Power and the RA82

Scott> I've never powered up anything bigger than a quad pentium-pro Scott> server on the 'knob and tube' (what you described) wiring in Scott> my house. I do aim to sometime not to far off start messing Scott> with the SparcServer 1000. But wouldn't you need three phase Scott> power and/or 220 volt service for most 'real' mainframes? (I Scott> have three phase outputs on my Homelite Gasoline generator) Three phase, on a Homelite? Are you sure? Mid size generators often have twist lock outlets -- not for three phase, but for 220 at 30+ amps with neutral and ground. My Honda has that. The pin configuration on the outlet will tell you what it is, or the manual... Yes, "real" mainframes typically need three phase. You can make it motor that synthesizes the missing phase from one phase power) or a solid state converter. Either is commonly used by metalshop people who need to power 3 phase lathes and such. And of course you need a fat enough service coming into the house; a knob & tube wired house may well have 60 amp, or maybe even 30 amp, service, and that certainly won't feed the KL10 in the barn. Some especially real mainframes want 3 phase 400 Hz power -- CDC in particular. If you have their motor generators that's taken care of; if not, then most solid state converters ("motor speed control") will be able to produce that. paul