcet stuff, I think.? But to summarize I have a large collection of IBM equipment including PCs, PC/XTs, ATs, XT/286, PS/2 model 30 (8086 ISA), model 50 (286 MCA), 55sx (316sx 16 MCA), 60 (286 MCA tower), and 80 (386DX MCA tower).?? I also have some ACT?Apricot stuff.? Drop me a mail directly at mikewalder at yahoo.com if you are interested.? I am after no money, just the willpower and time to come and collect it, and the warm feeling that they are going to someone who will make use of them. Regards, Mike Walder.

17 years, 10 months

IBM PC/XT/AT/PS/2s and old Apricot kit up for grabs

by mikewalder＠yahoo.com

17 years, 10 months

PDP 11/34a Console dead, powersupply problem?

by asholz＠topinform.de

Hello all, just tried to power up one of my 11/34a and found it's console dead: Power on LED and adresse display are not lit. The PSU fans are running. Using the field maintenance print set for the 11/34a and docs provided at bitsavers I checked the voltages at the backplane and found the +5V Voltage seems to be out of range. Are there any docs, advices and procedures to check an repair a H7441 Powersupply? Looking at the bottom side of the PSU untit there are three PSU's, two H7441 with a red LED, the LED of one H7441 is lit, and a H755 with a bulb, which is not lit. What is the meaning of these LED and bulbs? Andreas

17 years, 10 months

Fixing a DEC Letterwriter (LA100)

by steve＠cosam.org

Hello all, I have a half-dead Letterwriter 100 KSR here I'd like to get working again. I get a short buzz from the paper feed motor at power-up but instead of flashing all it's indicator LEDs, both CTS and LINE stay illuminated. There's no carriage movement and the keyboard does nothing either. The basic vital signs are OK but I'm stuck without a service manual or schematics. Does anyone have access to these docs? I'd of course also be interested to hear of any common problems and/or things to check before I dive into all-out mending mode... Cheers, -- Steve Maddison http://www.cosam.org/ "The great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from."

17 years, 10 months

Apple Lisa

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> I know that a Lisa sold on eBay for $10K back in '94 - eBay didn't exist in 1994 - only a Lisa I (with twiggy drives) would go for that much

17 years, 10 months

Funny Tek 2445 scope problem

by tiggerlasv＠aim.com

Not ever having seen the internals of an Imsai, I obviously can't say anything even remotely definite. However, you may see this behavior on older electronics that have capacitors between line voltage and ground. (This was popular in tube stereos and TV's for many years.) Eventually, the capacitors would leak, and you'd get a low-current tingle when you touched the chassis. Very scary. Some surge supressor circuitry is designed with MOV's between Hot-and-Neutral, Hot-and-Ground, and Neutral-to-Ground. It may be possible that you have leakage in the MOV's, and your connection to ground is weak or missing. Since it's fairly common to tie the ground to the chassis, that COULD be a source of the 60hz wave you're seeing, whether the MOV's are inside your unit, or inside an attached power strip. I would check your electrical grounds first. Also check for power supply wires hitting the chassis, or even a cable with the insulation worn through. Is the power supply a switching unit, or a traditional linear power supply ? I have two laptop power supplies, made by different manufacturers. They are two-wire (ungrounded) plugs. When plugged into my laptop, both will give me a slight tingle when I touch the metal speaker grills on the laptop, and a source of ground. Yes, metal speaker grills. It's a 233Mhz Thinkpad. ;-) It may be something inherent in the design of the switching power supplies. It might be helpful to disconnect the power supply >from the rest of the electronics, and see if you get any AC readings off of the outputs. T

17 years, 10 months

Funny Tek 2445 scope problem

by jefferwin＠gmail.com

I purchased a used Tek 2445 scope which works well on both CH1 and CH2. Both 10x probes check out as well. I am working on getting an rs232 interface working, if I scope the TX signal from my terminal I get a clean and synced image on the scope on both channels. All is good. I am rebuiding an IMSAI 8080. The unit I have is working well, 48K of RAM all tested, I can enter programs through the front panel and run them. Getting it to talk to my terminal program is the task at hand. Now comes the mystery. If I scope ANY bus line, chip lead on any board, I get a 60Hz sine wave that measures about 70 volts. Now, in my logical head I realize this can't be real, the IMSAI would not only not work but would be pouring smoke from every nook and cranny, bringing my wife running with claims of 'I told you so...'. So, what the hell? I have checked ground, I have checked the bus lines, I have checked the scope. I do have the active terminator card in the last slot and as I mentoned, the IMSAI works fine otherwise. Where am I picking up this 60hz sine wave? Thanks in advance! I love the fact that there are others out there that remember these great old machines and appreciate them for what they represent! Jeff Erwin

17 years, 10 months

Terminals ( was Re: HP 2000F' )

by kweiler＠adobe.com

Jay West - I found your 18 month old post via a Google search and wondered if you had manuals for the Micro-Term ACT-IV. I hope the email address is still valid. I have an ACT-IV but have misplaced the manual and thought it would be nice to have the complete package. Thanks! - Kevin Weiler Terminals ( was Re: HP 2000F' ) Jay West jwest at classiccmp.org <mailto:cctech%40classiccmp.org?Subject=Terminals%20%28%20was%20Re%3A%20 HP%202000F%27%20%29&In-Reply-To=> Fri Dec 22 16:38:25 CST 2006 ________________________________ Richard wrote... > What's an ACT terminal? There was a terminal manufacturer located in Saint Louis, MO around the 70's & 80's called "MicroTerm". They made quite a number of terminals that were popular across the US. As it turns out, the folks at MicroTerm had a relationship with my high school (St. Louis University High) such that they often delivered prototype and/or beta terminals free of charge or at a reduced price so that we could test them and give them feedback, find bugs, etc. Some of the terminals they made were called ACT I, ACT II, ACT IV, ACT Va, MIME 1, MIME 2, MIME 340, MIME 420, and Ergo 2000. I'm sure there were others, but those are the ones I have a manual or sales sheet or some other specific proof that they existed. I know for sure that our high school had an ACT IV as the system console (it replaced an ASR 33), and I believe the user terminals were ACT II, ACT V, and MIME 1's. In addition to these microterm terminals, we also had four LA120's and a MiniBee 4. The ACT IV was unlike the others. It was a terminal but had no crt. It had 75ohm video out that was typically hooked to a small 9" monitor. It was available assembled or as a kit. I happen to have one of these - working. With a 9" sanyo monitor, user manual, and service manual with schematics, theory of operation, etc. I would give my left arm for a Mime I or Mime II, or a Minibee 4. Oh, some time ago I looked up the VP of Engineering for MicroTerm. He sent me a nice email talking about his time at MicroTerm and he was glad someone still remembered them and their terminals. He seemed a bit surprised. I asked if he had any hardware or documentation left over, he said no. When I picked up a bunch of stuff a few years back from my high school, I got multiple copies of many of the MicroTerm manuals. I've tried seeing if there's interest in them but no one seems to want 'em. I also have a manual for the MiniBee 4. Jay West

17 years, 10 months

Epilogue Pantone or RAL reference for the blue color of the IMSAI

by chabib451＠yahoo.com

Hi everybody finally i got the cover and base of my Imsai repaint here in Switzerland. For who may be interested here are the colour references Blue Cover; NCS S 2050-B (Europe) Pantone Blue 740L Grey Base NCS S7502-B Pantone cool grey 11C Both are powder coated with structure Hope this will help someone out there Charles Habib

17 years, 10 months

invading varmints

by tiggerlasv＠aim.com

> Thank your lucky stars that you didn't suffer the fate of one of our > customers several years ago. He'd pulled out his Zorba from storage, > opened the door of the A: drive and was bitten by several irritated > brown recluse spiders that had decided to call his luggable "home". Kind of odd that he was bitten by "several" spiders, merely by opening a disk drive door. Recluses aren't at all aggressive, and generally don't go out of their way to attack. It seems highly unsual that they would "charge out in numbers", and bite. But, anything is possible. Did they manage to salvage his hand? (See link showing pictures of what a SINGLE bite will do. Note: These pictures are VERY graphic.) http://www.ascendedhealth.com/brown-recluse/bite-picture.htm We're "fortunate" enough to have both black widows, and the desert recluse here in Vegas. I'm not sure though if anyone has done any studies on the differences on the severity of the bites between the brown recluse and the desert recluse. I wouldn't be worried so much about widows; It would be unlikely to find one tucked away inside equipment, without the tell-tale sprawling tangle of spider web around it. The hobo spider of the Northwest, and the recluse of course, are different stories altogether, as they tend to wander. At any rate, back to the actual topic. ;-) If you are concerned about critters hiding inside your equipment, your first, best defense is caution. If you're in a hot-spot for venomous insects, physically protecting yourself is a good start. Wear a long sleeved shirt, and reasonably thick gloves. Make sure that your sleeve isn't exposed; tuck it under the gloves, or use some tape or other material, to ensure that nothing runs up your sleeve. If you're picking up equipment, bag it in clear plastic. That will keep critters from hopping out into your vehicle. (Watch out for static, though) Clean your equipment outdoors. If you must work indoors, then work in the middle of a large open area, preferrably with light-colored flooring. Laying down sections of white kraft paper works well. Try to establish an EMPTY 5-foot buffer zone around you. The idea is to be able to see escaping insects, before they have a chance to hide somewhere. Working on a cluttered bench is the worst idea; there too many hiding places. I honestly don't have any proven information on using insecticides inside computers / electronics. My gut tells me that it's probably not a good idea; who knows what the residue would do to the boards and components. Merely blowing out equipment with canned air isn't enough to get rid of any would-be stow-aways, either. Short of disassembly, the only other thing I could think of would be a hair dryer. I know. . . such a high-tech solution. Short-term heat from a reasonable distance shouldn't hurt any electronics, but should be enough to kill any insects, or bring them out of hiding. Component chiller would work too, although that may leave residue behind. As for any eggs, I can only recommend inspection & cleaning. T

17 years, 10 months

s100-manuals.com snatched?

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

Who had s100-manuals.com? It's now showing a generic "parked at godaddy" page. -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

17 years, 10 months

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