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

by RCini＠congressfinancial.com

Has anyone played with the P112 Z80 SBC from D-X Designs (Dave Brooks)? It looks like a nice little Z80 setup in a 4" x 5" board. Rich ========================== Richard A. Cini, Jr. Congress Financial Corporation 1133 Avenue of the Americas 30th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 545-4402 (212) 840-6259 (facsimile)

25 years, 12 months

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Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex]

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> You'll need a REALLY LONG T-15! I found a longish 1/4 inch > hex-drive Torx bit and a slender 1/4 inch hex extender. If > you're very lucky/keen, you can get a special Mac > screwdriver with is T-15 and about two feet long! I know - I'm hoping my extender is slender enough :) > If you're absolutely sure it's a dead chip, the safest way > to replace it is to snip all the legs off, one by one, and > then unsolder them. Your goal is to save the (unique) PCB > and replace the (not unique) chip. PCB foil will come > unstuck if heated for a while, especially on cheaper PCBs, > such as were used in early 1980s home computers... ....and then replace it with a chip socket followed by working chip?

25 years, 12 months

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Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex]

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

Paul Williams wrote: > > 3. There's a big difference between writing a program and > engineering a large software system. Right arm! I learned a few interesting techniques in college, but trial-by-fire is the only way I know of to learn how to engineer a large software system (such as the process control system I designed so long ago). It helps to be able to design one to throw away, as per Brooks. Lacking the freedom to do so, it helps to learn how to obfuscate precisely what you're working on when report to TPTB. > No doubt I should have sprinkled some smileys in the above text. :-) -dq

25 years, 12 months

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Java Exidy Sorcerer Emulator

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Jul 18, 23:03, Phil Guerney wrote: > Many micro's of that time had the " as shift-2, but I wish I had a > Sorcerer to confirm The Sorcerer keyboard layout is ! " # $ % & ' ( ) * = ~ ESC 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 : = ^ { } LINE TAB Q W E R T Y U I O P [ ] FEED RETURN SHFT + ` | RUB GRAPH LOCK A S D F G H J K L ; @ \ _ CLEAR < > ? RUN CTRL SHIFT Z X C V B N M , . / SHIFT RPT STOP > However simple BASIC statements (that did not use "=") ran fine. Not a > bad achievement for a Java program that loads in less than a minute. Though it runs incredibly slowly, at least on my unix box. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Dept. of Computer Science University of York

25 years, 12 months

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Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex]

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

Tony wrote: > of the time you can manage with the common hand tools (screwdrivers, > pliers, etc), a good soldering iron, a DVM, a logic probe and a brain. Now there's a question - I've just got back from a little expedition to Maplins (butane gas, digital multimeter since I'm sure work's analogue one is iffy since I dropped it :), T10 and T15 torx bits etc (I WILL get into that Mac Plus)) and I could've got a logic probe too. I know they're used to test deadness etc in chips, but how do I use one? It'd be nice to trace which chip is dead in my knackered Atari 800XL and Memotech MTX500 (x2), then I'll have to teach myself how to resolder non-socketed chips! (in the case of the atari anyway) a

25 years, 12 months

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...and here's another - HP9000 question

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> Yes, but do you know that no other components have failed (in other > words, have you fitted a new fuse and found that the machine > still works)? I was going to do that last night but discovered that the gas soldering iron I'd just bought obviously didn't come with any gas :). I think I must've bumped me head in the crash or something. My other iron's buried somewhere deep within the bowels of our babysitter's house! > It may be that the overvoltage damaged something else, and > that something > else blew the fuse. Or, let's hope you're lucky and it was > just the fuse... That's 1st on the list of 2 things to do tonight......2nd is the A1097C.... cheers!

25 years, 12 months

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While we're talking about Lisas

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

Hells - I wish I'd known about this list when I first started getting screen problems! I can certainly check all the power-off things like oxidation etc, but I think I'll leave the power-on stuff to an expert! Whereabouts are you Tony? > -----Original Message----- > From: ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk [mailto:ard@p850ug1.demon.co.uk] > Sent: 17 July 2000 20:50 > To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: While we're talking about Lisas > > > > <snip>

25 years, 12 months

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VAX-11/730 (was RE: Unresistable pond comment)

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

No, but it took an entire weekend and you had quad muscles *this big* by the time you'd finished :o) > -----Original Message----- > From: ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk [mailto:ard@p850ug1.demon.co.uk] > Sent: 17 July 2000 20:50 > To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: VAX-11/730 (was RE: Unresistable pond comment) > > > > I just wish I had space in the museum for machines of that > size, but apart > > from anything else getting them up 2 flights of stairs > would be a bit > > Wimp ;-) > > I took my 11/730 upstairs by hand.... It's the 'compact > system' -- a 4' > rack containing the CPU, an R80 drive and a TS05 tape unit. > Of course I > dismantled it to move it -- took all the units out of the rack, took > everything out of the CPU board (boards, PSU, cartridge tape > drives) and > took the R80 apart (pulled the HDA and the PSU). The result > was not that > hard to move. > > -tony >

25 years, 12 months

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Java Exidy Sorcerer Emulator

by fauradon＠mn.mediaone.net

Here http://www.classicgaming.com/AqEmu/ Francois PS: Where do I send you an e-mail for a link correction? >Aquarius emulator? Where? > >Sellam International Man of Intrigue and Danger >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- >Looking for a six in a pile of nines... > > VCF 4.0 is September 30-October 1 > San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, California > See http://www.vintage.org for details! > >

25 years, 12 months

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Java Exidy Sorcerer Emulator

by dlw＠trailingedge.com

> I couldn't find an obvious email address for him (stripping off > "/Sorcerer" takes you to *someone's* home page, but it doesn't > mention Sorcerer, so I'm not sure it's Philip. Sorry, his email address on the original message to me was phil(a)liaquay.demon.co.uk > On my PC (win 98), with Netscape 4.7, the majority of the > special characters don't work (i.e., they appear blank and > don't move the cursor when hit...like double-quote (")). > Some work, but differently. (Shift 2 (or was it shift-3?) > got me a double quote (instead of the "@" (or #)). Also, > backspace doesn't seem to work. Yes, I noticed that too. Have to look at my Sorcerer keyboard to check some of the locations of the special characters. I have an Aquarius emulator that treats the keyboard the same way, shift-2 is the " character, etc. I've asked if I can post the source on my Sorcerer pages. On a related note, some else in the UK has just send me a copy of a DOS Sorcerer emulator he has been working on. I'd like to see about getting this on my Sorcerer pages as well. Now if I can only get some drives and CP/M for my real live Sorcerer.... ----- David Williams - Computer Packrat dlw(a)trailingedge.com http://www.trailingedge.com

25 years, 12 months

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Free VAXStations, DC area

by CLASSICCMP＠enterprise.trailing-edge.com

As I "modernize" things here, I discover that I have some surplus equipment. The following is available immediately, for free, from my basement in Bethesda MD (just barely inside the Washington DC beltway). Pickup only, fist-come-first-served: Vaxstation 3100-30, maybe 16 Megs of memory, internal RZ23 scsi disk. Comes with VR319 19" monochrome monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Vaxstation 3100-38, 24 Megs of memory, no internal SCSI disk. Comes with VR260 15" color monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The systems have been running continuously here for a couple years, and were at TRIUMF before that, and are in functional (though maybe a little dinged up) condition. Both have internal floppy drives, but I never use them, so I don't know if they work. No CD-ROM drive either, but if you bring along a 500 Meg to 1 Gig SCSI drive and buy me lunch I'll install the hobbyist OpenVMS 7.2 distribution on it for you from my CD-ROM. Also available: several DEC Rainbows, Professionals, and matching color and black-and-white monitors. Most of this stuff is in pretty ratty condition, but I believe someone could piece together at least a couple of working systems. Also comes with boxes and boxes and boxes of Rainbow documentation and software on RX50's. Drop me an E-mail (shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com) or give me a call (301-767-5917) if you're interested. Again, pickup only, I can't ship. And if you show up here and I'm in a good mood, I might try to make you take some other stuff from the basement :-). -- Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/ 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927

25 years, 12 months

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Need U.S. source for belt for Amstrad PCW8256 3" drive

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

I can't remember if anyone replied to this; is there a US equivalent of CPC, or are they a US firm? Over here if you buy enough you can get the part #AVBELT3 for 50 english pennies. a > -----Original Message----- > From: Bill Dawson [mailto:whdawson@mlynk.com] > Sent: 09 July 2000 03:44 > To: Classiccmp@Classiccmp. Org > Subject: Need U.S. source for belt for Amstrad PCW8256 3" drive > > > Hello all, > > Here's the dimensions of the needed belt: > > 72mm x 3mm x 0.5mm > > also acceptable: > > 71.0mm x 2.8mm x 0.6mm or 69-72mm x 3-4mm x 0.5-0.6mm > > > The rest of the story: > > I picked up an Amstrad PCW8256 today complete with printer, original > disks (LocaScript and CP/M Plus), 2 game disks with instructions, 5 > spare disks with LocaScript files from the previous owner, > the Start Up > Guide and the User Guide. All for $10.00. > > It is in great condition and appears to have had little use. However, > this is the first Amstrad I've ever owned (or seen for that > matter), and > also my first experience with these strange 3" floppy disks and drive. > I was told it worked, but upon getting it home I found it > wouldn't boot. > After some poking around I decided to take the floppy drive out and > check for head movement. This is when I discovered that the > floppy only > spun when I pulled up on the pressure pad. At this time it started > seeking, so seeing that the spindle is belt driven, I knew where the > problem was. I removed enough screws and connectors to get to the old > belt out and replaced it with an appropriately sized rubber > band. After > reassembly, everything now works great. It boots LocaScript, > CP/M, and > runs the games. > > But..... > > I'd like to replace the rubber band with real belt. > > Can anyone help? > > Bill Dawson > whdawson(a)mlynk.com <mailto:whdawson@mlynk.com> > ? > Your computer will do far more than you ever expected it to, > and that won't be enough. > > Pournelle's First Law >

25 years, 12 months

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IBM CAD system help

by aw288＠osfn.org

RCS is about to get an IBM 7361 Fastdraft CAD system - apparently an S/I based, two headed, big white box. At least that is what we think. All we know so far is that it dates to the early 1980s. Does anyone have any information on this box? Stories? Rumors? Anything? William Donzelli aw288(a)osfn.org

25 years, 12 months

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Java Exidy Sorcerer Emulator

by dlw＠trailingedge.com

Philip M. Scull in the UK send me a link to add to my Exidy Sorcerer pages for a Sorcerer emulator he was working on in Java. It was pretty neat. Thought I'd pass it along to everyone here. URL is: http://www.liaquay.demon.co.uk/Sorcerer Comes up in BASIC and of course I/O is limited at the moment but he's still working on it. It runs as an applet in a Java-enabled browser. ----- David Williams - Computer Packrat dlw(a)trailingedge.com http://www.trailingedge.com

25 years, 12 months

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Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex]

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

Yup... > Am I right in assuming DVM=digital voltmeter? > > a > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Douglas Quebbeman [mailto:dhquebbeman@theestopinalgroup.com] > > Sent: 18 July 2000 13:34 > > To: 'classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org' > > Subject: RE: Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex] > > > > > > > Surely any serious computer hobbyist, especially one who is a > > > collector or preservationist, has at least the following: DVM, > > > oscilloscope (even if just an old 5mHZ one to look for > > things like PSU > > > ripple/spikes), soldering iron, logic probe, assorted > hand tools and > > > perhaps a logic analyzer. These are not things that the > > average hobbyist > > > should be unlikely to have. > > > > I guess I got spoiled by working at the university and at a local > > electronics trade school, and then later for a small > embedded systems > > firm. I almost always had a scope of someone else's > available to use. > > Now I don't, and I regret not picking up a dual-trace 15 or 20mHz > > scope when I'd see one available, cheap, from time to time. > > > > My favorite was the Tektronix storage display scope. Now, I just > > try to get by using a Rat Shack logic probe and a DVM. Plenty of > > soldering irons (one Ungar, one generic one-piece, one Wahl), and > > various hand tools. A manual wire-wrap pen somewhere. A CSC bread- > > board. A fair selection of components, new and used. > > > > -dq > > >

25 years, 12 months

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Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex]

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Surely any serious computer hobbyist, especially one who is a > collector or preservationist, has at least the following: DVM, > oscilloscope (even if just an old 5mHZ one to look for things like PSU > ripple/spikes), soldering iron, logic probe, assorted hand tools and > perhaps a logic analyzer. These are not things that the average hobbyist > should be unlikely to have. I guess I got spoiled by working at the university and at a local electronics trade school, and then later for a small embedded systems firm. I almost always had a scope of someone else's available to use. Now I don't, and I regret not picking up a dual-trace 15 or 20mHz scope when I'd see one available, cheap, from time to time. My favorite was the Tektronix storage display scope. Now, I just try to get by using a Rat Shack logic probe and a DVM. Plenty of soldering irons (one Ungar, one generic one-piece, one Wahl), and various hand tools. A manual wire-wrap pen somewhere. A CSC bread- board. A fair selection of components, new and used. -dq

25 years, 12 months

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Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex]

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> I have the ability to burn most "mainstream" eproms that > would be used in > classic machines (from 2716's up to IIRC 27128 or 27256's) > which I do know > many other folks don't have the ability to do... So I think > part of the > "what would you fix vs. part out" question has a lot to do > with what people actually have the ability to fix. Before I started all this I woudn't have dared doing things like chip swaps, de-soldering and re-soldering components, changing drive belts and general easily-spotted repairs. Now I'll attempt apple floppy drive repair, I found and fixed a bent pin on the mobo socket that stopped the brightness control working on a Colour Classic, found blown fuses, bad connections, oxidised chip pins etc and over a few months have acquired enough tools to do most things. Though I still haven't got the right size nut spinner for my Lisa's screen mountings :) Still can't troubleshoot dead chips either. a

25 years, 12 months

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Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex]

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

My museum ethos is to save at least one of each model of machine I can reasonably afford, so with the really common stuff like C64s, Spectrums, Amstrads, Ataris etc if I get a broken one and obvious chip swaps/dry joints/general muck etc doesn't fix it I get another one. Most spares can generally be passed onto other collectors, but that hasn't stopped me ending up with a pile of broken Spectrum Pluses :) a > -----Original Message----- > From: Mark Gregory [mailto:mgregory@vantageresearch.com] > Sent: 17 July 2000 22:32 > To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org > Subject: Repair or Replace? [Was: Repairing Timex] > > > I'm curious to know how list members feel about the question > of repairing > versus replacing common computers. > >

25 years, 12 months

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...and here's another - HP9000 question

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> Err, how can 120V at 5A be anything other than 600VA? Or is it 450VA > continuously rated, 5A peak current or something? Yep - it's definitely a 450VA transformer because I coulnd't afford the 600VA one! I wanted to get a fairly large one in case the ProFile turned out to be a non-switcher, which is academic now because I've got a UK one. > equipment doesn't like that sort of supply. Even > autoswitching PSUs tend > to blow up when connected to one of these units. I know - that's why I'm worried about the Lisa PSU. At first I DID try a US travel adapter which ran my TRS80s and small NTSC TV quite happily - feed Lisa from it and the fuse blew so I scattered off to Maplins and got a *real* transformer with UK plug on one side and US socket on the other. It had better be OK - it was bloody ukp70 :) > I've seen the result of connecting a mac+ to this sort of > unit, and it wasn't pretty! Indeed. One question I don't think I've asked yet is does anyone know where I can get a 1.8A Lisa PSU, which is 120/240 switchable, for less than SunRem's $129 plus shipping? Anyone got a dead 2/10 or MacXL they don't mind losing the PSU from?

25 years, 12 months

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...and here's another - HP9000 question

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

Hi Carlos, Surface shipping would be around $25 depending on weight. I was thinking last night about how I'd had the monitor positioned on the front seat - it was screen backwards so the airbag will have caught the upper rear of the casing with all its force since it was only an inch or so away from the monitor. The metal cover may also have whipped past the top of the case on its way to smashing the windscreen - have a look at this picture to see what it did to laminated glass: http://www.fop.i12.com/Museum/car-3-low.jpg I don't think the monitor will have jumped up high enough to cause that amount of damage, so I'll blame the airbag if anything's smashed internally. I'll check it tonight and let you know. cheers! a > -----Original Message----- > From: Carlos Murillo-Sanchez [mailto:cem14@cornell.edu] > Sent: 17 July 2000 20:22 > To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: ...and here's another - HP9000 question > > > Adrian: > > While our systems staff were moving a big bunch of HP stuff that just > got decomissioned, they dropped and smashed an A1097C (ouch!). > I have the electronic guts should you want them. Of course, > shipping might be an issue. Let me know if you are interested > at all. > > carlos > > > Adrian Graham wrote: > > > > Hi Carlos, > > > > It's the A1097 I think.....it definitely begins with 'A' > though and I'm > > fairly sure its not the 2094. And it wasn't that heavy :) > > > > thanks! > > -- > Carlos Murillo-Sanchez email: cem14(a)cornell.edu > 428 Phillips Hall, Electrical Engineering Department > Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 >

25 years, 12 months

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VAX-11/730 (was RE: Unresistable pond comment)

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

<jealous> :) I plan to have a proper museum too since the room originally destined for it is waaay to small now, but despite having a bit of land it's all largely in one 6 foot wide strip (but 60 feet long!). I'll probably end up renting an old warehouse or something - according to Those In The Know I could get a grant for setting a museum up. a > -----Original Message----- > From: Ethan Dicks [mailto:ethan_dicks@yahoo.com] > Sent: 17 July 2000 18:03 > To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org > Subject: RE: VAX-11/730 (was RE: Unresistable pond comment) > > > > --- Adrian Graham <agraham(a)ccat.co.uk> wrote: > > > As I continue to improve and upgrade my classic space at > my Farm, this > > > box is one of the ones that I intend to set up early. > > > I just wish I had space in the museum for machines of that > size, but apart > > from anything else getting them up 2 flights of stairs > would be a bit > > prohibitive :) Got the aforementioned MVII though, along > with a 3400, 4200, > > PDP 11/73 and a spare RL02 drive. > > One of the things that attracted me to the Farm was this > quonset hut with > No STAIRS! Eventually, as I've said before, I plan to build a museum > building in the space next to the hut. I think Hans Franke > can attest I > now have the room for as much building as the money permits. > > -ethan > > > > ===== > Even though my old e-mail address is no longer going to > vanish, please note my new public address: erd(a)iname.com > > The original webpage address is still going away. The > permanent home is: http://penguincentral.com/ > > See http://ohio.voyager.net/ for details. > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! > http://mail.yahoo.com/ >

25 years, 12 months

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Mac Classic analogue board

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

I mentioned this in another thread so I thought I'd ask the question properly; I've got a Classic that will fry the glass fuse (and do the sound and lights bit too) when one is inserted. Is it a common fault? I should've guessed something was wrong when I bought it - there wasn't a fuse in the plug and it had no case screws, but then I didn't spot that till I got it home. cheers a

25 years, 12 months

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Repair or Replace?

by mgregory＠vantageresearch.com

-----Original Message----- From: Mike Ford <mikeford(a)socal.rr.com> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Monday, July 17, 2000 4:27 PM Subject: Re: Repair or Replace? > >I sure wish I had sane reasons for a lot of what I do. Repairs are things I >just find myself doing without a lot of conscious thought. I do from time >to time have enough presence of mind to stop when it leaks into some >functioning portion of my brain that the object at hand is a worthless >piece of junk even if working, ie seriously yellow keyboard with missing >keycaps and broken screw mounting posts. > Often, I find that I've developed an emotional attachment to stuff that is otherwise worthless junk. For example, I once agonized over throwing out the shell of a Coleco ADAM keyboard with a cracked circuit board, because I remebered the thrill of finding the system it belonged to tucked into a dusty corner in a thrift store a few years ago. >Having a couple boxes for different grades of "junk" helps a lot due to >magnet force all empty boxes exude. When you have a box for breakage, or >scrap circuit boards, they tend to get filled up. Without said boxes I tend >to put things down on any convient surface to "look at" later. > Sounds like my "study" (where little studying ever gets done) which has computers in various stages of disassembly on every flat surface (and a few piles rising up from the floor). I generally keep the door closed to prevent gasps of "what the heck happened in here!" from any uninitiated passersby. Cheers, Mark

25 years, 12 months

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The Molecular SuperMicro 70-32

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On July 17, Douglas Quebbeman wrote: > > One would hope that on this list at least people would know > > the difference between a "Cracker" and a "Hacker"! In the > > above paragraph you're obviously talking about "Cracker"! > > One would hope that on this list that those of us who are > true cognoscenti would recognize another member of the true > cognoscenti and understand by usage the correct meaning. Gezundheit. -Dave McGuire

25 years, 12 months

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The Molecular SuperMicro 70-32

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> doug quebbeman wrote: > >N*Star used password-based security, and was apparantly easy > >to hack. One of the digital electronics instructors at the school > >who generally played dumb when it came to newer technology still > >remains the primary candidate for the hacker who made my life > >miserable. I got some quid pro quo later, but that's another > >story. > > One would hope that on this list at least people would know > the difference between a "Cracker" and a "Hacker"! In the > above paragraph you're obviously talking about "Cracker"! One would hope that on this list that those of us who are true cognoscenti would recognize another member of the true cognoscenti and understand by usage the correct meaning. Sheesh! -dq

25 years, 12 months

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VAX-11/730 (was RE: Unresistable pond comment)

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> As I continue to improve and upgrade my classic space at my Farm, this > box is one of the ones that I intend to set up early. I cut > my teeth on > a lot of stuff on this guy. I was very happy to take it with > me when I moved on. I can't remember what happened to ours when we upgraded to a MicroVAX II BA213 in around 86 :( With the cost of the machines in those days it'll have gone for part-ex I reckon. Its LA100 is somewhere though, still going strong. I just wish I had space in the museum for machines of that size, but apart >from anything else getting them up 2 flights of stairs would be a bit prohibitive :) Got the aforementioned MVII though, along with a 3400, 4200, PDP 11/73 and a spare RL02 drive. a

25 years, 12 months

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The Molecular SuperMicro 70-32

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

One of the more interesting microcomputers I used during my career was a Molecular SuperMicro 70-32. This machine had a unique architecture in that it was a file server and client machines and LAN all wrapped in one box. The file server was a 6 mHz Z80 board, and it had an onboard SASI interface (or was this late enough to be SCSI) as well as a floppy interface. Our unit had a QIC-24 tape drive and a 60MB hard drive... the HD was fast for its time. Molecular referred to the file server as the file processor. The client computers were boards that plugged into the bus, and were each 4 mHz Z-80 units. All I/O was through the bus. These client nodes were referred to as the Application Pro- cessors. The Supermicro's main operating system was called N*Star, and provided most of the MP/M-II API/OS calls, but not all of them, and IIRC, it provided some of its own and seemed to have some from another CP/M clone whose name escapes me. You could boot the file processor from the floppy drive into CP/M. The "bus" was actually configured as a network, using CSMA/CA to handle the traffic. It seemed to run just about every CP/M package we could throw at it. However, while I recall spending lots of time customizing a copy of ZCPR/2 for the Televideo TS-803, I don't recall doing this for N*Star, so there may have been some compatiability problems. I think it *did* run Microshell, though (which was my first "brush" with Un*x). N*Star used password-based security, and was apparantly easy to hack. One of the digital electronics instructors at the school who generally played dumb when it came to newer technology still remains the primary candidate for the hacker who made my life miserable. I got some quid pro quo later, but that's another story. Irv Hoff had one or worked on one, as I found a patch for the OS he'd authored whilst playing data recovery mule this weekend. I also recall that someone had a software package running on one that acted just like Compuserve; everything was GO commands and it had forums that worked identically. Has this machine been a subject of discussion on the list before now? Anyone else used one/have one? regards, -doug quebbeman

25 years, 12 months

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...and here's another - HP9000 question

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

Hi Carlos, It's the A1097 I think.....it definitely begins with 'A' though and I'm fairly sure its not the 2094. And it wasn't that heavy :) thanks! > -----Original Message----- > From: Carlos Murillo-Sanchez [mailto:cem14@cornell.edu] > Sent: 14 July 2000 16:20 > To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: ...and here's another - HP9000 question > > > Hi Adrian; > > Somewhere in time between the higher-end series 300 and the > lower-end series 400, HP switched from 60Hz to 72Hz framebuffers > and fixed frequency monitors to go along with them. The 98752A > (one of the heaviest suckers I have ever lifted!) > and the 98789A are examples of 60Hz tubes. The A1097 and A2094 > are two of the most common 72Hz monitors. If you tell me the > monitor model (framebuffer model would help too) I might be > able to find out more for you. > > carlos. > > Adrian Graham wrote: > > > > Hi folks, > > > > I forgot to mention, in the crash I had last week that > damaged the Apple /// > > etc I also had an HP Apollo 9000/600 workstation with 19" > monitor. Whilst > > I'm assuming the front passenger airbag caught the monitor > since it was > > unrestrained on the front seat (but the seat was pushed > right up to the > > dash) it is now however refusing to display blue. If I > remove the B plug on > > the RGB cable the display doesn't alter......since if I > remove the green the > > sync goes and they're from a similar era could I substitute > a spare DEC > > VRT21 I've got lying around here in the office? That > monitor is a 60hz > > 1280x1024 RGB sync-on-green Trinitron. > > Of course, I'd like to repair the HP's monitor, but my knowledge of > > repairing monitors begins at the glass fuse and ends on the > high voltage bit > > > > cheers > -- > Carlos Murillo-Sanchez email: cem14(a)cornell.edu > 428 Phillips Hall, Electrical Engineering Department > Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 >

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While we're talking about Lisas

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

Thanks Louis, I'll give that a try. Other things I've got to check are the voltages on the card so I'm leaving her for a couple of days to allow the tube to discharge before I take the stinger off; I've been told its best to solder some extra wires onto the components in question to allow easy voltage checking without the risk of zapping myself. > -----Original Message----- > From: Louis Schulman [mailto:louiss@gate.net] > Sent: 15 July 2000 00:25 > To: Adrian Graham; classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: While we're talking about Lisas > > > This definitely sounds like a video card problem. Most > often, the adjusting pots at the top of the card become > oxidized, and provide intermittent or no performance. > > Thus, you might try the standard procedure of applying some > tuner/channel selector cleaner, and twisting the pots back > and forth, remembering their original position. Some > adjustment will likely be necessary. > > Of course, I could be wrong. But it is worth a try. > > Louis > > On Fri, 14 Jul 2000 14:34:24 +0100, Adrian Graham wrote: > > >My Lisa 2 (vanilla one, 1.2A PSU) has developed a habit of > turning the > >screen off while she's running. In fact it's now permanently > off which is > >annoying to say the least. Some of you may have experienced > this before so > >here are the symptoms; > > > >System working fine (at the time running MacWorks 1.0), > screen goes dim as > >per screensaver then blinks off like I'd hit the power > button. It eventually > >comes back on after leaving it powered down for a couple of > hours. James at > >Sigma Seven Systems said he thought he remembered there was > a serial port > >bug in MW1.0 that caused the screen to go off sometimes so I > left it at > >that. > >I've now got myself a ProFile so I was intending on > installing LisaOS 3.1, > >but when she was powered up for the first time since maybe > mid-may the > >screen came on briefly then blinked off again as it did > before; since then > >it's only come back on once for around 10 minutes. > >While all this is going on the machine keeps running > normally. If I power up > >I hear the self test passing, if I've got the first OS disk > in (or MacWorks > >boot disk) it will actually boot, if I've got a standard > composite monitor > >connected I can see things happening so I know the machine itself is > >fine....... > > > >Anyone else seen this? I've got another video card and > screen coming over > >but it won't be here till the end of august; to say I'm > champing at the bit > >would be an understatement :) > > > >cheers! > > > >

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...and here's another - HP9000 question

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> conditions, so it > was not judged to need to be user-replaceable. Ah! Makes sense I suppose. > In my experience other components of the Apple ][ power suppy are much > more likely to fail than the fuse, but on the other hand I > never plugged > a 120V A][ into 240V mains. > > Too bad they didn't do autoranging back then. :-( I know - I'm wondering if this is why my Lisa isn't too happy with the video power ATM....having said that I'm running her thru a 240-120V 450VA 5A transformer so it should be fine. Why I didn't plug the ][c into the same transformer I'll never know.

25 years, 12 months

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...and here's another - HP9000 question

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> I'd start by looking for mechanical damage (cracked PCB, damaged > connectors, etc) on the PCB on the back of the CRT. Some HP > monitors have > the video signal carried on screened cables ending in RCA phono plugs > that plug into the circuit boards and bad connections here are common. OK then - I'll check. I know the monitor hit SOMETHING because the front case/bezel/whatever had separated from the back. This monitor is an A1097.......something. Dammit - I only looked yesterday :) > Normally when a fuse blows there are other faults -- fuses do > not blow > for no good reason. So when the fuse blows you're going to need a > soldering iron anyway to put the other problem right. This one blew because I fed it 240V instead of 120! Still kicking meself for that one. > And soldering the fuse in place stops j-random-public from fitting > whatever fuse happens to be to hand -- like a 13A one. Thus > protecting > the unit from further damage, and prossibly stopping a fire. True...... cheers!

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TRS-80 Model I, not working, only $4,000! What a deal!

by retro＠retrobits.com

Well, I just saw the deal of a lifetime on eBay. A TRS-80 Model I (unfortunately, not working) with only a $4,000 reserve! Hmm... Think this one is a prank? I can't imagine someone would have that big a typo in the decimal points. I have a TRS-80 Model I, obtained at Goodwill for $4. I'll let it go for HALF the asking price of the eBay seller. Take a number! :-) - Earl

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VAX-11/730 (was RE: Unresistable pond comment)

by ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com

--- Adrian Graham <agraham(a)ccat.co.uk> wrote: > > As I continue to improve and upgrade my classic space at my Farm, this > > box is one of the ones that I intend to set up early. > I just wish I had space in the museum for machines of that size, but apart > from anything else getting them up 2 flights of stairs would be a bit > prohibitive :) Got the aforementioned MVII though, along with a 3400, 4200, > PDP 11/73 and a spare RL02 drive. One of the things that attracted me to the Farm was this quonset hut with No STAIRS! Eventually, as I've said before, I plan to build a museum building in the space next to the hut. I think Hans Franke can attest I now have the room for as much building as the money permits. -ethan ===== Even though my old e-mail address is no longer going to vanish, please note my new public address: erd(a)iname.com The original webpage address is still going away. The permanent home is: http://penguincentral.com/ See http://ohio.voyager.net/ for details. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail – Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/

25 years, 12 months

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Kaypro 10 Western Digital Hard Disk Controller WD 1002-HD0

by whdawson＠mlynk.com

Hello all, I need any technical information anyone may have for this hard drive controller board, especially schematics. I have all the other technical docs for the Kaypro 10. This board is not in the documentation I already have because it was not considered to be field or factory repairable. WD 1002-HD0 61-031050-00 REV Y 8, 1893 Western Digital It connects via 40 pin IDC and ribbon cable to the Kaypro main board and to either 1 or 2 ST-506 10mb MFM drives. LSI on board includes WD1014AL-00, WD1010AL-00, WD1015-00, and SY2128-2. I've already searched the web and found some general information, some helps, most doesn't. Thanks again, Bill Bill Dawson <mailto:whdawson*at*mlynk.com> <- Anti-spam protection ? Your computer will do far more than you ever expected it to, and that won't be enough. Pournelle's First Law

25 years, 12 months

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VAX-11/730 (was RE: Unresistable pond comment)

by ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com

--- Adrian Graham <agraham(a)ccat.co.uk> wrote: > > > I assume you mean something like a VAX 11/730 rather than > > the ol' Austin > > > > And what's wrong with an 11/730? It's a nice little machine... > > I love the 730 - it was my first VAX; I remember us being annoyed that we > couldn't upgrade to VMS V4 because we only had half a meg :) Nothing money can't fix. I have an 11/730 in storage that we built up to 5Mb RAM, the internal RB80/RL02 combo, and a BA-11 on the side for extra goodies. It was ordered the week it was announced from DEC because we needed a cheap VAX for product development. It was how we discovered that its internal slots are not wired the same as a DD-11DK backplane - the original Unibus COMBOARD(R), commonly called the COMBOARD I, does not work in the CPU backplane of an 11/730 or anything identical to it (there are a couple of CPUs with the same configuration). I have one "modified" COMBOARD I on the shelf - it has a mass of wires to route the Unibus signals from one set of fingers to the other. It was a design problem on our end; someone read one set of Unibus signal maps and assumed it was gospel. The COMBOARD II product was built with the Unibus signals coming from the right places. In the literature, the different slots are named "MUD" (Modified Unibus Device) and "SPC" (Small Peripheral Controller). Without reading the labels on the CPUs, I forget which ones crop up in which machines (when I was making these boards on a daily basis, I used to know, but I claim mental bit rot on the details this far out). We used that 11/730 until the last days of the company. For application compatibility purposes, our 11/750 was running VMS 4.6, but we needed to link our product under VMS 5.x for our more modern customers. To that end, I put VMS 5.3 (I think) up on the 11/730, hooked the machines together via 56K DECnet and wrote into the build scripts the ability to copy the objects and privved MACRO code from the 4.6 box to the 5.x box, link and copy back the executables. Building the product used to be a full time job. When I was done, it was a single command (and about 6 hours!) Fun little box. Prior to its life as a linker, it was the first box I ever installed UNIX on - Ultrix 1.1. I also put up UUCP and net news on it, before the Great Renaming. Somewhere I still have some articles >from the newsgroup net.micro.amiga. We took it down for a few months, and when we once again fired up UUCP, all the articles were going into the Junk directory. Mich hair-pulling and hand-wringing later, a buddy of mine at Ohio State casually mentioned that all the newsgroups had changed named recently and would I like a copy of the new newsrc? Doh! As I continue to improve and upgrade my classic space at my Farm, this box is one of the ones that I intend to set up early. I cut my teeth on a lot of stuff on this guy. I was very happy to take it with me when I moved on. -ethan ===== Even though my old e-mail address is no longer going to vanish, please note my new public address: erd(a)iname.com The original webpage address is still going away. The permanent home is: http://penguincentral.com/ See http://ohio.voyager.net/ for details. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail – Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/

25 years, 12 months

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Another tech legend for discussion!

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On July 15, Derek Peschel wrote: > In that case, look at http://www.powells.com for the information about > Powell's Technical Books and ask if volume 1 is still on the shelf. They > will also start book searches for you for both volumes. > > I'm having them search for _Preparation of Programs for an Electronic > Digital Computer_ by Wilkes/Wheeler/Gill. Good luck, man...I've been looking for that book for a few years now. If you find a [second] copy of it please let me know. :) -Dave McGuire

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Another tech legend for discussion!

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

Smart! > -----Original Message----- > From: Douglas Quebbeman [mailto:dhquebbeman@theestopinalgroup.com] > Sent: 17 July 2000 13:39 > To: 'classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org' > Subject: RE: Another tech legend for discussion! > > > I hate to speak for Ed, but no, I don't think he'd mind you linking > to that page. > > -dq > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Adrian Graham [mailto:agraham@ccat.co.uk] > > Sent: Monday, July 17, 2000 5:13 AM > > To: 'classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org' > > Subject: RE: Another tech legend for discussion! > > > > > > > of the Star's lifecycle as a product. The definitive story of the > > > development of the Lisa GUI can be read at: > > > > > > http://home.san.rr.com/deans/lisagui.html > > > > > > > Excellent - will anyone mind if I like to that from my Lisa page? > > >

25 years, 12 months

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IBM System/1

by hofmanwb＠worldonline.nl

IBM blew it as far as mini's concerned. The IBM 1800 was fun to work with. System 7 software initially had to be developped on a mainframe and was not compatible. System 1 was sold via higher management. So no (mini)computers for the masses. Wim ---------- > From: Eric Smith <eric(a)brouhaha.com> > To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: IBM System/1 > Date: Monday, July 10, 2000 5:35 PM > > > What is an IBM system/1 ? > > A minicomputer. In some sense an incompatible followon to the > IBM 1130 & 1800. > > Please save the docs! If noone who actually has a System/1 needs them, > I'd like to have them, and would be happy to pay postage. >

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Another tech legend for discussion!

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

I hate to speak for Ed, but no, I don't think he'd mind you linking to that page. -dq > -----Original Message----- > From: Adrian Graham [mailto:agraham@ccat.co.uk] > Sent: Monday, July 17, 2000 5:13 AM > To: 'classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org' > Subject: RE: Another tech legend for discussion! > > > > of the Star's lifecycle as a product. The definitive story of the > > development of the Lisa GUI can be read at: > > > > http://home.san.rr.com/deans/lisagui.html > > > > Excellent - will anyone mind if I like to that from my Lisa page? >

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TRS-80 Model I, not working, only $4,000! What a deal!

by allisonp＠world.std.com

-----Original Message----- From: Marvin <marvin(a)rain.org> >Earl Evans wrote: >> >> Well, I just saw the deal of a lifetime on eBay. A TRS-80 Model I >> (unfortunately, not working) with only a $4,000 reserve! > >I think it is this kind of nonsense that breeds more of the same by ignorant >sellers. A $4000 TRS-80 Model I doesn't sound unreasonable ... as long as it >includes a working system including expansion box and monitor, most of the >software ever written for the unit, etc. :). No that is not reasonable. That exceeds the new purchase price for that much. TRS80s arent even scarce nor is it complete. I'd say a clean system with all the facory mods, Expansion interface, disk drives plus software working may warrent some money but not $4k. Allison

25 years, 12 months

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latest finds at Washington MO hamfest

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> I noticed it takes a 3.5 disk and not the 5.25 like I've seen > on the older > ones. If any of you are semi-experts on these, shoot me an > email off-list > with some of the basics, like formatting a floppy. Not > having a book, you > can't say RTFM. I can RTFM for you but for anything else I'll have to see how it is when I replace the fuse :) a

25 years, 12 months

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TRS-80 Model I, not working, only $4,000! What a deal!

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

There was a bloke trying to sell a ZX81 over here for ukp1000 on Yahoo auctions. Unsurprisingly nobody bid :) > -----Original Message----- > From: Earl Evans [mailto:retro@retrobits.com] > Sent: 17 July 2000 02:43 > To: ClassicCmp > Subject: TRS-80 Model I, not working, only $4,000! What a deal! > > > Well, I just saw the deal of a lifetime on eBay. A TRS-80 Model I > (unfortunately, not working) with only a $4,000 reserve! > > Hmm... > > Think this one is a prank? I can't imagine someone would > have that big a > typo in the decimal points. > > I have a TRS-80 Model I, obtained at Goodwill for $4. I'll > let it go for > HALF the asking price of the eBay seller. Take a number! :-) > > - Earl > > >

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An amazing emulator

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

The Spectrum Plus 4 never existed so I wonder what he's got there? :) > -----Original Message----- > From: Sellam Ismail [mailto:foo@siconic.com] > Sent: 15 July 2000 06:48 > To: Classic Computers Mailing List > Subject: An amazing emulator > > > > I find this hard to believe, but apparently this one emulator > can emulate > a bunch of different machines:

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Refusing

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> My guess is that about 90% of the time fuses go poof, and > putting a new one > in makes the world fine again. The great factor here is how > conservatively > the designer specs the fuse, plus of course what happens to blow it. The machine ran happily for around 10 seconds, then made a 'dying fuse' noise. Not quite the bang my spare Mac Classic will give though - I get lights with that one too :) And before anyone mentions it, this one is definitely a 240V machine.

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Unresistable pond comment

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> > I assume you mean something like a VAX 11/730 rather than > the ol' Austin > > And what's wrong with an 11/730? It's a nice little machine... I love the 730 - it was my first VAX; I remember us being annoyed that we couldn't upgrade to VMS V4 because we only had half a meg :) That was why I mentioned the AS400 instead..... > Morris car of the same name? :) Actually, I would't >tarnish a VAX by > roping > a politician to one, so how about an AS/400 instead? > > Err, what about using a no-name Pentium PC clone?? Not heavy enough unless you weld a stack of 'em together!

25 years, 12 months

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...and here's another - HP9000 question

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> I've never worked out what fault would blow the fuse and not do other > internal damage to the PSU. Maybe an overvoltage surge (or > plugging it > into the wrong mains voltage) would just take out the fuse > with no other > damage but I've never been that lucky! I live in hope :) Fuses cost pennies and it won't take me long to find out whether I HAVE fried other components, whereupon I start kicking myself again. a

25 years, 12 months

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Another tech legend for discussion!

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> of the Star's lifecycle as a product. The definitive story of the > development of the Lisa GUI can be read at: > > http://home.san.rr.com/deans/lisagui.html > Excellent - will anyone mind if I like to that from my Lisa page?

25 years, 12 months

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...and here's another - HP9000 question

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

> Unless you happened to plug a 120v PS into a 220 supply, > being the case > here, in which case you can leave the soldering iron in the > tool cupboard > and look for your misplaced brain cells ;) I think I should've just stayed in bed that weekend! So I've completely goosed the PSU then? cheers a

25 years, 12 months

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latest finds at Washington MO hamfest

by ghldbrd＠ccp.com

Hello, Had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jay West at the hamfest, where he lrelieved me of one slighty non-working Apple ][ and disk drive. After having made $60 selling four 6146 tubes, I got crazy and bought another Apple, this time a IIc, with monitor and external 5.25 drive for $10. Guess I'm just rotten to the core . . . . I noticed it takes a 3.5 disk and not the 5.25 like I've seen on the older ones. If any of you are semi-experts on these, shoot me an email off-list with some of the basics, like formatting a floppy. Not having a book, you can't say RTFM. Kind regards -- Gary Hildebrand Box 6184 St. Joseph, MO 64506-0184 816-662-2612 or ghldbrd(a)ccp.com

25 years, 12 months

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Another tech legend for discussion!

by fmc＠reanimators.org

Dave McGuire <mcguire(a)neurotica.com> wrote: > On July 15, Derek Peschel wrote: > > I'm having them search for _Preparation of Programs for an Electronic > > Digital Computer_ by Wilkes/Wheeler/Gill. > > Good luck, man...I've been looking for that book for a few years > now. If you find a [second] copy of it please let me know. :) Um, y'all do know that this was reprinted by Tomash Publishers as part of the Charles Babbage Institute's reprint series for the history of computing, right? ISBN 0-938228-03-X, also 0-262-23118-2. OK, OK, it's not an *original*, but as a reading copy it'll do just fine, and it'll probably be a bit easier on your wallet. ISTR (somewhat more recently, like this year) that CBI was offering some books in the reprint series as thank-you gifts for contributions too. -Frank McConnell

25 years, 12 months

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