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

by saltmabr＠boat.bt.com

Hello All, Can anyone help. I currently build my software on Intel Series III and NRM machines, problem is they are getting old and un-reliable. Does anyone know of a simulator which can be used to build ISIS environment software on a PC. I have tried ISIM, but that is limited to Series II (8085) applications. Regards Barry Saltmarsh

28 years, 5 months

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Listserv?

by Zeus334＠aol.com

What is the e-mail address of the server for this list? I need to subscribe with a different address.

28 years, 5 months

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C= PC Clone?

by gmast＠polymail.cpunix.calpoly.edu

I never knew Commodore made PC clones. There's one at the Goodwill. And a couple Aquarius keyboards. Never seen one of those either although I've heard about them plenty of times. GM

28 years, 5 months

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Finds today

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

Well the last few days have slow again Holidays I guess. Picked up a Alpha Micro model AM1051-12 AM-410 SN 2517. It's a heavy unit and I have not powered it up yet. Anyone have any info on it. A TRS-80 RS232 Interface selector not tested. A AST-2000 Subsystem model MAC-200, anyone know what this unit is ? Four Mac IIci cases for parts only the guy let me have them for free. A Ultimate model 25 by ADDS with one aux port and EIA current loop port. That's it so far for the week. As far as prices no unit cost over $6.

28 years, 5 months

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TRS-80 (Enrico, Bill, and anyone else that cares)

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

In a message dated 97-11-25 21:12:49 EST, Cord Coslor put forth: > This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard: Cord <- vs -> Enrico argument deleted: I thought this was friendly discussion of old computer collecting, not alt.flame! put it in private, this is more off topic than complaining about the 10 year rule.

28 years, 5 months

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MITS/Pertec/Sperry??

by rcini＠email.msn.com

Found the following on alt.folklore.computers: >>Pertec got bought by Sperry in the early '80s. So you'd probably >>want to check with Unisys (if anyone can still find the stuff >>after all those moves). Can anyone verify this? Maybe we should contact Unisys? Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com> (remove nospam_ to use) ClubWin! Charter Member (6) MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking ============================================

28 years, 5 months

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TRS-80 (Enrico, Bill, and anyone else that cares)

by coslor＠pscosf.peru.edu

Enrico: This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. After being out of town for _Thanksgiving_ (I am a full-time college student and am now with family for a short break) I decided I might telnet back in and check my e-mail. Boy, am I glad I did. I wouldn't have wanted to miss you telling me that I was purposely trying to avoid you. You say in the second message from you, "I see that you are playing hard to get AGAIN." Yes, you're right, Enrico, I am scared of you (not really). Anyway, I will respond to both of your e-mails... one dated Nov 24 the other Nov 25. Boy, I certainly shouldn't have missed a day of checking my e-mail.... I'd hate to anger you for not checking the first e-mail from you immediately. In response to the e-mail dated Nov 24: you say you are unhappy with a transaction that took months to progress. You sent me an MSX (from UK), I sent you a TRS-80 Model 1. To tell you the truth, I am very unhappy with the transaction as well. First, it has been a huge pain in the rear-end >from the beginning. All I have heard from you is far-fetched reason for bitching... just another damn ploy to stir up a little trouble? Second, a point I have never even said to you before because I figured it might have happened in shipping, etc., is the fact the damn MSX doesn't even work. I'm not going to sue you though Enrico. Next, we have you saying you are unhappy with the transaction because the computer I sent isn't the one we agreed upon. Frankly, that's a big bunch of BS. You say in this letter that I told you and the list I would send one without the numeric keyboard. If I remember correctly you asked if I could send you the first TRS-80, this is true. Then in future discussion I asked you specifically what you wanted. You said you didn't even know what you wanted, just a model 1. I sent you the damn model 1. Enrico, you know something.... I don't even have a TRS-80 Model 1 without the numeric keyboard on the right hand side. Now tell me this, why the hell would I promise to ship one to you if _I_ didn't even have one?? Common sense (which you seem to lack quite a bit of) would tell you that I wouldn't do that. Next you _claim_ the computer is cracked or some damn thing like that. Well, I can promise that when I sent it is was just fine. No cracks, screws floating around nothing. And I can also promise the thing worked just great. You know how? Because I was using it up until the time I shipped it. You sure as hell didn't even send me something that was working. How do _I_ know... because if you knew it was working you would have powered it up and it still hadn't even had a power cable hooked to it. I put the correct voltage through it, I get power, but then it dies. Again, I won't sue you, Enrito. Then you say that I didn't send the power supply and the instructions. Then you say, quote, "(yes I know I told you that I was not interested in the power supply...I did send you the instructions.) Well, you answered your own darn complaint, Enrico. You didn't want the power supply. If you say, as you did, that we were swapping the exact same thing, you didn't send me a seperate power supply. :-) You did send me a xeroxed copy of the instructions, which I appreciate... I grant you that there. But, I honestly did not realise I was supposed to send you any manuals. I certainly can copy some off I guess. Or, you might even be able to check any number of web sites that contain much, much more information that any manual I would send you contains. Next, you talk about the fact that my machine to you was sent months after I said it did. It was, and I notified you the parcel was returned to me, at my expense. I even sent you an e-mail telling yuo about this, and that I even was going to re-use your box and packing as it would not be as quite a fit as what I had previously sent it in. Plus the original boxed was stamped and labeled throughout. I didn't think it'd cause a lawsuit. Then you say for me to just put everything right and it would be forgotten. Well, I don't have anything to put right... especially not at my expense. I will agree to send you POS MSX back to you, if you'll return my Model 1. How's that? LETTER # 2 - Nov. 25 Already replied to your comments about me playign ahrd to get. Then you say I should send you the model 1 with no numeric key-pad. You say they are hard to find in the UK, but worth 2 pennies here. Well, Enrico, I don't have one, so maybe someone else on this list will gladly ship you one of those. I'm sure they'd be happy to pick up where I refuse to continue to go. You say by me doing this, that any $$$ expense I incure will certainly be worth in terms of respectibility. You threaten me by saying that, "I will expose the whole lot in public on the list and in my site, and I will also write to the major Internet zines and news sites." Well guess what, Enrico, I personally don't care. As a matter of fact, I didn't even care enough to let your shitty side of the deal bother me. I guess I'm just not a hot-headed trouble maker looking for problems. Then you say, if necessary, you will ask a judge to put this right. Go for it, buddy. I didn't do anything wrong. If anyone did anything wrong, it was you. You didn;t even have a clue as to TRS-80s or what you wanted, and that seems to be the only thing I could have (if I even had one!) made different.... you would have had complete info. on what you wanted. Enrico, I can't even express how much this whole deal is a giant crock of $%!^. It is completely unrational statements by you that make this out to be something is not. I in no way intended to make this difficult, or trick you into sending you the 'wrong' machine or anything else. I know you didn't intend that either. But, should I just run around saying you had everything to do with the problems, etc., etc.? No. I don't beleive it was anyone else fault by _our own_. That's right, I don't think it was mine, and I don't think it was yours. What comes out of this will be two little kids fighting back and forth. Frankly, I have better things to do with my time. If you don't have better things to do, well, go ahead and slander my name wherever you want to. I don't care. No one has every had any problems with me, nor have I had with them. I sit back, read the newsgroups and listservs I get, trying to add to my collection and learn. I've already learned enough from doing this that I don't want to be part of these squables that go on for months at a time. So, I say, pay our own expenses, trade back, and it'll be over. Then you can find someone else who will ship you a Model 1 with _no_ numeric keyboard and I won't have to bother with you. When I first got into contact with you about a deal like this, it was just after a huge debate between you and others. "others" were saying it was hard to do these transactions over-seas. You responded on a whole thread of messages that those people that thought it was hard to do, were nuts, and made it into some type of international war. You know what, just because of that thread, I thought I would try transcting with you just to prove all my fellow Americans wrong. I had never done it before over-seas, and thought it would be a good learning experience. I guess I wasn't able to prove my fellow Americans wrong, but I did prove it to you. And I certainly proved it to myself. Love Always, Enrico. CORD G. COSLOR P.S. has anyone else out there ever thought I was 'playing hard to get?' Didn't think so. Oh, for all you judges, internet zines, newsgroups, listservs, web sites, executioners, and anyone else that's going to hate me because of this: please, please understand I am innocent. I don't want you all to hate me, and Mr. Judge, please don't make me pay the $18 to reimburse Enrico for silly reasons.. Please, please, please.... (the above is very synical, and like I said-- it's all set right if we just swap back. SOund simple enough? Didn't think so, Enrico... we need to make it _much_ more difficult.) :-) :-) <-- those are smiley faces. Ever smile? If not, Enrico, think about it all this logically.... trust me, it will make you smile. //*=====================================================================++ || Cord G. Coslor P.O. Box 308 - 1300 3rd St. Apt "M1" -- Peru, NE || || (402) 872- 3272 coslor(a)bobcat.peru.edu 68421-0308 || || Classic computer software and hardware collector || || Autograph collector || ++=====================================================================*//

28 years, 5 months

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Now it's a RSTS problem.

by dseagrav＠bsdserver.tek-star.net

Now INIT says the CSR for the booted device (The UDA50? That's what it's booted from...) is non-standard, and RU0: (WHatever that is) is not interrupting and is disabled. RU0: is not in my manual. Neither is anything about the UDA50. So, I'm stuck again! Anyway, I'm gonna go try fitting this into the racks... Anyone got any ideas before I go try figuring it out on my own?

28 years, 5 months

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FW: Someone help this fellow?

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<From: kyrrin2(a)wizards.net <Subject: DEC 1 computer (circ. 1982) <problem is a disk errors when he tries to boot. I presume (as I have <yet to inspect the machine myself) the trouble to be with either the <boot disk drive (8" Shugart floppy drive) or the system disk. The <problem could be as simple as a dirty r/w head or a worn felt pad that <presses disk against the r/w head or as bad as a fried system disk. <Though as a tech I have worked on several machines of this era, I am <at a disadvantage in this case seeing that I have never seen a DEC 1 <running properly or at all for that matter. The ONLY possibility is a DEC VT180 as that is the only DEC hardware I know with shugart floppy drives (sa400l 5.25" single sided). DEC used RX01/02/03/6 which was calcomp drives. DEC-1???? need more info. could he mean a decmate-I Still used RX01/2. <a) Spare parts or a PM kit for a Shugart 8" floppy drive <b) Someone who has spare system or boot disk for a DEC 1 that they < might be willing to part with <c) someone who has a clue or any usefull insight! A better description of the system and a better description of the problem would make easier to suggest solutions. Allison

28 years, 5 months

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FW: Someone help this fellow?

by kyrrin2＠wizards.net

Can anyone help this fellow out? I've never even heard of a "DEC 1" (unless he means a MicroVAX 1?) Forwarded message follows. Please respond directly to the author. Thanks! -=-=- <snip> -=-=- Xref: xyzzy comp.sys.dec:18347 Path: xyzzy!uunet!not-for-mail From: mrogers(a)capecod.net (mr) Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec Subject: DEC 1 computer (circ. 1982) Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 08:21:08 GMT Lines: 20 Message-ID: <347a81fe.29676018(a)newshost.capecod.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: ost55.capecod.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 Anyone out there ever see one of these beasties? A freind of mine has ask me to resusitate his beloved dinosuar, so here it goes. The problem is a disk errors when he tries to boot. I presume (as I have yet to inspect the machine myself) the trouble to be with either the boot disk drive (8" Shugart floppy drive) or the system disk. The problem could be as simple as a dirty r/w head or a worn felt pad that presses disk against the r/w head or as bad as a fried system disk. Though as a tech I have worked on several machines of this era, I am at a disadvantage in this case seeing that I have never seen a DEC 1 running properly or at all for that matter. So what I'm looking for is: a) Spare parts or a PM kit for a Shugart 8" floppy drive b) Someone who has spare system or boot disk for a DEC 1 that they might be willing to part with c) someone who has a clue or any usefull insight! Thanx for reading.

28 years, 5 months

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RD51 format parameters?

by jimw＠agora.rdrop.com

I should probably know this by now, or be able to figure it out, but its been one of those weeks to far, with no signs of improvement... I need to format up an ST-212 drive as an RD51 (don't ask, I just need to) and can not for the life of me remember (or find my notes) the parameters to feed the formatter on my VS2000 to format this thing. Anyone have these parameters at hand? (Ok... I'm trying to load Micro-RSTS on one of my machines, and the distribution disk set installer demands an RD51 as the system drive) Thanks! -jim --- jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174

28 years, 5 months

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Rubbery Bits Gone Gooey

by fmc＠reanimators.org

Lately a friend has been trying to copy a tape for an HP 2645 terminal. Thus far he has discovered a problem with tape drives in two terminals. His description of the problem is that, when used, the motor capstan in the tape drive "melts". In one case he has not been able to get all the ex-capstan goo off of the belt capstan in the cartridge; fortunately that was a blank tape. My first thought was, hmm, this sounds like the problem the calculator folks have with the rubbery wheels that go gooey. I have one of these terminals too, but it's a bit buried in storage and I haven't got it out yet. (In fact, the tape contains games and he is trying to copy it because I expressed interest...of course, now I am thinking that when I dig the terminal out I need to open it up and check the capstans before I go and jam a tape in.) Instead I found the May 1976 issue of the HP Journal, which was smaller, lighter, closer to the front, and does a pretty good job of demonstrating how proud HP was of having fit tape drives to HP 264x terminals. What have I found out? The motor capstan has an aluminum core with an elastomer coating that is ground to the right size during manufacture. Said elastomer was chosen for quick recovery from the dent that forms in it when the loaded tape isn't moving (as the capstan is held against the tape cartridge's belt capstan). So now I guess I have two questions. One is just what do the calculator folks do about rubbery wheels gone gooey? And the other is, can I do something like that for these drives? Given that the object of this capstan is to press against and drive something less flexible than a magnetic card (the belt capstan in a DC100 tape cartridge) I'm not sure the same sort of material would work. And an observation: the HP 9815A desktop calculator I have sitting here seems to use a similar drive (at least the capstan looks similar when I peer in the slot), and I think the HP 85 does too. -Frank McConnell

28 years, 5 months

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PET Finds

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

From: Grant Zozman <gzozman(a)escape.ca> Subject: Re: Commodore PET finds. >Scott Walde wrote: >> >> I also got 4 'MSD Super Disk Drive' model SD-1. These look similar in >> design to the external TRS-80 drives (except they're cream coloured). >> They have two 6-pin DIN plugs and an IEEE-488(?) plug. Are these what I >> think they are? (Drives that will work on the VIC-20/C-64 and PETs) I >> don't have any 6pin cables to try these on a VIC. I haven't tried them on >> a PET yet, either. Any idea what format these would be? (2040, 8050?) >The MSD drive will definitely work with a C-64. By extension, I belive >this means it will also work with the VIC-20. Not sure about PET >compatibility, though I believe the IEEE-488 interface was provided for >PET's. And they will work on the PET too! Yes, that is an IEEE-488 interface. and I have had mine (an SD-2, pretty cool drive!) hooked to my PET (before I sold it). and it provides you with 1541/4040 compatibility. Though not EXACT, as that would have violated Commodore's copyrights. I have read you can get JiffyDOS for various 3rd party drives and I think the MSD was one of them. Larry Anderson -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Visit our web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/ Call our BBS (Silicon Realms BBS 300-2400 baud) at: (209) 754-1363 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 5 months

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Intro msg: Teraks, emulators, reviving cassette data

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<Well there were -10s and then there were -10s. Ours consisted of 25 19" <style rack cupboards next to each other (so it was about 40 odd feet in <length). There were three racks for the CPU, four for memory (we had 256KW That was a big ten! But compare it to a 9020(360/60) used by the FAA. Or for that fact some of the -10s used by compuserve, they had some really huge ones and not just a few. The biggest one inside DEC was the MARKET cluster, yep four -10s clustered sharing the same disk field. But a lot of 10s were small 128kw, swapdrum, maybe four RP04s and an 8I or 8E for IO control. The whole mess was two rows 24ft long. The CPU box alone for the 360 next door was 4x the size of the KA10 cpu. that seems big but a PDP-11 of that era would be 3-4 standard racks plus drives. <There were plans for the so called Jupiter system which was due to ship Jupiter was due to ship around '84 the 780 was sold in '78! The story is this (I worked in the mill at the time) Jupiter was required to perform at 4x the last System10/20. The best the design team could accomplish was 2x (subtantial enough but below design goal). It was also competing for resources(money) to design and build the 86xx (nautalus). What wasn't known was the cutomer base was hungry for even 2x increase. The day it was canceled was a very dark one for the engineering groups. <Sitting at home I have all the necessary bits to put together an Apple II <system to run UCSD Pascal. All I need is the time and the software (the on <bit I don't have). The reason for wanting this is Carl Helmers Byte articl <so many years ago describing such a system - for me the first microcompute <that was usable rather than a "toy" to play with. The appleII was more useful than most of the other non s100 systems like trs-80s which didn't have solid hardware at that time(EI timing problems). if you had a solid trs80 you could run UCSD psystem. I was running Psystem on a Northstar horizon with three drives and it was a useful system. Allison

28 years, 5 months

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Intro msg: Teraks, emulators, reviving cassette data

by jfoust＠threedee.com

Why, I thought I'd get a few replies about my Terak computer collection, as described in my intro message on 11/18. Anyone out there have any experience with these? - John www.threedee.com/jcm

28 years, 5 months

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Intro msg: Teraks, emulators, reviving cassette data

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

found a small written piece talking about the Terak 8510 with a LSI-11 processor, 20k words of 16 bit memory, 256k floppy drive, came out in January of 1977, cost at the time of over $5000, had RS232 and 20mA current loop serial interfaces. Software was Basic and Fortran. Hope this helps Keep computing - John At 10:31 AM 11/24/97 -0600, you wrote: > >Why, I thought I'd get a few replies about my Terak computer >collection, as described in my intro message on 11/18. >Anyone out there have any experience with these? > >- John >www.threedee.com/jcm > > >

28 years, 5 months

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PROGRESS! It booted!

by dseagrav＠bsdserver.tek-star.net

I was fiddling and I pulled the NPG from the Unibus ribbon cable and the machine will boot now! But when I try starting RSTS timesharing (START command to the bootloader [Is that INIT?]) it lists devices it disables and hangs there. I can see an LED go high on the 2nd UDA board (The one that doesn't connect to the drives), stay high for a second, then go lo, strobe, and repeat. The READY lamp on the RA81 has died, so I can't really tell what's happening... I'll go RTFM tonight, but if anyone knows for sure what's happening, it'd be nice to know!

28 years, 5 months

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Talk Of Building A Computer...

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

In a message dated 97-11-21 06:21:27 EST, HOTZE put forth: > PS- I've been looking for this for months. Does anyone know where I can find > the latest version of Elisa (Or another good AI) on the net? Elsewhere? elisa? that program that asks you the same open ended question? i may have a similar program if there really is an interest. david

28 years, 5 months

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[PDP-11/44]: OK, this has become an emergency situation!

by dseagrav＠bsdserver.tek-star.net

Here's the deal: Our landlord (at work) showed up. He was not happy with the '44, at all. It is currently in an unused room. (I have no other place to put it!) It looks quite ugly, as it's not working and all over the place. I cleaned up the best I can, but it's not enough. Since nor my business nor me can afford the spare room, I have been given orders to make it look nice. I have 3 days. After which, if the room does not meet his standards, he'll take the computer and feed it to the scrap man. I can't afford the room, I'm broke. And I can't move it anywhere else. Basically, I have 3 days to get everything back in the racks. And working if possible. Or else, whatever I can't fit in my car is property of the building owner, and then the scrap metal man. If I can make it run, I can put it in the main office (maybe). The uPDPs and such have to find another place to stay... One'll end up at my house, and the others probably in storage. I have things almost ready. The 2 BA11s power on, but there appears to be no bus continuity. The arragement has the CPU and RAM in the master BA11, and the UDA50 in the other. No DZs or anyhting yet. The lights on the UDA stobe normally, but it refuses to boot. It is in an NPG slot (I looked, the CA1 wire is cut), like it was originally. Just those MASSBUS backplanes are gone. I have NPGs in every available slot. There is one terminator, at the end of the bus. WHat am I doing wrong?

28 years, 5 months

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CGA & clock speeds

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<booted but did not give a display. I could tell it was working by <entering <DOS commands. I tried then at 5.33 MHz. It booted & ran OK (as far as <and found that the CGA card depends on the 14.31818 oscilator to run <properly. <Since the processor seemed to be running OK at 8 MHz, what I want to do Simple make sure you supply 14.31818 to the ISA bus from a seperate oscillator (or put it on the CGA card and bypass the buss connection). The problem is that much of the machine is timed off that clock. it is generated either using then 8284A clock generator or or a TTL oscillator can. The 8088 is driven off the 8284A (it supplies the correct 33% duty cycle closk) so it could be done as two seperate sources. There were "upgrades" that did exactly that yo yeild turbo systems. Allison

28 years, 5 months

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IBM s/36

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

> I=B4m afraid this computer is off-topic (dated 1988). Sorry.=20 Never mind. There were system/36 machines around in 1985 and even earlier... > An IBM 5363-I has recently been given to me, but I don=B4t know anything > at all about its internal architecture or capabilities. I only own the > Central Unit; no cables, no floppies, no tapes, no manuals, no > terminals. I don't know the system/36 awfully well - I worked more on system/34s - how big is this physically? The 5362 was desk-side, the 5364 desktop (the same box as the PC/AT), but I don't know the 5363 (probably after my time if it's 1988). > * It has two 15-pin sub-d connectors in one expansion card. They seem to > be for attaching two serial terminals (syncronous? type 5250?) Dunno. Probably not 5250 - these hang in chains (pun intended) off the twinax ports. > * In another expansion board it has a 9-pin sub-d connector. > * There are too four twin-axial connectors. Four? Quite a sizeable system, then. > Can anybody help me on this subject? > > Thanks in advance. Just my tuppence worth! I'd guess you've got a fairly powerful (by 1980s standards) machine. Philip.

28 years, 5 months

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Talk Of Building A Computer...

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Hello... some time ago, there was talk of building a computer, and now I think that I've got a (bad, possibly) idea. In the earlier half of this century, transistors weren't avaible... vaccum tubes... huge ones, but now, the transistor has made small ones possible. My point: If we were to take a tubed design, and re-build it with transistors, we could probably make it a decent size. So, what da ya think? Tim D. Hotze

28 years, 5 months

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Case designs (was: New Definiton REQUIRED)

by manney＠nwohio.com

>Some people (esp. on this list) may not realize it, but there are actually >hordes of people out there who go their entire lives without ever owning a >single screwdriver. Which is why I've got two in/on my laptop case, several >in my laptop "kit", and a swiss army knife with a flat sd, phillips sd, >pliers, and (8^) corkscrew. I treated myself to a Leatherman folding tool 6 months ago. It's got a very well-made #1/#2 combination phillips, plus a very nice pliers & other stuff, even a tiny screwdriver (screweler's jewdriver, as my spoonerist father would have said). $40 at Wal-Mart, and the best tool purchase I've _ever_ made. It hangs on my belt all the time -- even take it to church. I'm always ready to fix. Buy one. manney(a)nwohio.com Murphy was an optimist!

28 years, 5 months

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TRS-80 Model I

by foxvideo＠wincom.net

At 05:13 PM 11/23/97 +0000, you wrote: > > >On Sun, 23 Nov 1997, Charles E. Fox wrote: Thanks, Tony, I will give it a try. Charlie > >> >> On a TRS-80 Model I, no expansion unit, I am getting the left half of the >> screen filled with graphics and the right half with scrambled text. Does >> anyone have a suggestion of where I should start looking for the solution >> to this problem? > >Well, it's been 5 years since I read the Model 1 technical reference >manual, but I can still remember some bits of it (I hope).. > >Start by opening the case, laying the 2 boards out component-side up, and >connecting power and video. If you want step-by-step instructions on how >to do that, please ask. Turn on the machine. Is it fixed? If so, suspect a >solder-ball short (these were quite common one some batches, I believe) or >a problem in the keyboard cable, which carries the Z80 bus. In fact, >checking that keyboard cable for continuity (with the machine off, of >course) wouldn't be a bad idea. > >OK, still not fixed? Check the PSU. The 0V line is the -ve side of the >largest capacitor on the board, and all the supply rails go to the DRAM >chips (-5V on pin 1, +12V on pin 8, +5v on pin 9). > >Now switch off and pull the shunt block (it looks like an IC, but has >metal shorting bars on it only). That disables all the DRAMs. Turn on >again. On a Level1 machine (and I believe a level 2 machine, but my manual >isn't that clear) you'll get a 32*16 display of colons. If that occurs, >then you've probably got RAM or RAM addressing problems. > >Switch off again, and pull the ROMs (or on a level 2 machine, pull the 24 >pin ribbon cable from the ROM socket). Turn on again. The Z80 data bus is >pulled high, so the machine executes continual RST38 instructions and >fills all of the memory with 39 00 (the return address, of course). The >display will fill with alternate '@' and '9' symbols, in 64*16 mode. If >that works, then you have ROM trouble, I think. > >If you still don't get the right display, reseat the Z80, and then use a >scope/logic probe/LogicDart to find out (a) what the Z80 is doing, (b) >what the buses are doing and (c) what the video controller is doing. > > >> >> Thanks >> Charlie Fox >> >> > >-tony > > >

28 years, 5 months

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CGA & clock speeds

by defaultuser＠mail.mankato.msus.edu

Hello, I hope this mail goes to the right place as I'm not on the list; here goes: I am messing about with an 8088-based clone to see what I can do with it for cheap thrills & a good learning experience. So far, I have installed a V20 chip which decreased processing time by about 7%. I then tried to clock it at 10 MHz (the rating of the chip), but this failed to produce any results (the 'puter did not boot.) I tried at 8MHz, and the computer booted but did not give a display. I could tell it was working by entering DOS commands. I tried then at 5.33 MHz. It booted & ran OK (as far as I could tell), but the display was all messed up. I then did some research and found that the CGA card depends on the 14.31818 oscilator to run properly. Since the processor seemed to be running OK at 8 MHz, what I want to do is find a way to send a proper clock signal to the CGA card while clocking the main board at 8MHz. Or will changing to a different monitor (like VGA) make the clock speed irrelevant? Is CGA the only clock-dependant display type? Thanks in advance, Dave

28 years, 5 months

2
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Rubbery Bits Gone Gooey

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<instead of the vinyl, would a small section of heat-shrink tubing work? Ni <it a little longer than the thickness of said ferrule, then hit it with I presume over the gummy roller. The problem is the ferrule for the tu58 is 0.435 od, the roller is 0.625 od. The gummey material does not hold shape in the advanced cases of rot. The tygon tubing has a 0.385 ID and when stretched over the ferrule has a od of 0.610 after grinding. This is adaquate as the tape speed is servo controlled via read back data. Having worked with machines used to produce pharmaceuticals I have a better than average appreciation for various elastic materials. There are many of them to choose from and the urethanes or neopyene are a good choices but Tygon(aka Vinyl) thick wall tubing is a easy one to obtain and use and proven satisfactory. The later ease of availability and use are key in the selection. Allison Allison

28 years, 5 months

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Rubbery Bits Gone Gooey

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<I have told my friend not to toss the drives so I think one or the <other of us will have some to play with now. Thanks for the tips; <it's, well, reassuring that someone has already figured something out. They are repairable. <The only thing I'm worried about w/r/t hardness is whether that will <create additional wear or reduced traction with the belt capstan. The belt capstan is very hard. The tygon after 6months of constnt use has shown good wear and the same tape has been used with no bad effects nor are any expected. I could think of a dozen materials I'd like to try but this was the only one available and its worked remarkably well. Allison

28 years, 5 months

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NEC Starlet probs

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

I have to say I love my new Starlet (PC-8401-A, CP/M laptop) but it seems to have a problem. When turned off, the memory gets all scrambled. The longer it's off, the more scrambled it gets, until any saved files are gone and the directory entries are filled with garbage filenames. Formatting RAM1 clears it, but it will happen again. I've tried leaving it plugged in and made sure that there are fresh batteries in it. Nothing helps. Also, when it's on, the low battery light comes on or flickers, even if its plugged in. Thanks in advance... --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.crl.com/~sinasohn/

28 years, 5 months

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DECMate III

by Zeus334＠aol.com

A relative of mine has a DecMate III. It comes with a cheap word processor. I have used it, and have found it very difficult, worse than vi or something. Could someone tell me if there is any use for it? It has no hard drive...

28 years, 5 months

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Rubbery Bits Gone Gooey

by fmc＠reanimators.org

allisonp(a)world.std.com (Allison J Parent) wrote: > this is also common to DEC TU58 tape system (also a dc100 cart). Yep, I forgot about those. Sorry about that. > The solution I've used to date is to first strip the goo off the alumninum > ferrule that is on the drive. Then I found a peice of tygon(vinal) clear > tubing that had the required ID for a tight fit. I cut a ring the width of > the original(cut squarely and clean) and proceded to glue it on using > superglue (cyanoacrylic). then I run it up on a spare motor and grind it > using a emery board. The last step it insure roundness. I've done this > for 6 tu58 drives and it seems to work fine. It's noisier as it's harder > but seems to have enough friction to drive the tape well. I have told my friend not to toss the drives so I think one or the other of us will have some to play with now. Thanks for the tips; it's, well, reassuring that someone has already figured something out. The only thing I'm worried about w/r/t hardness is whether that will create additional wear or reduced traction with the belt capstan. > The material is not the best possible choice (polyurethane might be better) > but I had it handy and it's easy to find. Between uses I pull the tape to > avoid dents that seem to cause no problems other then making the drive > very noisy. It's been in use for about a year, so the tygon hardening > from age was a concern. However it works and it's easy enough to do again > if needed. Pulling the tape is sound anyway, at least in the bigger QIC drives that I've dealt with, leaving the tape in sometimes results in the tape getting dents from having the head pushed into it for so long. Today I ran into Paul Coad and he mentioned seeing similar stuff happening to QIC drives, and I think I've seen it too on some HP 9144s. This could be extra nasty on 9144s: they use tapes that look like QIC but have some subtle differences, like being preformatted with block markers written with a special full-width head and I suspect (from experience with a drive that was trashing tapes) that you can scribble over the block markers if the tape speed isn't right. Of course, once you do that the tape is mechanically OK but the drive will not let you load it. -Frank McConnell

28 years, 5 months

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Update on finds

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

They have 8085A chips with '76 dates on them. Thanks for the info and now to try and test them. At 09:21 AM 11/23/97 -0800, you wrote: >> I also found in the >> same box 12 Intel boards dated copyright 1976 with white keys, a red lED >> readout, a boxed area marked Bus Expansion Drivers filled with various >> chips, TTY interface boxed area, PROM area, Address Decoder area, and all >> kinds of things on these boards. Does anyone know what thses units are ? > >These sound like Intel SDK-85 evaluation kits. Do they, indeed, have >8085's on them? There was also an earlier 8080A version. Both were >bought by the truckloads by tech schools, universities, and colleges >for computer courses and data acquisition work. What are the date >codes on the chips? > >Tim. (shoppa(a)triumf.ca) > >

28 years, 5 months

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CGA, part II

by defaultuser＠mail.mankato.msus.edu

Ooops - forgot an address: polaris(a)vax1.mankato.msus.edu Thanks again, Dave

28 years, 5 months

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Commodore PET finds.

by scott＠saskatoon.com

Well, after a long dry spell (partly self-induced) I came home this week with a few machines. I picked up 5 PET 4032's (one labelled 'No Good') a VIC-20, a 4022 printer, 5 datasettes, a 1571 disk drive (it rattles, i'm not hopeful), a box of VIC power adaptors (the 10vac ones) and RF modulators. I also got 4 'MSD Super Disk Drive' model SD-1. These look similar in design to the external TRS-80 drives (except they're cream coloured). They have two 6-pin DIN plugs and an IEEE-488(?) plug. Are these what I think they are? (Drives that will work on the VIC-20/C-64 and PETs) I don't have any 6pin cables to try these on a VIC. I haven't tried them on a PET yet, either. Any idea what format these would be? (2040, 8050?) Finally, I picked up a bit of PET software. I got five copies of VisiCalc. It turns out, however, that this software requires a ROM chip to be installed in the machine it is to be run on. (an early dongle?) No problem, five VisiCalcs, five PETs... they must have the ROMs in them, right?... wrong. Not-a. So... does anyone have a dump of the 'VisiCalc for PET' ROM that they could email to me so I can try out this classic piece of software? (and preserve it, of course.) Oh, for those who follow the prices... I got the lot for $75CAD (about $55USD) A little more than I wanted to pay, but it was a school board, so I guess it's a good cause. ttfn srw

28 years, 5 months

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Update on finds

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<> I also found in the <> same box 12 Intel boards dated copyright 1976 with white keys, a red lED <> readout, a boxed area marked Bus Expansion Drivers filled with various <> chips, TTY interface boxed area, PROM area, Address Decoder area, and al <> kinds of things on these boards. Does anyone know what thses units are ? < <These sound like Intel SDK-85 evaluation kits. Do they, indeed, have <8085's on them? There was also an earlier 8080A version. Both were Intel did the SDK80 (8080), SDK85(8085), and SDK86(8086). I'd love to get a SDK85, for my SBC collection even a used one. Allison

28 years, 5 months

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Update on finds

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

Well the last 3 weeks have been pretty slow and more people have started going to the thrift's that I shop. I'm still trying to work out a deal to save alot of classic's setting in a warehouse here in Minn. and will let everyone know when and if they come avaiable. I did find a few items such as several pairs of black paddles made by Apple for the II series I guess (they were free), a Mac SE/30 with HD problems for $5, Apple 2400 data modem with power supply for free, 2 PS/2-70 386 for $5 each one is load with memory and all the slots are full of cards, have pulled them yet to see what they are, and the other has no memory in it or extra cards, a Commodore 1571 drive for $5, Franklin Ace 1100 with Franklin video monitor both were free and I have tested them yet, Apple IIc power supply for free, AppleColor Composite for $5 and it works great, IBM 4019-E01 laser for 19.95 needs a little work, A NEC kB MMTKB-1001 for 2.95, and a 2600 cartridge called "Kool-Aid Man" for .25. I'm also still trying to get away to test the 10 Sym-1's that picked up a few weeks ago so that I can trade or sell them. I also found in the same box 12 Intel boards dated copyright 1976 with white keys, a red lED readout, a boxed area marked Bus Expansion Drivers filled with various chips, TTY interface boxed area, PROM area, Address Decoder area, and all kinds of things on these boards. Does anyone know what thses units are ? I plan to keep one and trade or sell the others if I can figure their value. Times like these are when I could use a digital camera and my own web site to show strange finds to everyone for help in figuring out what it is. Well a new week is starting and a four day weekend so I hope to shop alot. Keep computing and have a great Thanksgiving - John

28 years, 5 months

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TRS-80 Model I

by foxvideo＠wincom.net

On a TRS-80 Model I, no expansion unit, I am getting the left half of the screen filled with graphics and the right half with scrambled text. Does anyone have a suggestion of where I should start looking for the solution to this problem? Thanks Charlie Fox

28 years, 5 months

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Progress report

by foxvideo＠wincom.net

Early in the summer I got involved with a fellow who is attempting to start a science museum in Windsor, Ont. and undertook to work on the computer collection. Following Sam's suggestion I inserted a small ad in our local weekly shopping guide: "Old computers wanted, working or not, for museum collection." with my name and phone number. This has been in three times at about three week intervals, and so far has resulted in turning up over fifty computers. Apparently word is spreading, for I have had calls as much as two weeks after the ad ran. Also I feel having my name in it is important for it lets people know who they are dealing with. Also on two occasions folks who I knew years ago in other organizations have brought me their unwanted machines. How one answers the phone can be important. What seems to work best, when some one asks if I am the fellow collecting old computers, and what kind, or how old, is to ask "What do you have, and how much are you asking for it?" In a lot of cases they will say they don't want anything for it, they just want it out of the basement, and even an XT or an Apple clone might have a lot of useful parts. So far we have turned up lots of XT and Apple clones along with an assortment of TRS-80s, T.I.s Commodores, Ataris and Timex Sinclairs, but an Osborne and a DEC Rainbow have come along as well as the fragments of a Basic 4, a Philips Micom, and a Wang wordprocesser. Also about a dozen assorted calculators have made an appearence. While I keep dreaming of a PDP11, or a VAX, we have to realize that Windsor, (pop 200,000) is not as fertile a field as you folks have in the western states. Cheers Charlie Fox

28 years, 5 months

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Rubbery Bits Gone Gooey

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<Thus far he has discovered a problem with tape drives in two <terminals. His description of the problem is that, when used, the <motor capstan in the tape drive "melts". In one case he has not <been able to get all the ex-capstan goo off of the belt capstan <in the cartridge; fortunately that was a blank tape. this is also common to DEC TU58 tape system (also a dc100 cart). The solution I've used to date is to first strip the goo off the alumninum ferrule that is on the drive. Then I found a peice of tygon(vinal) clear tubing that had the required ID for a tight fit. I cut a ring the width of the original(cut squarely and clean) and proceded to glue it on using superglue (cyanoacrylic). then I run it up on a spare motor and grind it using a emery board. The last step it insure roundness. I've done this for 6 tu58 drives and it seems to work fine. It's noisier as it's harder but seems to have enough friction to drive the tape well. The material is not the best possible choice (polyurethane might be better) but I had it handy and it's easy to find. Between uses I pull the tape to avoid dents that seem to cause no problems other then making the drive very noisy. It's been in use for about a year, so the tygon hardening >from age was a concern. However it works and it's easy enough to do again if needed. <And an observation: the HP 9815A desktop calculator I have sitting here <seems to use a similar drive (at least the capstan looks similar when I <peer in the slot), and I think the HP 85 does too. I'd guess. Allison

28 years, 5 months

2
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Progress!

by dseagrav＠bsdserver.tek-star.net

OK, now the lights on the UDA strobe. The drive is not connected. Typing boot du0 gets me this >>>b du0 CONSOLE ?20 MPC=15 >>> is that normal?

28 years, 5 months

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What's the audible alarm in a BA11 for?

by dseagrav＠bsdserver.tek-star.net

I removed the backplanes to re-add them one at a time. Now the BA beeps at me. Whats the beep for?

28 years, 5 months

2
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Here we go... multi-BA problems.

by dseagrav＠bsdserver.tek-star.net

The CPU *REFUSES* to go to the run state when powered on. Both BAs come on, the DEC power bus is connected. I have the cable correct, it's not twisted... What did I do? Current config: +------+ +------+ | BA #1| | BA #2| | [1] ======= [2] | +------+ +------+ [1] CPU backplane only [2] DD11-CK with the UDA in it. The terminator is in BA #2

28 years, 5 months

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One from the 'believe it or not' file...

by jimw＠agora.rdrop.com

You know, I always hate these moral dilemmas... In the last few days the collection received an AT&T UNIX PC (aka 7300, 3b1) in extremely good condition. It arrived with all of the original docs, software, and mouse. The docs were unwrapped , and the mouse was in its original foam packing. "Kind of nice when someone packs things away properly" I thought. Well, its been a bit busy around the garage the last couple of weeks, so I put the unit and its associated stuff on the shelf and covered it up for a time. Last night, while I was working on a notebook (yes, one of those 'modern' things) for one of my wife's friends, I decided to have another look at the UNIX PC while I was waiting for a disk scan to finish... Found a spot for it on the bench, made a cursory check of the unit (nothing loose, nothing rattling...) and powered it up. It hummed and beeped happily and started drawing little boxes on the screen as I recalled it doing when it was starting up... However, about 3-4 minutes and 4-5 lines of little boxes later, it starts to dawn on me that it should not be taking quite this long to get a prompt of some kind. So, I move the keyboard to have a look at the floppy drive (it hides behind the keyboard you see) and sure enough the machine is looking for a floppy. Fine... so, I grab the binder containing the software distribution, open it up... All of the disks are still sealed! At this point it starts to dawn on me, that this machine has never been run! A comment flashes back to mind; made by the person who gave me the machine... "My father bought it for his company, read the manuals and realized that he had no idea what he was doing..." I find myself wondering... Back around 1985 when this thing was released (and about $10k+), who could have afforded to buy one of these things, open the manuals, decide that they were in over their heads, and just put it on the shelf without even loading the software??? EEK! And so, the dilemma... do I open the disks and crank this critter up? Or just pack it all away as another classic 'artifact'? (or leave it until I have a fair amount of time to spend with it) No flame wars please, just the random philosophical question... -jim --- jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174

28 years, 5 months

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The XT Dilema

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

I've tried replacing the controller, and used another 360K floppy. Now, the monitor stops working :( Does the XT just not LIKE me? Tim D. Hotze

28 years, 5 months

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CLASSICCMP digest 241

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<Could someone tell me what exactly "core memory" is? From mentions of Core memory. A system using metal or ferrite(magnetic) material to store data using magnetization. One core, one bit. The direction of magnetic field is key to determining the data stored. <Acoustic delay line? What is that? The principle is that sound(mechanical vibration) moves slower than elctrons. Data, bit are translated from voltages or current to using a transducer resulting mechanical vibration and transmitted through a medium to a like mercury or water to a like transducer where the vibrations are translated back to data. The best example is you see lightening immediately, but sound in air travels about 1100 feet per second. If you time from the flash to the sound you can calculate how far. In solids and liquids sound travels faster but still far slower than the speed of light. So if you put a vibration in to a medium large enough in length there is time before it comes out. So it's possible to put strings of bits in if the medium chosen is long enough as the first one is comming out the last one is in. If you circulate these(with amplification) you now have a memory that is serial in nature and can store information. The name comes from the fact that the first data in will have a finite time delay before it arrives at the other side. The longer the time the more data can transit the space and the greater the storage. There are mechanical and other considerations that limit things. Allison

28 years, 5 months

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10 years and change/use it or lose it

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 07:22 PM 11/19/97 +0000, you wrote: >Okay... I started all this stuff... and I'll end it... it *was* a mistake.... >but now, at least we know that until something BIG happens, the 10 yr. definition Or until somebody else new comes along. 8^) --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad sinasohn(a)ricochet.net that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.crl.com/~sinasohn/

28 years, 5 months

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So far, so good... Will DD11-CK work in an 11/44?

by dseagrav＠bsdserver.tek-star.net

OK. Now the 44 starts, and I can talk to ODT. I removed all the boards & backplanes except the CPU. There are 2 free preiph slots on the CPU, it's got 1.5M RAM. Now I have to add a second backplane for the DZs and the UDA50. So, I have a new DD11-CK. Will that go in a 44?

28 years, 5 months

1
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10 years and change/use it or lose it

by manney＠nwohio.com

> > > It would be even better if it > > > were easy to require that the subscriber afirm that the FAQ had been > > > read in return mail before the subscription actually started. > > > > It helps that there is a bit at the bottom of the welcome message > > pointing out that anyone who does not prove that they have read that far > > and reply will not have their subscription completed. (If this is > > actually enforced) > > Hmmm. Perhaps there should be a quiz during the subscription process > whereby you are asked 10 questions that you will only know the answer to > if you've read the FAQ. It seems to me that I'd rather put up with a few "dumb" questions -- something I get all the time, in my computer business) than alienate, or scare away new users by quizzing on the FAQ. People were patient and gentle with me when I was starting out, and freely shared their knowledge with me without censure. Let's give the new people a break -- encourage the reading of the FAQ, certainly, but be patient with silly mistakes.

28 years, 5 months

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PDP-11/44 is back in one general area!

by dseagrav＠bsdserver.tek-star.net

I moved the parts back to Tek-star. Now to start reassembling the beast... It's now in 2 places at once: My house and here. A week ago, it was in 5 places at once: My house, here, SSI, my car, and Jeff's house. I'll bring the BAs in and I can get to work!

28 years, 5 months

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CLASSICCMP digest 241

by Zeus334＠aol.com

Could someone tell me what exactly "core memory" is? From mentions of ferrite, I am guessing it was some kind of magnetic thing, but what exactly? Acoustic delay line? What is that?

28 years, 5 months

1
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Case designs (was: New Definiton REQUIRED)

by adam＠merlin.net.au

>Any other thoughts on case designs? I still think the Lisa was beautiful, >and I'll have to check out the 3b1. I have to agree about the Lisa - there is just something about her lines which really appeals to me. :) The Atari 400 is also a faviourite, as it has the weird science-fiction look. But the best (apart from the Lisa) would have to be the Mac 128 and Apple IIc - both are very much Steve Jobs' concept of what a computer should be, and although I don't agree with him they nevertheless have a fine design concept. If only I have a NextCube - that is one of the two computers I most want in the world (the other being a Sinclair ZX81). Adam.

28 years, 5 months

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