Hi Folks,
I'm restoring a DEC PDP/8m, which is missing a serial (asynchronous) I/O board. Doe anyone have one that they would be willing to sell?
Thanks,
Steve
http://www.tronola.com
I have a problem that cropped up that spans both old systems and flaw
maps / disks that have flaws to skip over and current technology.
In the old days with my experience on a lot of cdc winchesters and
removable pack smd drives (and trident) there were flaw maps you could
use in a controller to figure out where the bad spots were.
When shipped from the factory the mmd / cmd / emd / fsd drives (at least
the first two) were not allowed to have more than a false address mark
on a track, and a limit of maybe 5 for the entire stack. Later at least
on the mmd's they had run of marginal media and upped the FAM errors
considerably. (10? 15? don't recall). I later found some drives
delivered to such as Datapoint for large systems delivered when we got
the story about the FAM problem (needing to up the count) that had zero
flaws, but that was 10 years later buying some scrap drives (better than
the ones I had purchased 10 years before, still working).
Anyway, recently I had a system with a 1.5tb seagate grow a count of
"uncorrectable offline sector count" errors. I'm telling this up front
since these are effectively the same as the above errors, sectors that
are not recoverable by the drive and presented as bad or timeout spots
when you seek to the sectors.
The errors were not there when I initialized the linux system on the
drive, and grew later. To complicate things a bit this was part of a
LVM raid ext3 raid 5 set, so there are other complications here, but the
initial build was flawless, ran about a 6 months then this drive grew 16
bad errors visible to linux.
So, I have now got the situation where there is a bad spot in a file
(more complicated because this is part of a raid set, but bear with
me). If you power cycle the drive set they do a scan of the media with
the raid system I'm using (linux based) and hang before releasing it for
server operations.
That is the only flaw that there was, and I had a brick. Thank heaven I
could put it in a desktop system and recover the data (7tb of it).
Anyway, have we lost the capability with such as Linux to run with flaws
growing on media at the level where transfers from media come from the
drive target to the host, or did this vendor of raid equipment
(appliance was readynas nv2+) have a flaw in their bringup procedure.
I am glad I shopped and got a system with raid 5 support like this with
a linux system that I could take out and troubleshoot with any linux
tools, rather than hardware raid. Dodged that bullet.
but I am disappointed even so with the behavior of the raid set when I
put it on my recovery system. I think there is a basic loss of what one
would have been accustomed to in earlier times with media, throwing
their hands up with defective media.
I was only able to narrow down the error with manual applications of
careful dd commands and shell scripting (lacking a better tool) to see
the errors. There is a nice timesaving web page if you hunt around the
pages found by searching for smart errors.
At least that is a nice tool, telling a lot about the drive.
I am not going into why a 1.5tb drive with huge amounts of extra space
(as I understand it probably > 500gb) can't reassign media 16
consecutive sectors, as that is a totally different discussion.
Jim
----- Original Message -----
> Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2012 10:53:15 -0500
> From: Jim Brain <brain at jbrain.com>
>
> Here is what I use to send products to people:
>
> http://www.correctproducts.com/ESD-Packaging/High-Density-Black-Conductive-…
>
> It's a bit cheaper per sq inch than mouser, and they offer different
> thicknesses (I use 1/4")
>
> Jim
-----Reply:
Recycled styrofoam wrapped in aluminum foil works for me and is practically
free...
mike
David wrote:
>If a second disk dies in *my* RAID, it's annoying, but I don't lose
>data. Well, I lose anything since the last backup, but given that those
>happen every 24 hours, it's not *that* much data and I can reconstruct
>it pretty easily.
Guess it depends on (a) whether it's personal or business and (b) (if (a) is business), how good your
secretary is. I'd rather replace the disks than spend hours dealing with people who come in grumbling
about their work for today disappearing. Also, for most non-miniscule businesses it's cheaper to replace the
drives preemptively than it is to pay for people to recreate the work done since the last backup if more drives
fail.
Can anyone help my friend Kyle out? Please email him directly - kylevowen at gmail.com
> I'm trying to revive a N* Horizon, and as I've found out, you have to have a booting machine to make boot disks. In order to have a booting machine, you either need a boot disk or a ROM board. My processor board doesn't have a ROM option, so I'm out of luck. I have supposedly 4 boot disks, but none of these seem to get the computer booting, though I hear the drive head move back and forth as it seems to read the disk. I still don't get any output into the right serial port.
>
> Does anyone have access to a bootable Horizon? I have a few hard sector floppies, so if I could get a boot disk copied, that'd be great. Optimally, I'd like to try to read these disks on a known working machine before having to overwrite any. Two aren't labeled, so they may very well be blank. All of the others have labels indicating some possibly neat programs, like Microstat, WordStar, and Mailing List Utility. About half of the disks are labeled Care. Care System, Care Data, Care Source Code, and so on. Any idea what the Care System could be? Another one is from Validata Computer and Research Corporation, which apparently is still alive an well in Montgomery, AL. It's entitled "5 Meg Hard Disk Start Up Diskette for Worcs, PM, Care Systems". No telling, eh?
>
> My system has a CompuPro 24k SRAM card (with only 20k populated), a N* RAM16-A3 16k RAM card (fully populated), a N* ZPB-A2 processor card (no ROM option) and a N* MDS-AD3 double density floppy controller, all on a N* HRZ-MB-3 motherboard. From the double density FC, I would indeed need a DD boot disk. Judging from the date codes, I would date this particular machine to 1979.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kyle
Best,
David Greelish
- Computer Historian, Author, Speaker, Blogger & Podcaster
- Founder of the Atlanta Historical Computing Society
Producer of the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 1.0 - 2/9/13
http://about.me/davidgreelish
Resend. My messages haven't been making it to the list.
From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
> On a related note, a friend of mine found in his collection a full
> sealed can of whale oil, from ADM, no less. We are not sure what to do
> with it.
If it's really old, then it might be for illumination (burned). But
ISTR that whale oil was also used for lubricating instruments, such
as clocks and watches. So it might be worth quite a bit, assuming
the stuff doesn't go rancid with age.
--Chuck
Whale oil was used in a lot of precise mechanical devices that required a fine stable oil that didn't gum up. Clocks and watches were one application, as were some early mechanical calculators and toys.
I used to carry it with me for working on Selectrics and teletype paper tape gear. Would love to find some more - have been looking for 20+ years for it. If your friend wants to sell it, I would be interested.
Billy Pettit
I've been in talk with a company[1] who dose ATA over Ethernet hardwareabout the option of allow our retro/vintage computer to have their hard drive data stored on the network (cloud storage)
currently the only option is to? use a linux based system :(
PS: he owns a? 26 year old 8-bit casio personal calculator
[1] http://www.jwe.com.tw/
---
tom_a_sparks "It's a nerdy thing I like to do"
Please use ISO approved file formats excluding Office Open XML - http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html
Ubuntu wiki page https://wiki.ubuntu.com/tomsparks
3 x (x)Ubuntu 10.04, Amiga A1200 WB 3.1, UAE AF 2006 Premium Edition, AF 2012 Plus Edition, Sam440 AOS 4.1.2, Roland DXY-1300 pen plotter, Cutok DC330 cutter/pen plotter
Wanted: RiscOS system, GEOS system (C64/C128), Atari ST, Apple Macintosh (6502/68k/PPC only)
I'm working on a project to add 3.5" high-density drives to my Kaypro in
order to use DSDD media with them. I chose HD drives because getting
genuine DSDD 3.5 drives for anything resembling a reasonable price is
basically impossible.
It turns out that I don't have any 3.5" drives in my stash any longer.
If you've got a pair of working 3.5" drives with drive select jumpers, I'd
like to hear from you if you want to sell them.
Thanks!
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home.
Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies.
ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment
A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes.
http://www.scarletdme.org - Get it _today_!
To make some room and pay for some new items, I'm selling some machines from
which I have more than one.
Before they go on epay I put them on the list.
HP 9845B nice condition fully functional with German keyboard.
HP Integral fully functional in nice condition.
HP 9826A also fully functional and in nice condition.
All machines come with some documentation and software on DVD/CD and
sometimes the real books.
Software is archived on DVD.
Items are located in The North of the Netherlands
I'll ship them worldwide..
-Rik
I've been reading the Retro computing kit thread and some of these kit look interesting
I am wondering if there are any people who can assemble kit in Australia?
I can buy the kit, send it to them, they assemble it,and sent it back to me
---
tom_a_sparks "It's a nerdy thing I like to do"
Please use ISO approved file formats excluding Office Open XML - http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html
Ubuntu wiki page https://wiki.ubuntu.com/tomsparks
3 x (x)Ubuntu 10.04, Amiga A1200 WB 3.1, UAE AF 2006 Premium Edition, AF 2012 Plus Edition, Sam440 AOS 4.1.2, Roland DXY-1300 pen plotter, Cutok DC330 cutter/pen plotter
Wanted: RiscOS system, GEOS system (C64/C128), Atari ST, Apple Macintosh (6502/68k/PPC only)
----- Original Message -----------------------------------
> Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2012 09:45:27 -0400
> From: Michael Kerpan <madcrow.maxwell at gmail.com>
>
> On Fri, Oct 5, 2012 at 7:53 AM, SPC <spedraja at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I've received an advice from ClassicMainframe about this emulator
>> (thanks Peter).
>>
>> Great shape.
>>
>> http://vseries.lurndal.org/doku.php?id=simulator:installation
>
> Hmm, this looks interesting but I can't find a download link anywhere
> on the site. How would one go about running this?
>
> Mike
----- Reply:
Looks like maybe you have to ask the site owner (Scott Lurndal?) for a login
password.
I still have several manuals for Burroughs Medium Systems:
- 1054772 System Software Operational Guide 10-73 (CP14, CP40, MCP1, MCP2
and MCPV)
- 1054905 BASIC and CANDE Reference Manual 9-71 (Overview)
- 1067527 BASIC Reference Manual 2-74 (Language Manual)
- 1058062 FORTRAN Reference Manual 4-73 (Language Manual)
as well as several utility instruction printouts (PTCOPY, INSTR5)
Are these already archived and on line anywhere?
I also have the operator's console from a B2700 but it's promised to a
fellow list member.
Memories...
m
I want to low level format some drives and I understand this is what
I'll need to do it. The Customer Diag tape apparently doesn't let you.
Google tells me it was once talked about here on the list and what I am
after is :
AQ-GM5AN-DN MVII DIAG MAINT TK50
I found something on the web but, I am pretty sure it is just the customer version and I can't get it to boot anyway.
>
> Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2012 15:37:50 -0600
> From: Kevin Reynolds <tpresence at hotmail.com>
> To: <cctech at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Which vax-vms license for a microvax II with VCB-02?
> Message-ID: <BLU157-W454A5A7A156107652BD49FA2840 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> I've been wracking my brain over which license I need for VMS 5.2 on a microvax-II with a VCB-02 graphics module installed?
>
>
> I understand that I could just use the hobbyist licenses, but I bought the system with a legitimate VMS license and want to keep it as close to the original configuration as possible (I have other microvax systems with hobbyist 7.x).
>
>
>
> Unfortunately there is no vmslicense/charge like you have with vms 5.3 and beyond.
>
>
> I'm testing by connecting up a terminal to a serial port (not the console, thats a different problem, won't work with VCB-02 installed unless you are in debug), and trying to log in. Right now I'm getting license exceeded. I figured I would just need a workstation license, but this doesn't seem to have worked.
>
>
Older KA-630 boards (maybe all of them) do not have the firmware to
talk to the VCB-02 screen during boot. So, you have to use a serial
console to check boot progress or run diags, etc.
Once it is booted, VMS 4.7 will run the VCB-02 just fine. There were
single-user
licenses and multi-user ones. The license exceeded message sounds like
it has
to do with the single/multi user issue, not the VCB-02. I think maybe there
is a system boot-time switch to select # of users, and if that doesn't
match, then
only the administrator is allowed to log in. (Been so long since I ran
VMS, I'm forgetting a lot!) I bought a MicroVAX-II board in 1986, and ran
it as a home computer for about 21 years, until the hard drive died.
I added a VCB-01 first, then upgraded to a VCB-02.
Jon
Thanks for the help and suggestions everyone!
Best,
David Greelish
- Computer Historian, Author, Speaker, Blogger & Podcaster
- Founder of the Atlanta Historical Computing Society
Producer of the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 1.0 - 2/9/13
http://about.me/davidgreelish
On Fri, Oct 5, 2012 at 4:16 PM, Zane H. Healy <healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote:
> At 12:55 PM -0700 10/5/12, Chuck Guzis wrote:
>>
>> Where are you drawing the line? There are a considerable number of
>> vintage designs implemented in FPGA, for example.
>>
>> Are those "vintage" in the sense that you mean it?
>>
>> --Chuck
>
>
> The list is definitely missing some great Commodore related hardware.
>
> Turbo Chameleon 64 -- I must confess, I want one! (I have the older MMC
> Replay w/RR-Net)
> http://www.vesalia.de/e_chameleon.htm
>
>
> Jim Brain's stuff -- I'm a big fan of his work, and see something new I need
> to find $$$'s for (I have his uIEC/SD)
> http://store.go4retro.com/
There are a ton of retro-accessories currently available. You could
list the many other Individual Computers products, mostly made for the
Amiga (accelerators, memory cards, graphics adapters, etc.), or the
1541 Ultimate and Ultimate II, or a myriad of others.
It might be interesting to link all of this stuff from a wiki (maybe
Vintage Computer Forums' wiki?).
There are, however, many fewer kits available. I'd love to see more,
as I feel differently about a machine that I have built, myself.
- Alex
> Are you including circuit boards? I'm building an N8VEM right now.
Thanks Paul! I had forgotten about that one, and I do think it's relevant.
There are certainly different levels of kits, difficulty and what's
included.
Best,
David Greelish
- Computer Historian, Author, Speaker, Blogger & Podcaster
- Founder of the Atlanta Historical Computing Society
Producer of the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 1.0 - 2/9/13
http://about.me/davidgreelish
This is my theme and blurb I came up with:
"David Greelish, Founder of the Atlanta Historical Computing Society, will give a presentation on the history of computers, and especially show how the modern Make movement parallels the early "homebrew" computing hobbyists. Plus, a look at electronic retrocomputing kits and accessories."
Could everyone help me brainstorm on exactly what all is out there that you can actually buy to build now?
retrocomputing kits:
Briel - replica 1, Altair 8800micro, micro-KIM, PocketTerm, a2mp3 and others
FIGnition
Digi-Comp I
Gakken 4 Bit Micro Computer
Accessory kits:
CFFA3000 CompactFlash reader / IDE for Apple II
IDE64 CompactFlash reader / IDE for Commodore 64
ZoomFloppy for Commodore disk drives
PETdisk microSD reader for the Commodore PET
Help.
Best,
David Greelish
- Computer Historian, Author, Lecturer, Blogger & Podcaster
- Founder of the Atlanta Historical Computing Society
Producer of the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 1.0 - 2/9/13
http://about.me/davidgreelish
Hey all,
These are a sorta-proprietary Panasonic interface CD drive that was
found on a number of PC ISA sound cards. I have a pair of them and
possibly the sound cards to control them (though I have an inclination
to hold on to those for personal reasons).
I realize this is teetering dangerously on the edge of "crappy '90s
PCs" rather than true classic computing, but one man's trash is
another man's treasure (unless it was made by Packard Bell).
Free if you'll pay shipping. I owe some people some FileMaker boxes,
and I haven't forgotten, but it's been at the back of my queue.
- Dave
> From: "Hans-Ulrich H?lscher" <vaxorcist at googlemail.com>
> Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2012 13:42:10 +0200
> Subject: DMC11 at Ebay
> Who is bidding for the DMC11 at Ebay?
>
> I'd just like to know who else (besides me of course) is interested in
> that very special old DDCMP communication adapter. I cannot imagine
> that any DMCs are still in productive use today, so there's probably
> another collector out there somewhere ...
>
> I would be nice to get in contact with that special person (no matter
> who wins the auction) to exchange experience.
>
> My motivation to own a DMC11 is to run DDCMP DECnet under VMS V2.x
> (no Ethernet support with VMS V2.0 yet) on my VAX-11/750. There are
> still some lesser problems to overcome, e.g. obtaining DECnet for VMS
> V2.x ;-))
>
> I know the bidder might as well (or even with greater probability)
> want the DMC11 for his/her PDP-11 rather than for a VAX.
>
> Maybe one day some crazy collectors will connect their VAXen or
> PDP-11s via DMC11s and dial-up lines every now and then?
>
> Regards,
>
> Ulli
I have a DMC11 that I plan to install in a PDP-10 KS10 so I can run
DECnet to a VAX.
I even have a synchronous null modem.
--
Michael Thompson