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

Bletchley Park Code Breaker Olive Bailey Interviewed

by bryan.pope＠comcast.net

WWII Code Breaking Secrets Revealed at Berwick, Victoria, Canada http://www.winstonchurchill.org/support/the-churchill-centre/publications/c… Interview is here: http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/2012/04/18/victorias-wwii-code-breaker-1/ Cheers, Bryan

14 years, 1 month

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fwd from NetBSD VAX list: VAX 6320 w/ TU81+

by mouse＠Rodents-Montreal.ORG

No affiliation with this person, but I'd much prefer to see a VAX given a new and caring home. I know nothing about this beyond what you can see below. /~\ The ASCII Mouse \ / Ribbon Campaign X Against HTML mouse at rodents-montreal.org / \ Email! 7D C8 61 52 5D E7 2D 39 4E F1 31 3E E8 B3 27 4B > From: "Robert Schaefer" <rschaefe at gcfn.org> > To: <port-vax at NetBSD.org> > Subject: VAX 6320 w/ TU81+ > Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 19:25:31 -0400 > Message-ID: <2C54A3A6C8C84748AAEF5BDB3FF18BF6 at ratioHP> > Anybody near to Columbus, Ohio interested? I can't bring myself to scrap > her, but she's been sitting idle for nearly a decade now. Converted to 240V > single phase, booted several times into VMS 5.? before I had to park her. > > If anyone wants to forward this to classiccmp, I'd be obliged. > > -- > Bob

14 years, 1 month

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IBM P/390

by BHuntsman＠mail2.cu-portland.edu

Anyone here interested in a PCI-based IBM P/390 board (Not E)? I've actually got two that I'm not using, and a PARCA bus-and-tag board, and think that some other hobbyists should have a chance to acquire this stuff... I'd also consider trades... Thanks!

14 years, 1 month

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Calling all bored VAX hackers :)

by abs＠absd.org

I was wondering if there are any VAX coders on the list who are willing (and brave/strange enough) to poke into gcc internals? I have a (relatively speedy) little VAXstation 4000/90 happily running NetBSD-6, which is built using gcc-4.1. All of the other NetBSD ports have switched across to gcc-4.5, but some changes in 4.5 have caused codegen issues in the VAX backend. Essentially you can cross compile a vax system with gcc-4.5, but the resultant system exhibits certain, shall we say, glitches (most annoyingly in the boot program), and the generated compiler is unable to reliably compile anything. Additionally the gcc DWARF2 stack unwinding for VAX appears to be incomplete, causing issues for C++ exceptions, and potentially making libffi unbuildable on VAX. ( http://gnats.netbsd.org/cgi-bin/query-pr-single.pl?number=44155 ) The latter point is quite annoying as it blocks building glib2, and any app that depends upon it. I know the VAX is pretty much the poster child for legacy platform nowdays, but from a certain perspective a VAX has similar characteristics to an unusual embedded system, (just built using steam pipes & valves), so should be able to run the same basic apps, tools, and even graphical apps. Besides, to quote Dylan Thomas I feel the VAX should not go gentle into that good night, but rage, rage against the dying of the light :)

14 years, 1 month

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Bogus eBay auction

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

On 24/05/2012 06:49, William Maddox wrote: > Our favorite eBay fraudster is at it again: > > http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Equipment-Corp-DEC-TU56-w-TC11-RK05-LA36-/2… > > This exact same photo first appeared on eBay when Ashley Carder legitimately sold the gear that is shown. Fraudulent relistings, stating that the bidder must contact the "seller" directly at a specific email address, have reappeared about half a dozen times over the last year or two. > > --Bill The ironic thing is that the fraudsters go after key "high value high popularity" items, done solely by a text search. Thus they wanted to put up fraudulent listings for Plasma Display Panels (PDP's) but end up using PDP-11's. I would bet they have absolutely ZERO idea what their fraudulent auction is actually for. Time for cow-tipping? Tim.

14 years, 1 month

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Bogus eBay auction

by wmaddox＠pacbell.net

Our favorite eBay fraudster is at it again: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Equipment-Corp-DEC-TU56-w-TC11-RK05-LA36-/2… This exact same photo first appeared on eBay when Ashley Carder legitimately sold the gear that is shown. Fraudulent relistings, stating that the bidder must contact the "seller" directly at a specific email address, have reappeared about half a dozen times over the last year or two. --Bill

14 years, 1 month

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PDP-11 items wanted

by lists＠loomcom.com

Hey folks, Apart from the PDP-11/35 I'm restoring, I haven't got any other PDP stuff right now. Over the years I've had a lot, but I gave it all away to other collectors during the "Moving Houses Every Three Years" phase of my life. Now that things are a lot more settled, I'd love to play with some again. So, I figured I'd throw together a little wish list of PDP stuff I'm looking for. You never know, maybe someone has some of this they'd be willing to sell. I'm perfectly willing to pay fair market price, of course. Most Wanted ----------- - PDP-11/23+ (BA23 rackmount) or MicroPDP-11/23+ (BA23 pedistal). Maybe a strange thing to be "most wanted", but it's a college nostalgia thing. I'm sure you understand. - Any QBus PDP-11 capable of running 2.11BSD - so an 11/73 or 11/83 with 1MB or more. - PDP-11/40 Processor Options (KE11-E & KE11-F, KJ11, KT11, KW11), to extend my 11/35's minimal configuration. - G727A or G7273 grant continuity cards. My 11/35 is severely lacking in these :( I'm located in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I'm willing to travel anywhere in the western US to pick these guys up. There's nothing like a computer rescue road trip! Thanks, -Seth

14 years, 1 month

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Photos of the RA-81 drive spindle and disk enclosure

by alanp＠snowmoose.com

Some people were curious what the drive spindle and disk enclosure looked like, but weren't members of the vintage computer forum, so could not view the images that I put there. Sorry about that. Didn't know one had to be a member to view the photos. Here are links to the photos that anyone should be able to use - Drive spindle: http://www.wildwestrally.net/alanp/IMG_0342.JPG http://www.wildwestrally.net/alanp/IMG_0343.JPG Disk enclosure: http://www.wildwestrally.net/alanp/IMG_0344.JPG http://www.wildwestrally.net/alanp/IMG_0345.JPG If anyone is curious about what the rest of this stuff looks like, let me know and I'll shoot and post photos for you. Respond directly to me since I am subscribed to the digest and won't see your note until much later if you send it to the list. alan

14 years, 1 month

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KIM-1 and Commodore [was RE: You're too late now, but

by dm561＠torfree.net

Original Messages: Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 11:43:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com> >>> I liked the AIM-65, personally, but I don't have one. >> Time you got one then ;-) >If you have a spare one, bug me off-list :)) (seriously) Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems ---- And: ---- From: Philip Pemberton <classiccmp at philpem.me.uk> > And me too, please! (Also serious!) Phil. ------------------------------------------------- I do indeed have several spare ones but most of them are untested, in pieces, and not necessarily complete; if/when I get one of those round tuits and check them out I'll keep you in mind. Meanwhile, three just sold on eBay, two with enclosures and one probably a relatively rare 40kB version, for $150 to $339, so they're out there.. m

14 years, 1 month

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Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about Military terminal)

by dm561＠torfree.net

Original Message: Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 23:12:47 +0200 From: Torfinn Ingolfsen <tingox at gmail.com> Hello, >Also, his reader has one slight "defect" in my humble opinion; no automated >feeder. > So, if one was going to build a reader, were would one find the essential > parts? > - the photo diode array > - the sprocket wheel with the correct dimensions for reading eight-channel > tape. ---------------- If you're serious about building a motorized one I've probably still got some odd parts from readers and perfs I've scrapped over the years, including sprocket wheels; the electronics shouldn't be hard to find. m

14 years, 1 month

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Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about Military terminal)

by dm561＠torfree.net

Original Message: Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 08:11:11 -0700 From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> On 23 May 2012 at 23:12, Torfinn Ingolfsen wrote: >> So, if one was going to build a reader, were would one find the >> essential parts? - the photo diode array - the sprocket wheel with the >> correct dimensions for reading eight-channel tape. >When I posted, the seller still had an active item on eBay, so if > he's gone, it's not been but for a couple of days. > Also, see the commentary here: http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/21/forget-usb-3-0-add-a-tape-reader-to-your-p… -------------- I've seen that unit a few times in the past; nice, but for $180 I'd sell one of my motorized ones... m

14 years, 1 month

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FS: RA-81 drive spindle and disk enclosure

by alanp＠snowmoose.com

On 5/23/12 11:08 PM, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote: > A bad design, apparently, with a bearing that is just too wimpy. > > Does anyone here have an RA81 that works? In somewhat regular use? I was given the impression that the two that I have were in more-or-less daily use (aside from maintenance and other normal outages) from when they were acquired new (I think '82) until the system was retired in the late 90s (I got it in '98). I spent the weekend moving drives (1 RA81, 1 RA81 chassis & 3 RA82s) around. What I was going to do next was power them up and try to run diagnostics. Any helpful hints on prepping drives that have been sitting for years for powering up would be appreciated. alan

14 years, 1 month

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FS: RA-81 drive spindle and disk enclosure

by alanp＠snowmoose.com

On 5/23/12 11:08 PM, Ian wrote: > Heh. The RA81 HDA was an often-failed component. I had a deal to buy two racks of RA81's several years ago from a surplus computer dealer - and when I went to go take a look at them, it was painfully obvious that every one of them was missing the HDA. Just the motor and the boards/PSU were in the boxes, the entire HDA was missing. Apparently they must have sold off the HDA's a long time ago. Wait! I could get money for a RA81 HDA? Hmmm. Maybe have to rethink my offer to give Dave my complete RA81. Just kidding, Dave. The drive is yours as soon as you figure out how to get it from here to there. alan BTW, in case people haven't figured out, I am subscribed to the digest version of the list, so I don't see messages as they are posted to the list and can't reply in real time.

14 years, 1 month

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FS: RA-81 drive spindle and disk enclosure

by jgessling＠yahoo.com

The RA81's were notoriously failure prone.? Rumors abounded for the reasons, things like the glue flaking off (from something) and coating the platters to (my favorite) that the fire control system in the Colorado plant somehow went nuts and pumped the contents of the pond into the basement of the factory and got everything contaminated.? This was especially delicious since the pond was prominently featured in their brochure as a decorative item and backup water supply.?? This would be around 1984 or so.? The Fugitsu Eagles were just appearing with great performance and reliability.? Since I was working for DEC's biggest customer at the time (BP) we got a special visit at our monthly meeting from a reliability specialist explaining whey the Eagles with their higher part count and less integration would have worse reliability.? This despite a graph presented by our Dallas manager showing the incredible failure rates of the RA81's.? They were replacing a few every week.? (they had dozens of them to hold all that seismic data).? Those Eagles made a lot of money for Systems Industries who were integrating them into VAX systems.? After a visit to their offices in Millpitas, California we bought a bunch of them for our San Francisco data center.? Good times, that.

14 years, 1 month

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HP 9855A on ithistory.org

by hp-fix＠xs4all.nl

http://www.ithistory.org/hardware/hardware-type.php?pageNum_hardware=126 <http://www.ithistory.org/hardware/hardware-type.php?pageNum_hardware=126&to talRows_hardware=3715> &totalRows_hardware=3715 The HP 9855A is a hoax made up by the HP Computer Museum, but there seem to be people who take them self very serious including the hoax. So they placed it in the ultimate 'IT database', completely build from copied items from the various collector sites. Fun, -Rik

14 years, 1 month

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VT220 focus

by BHuntsman＠mail2.cu-portland.edu

So I finally got my VT220 put back together! I have one I saved from the dumpster from a plant floor, but it was incredibly filthy. I disassembled it, cleaned it thoroughly, and put it back together (over a duration of 6+ months), and amazingly it still works! So, I had to hook it up to my MacBook Air, just for fun. Works like a charm, but characters on the left seem slightly fuzzier then others. Maybe that's just because I've been staring at the razor-sharp screens on my MacBook and iPhone too long, and the fact that this thing's 26 years old, but is there a way to sharpen them up a bit? Even if not, it's still darn funny to have a physical terminal on my MacBook! Thanks! -Ben

14 years, 1 month

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PDP-11/35 power supply woes

by lists＠loomcom.com

Ugh. It was a fairly disappointing day on the PDP-11/35 restoration front. I've updated my restoration journal ( http://www.loomcom.com/projects/pdp11-35/index.html ), but in summary, my H750 power supply is one big gross mess. Take a look at the condition it was in: http://www.loomcom.com/projects/pdp11-35/bc05t_rust.jpg http://www.loomcom.com/projects/pdp11-35/h750_out.jpg http://www.loomcom.com/projects/pdp11-35/h744_messy.jpg http://www.loomcom.com/projects/pdp11-35/h744_corrosion.jpg http://www.loomcom.com/projects/pdp11-35/xformer_mice.jpg http://www.loomcom.com/projects/pdp11-35/rusted_parts.jpg All that pink stuff is fiberglass insulation. Mice got into the power supply, and made it a nest and toilet. Everything is soiled, and lots of exposed metal is corroded. I'm feeling kind of low about this. I do believe this is restorable, but the amount of time it's going to take is bumming me out. I'll have to disassemble everything, right down to the last screw, and clean anything that's cleanable, strip rust off of anything strippable, and test all the parts individually. The fan will probably need to be replaced. Plus, it's just yucky, y'know? At least I've cleaned out the mouse nests. That's a start, I guess. -Seth

14 years, 1 month

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How to contribute to bitsavers?

by snhirsch＠gmail.com

I used the only address I'm aware of, but the mail and attachment bounced: ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors ----- <contrib at bitsavers.org> 553 5.3.0 <contrib at bitsavers.org>... You are blacklisted by the receiving mailserver. Is there a secret handshake required? Steve --

14 years, 1 month

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Commodore Pet 2001-8 w/flaky brightness adjustment

by jim_mccusker＠hotmail.com

I have a working Pet 2001-8 that has one annoying issue. When I power up the unit I typically don't see any characters displayed unless I apply a slight amount of pressure on the back of the brightness control in the back of the monitor. I suspected bad solder joints but couldn't see anything wrong. Turning the control brightens the screen but somehow this control is causing the character display to turn on/off. Any ideas what might be going on here? Thanks, --Jim

14 years, 1 month

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OT; International shipping into the US - preferably from NZ - questions

by jplist2008＠kiwigeek.com

Greetings; I've got a bunch of stuff - not even computers - in New Zealand (my original home) that I'd like to ship back to the US and every time I try and get it straightened out I get lost between local freighting and international customs brokers and all sorts of nonsense like that. I was hoping there might be someone out there who has done this and has a pretty good idea of what I should be expecting. Replies off-list, I would think. Thank you! - JP

14 years, 1 month

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BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to locate a replacement cap

by jplist2008＠kiwigeek.com

Greetings; I received a new (to me) MicroPDP11/23 that I was fiddling about with over the weekend. After testing out the supply voltages, and then putting the system together enough to get serial out of it, there was a pop, a whoosh and a rather exciting ejected plume of smoke from one of the upper fans. http://www.kiwigeek.com/misc/PDP1123_Cap1.jpg http://www.kiwigeek.com/misc/PDP1123_Cap2.jpg The capacitor is mounted on the sub-board in the PSU that the IEC receptacle is on. The markings on the back show this is a PME271M622, but I'm having trouble sourcing a replacement. Most of the places I usually look about are showing no stock or ridiculous minimum orders. On eBay (shudder) there's a similar model, but it's marked as an "X2", and I'm not sure if that's an acceptable replacement. Could someone who is more famaliar with these things give me a suggestion as to where I should be looking? (Full markings: 0,22uF at X 250V ~ MP fo=3,0MHz RIFA GPC 40/085/56 PME271M622) Thanks to all; - JP

14 years, 1 month

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HPIB cables

by donm＠cts.com

I have a couple of HPIB cables available at $15 the pair, shipped. They are: 1 HP10833A ~42" 1 HP92220R ~12" The 92220R has a right-angle connector at one end and the usual straight connector at the other. (I wonder if the 'R' indicates a right hand connector?) First come, first served. - don

14 years, 1 month

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AVL ROAD RUNNER...My father built it

by bucketnbrush＠gmail.com

My father built these things in the 70's in NJ..I this is for slide projectors and big presentation's..I think his e-mail is Merrittavs at comcast.net. Haha blast from the past for me I remember running through the huge building when they closed.. Take care Jay from Jersey

14 years, 1 month

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MicroVAX I (One) disk controller problem

by hoelscher-kirchbrak＠freenet.de

Some weeks ago my MicroVAX I disk controller died together with the disk. I guess they got used to each other so much that they passed away collectively ... I used a Webster SRQD11-B/02 MFM controller and an ST-251 formatted as an RD52 (the SRQD-11 allows to mimic almost arbitrary disk types). I have no replacement SRQD11, but an RDQX2 and an RQDX3. The RQDX2 works well with my RX50 floppy drive, but I have no compatible RD51/RD52 disk. The RQDX3 refuses to cooperate with the MicroVAX I (don't know who's fault it is). Trying to boot the MicroVAX I diagnostics or VMS Standalone Backup from RX50s fails / hangs. DEC said in Micronote #43: "There are no diagnostics that are available for the RQDX3 on a MicroVAX I that is the only reason that the RQDX3 is not supportted on a MicroVAX I." Maybe that is not true for a MicroVAX I with an older Microcode revision? My MicroVAX I has Microcode Rev. 5 / Hardware Rev. 1 Anyone out there still running a MicroVAX I for fun or remembering troubles of that kind? Any hints / help welcome! (Especially donations of RD51 or RD52 disks ;-)) I'd really like to have my MicroVAX I running (rather: slow pacing) again! Regards Ulli

14 years, 1 month

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VT220 focus

by cctech＠beyondthepale.ie

>Back in the old days when I still used an actual email client >application, IIRC, many had options for hard-wrapping outgoing text. >Gmail doesn't, AFAIK, but sticks 'em in on its own at somewhere under >80col, AFAICS. The convenience of Gmail is worth putting up with its >lack of customisability, but then, this is not something that I >personally particularly care about. If it were an option, I'd turn it >off, but AFAIK, it isn't, and I don't hugely care. > >But Richard was asking people to do it /by hand/ which indicates to me >that he is using some very badly broken reader, which is a problem for >him but not for anyone else and it is, I would say, unacceptable for >him to ask others to take special measures to accommodate his broken >software. Secondly, I feel that this is not something that people >should be doing in text files, unless it is needed for some special >purpose, such as ASCII art or the like. > Is the web interface for reading postings to this list a very badly broken reader? It seems to me to be something which copes very nicely with mails which are formated according to email standards, like the vast majority of mails sent to the list, including I think, all of those in this thread. It copes with the few format=flowed mails by presenting each paragraph all on one line, which makes them difficult to read unless you have a left and right scrolling wheel on your mouse and like using it a lot. Anyway, why wouldn't many people who enjoy discussing classic computers prefer to be able to read mails from the list using classic equipment and software without having it described as badly broken? Perhaps many of us come here because we don't want to be on the bleeding edge of constantly evolving standards? To get back to the subject in hand, does anyone have a spare flyback transformer for a VT220 so that I can get mine working again to check it's focus and read my mail? The one I want is pcb mounted (16-26299-01) but there is a another type connected to the pcb by flying leads (16-21181-01) and I suspect (hope) they are electrically the same so with any luck, either would do. Even format=flowed replies would be welcome and only slightly frowned on. Good luck to the original poster getting his focus problem sorted and I apologise for my part in hijacking his thread even if I did attempt to drag it back in the direction of the VT220 and components responsible for focus. Regards, Peter Coghlan.

14 years, 1 month

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kryoflux or discferret enclosures

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

Does anyone here have anything to show off or point to regarding enclosures for the two prominent viable disk imaging boards (kryoflux and discferret). -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

14 years, 1 month

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Shameless classic computer trafficking

by ittybittybytes＠gmail.com

Due to popular demand with a lister or two on this board, I've decided to put up some pdp 11's for sale on ebay in the next few months. No buy it now and a conservative starting price. If you are the winning bidder from this list, I'll throw in some more freebies. I also have a TS03 magtape and controller up for bid. If the winner is from this board, I'll throw in a Qverter for you qbus pdp. Bid early and often!! sorry for the spam :-) Cheers tom P.

14 years, 1 month

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VT220 focus

by a50mhzham＠gmail.com

At 08:03 PM 5/21/2012, you wrote: >On 22 May 2012 01:44, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote: > > On 05/21/2012 08:03 PM, Liam Proven wrote: > >>>>> [nit: please consider hitting RETURN every 75 chars or so] > >>>> > >>>> Please don't. Hard line-wrap has been a > PITA since the 1960s and still is. > >>> > >>> How, exactly, is it a PITA? > >> > >> Because hard-wrapped text won't reflow, so if you resize your email > >> window - or use a wider terminal if you're that way inclined - it > >> stays stuck in a narrow strip down the left hand edge of your screen. > >> > >> By the same token, use a narrower window, or simply increase the font > >> size, and it breaks into pieces, making it particularly unfair and > >> unfriendly for people with low vision or other eyesight problems. > > > > Yow! This is not the world-wide web. The formatting of text is up to > > the person doing the typing. There are accepted conventions for how > > this works, and they work for everyone (except apparently you). > > > > I am NOT trying to start an argument here, but it is my opinion that > > you're trying to treat email as something that it isn't. > >I'm not trying to treat email like anything. > >Hard line-wrapped text is broken and cannot be reflowed. Darn right. I've gotten so used to wasting half the width of my mail client that I'd actually only use the leftmost 48% of my display, if it wasn't for the fact that I have icons and macros with icons attached to them that take up more like 90% of the width. I dislike multiple rows of icons. For me, the first line of the paragraph above soft-breaks at the I in "fact that I". In other words, many email programs are broken w/r/t line breaks and I get lines with hard breaks from most people, wasting half my display. >This is a fact; it is not open to debate. It is the case, it always >has been the case. > >Doing that deliberately is just *rude*, and any email client that >can't line-wrap text is so very very broken that it is pathetic. That >would have been intolerable when I started out with email in 1985; I >cannot believe *any* modern MUA is that defective. > >-- >Liam Proven ? Profile: http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile >Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? GMail/G+/Twitter/Flickr/Facebook: lproven >MSN: lproven at hotmail.com ? Skype/AIM/Yahoo/LinkedIn: liamproven >Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 ? Cell: +44 7939-087884 573 . [Love] Love is like linen - often changed, the sweeter. --Phineas Fletcher (1584-1650) Sicelides III.v NEW: a50mhzham at gmail.com ? N9QQB (amateur radio) "HEY YOU" (loud shouting) ? Second Tops (Set Dancing) ? FIND ME ON FACEBOOK 43? 7' 17.2" N by 88? 6' 28.9" W ? Elevation 815' ? Grid Square EN53wc LAN/Telecom Analyst ? Open-source Dude ? Musician ? Registered Linux User 385531

14 years, 1 month

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cctalk Digest, Vol 105, Issue 47

by elson＠pico-systems.com

cctalk-request at classiccmp.org wrote: > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 09:31:04 +0200 > From: Pontus Pihlgren <pontus at Update.UU.SE> > To: cctech at classiccmp.org > Subject: Identify Lockheed core memory > Message-ID: <20120521073103.GA6751 at Update.UU.SE> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Hi. > > A friend of mine picked up a rather massive stack of core. Now we are > very curious to know what machine it comes out of. And of course any > other facts about it. > > Pictures here: > > http://www.abc80.net/zz/pdp8/DSC_0973.JPG > http://www.abc80.net/zz/pdp8/DSC_0974.JPG > http://www.abc80.net/zz/pdp8/DSC_0975.JPG > There are likely to be date codes on the red pulse transformers, that might be of some use. I don't think Lockheed made computers for general purpose use, so I might think this was for some aerospace application. The card edge connectors sort of go against that, however, they tended to use a minimum of connectors like that due to vibration. I have a Honeywell airborne computer that has no connectors except at the bulkhead, all boards are attached by flex cables to the motherboard. Jon

14 years, 1 month

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cctalk Digest, Vol 105, Issue 48

by drummy＠comcast.net

----- Original Message ----- From: <cctalk-request at classiccmp.org> To: <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 5:08 PM Subject: cctalk Digest, Vol 105, Issue 48 > Send cctalk mailing list submissions to > cctalk at classiccmp.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.classiccmp.org/mailman/listinfo/cctalk > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > cctalk-request at classiccmp.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > cctalk-owner at classiccmp.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of cctalk digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) (Adrian Stoness) > 2. Re: Free (for the price of shipping) RA-81 chassis (Alan Perry) > 3. Re: VT220 focus (Liam Proven) > 4. RE: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to > locate a replacement cap (Shoppa, Tim) > 5. RE: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to > locate a replacement cap (Chuck Guzis) > 6. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) (John Foust) > 7. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) (David Griffith) > 8. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (Dave McGuire) > 9. Re: VT220 focus (Dave McGuire) > 10. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (Adrian Stoness) > 11. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) (Ethan Dicks) > 12. Re: VT220 focus (David Riley) > 13. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (Dave Wade) > 14. Re: VT220 focus (Cameron Kaiser) > 15. Re: VT220 focus (Dave McGuire) > 16. kryoflux or discferret enclosures (David Griffith) > 17. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) (Chuck Guzis) > 18. Re: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to > locate a (Tony Duell) > 19. Re: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; (Tony Duell) > 20. Re: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to > locate a (Tony Duell) > 21. Re: Baudot? (Was: Question about Military terminal (Tony Duell) > 22. Re: Baudot? (Was: Question about Military terminal (Tony Duell) > 23. Re: VT220 focus (Tony Duell) > 24. Re: How to contribute to bitsavers? (Richard) > 25. Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) (Richard) > 26. Re: AVL ROAD RUNNER...My father built it (Richard) > 27. Re: CRT degaussing coil (was Re: PDP-11/35 power supply woes) > (John Honniball) > 28. Re: VT220 focus (ben) > 29. RE: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (dwight elvey) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 12:06:01 -0500 > From: Adrian Stoness <tdk.knight at gmail.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) > Message-ID: > <CAA3rs23pg2_n5=nxiRohgTWe-zKgWY-zsmR2gcUT3_ZhUY5wVA at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > what if one was to use a digital camera and just photograph them and then > have a batch processor of some sort? > > On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 11:28 AM, Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote: > >> On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 11:54 AM, Richard <legalize at xmission.com> wrote: >> > Is there something similar for punched cards as well? >> >> I started to write one years ago (beginning with scanning the punch >> cards with a colored background to make the holes stand out) and did >> get edge and orientation detection working, but the per-card handling >> time on the scanner lead me to drop work on the project. If you were >> scanning a short stack of cards, it wasn't so bad, but a 3 foot deck? >> You'd spend a lot of time just getting the cards in and out of the >> scanner. >> >> My code wasn't anything magical - it used Tom Boutell's GD library to >> imported a monochrome GIF of a scan of the *back* of the card (to >> eliminate "noise" from the printing on most cards) then did a fairly >> uninspired search for the outer boundaries, then did an estimation of >> where the holes ought to be (based on the discovered dimensions of the >> edges) and did a simple (3x3) kernel sum of the targeted coordinate >> and if it was mostly "white", it was a zero, mostly black, a one. You >> couldn't skew the cards 45 degrees and expect it to work, but it was >> resilient enough to work with a little skew. >> >> -ethan >> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 10:15:09 -0700 > From: Alan Perry <alanp at snowmoose.com> > To: cctech at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: Free (for the price of shipping) RA-81 chassis > Message-ID: <4FBA781D.4000800 at snowmoose.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Oops. Sorry. It is at 98110. Bainbridge Island, WA, across the water from > downtown Seattle. I am willing to deliver it on the other side of the > water. > > alan > > On 5/21/12 10:00 AM, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote: >> Not that I am likely to be able to house this, but it might help others to >> know the location of the item. >> >> Regards >> >> Rob >> >>> > -----Original Message----- >>> > From:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk- >>> > bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Alan Perry >>> > Sent: 20 May 2012 18:22 >>> > To:cctech at classiccmp.org >>> > Subject: Free (for the price of shipping) RA-81 chassis >>> > >>> > >>> > I have a RA-81 that I am getting rid of. It is complete except for the >>> > disks >>> > and the housing that they spin in. It has the motor, so it is still >>> > heavy. >>> > Probably a local pickup, but I will consider shipping. >>> > >>> > If there are no takers, maybe it will just appear on the Living Computer >>> > Museum's doorsteps. Wait, Ian and Rich subscribe to this list ... >>> > >>> > alan > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 18:14:36 +0100 > From: Liam Proven <lproven at gmail.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: VT220 focus > Message-ID: > <CAMTenCHLe5MQq9sTNUCi0M+v89hnu39WxCZiFFEVRbCZqy9TGg at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > On 21 May 2012 16:58, Richard <legalize at xmission.com> wrote: >> >> [nit: please consider hitting RETURN every 75 chars or so] > > Please don't. Hard line-wrap has been a PITA since the 1960s and still is. > > > -- > Liam Proven ? Profile: http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile > Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? GMail/G+/Twitter/Flickr/Facebook: lproven > MSN: lproven at hotmail.com ? Skype/AIM/Yahoo/LinkedIn: liamproven > Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 ? Cell: +44 7939-087884 > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 17:18:40 +0000 > From: "Shoppa, Tim" <tshoppa at wmata.com> > To: "cctalk at classiccmp.org" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: RE: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to > locate a replacement cap > Message-ID: > <303A17BD5F8FA34DA45EEC245271AC0B016ED6 at JGEX2K10MBX2.wmata.local> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > >> I am curious, now, as to why they used this glass-encased "metallised >> paper" capacitor instead of, say, an electrolytic. There are many >> electrolytics inside the PSU, so it clearly wasn't a lack of availability. >> Presumably there was a specific reason they chose this type of cap over >> another. I'd hate to be wrong and do worse damage. > > It's an X (across-the-line) capacitor, almost certainly being used as a > snubber. > > For across-the-line and snubber networks metalized film/paper or foil+paper > are still the cat's meow. They have well understood failure modes. Ceramics > are also rated as X safety capacitors in some circumstances. > >>From the X, it's probably rated at least at 250VAC and is non-polarized. > > This is not the job for an electrolytic or an unpolarized electrolytic. > > It is the job for a safety rated capacitor. > > Tim. > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 10:19:15 -0700 > From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: RE: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to > locate a replacement cap > Message-ID: <4FBA16A3.20801.8FDE42 at cclist.sydex.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > > On 21 May 2012 at 11:55, JP Hindin wrote: > >> I am curious, now, as to why they used this glass-encased "metallised >> paper" capacitor instead of, say, an electrolytic. There are many >> electrolytics inside the PSU, so it clearly wasn't a lack of >> availability. Presumably there was a specific reason they chose this >> type of cap over another. I'd hate to be wrong and do worse damage. > > Are you talking about the infamous Rifa caps? > > That's not glass--I think it might be polystyrene. At any rate, > they're "safety" capacitors in that their failure mode is limited to > a set of known conditions, none of which can lead to electrical shock > hazard. Generally, these are X- and Y- rated capacitors, with > several numbered subcategories. > > X-capacitors are designed for "across the line" applications, i.e., > from one side of the line supply to the other. Y-capacitors are > designed for "line to ground" applications. > > Here's a brief FAQ on that subject: > > http://www.okaya.com/FAQ1.html > > Rifa caps are still with us, though there are X- and Y- rated > polypropylene and polyester caps as well. > > Do not use an electrolytic, non-polar or otherwise. They're not > designed for the application. > > --Chuck > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 13:04:55 -0500 > From: John Foust <jfoust at threedee.com> > To: <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) > Message-ID: <201205211805.q4LI594D004524 at billy.ezwind.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > At 11:28 AM 5/21/2012, Ethan Dicks wrote: >>If you were >>scanning a short stack of cards, it wasn't so bad, but a 3 foot deck? >>You'd spend a lot of time just getting the cards in and out of the >>scanner. > > Well, there are many scanners that can auto-feed a half-inch-tall pile. > > As for paper tape, what about the super-duper overkill of recognizing > a video stream from a web cam? All you'd need is a jig to slowly > pull the tape past the fixed camera. > > - John > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 7 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 11:14:06 -0700 (PDT) > From: David Griffith <dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) > Message-ID: > <alpine.DEB.2.00.1205211113350.31082 at sleipnir.cs.csubak.edu> > Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed > > On Mon, 21 May 2012, John Foust wrote: > >> At 11:28 AM 5/21/2012, Ethan Dicks wrote: >>> If you were >>> scanning a short stack of cards, it wasn't so bad, but a 3 foot deck? >>> You'd spend a lot of time just getting the cards in and out of the >>> scanner. >> >> Well, there are many scanners that can auto-feed a half-inch-tall pile. >> >> As for paper tape, what about the super-duper overkill of recognizing >> a video stream from a web cam? All you'd need is a jig to slowly >> pull the tape past the fixed camera. > > Why not simply build a paper tape reader? It's not that hard to do. > > -- > David Griffith > dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu > > A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. > Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? > A: Top-posting. > Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail? > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 8 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:21:06 -0400 > From: Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? > Message-ID: <4FBA8792.4070205 at neurotica.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > On 05/21/2012 02:04 PM, John Foust wrote: >>> If you were >>> scanning a short stack of cards, it wasn't so bad, but a 3 foot deck? >>> You'd spend a lot of time just getting the cards in and out of the >>> scanner. >> >> Well, there are many scanners that can auto-feed a half-inch-tall pile. >> >> As for paper tape, what about the super-duper overkill of recognizing >> a video stream from a web cam? All you'd need is a jig to slowly >> pull the tape past the fixed camera. > > This is all interesting, but seems like a solution in search of a > problem. Is it really the case that nobody can find a good optical > (i.e., low tape wear) tape reader? Or card reader? > > -Dave > > -- > Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > New Kensington, PA > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 9 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:26:35 -0400 > From: Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: VT220 focus > Message-ID: <4FBA88DB.6010307 at neurotica.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > On 05/21/2012 01:14 PM, Liam Proven wrote: >>> [nit: please consider hitting RETURN every 75 chars or so] >> >> Please don't. Hard line-wrap has been a PITA since the 1960s and still is. > > How, exactly, is it a PITA? > > -Dave > > -- > Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > New Kensington, PA > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 10 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 13:27:58 -0500 > From: Adrian Stoness <tdk.knight at gmail.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? > Message-ID: > <CAA3rs22=oN421qKmE=KKrbhS2PkRnVS1X=TMGoWwHnGUVqsQFQ at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > get a tripod and a camera and take photos then right some program that > process's through them all and blam u got a way to archive ur tapes > > On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 1:21 PM, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote: > >> On 05/21/2012 02:04 PM, John Foust wrote: >> >> If you were >> >> scanning a short stack of cards, it wasn't so bad, but a 3 foot deck? >> >> You'd spend a lot of time just getting the cards in and out of the >> >> scanner. >> > >> > Well, there are many scanners that can auto-feed a half-inch-tall pile. >> > >> > As for paper tape, what about the super-duper overkill of recognizing >> > a video stream from a web cam? All you'd need is a jig to slowly >> > pull the tape past the fixed camera. >> >> This is all interesting, but seems like a solution in search of a >> problem. Is it really the case that nobody can find a good optical >> (i.e., low tape wear) tape reader? Or card reader? >> >> -Dave >> >> -- >> Dave McGuire, AK4HZ >> New Kensington, PA >> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 11 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:44:00 -0400 > From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) > Message-ID: > <CAALmimnFt=k6F=GWr6qkXw7d0gx+Xufo2LuuZCHKCNRQ01HWhA at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 2:04 PM, John Foust <jfoust at threedee.com> wrote: >> At 11:28 AM 5/21/2012, Ethan Dicks wrote: >>>If you were >>>scanning a short stack of cards, it wasn't so bad, but a 3 foot deck? >>>You'd spend a lot of time just getting the cards in and out of the >>>scanner. >> >> Well, there are many scanners that can auto-feed a half-inch-tall pile. > > I was using an auto-feed scanner... Brother brand. To get the > contrasty background (to get the holes to show up), I loaded the punch > card into the provided envelope for scanning receipts and small items. > Without modifying my scanner, I could not get the background to be > anything but white for a naked punch card. I did not wish to hack on > the hardware, and with all the fiddling around, it took too long per > card to get scans. > > Yes, it's possible to hack up some hardware that gets used just for > scanning cards. No, I didn't care to do that. > >> As for paper tape, what about the super-duper overkill of recognizing >> a video stream from a web cam? ?All you'd need is a jig to slowly >> pull the tape past the fixed camera. > > If I wanted to read a bunch of paper tape, I'd probably build my own > scanner from 9 photodiodes from the article in Byte magazine. > > http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/byte/manual_ptp.pdf > > > -ethan > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 12 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:55:20 -0400 > From: David Riley <fraveydank at gmail.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: VT220 focus > Message-ID: <EB90FE6E-B369-49AD-AE96-5D6594FEBD0F at gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > On May 21, 2012, at 2:26 PM, Dave McGuire wrote: > >> On 05/21/2012 01:14 PM, Liam Proven wrote: >>>> [nit: please consider hitting RETURN every 75 chars or so] >>> >>> Please don't. Hard line-wrap has been a PITA since the 1960s and still is. >> >> How, exactly, is it a PITA? > > Presumably, it's a pocket-like flatbread made with whole wheat flour. > Capitalized. > > > - Dave > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 13 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 19:55:35 +0100 > From: Dave Wade <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? > Message-ID: <4FBA8FA7.6070906 at gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > On 21/05/2012 19:21, Dave McGuire wrote: >> On 05/21/2012 02:04 PM, John Foust wrote: >>>> If you were >>>> scanning a short stack of cards, it wasn't so bad, but a 3 foot deck? >>>> You'd spend a lot of time just getting the cards in and out of the >>>> scanner. >>> Well, there are many scanners that can auto-feed a half-inch-tall pile. >>> >>> As for paper tape, what about the super-duper overkill of recognizing >>> a video stream from a web cam? All you'd need is a jig to slowly >>> pull the tape past the fixed camera. >> This is all interesting, but seems like a solution in search of a >> problem. Is it really the case that nobody can find a good optical >> (i.e., low tape wear) tape reader? Or card reader? >> >> -Dave >> > I am in the UK but I have two optical tape readers, and will happily > read tape in reasonable quantities from any one in the UK. I can also > copy if required. > But the question was scanned images which might be available after the > tape has degraded and can't be read. > > Dave > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 14 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 11:59:54 -0700 (PDT) > From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com> > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: VT220 focus > Message-ID: <201205211859.q4LIxsbh12189732 at floodgap.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > >> > > > [nit: please consider hitting RETURN every 75 chars or so] >> > > >> > > Please don't. Hard line-wrap has been a PITA since the 1960s and still >> > > is. >> > >> > How, exactly, is it a PITA? >> >> Presumably, it's a pocket-like flatbread made with whole wheat flour. >> Capitalized. > > I love those. I put them in rows of 75 columns each so that I have plenty > and they are easy to rearrange. Then I have them with hummus. > > -- > ------------------------------------ personal: > http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- > Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com > -- Laughter is the closest distance between two people. -- Victor > Borge ------- > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 15 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 15:10:25 -0400 > From: Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: VT220 focus > Message-ID: <4FBA9321.8050708 at neurotica.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > On 05/21/2012 02:55 PM, David Riley wrote: >>>>> [nit: please consider hitting RETURN every 75 chars or so] >>>> >>>> Please don't. Hard line-wrap has been a PITA since the 1960s and still is. >>> >>> How, exactly, is it a PITA? >> >> Presumably, it's a pocket-like flatbread made with whole wheat flour. >> Capitalized. > > Always capitalize on the pita. > > -Dave > > -- > Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > New Kensington, PA > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 16 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 12:38:22 -0700 (PDT) > From: David Griffith <dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu> > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: kryoflux or discferret enclosures > Message-ID: > <alpine.DEB.2.00.1205211235100.13002 at sleipnir.cs.csubak.edu> > Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; format=flowed; charset=US-ASCII > > > Does anyone here have anything to show off or point to regarding > enclosures for the two prominent viable disk imaging boards (kryoflux and > discferret). > > -- > David Griffith > dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu > > A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. > Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? > A: Top-posting. > Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail? > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 17 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 12:41:12 -0700 > From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) > Message-ID: <4FBA37E8.19297.111D0BD at cclist.sydex.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > > On 21 May 2012 at 11:14, David Griffith wrote: > >> Why not simply build a paper tape reader? It's not that hard to do. > > My gosh yes. If people can build piano-roll readers, a paper tape > reader would be child's play. > > --Chuck > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 18 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 20:51:16 +0100 (BST) > From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to > locate a > Message-ID: <m1SWYdW-000J4dC at p850ug1> > Content-Type: text/plain > >> >> >> Greetings; >> >> I received a new (to me) MicroPDP11/23 that I was fiddling about with over >> the weekend. After testing out the supply voltages, and then putting the >> system together enough to get serial out of it, there was a pop, a whoosh >> and a rather exciting ejected plume of smoke from one of the upper fans. >> >> http://www.kiwigeek.com/misc/PDP1123_Cap1.jpg >> http://www.kiwigeek.com/misc/PDP1123_Cap2.jpg > > Yes, they do this from time to time. It's aprt of the mains filter > sircuit, and they often fail for no really good reason. > >> >> The capacitor is mounted on the sub-board in the PSU that the IEC >> receptacle is on. >> >> The markings on the back show this is a PME271M622, but I'm having trouble >> sourcing a replacement. Most of the places I usually look about are >> showing no stock or ridiculous minimum orders. On eBay (shudder) there's a >> similar model, but it's marked as an "X2", and I'm not sure if that's an >> acceptable replacement. > > Should be fine. From the fact that it;s 0.22uF (220nF), it's going to be > across the mains, not from either side of the maisn to protective ground. > In which case there are no special safety requirements 9Like it must not > be ablto fial short-circuit). OF ocurse the capacitor ahs to be able to > stant 250V AC continously. > > An XT one would be fine. > > -tony > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 19 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 20:54:54 +0100 (BST) > From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; > Message-ID: <m1SWYh2-000J4eC at p850ug1> > Content-Type: text/plain > >> These seem to blow/burst often. I believe the cap is there only to limit RFI >> emissions, so you can leave it out safely. The power supply should run fine > > Correct, althought it's good practice to replace it. > >> without it. If you do need to replace it, I wouldn't replace it with the >> exact same type, but with a later cap less prone to blow. Any 250V 220nF cap > > Hmmm. I am not convinced that modern capacitors are always more reliable > than older ones ;-) > >> should do just fine. > > Be very careful here. It has to withstand full mains voltage, which could > be up to 250V _RMS_. In other words about 350V peak. I would not use a > cpaacitor rated at less than 630V DC, actually. > > But it's easy to find capacitors rated for use in mains filters, and > that's what I would fit. > > -tony > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 20 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 20:59:10 +0100 (BST) > From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to > locate a > Message-ID: <m1SWYlA-000J4fC at p850ug1> > Content-Type: text/plain > >> I am curious, now, as to why they used this glass-encased "metallised >> paper" capacitor instead of, say, an electrolytic. There are many > > It has the AC mains across it (it's almost certianly conencted between > live and neutral of the mains input, possibly after filter inductors). So > it cou;dn't be an electrolytic, which are polarised and designed to have > DC across them. > > As to why use a mrallised paper capacitro, I suspect it was the cheapest > type that could stnad the voltage and be reliable (OK, it's failed now, > buit it;'s been around fro proably 30 years or so). There would be no > particualr tolerance requiremnts here. > > Wht you need to get is a capacitor of the same value that is rated to > withstand the full mains AC votlage. Most good components suppliers list > capcitors for mains filter applications. Since they're designed for what > you want to use them for, theres no good reason not to use one. > > -tony > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 21 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 20:33:19 +0100 (BST) > From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: Baudot? (Was: Question about Military terminal > Message-ID: <m1SWYM9-000J4WC at p850ug1> > Content-Type: text/plain > >> >> >>> It's about as hopeless as telling someone that a 2400 bps 201B >> >>> modem does not run at 2400 "baud". >> >> Actually, it _does_ - on the host serial port. (Unless I'm _still_ >> >> confused about exactly what a baud is....) >> > Does one count start and stop bits? In that case, 2400 bps would be >> > 3000 Baud on the host serial port. >> >> Hm? I always thought serial-port "baud" rates measured raw bits per >> second. Since I pretty much invariably use one start, 8 data, and one > > They measure possible signal line changes per second, as you'd expect. > And yes, start and stop bits are counted. > > In other words, a serial port baud rate of 2400 means that each bit time > is 1/2400 s. A start bit takes that long, so does each data bit, so does > the stop bit(s). > >> stop bits, that means, eg, 2400 baud <-> 240 characters per second. (I > > Yes. > >> also thought baud rates measured the raw symbol rate, drawing no >> distinction between data and framing symbols....) > > AFAI Kthat is also correct. Hence the use of 'baud rate' is correct of a > normal serial port, it measures the time taken for each bit (be it a fata > bit or a framing control bit) to be sent. > > -tony > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 22 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 20:36:14 +0100 (BST) > From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: Baudot? (Was: Question about Military terminal > Message-ID: <m1SWYOx-000J4YC at p850ug1> > Content-Type: text/plain > >> > Actually, it _does_ - on the host serial port. (Unless I'm _still_ >> > confused about exactly what a baud is....) >> >> Well, then you get into the mess of what interface the modem has with >> the host. If it's an 8-bit parallel interface, the argument could >> be made that the baud rate was 300. > > Hmm.. Give ntaht there are now 8 signallying lines, with a possible 300 > transitions per second on each, the total number of signal line > transitions per second remains at 2400. I think that could be classed as > 2400 baud still. > > -tony > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 23 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 20:44:19 +0100 (BST) > From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: VT220 focus > Message-ID: <m1SWYWm-000J4cC at p850ug1> > Content-Type: text/plain > >> >> So I finally got my VT220 put back together! I have one I saved from the >> dumpster from a plant floor, >> but it was incredibly filthy. I disassembled it, cleaned it thoroughly, and >> put it back together (over a >> duration of 6+ months), and amazingly it still works! So, I had to hook it >> up to my MacBook Air, just >> for fun. Works like a charm, but characters on the left seem slightly >> fuzzier then others. Maybe that's >> just because I've been staring at the razor-sharp screens on my MacBook and >> iPhone too long, and >> the fact that this thing's 26 years old, but is there a way to sharpen them >> up a bit? >> Even if not, it's still darn funny to have a physical terminal on my MacBook! > > I thought htere wsa focus preset on the video.monitor PCB, the presets > are all labelled on the paper overleay. > > However, AFAIK this affexcts the focus over the enitre screen. There is > no way to focus one wide rather than the other. Now, the focus anode > voltage is derriced from the flyback transforer, as are most of hte other > CRT votlages (some of which could also affect the focus). So if the focus > is much better at one side htan the otehr, it suggests one of those > votlages has horizontal-freqeuncy ripple on it. Which to me suggests a > defecive capacitor in one of the rectifier cirucits hung off the flyback. > > -tony > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 24 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:34:58 -0600 > From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com> > To: cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: How to contribute to bitsavers? > Message-ID: <E1SWZJi-0001WU-OJ at shell.xmission.com> > > > In article <alpine.DEB.2.02.1205211035530.19688 at linuxserv.home>, > Christian Corti <cc at informatik.uni-stuttgart.de> writes: > >> But right now I just put everything on our local FTP >> server. > > ....and then you can email the FTP url to Al and he can transfer to > bitsavers if he wishes. > > That's how I do it and it works just fine. > -- > "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" free book <http://tinyurl.com/d3d-pipeline> > The Computer Graphics Museum <http://computergraphicsmuseum.org> > The Terminals Wiki <http://terminals.classiccmp.org> > Legalize Adulthood! (my blog) <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 25 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:36:09 -0600 > From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com> > To: cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? (was: Question about > Military terminal) > Message-ID: <E1SWZKr-0001dp-6i at shell.xmission.com> > > > In article <4FBA37E8.19297.111D0BD at cclist.sydex.com>, > "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> writes: > >> On 21 May 2012 at 11:14, David Griffith wrote: >> >> > Why not simply build a paper tape reader? It's not that hard to do. >> >> My gosh yes. If people can build piano-roll readers, a paper tape >> reader would be child's play. > > The number of people with software/mashup skills is much, much larger > than the number of people with hardware skills. > > You may decry such a situation, but nonetheless it is the situation. > -- > "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" free book <http://tinyurl.com/d3d-pipeline> > The Computer Graphics Museum <http://computergraphicsmuseum.org> > The Terminals Wiki <http://terminals.classiccmp.org> > Legalize Adulthood! (my blog) <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 26 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:36:34 -0600 > From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com> > To: cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: AVL ROAD RUNNER...My father built it > Message-ID: <E1SWZLG-0001eP-Cu at shell.xmission.com> > > > In article > <CAA3rs20ypc3mWNGn_JmjCpEtXVjPFQQdb9mkXrkRwmMgHs6zYQ at mail.gmail.com>, > Adrian Stoness <tdk.knight at gmail.com> writes: > >> ? > > ! > -- > "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" free book <http://tinyurl.com/d3d-pipeline> > The Computer Graphics Museum <http://computergraphicsmuseum.org> > The Terminals Wiki <http://terminals.classiccmp.org> > Legalize Adulthood! (my blog) <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 27 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 21:49:57 +0100 > From: John Honniball <coredump at gifford.co.uk> > To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts Only <cctech at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: CRT degaussing coil (was Re: PDP-11/35 power supply woes) > Message-ID: <4FBAAA75.4010809 at gifford.co.uk> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed > > Tony Duell wrote: >> Yes, some monitors degauss with quite a lound 'clang' (I assume it's the >> shaddowmask. flexing. I've never heard a TV that does that. > > I think it's the thin steel internal screening can of a computer > monitor that makes the "clang". And the screening is something > that I don't think I've ever seen in a TV. Although, my Sony > widescreen CRT TV (FreeCycle) makes a slight twang sometimes > on power-up. > > Tony, do you remember that Tomorrow's World programme when > Raymond Baxter showed us how to distort a TV picture with > a magnet? And the warnings on the next week's episode > where they said "don't try this on a colour TV!". I think > they said that the producer had tried it on a colour set, > and it was OK, so they broadcast it -- without realising > that he'd been lucky, and a stronger magnet would do > bad things. > > -- > John Honniball > coredump at gifford.co.uk > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 28 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 15:04:33 -0600 > From: ben <bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca> > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: VT220 focus > Message-ID: <4FBAADE1.3010504 at jetnet.ab.ca> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed > > On 5/21/2012 12:26 PM, Dave McGuire wrote: >> On 05/21/2012 01:14 PM, Liam Proven wrote: >>>> [nit: please consider hitting RETURN every 75 chars or so] >>> >>> Please don't. Hard line-wrap has been a PITA since the 1960s and still is. >> >> How, exactly, is it a PITA? > > TTY's are 72 chars wide. -:) > >> -Dave >> > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 29 > Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:08:18 -0700 > From: dwight elvey <dkelvey at hotmail.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: RE: Software for OCR'ing paper tape? > Message-ID: <SNT129-W2541E8D64060126342A5ACA31D0 at phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > >> From: dave.g4ugm at gmail.com >> >> On 21/05/2012 19:21, Dave McGuire wrote: >> > >> I am in the UK but I have two optical tape readers, and will happily >> read tape in reasonable quantities from any one in the UK. I can also >> copy if required. >> But the question was scanned images which might be available after the >> tape has degraded and can't be read. >> >> Dave > Hi I have a high speed reader to but I've had troubleswith rubber bands. They > leave gunk on the tapes andlayers stick together. On a high speed reader, > itrips the tape before one has a chance to stop it. Mine is a parallel one and > I just connected it to theprinter port ( guess that dates my laptop ). A > simpleprogram reads the data and puts it into files. On making a reader, the > ideas of using a pile ofphotodiodes to read a punch card doesn't makemuch > sense. It might be better to have a LED lightat each hole position of a column > and a single photodiode.One could then just sequntially drive the lightsand > detect it with just one photodiode.One might need to aim each light at the > diode.As with Dave, if someone has fan fold paper tape toarchive, I could do > an reasonable amount. I'min San Jose, Ca, USA.I'm not setup to handle spooled > tape safely.Dwight > > End of cctalk Digest, Vol 105, Issue 48 > *************************************** >

14 years, 1 month

1
0
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Commodore Pet 2001-8 w/flaky brightness adjustment

by wheagy＠gmail.com

I have a 2001 that was doing the same thing and blasted it a few times with contact cleaner and it works fine now. Win Subject: RE: Commodore Pet 2001-8 w/flaky brightness adjustment Message-ID: <COL106-W26E407007EFFA5DAFE444E91D0 at phx.gbl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > On May 21, 2012, at 5:20 PM, Jim McCusker wrote: > >> >> I have a working Pet 2001-8 that has one annoying issue. When I power up the unit I typically don't see any characters displayed unless I apply a slight amount of pressure on the back of the brightness control in the back of the monitor. I suspected bad solder joints but couldn't see anything wrong. Turning the control brightens the screen but somehow this control is causing the character display to turn on/off. Any ideas what might be going on here? > > Could easily be dirty contacts on the wipe for the pot. Try isopropyl > alcohol, or any number of commercially-available contact cleaners for > stereos, etc. > > Or, given your description, the slight flex you're applying might be > wiggling other bad solder joints elsewhere on the board to the point > where they connect. I've had that happen (it was a nasty bugger to > find, too). Thanks Dave, I'll give the isopropyl idea a try, followed by closer inspection of the circuit board while the back is off. I have the circuit schematics but not enough experience with monitors to feel confident touching very much inside while the circuit is energized. I'll take some photo's if it's still not working and see if anyone familiar with the circuit sees anything. Once I get this working I'll be working on a few bad chicklet keys and then I'll have a complete working system. --Jim

14 years, 1 month

1
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Question about Military terminal

by jws＠jwsss.com

My uncle served in the Navy in the Philippine Islands in a Signal Corps unit doing communications of some sort. One of the interesting souvenirs he made and brought back was a 5 level punched tape, which his oldest daughter had in her collection. I heard about it and had her copy a bit of it and send the image. After I figured out the code, I had her send scans of the entire tape 14" at a time, and have deciphered the entire thing. I wonder what I could get from the assembled group here to help try to figure out what terminal might have been used? Unfortunately I don't have any data showing what he did, other than some bits of stories. Most of his photos are interesting, but don't give a hint as to what he was doing. I have some ideas, but thought I'd ask here before guessing. I'm hoping to make a guess as to a terminal and then find a photograph for the scrapbook with the deciphered tape. I also found some naval dispatches online which I suspect he might have had to do with (form, not specific dispatches) if he was handling a tty of some sort for transmission. Anyway if you have info you want to share, feel free to send off the list, or on if it won't go to far afield. BTW, for those who want to read a lot of interesting info, here is the site with the dispatches, and a lot of other fun reading about WW2 affairs. http://www.uboatarchive.net/index.html I know the main topic is about german subs, but there are some nice dispatches which I suspect are similar in form to what they would have used with mechanical transmission equipment. I'd also take any descriptions about procedures, and other equipment if it is on this topic. I have a group of WW2 aviators I'm going to send this to for response as well, but this group will probably know about the coding and technical info. thanks Jim

14 years, 1 month

15
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BA23 PDP11/23 Power Supply that couldn't; Trying to locate a replacement cap

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

> I am curious, now, as to why they used this glass-encased "metallised > paper" capacitor instead of, say, an electrolytic. There are many > electrolytics inside the PSU, so it clearly wasn't a lack of availability. > Presumably there was a specific reason they chose this type of cap over > another. I'd hate to be wrong and do worse damage. It's an X (across-the-line) capacitor, almost certainly being used as a snubber. For across-the-line and snubber networks metalized film/paper or foil+paper are still the cat's meow. They have well understood failure modes. Ceramics are also rated as X safety capacitors in some circumstances. >From the X, it's probably rated at least at 250VAC and is non-polarized. This is not the job for an electrolytic or an unpolarized electrolytic. It is the job for a safety rated capacitor. Tim.

14 years, 1 month

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Free (for the price of shipping) RA-81 chassis

by alanp＠snowmoose.com

Oops. Sorry. It is at 98110. Bainbridge Island, WA, across the water from downtown Seattle. I am willing to deliver it on the other side of the water. alan On 5/21/12 10:00 AM, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote: > Not that I am likely to be able to house this, but it might help others to > know the location of the item. > > Regards > > Rob > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk- >> > bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Alan Perry >> > Sent: 20 May 2012 18:22 >> > To:cctech at classiccmp.org >> > Subject: Free (for the price of shipping) RA-81 chassis >> > >> > >> > I have a RA-81 that I am getting rid of. It is complete except for the disks >> > and the housing that they spin in. It has the motor, so it is still heavy. >> > Probably a local pickup, but I will consider shipping. >> > >> > If there are no takers, maybe it will just appear on the Living Computer >> > Museum's doorsteps. Wait, Ian and Rich subscribe to this list ... >> > >> > alan

14 years, 1 month

1
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DecTalk Express debugging?

by cctech＠beyondthepale.ie

> >Currently, I get nothing out of it whatsoever. I discovered that one of >the surface-mounted fuses had blown so I've replaced that and I'm still >getting nothing, though I am now at least getting a low voltage (about >.5V) at components on the board when it's powered on. > >This unit has a rechargable ni-cad battery in it (that I'm pretty sure >no longer holds a charge) and I'm curious whether a functioning battery >is required for normal operation. > Less likely with a battery but indiviual ni-cad cells can die short circuit due to some sort of conductive whiskers growing internally between the poles. Perhaps the battery is shorted and this is dragging down the power supply resulting in the fuse blowing? If that is not the problem, look for something that is getting hotter than it should due to drawing too much current from the power supply. Regards, Peter Coghlan.

14 years, 1 month

1
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Identify Lockheed core memory

by pontus＠Update.UU.SE

Hi. A friend of mine picked up a rather massive stack of core. Now we are very curious to know what machine it comes out of. And of course any other facts about it. Pictures here: http://www.abc80.net/zz/pdp8/DSC_0973.JPG http://www.abc80.net/zz/pdp8/DSC_0974.JPG http://www.abc80.net/zz/pdp8/DSC_0975.JPG (Notice that the "pdp8" in the URL has nothing to do with this core stack) Thanks, Pontus.

14 years, 1 month

1
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Free (for the price of shipping) RA-81 chassis

by alanp＠snowmoose.com

I have a RA-81 that I am getting rid of. It is complete except for the disks and the housing that they spin in. It has the motor, so it is still heavy. Probably a local pickup, but I will consider shipping. If there are no takers, maybe it will just appear on the Living Computer Museum's doorsteps. Wait, Ian and Rich subscribe to this list ... alan

14 years, 1 month

4
3
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Commodore PET 2001 Video Problem

by wheagy＠gmail.com

Success! I thought I had done the whole reseating of the chips in the socket thing, but messing more with the VRAMs as per your suggestion, seems to have soveld the problem. I tried swapping them and that just made things worse, so I swapped them back and it worked great. Looks like some oxidation in the sockets/pics. So I removed the PETvet and replaced the 6502 and for now, it is running well. Now to test the rest of the machine. Thanks for the help. http://imgur.com/qclhF Win Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 21:35:17 -0400 From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Commodore PET 2001 Video Problem Message-ID: <CAALmim=SKRsX+YVADoEVrn3BNQ_VJd2MSuT==jK6GAbotaJfqg at mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 On Sat, May 19, 2012 at 9:23 PM, Win Heagy <wheagy at gmail.com> wrote: > I've made a bit of progress on this since the last post and wanted to get > some additional help if possible. ?I picked up a PETvet board from > bitfixer.org and installed it. ?The 2001 boots now (usually) and I get a > screen like this.... > http://imgur.com/fQxH3 You are quite close now. > The machine works like this, but obviously the vertical lines are a bit > annoying. ?The PETvet replaces the RAM and ROM, but does anyone know if > that includes replacing the video ROM? ?Any next steps are appreciated. Your video (character generator) ROM is likely just fine. It's more probable that you have a either a bad video SRAM or perhaps a stuck bit on the shift register that takes the byte from the ROM. What does the screen look like if you remove the ROM? Do you still see the lines? What if you swap the RAM chips. Does the vertical line move? Since you pulled your RAM for the PETvet, you should have spares to try in the video RAM spot. I've seen up to 25% bad SRAMs in old PETs, so it's a place to focus your efforts. If you can borrow or have a spare character generator ROM, it's worth swapping that out, too. I think you've got it narrowed down to one of 4 chips... ROM, RAM, or shift register. The most likely candidate is RAM, in my experience. -ethan

14 years, 1 month

2
1
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cctalk Digest, Vol 105, Issue 45

by elson＠pico-systems.com

From: jim s <jws at jwsss.com> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Question about Military terminal Message-ID: <4FB8ACE0.8070401 at jwsss.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed My uncle served in the Navy in the Philippine Islands in a Signal Corps unit doing communications of some sort. One of the interesting souvenirs he made and brought back was a 5 level punched tape, which his oldest daughter had in her collection. This would be Baudot code, used on a bunch of Teletype and Kleinschmidt units from the 1940's through the 1970's, at least. The code is well-known and documented. The Teletype models were such things as the Model 15 and 19, which looked like something like Smith Corona typewriters. There were a variety of sub-models in these families, such as manual-only units (keyboard and typewriter) and ASR (with tape reader and punch). There were also standalone tape readers and punches, and chadless punches, which left a loose flap of the tape where a hole was needed. This same code was still alive in 1991, I found the French-speaking islands like Martinique, Barbados, Guadaloupe, etc. They used a computer to pack the Baudot into blocks and sent it via radio in a synchronous format, but the basic code was still Baudot. Teletypes and Kleinshcmidt machines were used fairly widely during WW-II and even more widely in later wars for transmitting printed orders to the field. Later they were used for transmitting everything like supplies orders and all sorts of routine messages. There were ciphering units for secure messages. If you look at pictures >from the Minuteman silos, you will see a Kleinschmidt printer connected to an AN/UYK-7 computer used to partially decrypt launch orders to the missile crews. Those partially decrypted messages would instruct the crews to each open specified envelopes, and codes in those envelopes could be combined with codes decrypted from data stored in the AN/UYK-7 to create a launch code for the missile. As far as I know, radio hams still use teletypes or software simulations of them to communicate. Packet radio has replaced much of that, however. Jon

14 years, 1 month

1
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Commodore PET 2001 Video Problem

by dm561＠torfree.net

Original Message: Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 21:23:38 -0400 From: Win Heagy <wheagy at gmail.com> > I've made a bit of progress on this since the last post and wanted to get > some additional help if possible. I picked up a PETvet board from > bitfixer.org and installed it. The 2001 boots now (usually) and I get a > screen like this.... http://imgur.com/fQxH3 > The machine works like this, but obviously the vertical lines are a bit > annoying. The PETvet replaces the RAM and ROM, but does anyone know if > that includes replacing the video ROM? Any next steps are appreciated. > Thanks, > Win ------------------ No, the PETvet does not replace the chracter generator or the video RAM. This one's easy: Your problem is a bad CG or shift register; you don't say which model this is, so, assuming one of the models using a 6540 ROM: - Check that pin 24 of the IC at A2 is not broken or bent. - If it's OK then either carefully bend out pin 24 or, preferably, remove or bend out pin 24 of an IC socket and sandwich it between the chip and its socket. - The screen will probably look the same. - Using a pin and a jumper, ground pin 24 of the socket (not the bent out IC pin); if the screen stays the same it's the SR, if the lines disappear it's the ROM. - If it's an old model using 2316s then it's pin 11 instead of 24. - If it's a dynamic RAM model using a 2316 then it's pin 11 of IC F10. If you need a replacement for the ROM, ask on the Vintage Computer Forum; someone will be able to fix you up. mike

14 years, 1 month

1
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Platinum Apple //e broken keys

by list_cctalk＠greencroft.co.uk

Recently resurrected my //e from storage (used an ATX PSU as the Apple one let the magic smoke out), and it's got broken keys 0 and . (and missing keycaps) on the numeric keypad. Anyone know a good place to get some replacements in the UK? thanks greg

14 years, 1 month

1
0
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Wang Disk Packs - including TM-VS-C

by lbickley＠bickleywest.com

I was doing my usual rummaging around Weirdstuff (WS), when a car drove up and dropped off six (6) Wang 80 MB Disk Cartridges. The P/N on the Cartridges is 725-0183. One of the packs contains the operating system "Task Monitor, TM-VS-C, Release 2.20". The other packs contain system backups. The WS folks alerted me fast enough that I was able run outside and talk to the guy who dropped off the cartridges. Unfortunately, the Wang system they came from was long ago scrapped - including the disk drives for the cartridges. If anyone has a drive which can read the packs and can preserve the OS, etc., please let me know and I'll work with WS to make the packs available to you. Cheers, Lyle -- Lyle Bickley, AF6WS Bickley Consulting West Inc. http://bickleywest.com "Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"

14 years, 1 month

1
0
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Commodore PET 2001 Video Problem

by wheagy＠gmail.com

I've made a bit of progress on this since the last post and wanted to get some additional help if possible. I picked up a PETvet board from bitfixer.org and installed it. The 2001 boots now (usually) and I get a screen like this.... http://imgur.com/fQxH3 The machine works like this, but obviously the vertical lines are a bit annoying. The PETvet replaces the RAM and ROM, but does anyone know if that includes replacing the video ROM? Any next steps are appreciated. Thanks, Win On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 2:07 PM, MikeS <dm561 at torfree.net> wrote: > ----- Original Message: > Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:55:12 -0400 > From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> > > >> Try powering up with the video RAMs removed (they are in the back and look >> like they have dots on them). ?With no RAM, the PET should power up to a >> blank screen > > Tsk, tsk, Ethan, you know better than that ;-) Yeah... thinking about it - that's what you get with the Character ROM removed... sorry. The thing I was trying to communicate was that the video should certainly be uniform with the RAM removed. I just misremembered what "empty" does. > A PET with a working video section and video RAM removed will show the > classic checkerboard pattern or under certain circumstances a pattern of > small black squares. Right... the character for 0xFF is the 50% checkerboard - it would look largely the same in inverse video (unless you count from the edge which "phase" it is). > No doubt there's considerable PET knowledge on this list, but as Terry > suggested previously the VCF forum or one of the PET/CBM-specific lists > might be a better place to find help with a sick PET... Perhaps. I'm not a big forum denizen (too many disconnected places to keep up with) so I rarely see help requests posted to them. -ethan

14 years, 1 month

2
1
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VCF East question

by auringer＠tds.net

Hi All, I was wondering about the attendance at the recent VCF. Does anyone have some idea how many people showed up that weren't already active in classic computing? Do you think that we pulled any new people into the hobby? -Jon

14 years, 1 month

21
44
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KIM-1 and Commodore [was RE: You're too late now, but

by dm561＠torfree.net

----------Original message: Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 12:04:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com> > ...But the KIM-1 is much more capable than it appears (this is not saying > much, mind you, but there were numerous reasonably practical applications > for it in the era). If you hooked it up to a terminal, it became much more > useful. Even more so in the case of the AIM 65: with an 80x24 terminal connected to its RS-232 (or current loop) interface and the optional 40kB RAM and BASIC, Forth, PL/65 and Pascal in ROM, it was more powerful (and also better supported) than a lot of its better-known contemporaries, not to mention its on-board printer, 20 (or 40) column display and full keyboard for standalone use. > I liked the AIM-65, personally, but I don't have one. Time you got one then ;-) m

14 years, 1 month

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Any interest in 1990s Microsoft software (MS-DOS, Word, Fortran)?

by kevin_anderson_dbq＠yahoo.com

Back in 1985, while I was still in graduate school working on my doctorate degree, I purchased my first computer, a brand-new Zenith Z150 PC clone. that I actively used into the early 1990s. I still have that computer, although it doesn't run any longer, along with a Zenith-branded composite monochrome monitor that was sold at the time, both in their original boxes. Potentially more important is that I still have all the various levels of software I had bought, including updates, with manuals and original diskettes. I haven't done a complete inventory, but there should be several versions of MS-DOS up to I believe version 5, Microsoft DOS-based Word (from I believe version 1 up to 4), Microsoft FORTRAN (probably two versions), and maybe some miscellaneous stuff like Turbo Pascal. I would also have a complete set of Bitstream fonts. Again, all of this should have matching manuals and original 5-1/4-inch diskettes. Most of this is branded as Zenith, but isn't necessarily limited to just the Z150 computer. Is there anyone interested in the lot somewhere close to Dubuque, Iowa? If so, please get in touch with me and we can talk about a price. I am getting ready to sell the house and would really rather not throw this lot into the rubbish bin or give the computer to the local scrapper. It's got to be more useful to someone else. Let me know. Kevin Anderson Dubuque, Iowa

14 years, 1 month

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Any interest in two Apple IIc's, Apple monitors, Apple printer?

by kevin_anderson_dbq＠yahoo.com

Years ago my older son was given two Apple IIc computers, a small Apple monochrome monitor, an Apple color monitor, and an Apple ImageWriter II printer, all original to that era. There are also some miscellaneous diskettes. As far as I know this all works. I am getting the house ready to sale and a move, and don't need to store these anymore. Any interest from someone close to Dubuque, Iowa? If so, name a price for the lot and we talk. Kevin Anderson Dubuque, Iowa

14 years, 1 month

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Century Data T2000 exerciser

by nasim786＠earthlink.net

Hi, This is a belated response to a post you made here: http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/2003-February/010641.html I happened upon it while doing a 'for fun' search on the net for anything doing with good ol' Century Data, my employer when I was young. Couldn't resist responding to the post, even if it was half a year late! The exerciser that you have is/was for the Trident series of hard disk drives (predecessor to the Marksman). I was the main (in fact, pretty much the ONLY) technician at Century Data/Calcomp, for these exercisers back from the late 1970's to the mid 1980's, when they were phased out. I retired in 1985. Have fun! (BTW, where'd you find one of these dinosaurs??) Take care, Nasim

14 years, 1 month

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homebrew PDP-11 using ancient USSR chip

by bigral＠hotmail.com

Hello All, I wonder if anyone here want to try create tiny PDP-11 compatible computer using KM1801VM1B CPU. This chip still available in small quantities. The system could use an microcontroller such as ATmega1284 and/or big CPLD to emulate all required peripherals. There were many systems using this chip, but unfortunately most of them contains enough gold to became firstclass target for gold scrap hunters. Here is related link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1801_series_CPU Thanks, Andrey

14 years, 1 month

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KIM-1 and Commodore [was RE: You're too late now, but this might amuse folk...]

by RichA＠vulcan.com

From: Liam Proven Sent: Friday, May 18, 2012 7:30 AM Quoting > http://www.reghardware.com/2012/05/17/commodore_mos_kim_1_up_for_grabs_on_e… > Readers, you now have 12 hours or so to bid for a slice of computing > history: a Kim-1 single-board computer, released some 36 years ago by > the company that would become a key part of Commodore. Well. I remember the KIM-1 from the pages of _Popular Electronics_, and even handled one in a class on computational linguistics (not yet called that) with Victor Yngve at UChicago. Victor was the creator of a programming language called COMIT, which he was still teaching in the 1970s long after SNOBOL and even Icon had come along, but a heck of a nice guy. I had no idea that they had anything to do with Commodore. Rich Alderson Vintage Computing Sr. Systems Engineer Vulcan, Inc. 505 5th Avenue S, Suite 900 Seattle, WA 98104 mailto:RichA at vulcan.com mailto:RichA at LivingComputerMuseum.org http://www.LivingComputerMuseum.org/

14 years, 1 month

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