9 Sep
1998
9 Sep
'98
9:15 p.m.
sleeeping.....sleeeping... sleeping in a Jar
(the Jar is under the bed)
[sorry... had a Zappa flashback just then. Please disregard.]
Ahem.
Encouraged by the success of my more recent uVAX resurrection, I
this evening powered up another one I have had for some time. It
doesn't do much. So I have some questions re: uVAX autism.
First off.. am I making a semantic error? The exact wording on
the badgeplate of the 'good' machine reads 'VAXSTATION II/RC' and
the dead one reads just 'VAXSTATION II'... all this time I have
been refering to them as 'MicroVaxes'. Dumb? Irrelevant? Crucial?
The VMS manual that I have (Thank you Bruce L. !!) seems to
correspond with the sofware as extant on GoodMachine.
DeadMachine is configured (externally) just the same as GM, ie.
all the switches and controls are at the same settings. I am using a
Decwriter III as the console, to have hardcopy.
Upon power-up, the LED display on the back shows 'A'. The fixed
disk, a Micropolis RD53-A, spins up and coasts down continuously.
Cycling 'HALT' on the front panel causes the usual 'break' monitor
printout and the pc state. The LED displays '8' and that's it... I
have let it go for 10 minutes....
I have checked the power supply voltages.. all nominal. I have
power-cycled the unit a few times.. same behavior. I have re-seated
the CPU and MEM cards.. no change.
In the absense of the System User Guides / Operating Manual /
Processor Handbooks.. I am stuck here. I remember a thread on the
disk drive's spin up/down routine, but I forgot the cause.
I will gladly pay for some more docs for these machines.. any
spare MicroVax Orange Notebooks out there??
Thanks in advance for any Info...
Cheers
John
10 Sep
10 Sep
7:40 a.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
Hi there. My name is Jason Simpson. I'm a 25 year old Seattle-based geek
that likes to scrounge around thrift stores looking for cool old
technology. I've been collecting this stuff since I was 16. I've owned some
of it since I was 13.
Here's a brief summary of some of the things I own:
Tandy Model 16 (dual 8" drives. I'd really like to run CP/M on this!)
Tandy Model 4P (with flakey and ENORMOUS 5 meg harddisk)
Tandy Model 100 (x2, one is broken)
Tandy Micro Color Computer MC-10 (x2)
Tandy Color Computer 3 (x3 or 4, at least one is broken, couple of disk
drives)
Tandy Pocket Computer (PC-1? broken/bad battery)
Tandy PC-3 pocket computer (plus printer)
Tandy PC-6 pocket computer
Texas Instruments TI-74 BasiCalc pocket computer
Casio FX-702P pocket computer (plus printer and cassette interface)
Hewlett Packard 75C (broken/bad battery)
DEC VT102 terminal
DEC VT220 terminal
Wyse 60 terminal
Commodore 128 (broken, and my fault at that -- blown SID)
Commodore 128D
Amiga 500 (broken)
Amiga 2000 (with harddisk)
Amiga 3000
Apple IIc (x2)
Apple IIgs (x2)
Laser 128 (Apple IIc clone)
Macintosh Plus
Outbound Systems notebook (portable '030 Mac clone w/ Plus ROMs, won't recharge)
Timex Sinclair 2068 (screwy but usuable video. For some reason, I find this one
especially captivating even though I have no software or peripherals for it)
There's more, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.
In general, last time I looked, these all work unless mentioned otherwise.
Of course, I'd like to fix or replace the broken items.
Some things I'd like to find:
Model 16 stuff:
CP/M (CP/M-68k?) on 8" disks **
Harddisk **
Network card (did it do Ethernet, or only Arcnet?)
Color Computer stuff:
OS/9 disks **
RAM expansion
Multicartridge adapter
Accelerator
Commodore 64/128 stuff:
REU (RAM Expansion Unit)
Multicartridge adapter (did they make these? I haven't seen one)
Accelerator
Serial accelerator
SuperSnapshot 5 cartridge **
Harddisk
Apple II(gs) stuff:
IIgs accelerator
SCSI card **
Apple IIc+ (I've only seen one of these once)
Amiga stuff:
Amiga 1200 **
Accelerator
** I really want these. :)
I also collect video game systems. Of these, some of the ones I'm most
interested in find more stuff for are: Atari 7800(/2600), Atari 5200, Sega
Master System, Commodore CD32, 3DO, NES.
I'm currently playing with the C= 128D. Dug out my old 1581 disk drive and
some disks. Whoo that's a fun machine, but I need a fastloader cartridge. :)
-jrs
_______________________________________________________________________
\/|/\ | Jason Simpson | http://www.xio.com/jason/
/\|\/ | jason(a)xio.com | Wanted: Honda Civic VX or Volkswagen Fox Wagon
8:25 a.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
I also collect video game systems. Of these, some of
the ones I'm most
interested in find more stuff for are: Atari 7800(/2600), Atari 5200, Sega
Master System, Commodore CD32, 3DO, NES.
Jason, I do have some items on my web site that might meet your needs.
Particularly the NES items but lots more there also.
Gene
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.voicenet.com/~generic
gene(a)ehrich.com
Gene Ehrich P.O. Box 209 Marlton NJ 08053-0209
------------------------------------------------------
8:31 a.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
Jason Simpson wrote:
Some things I'd like to find:
Model 16 stuff:
CP/M (CP/M-68k?) on 8" disks **
Reports are that you can still get CP/M from Trisoft in Texas.
Harddisk **
You'll most likely find it as part of a package with another member of
the family -- better hope so, because if they were separated, the
adapter card will have stayed with the CPU.
Network card (did it do Ethernet, or only
Arcnet?)
The only network card ever available was Arcnet, which only ran in Z-80
mode and was only compatible with other Model 2/12/16/6000 machines --
it won't talk to a network with PeeCees, even Tandy's ViaNet. And
there were some compatibility problems with the Arcnet version of
TRS-DOS.
Color Computer stuff:
OS/9 disks **
RAM expansion
Multicartridge adapter
Accelerator
Best bet there is to keep an eye on comp.sys.tandy and comp.os.os9
newsgroups. The MultiPak interface shows up now and again in the
thrift shops, RAM expansion for the Color Computer 1/2 is standard
chips, RAM expansion for the Color Computer 3 is generally found
inside a Color Computer 3 and can be hard to spot without some
disassembly required.
In fact, without OS-9 Level II, there is no way to detect memory
expansion in a Color Computer 3 easily -- well, I suppose there
might be a short machine-language program that could be poked in,
but I wouldn't know the details -- I drifted away from the Color
Computer line for a few years starting right about when the Color
Computer 3 was released, and I acquired OS-9 Level II before I
found my three expanded CoCo 3's at the Trenton Computer Festival
this past spring (and I still haven't had time to play with them
much).
What precisely do you mean by "Accelerator"? I've heard that there
is a way to replace the CoCo 3 CPU with a ?Hitachi? chip, but I
haven't been tracking the details. Somewhere around here I've got
a copy of some FAQ or other that might mention it. (There's a
good set of links for most of the TRS-80 line by Irs Goldklang at
<http://www.trs-80.com/> -- Model 1/3/4, 2/12/16/6000, 100/200, and
Color Computer -- the MS-DOS stuff is ignored).
--
Ward Griffiths <mailto:gram@cnct.com> <http://www.cnct.com/home/gram/>
When I was crossing the border into Canada, they asked me if I had any
firearms with me. I said "Well, what do you need?" -- Steven Wright
9:21 a.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
Thanks for the reply. Sure helps me narrow my search a bit.
That Tandy 6000HD mentioned a day or two ago on the list sounds mighty interesting!
-jrs
Ward Donald Griffiths III wrote:
Jason Simpson wrote:
--
_______________________________________________________________________
\/|/\ | Jason Simpson | http://www.xio.com/jason/
/\|\/ | jason(a)xio.com | Wanted: Honda Civic VX or Volkswagen Fox Wagon
Some things I'd like to find:
Model 16 stuff:
CP/M (CP/M-68k?) on 8" disks **
Reports are that you can still get CP/M from Trisoft in Texas.
Harddisk **
You'll most likely find it as part of a package with another member of
the family -- better hope so, because if they were separated, the
adapter card will have stayed with the CPU.
Network card (did it do Ethernet, or only
Arcnet?)
The only network card ever available was Arcnet, which only ran in Z-80
mode and was only compatible with other Model 2/12/16/6000 machines --
it won't talk to a network with PeeCees, even Tandy's ViaNet. And
there were some compatibility problems with the Arcnet version of
TRS-DOS.
Color Computer stuff:
OS/9 disks **
RAM expansion
Multicartridge adapter
Accelerator
Best bet there is to keep an eye on comp.sys.tandy and comp.os.os9
newsgroups. The MultiPak interface shows up now and again in the
thrift shops, RAM expansion for the Color Computer 1/2 is standard
chips, RAM expansion for the Color Computer 3 is generally found
inside a Color Computer 3 and can be hard to spot without some
disassembly required.
In fact, without OS-9 Level II, there is no way to detect memory
expansion in a Color Computer 3 easily -- well, I suppose there
might be a short machine-language program that could be poked in,
but I wouldn't know the details -- I drifted away from the Color
Computer line for a few years starting right about when the Color
Computer 3 was released, and I acquired OS-9 Level II before I
found my three expanded CoCo 3's at the Trenton Computer Festival
this past spring (and I still haven't had time to play with them
much).
What precisely do you mean by "Accelerator"? I've heard that there
is a way to replace the CoCo 3 CPU with a ?Hitachi? chip, but I
haven't been tracking the details. Somewhere around here I've got
a copy of some FAQ or other that might mention it. (There's a
good set of links for most of the TRS-80 line by Irs Goldklang at
<http://www.trs-80.com/> -- Model 1/3/4, 2/12/16/6000, 100/200, and
Color Computer -- the MS-DOS stuff is ignored).
--
Ward Griffiths <mailto:gram@cnct.com> <http://www.cnct.com/home/gram/>
When I was crossing the border into Canada, they asked me if I had any
firearms with me. I said "Well, what do you need?" -- Steven Wright
10:49 a.m.
New subject: Lego robots (was Re: "Allow myself to introduce... myself.")
Whoops! I apologize for the accidental public message and extra quoting in my
response to Ward Griffiths.
But anyway, since I've already started this message, let me point those of you
interested in robotics to http://www.legomindstorms.com/ in case you hadn't
seen it already. It's a Lego kit that comes with a microcontroller, infra-red
link, and CD-ROM with programming software for around $200. I want.
-jrs
--
_______________________________________________________________________
\/|/\ | Jason Simpson | http://www.xio.com/jason/
/\|\/ | jason(a)xio.com | Wanted: Honda Civic VX or Volkswagen Fox Wagon
12:41 p.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
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2:48 p.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
Jason,
Let me know if you get the 6000HD. I have two of them.
Joe
At 11:21 AM 9/10/98 -0700, you wrote:
Thanks for the reply. Sure helps me narrow my search a
bit.
That Tandy 6000HD mentioned a day or two ago on the list sounds mighty
interesting!
-jrs
Ward Donald Griffiths III wrote:
Jason Simpson wrote:
--
_______________________________________________________________________
\/|/\ | Jason Simpson | http://www.xio.com/jason/
/\|\/ | jason(a)xio.com | Wanted: Honda Civic VX or Volkswagen Fox Wagon
Some things I'd like to find:
Model 16 stuff:
CP/M (CP/M-68k?) on 8" disks **
Reports are that you can still get CP/M from Trisoft in Texas.
Harddisk **
You'll most likely find it as part of a package with another member of
the family -- better hope so, because if they were separated, the
adapter card will have stayed with the CPU.
Network card (did it do Ethernet, or only
Arcnet?)
The only network card ever available was Arcnet, which only ran in Z-80
mode and was only compatible with other Model 2/12/16/6000 machines --
it won't talk to a network with PeeCees, even Tandy's ViaNet. And
there were some compatibility problems with the Arcnet version of
TRS-DOS.
Color Computer stuff:
OS/9 disks **
RAM expansion
Multicartridge adapter
Accelerator
Best bet there is to keep an eye on comp.sys.tandy and comp.os.os9
newsgroups. The MultiPak interface shows up now and again in the
thrift shops, RAM expansion for the Color Computer 1/2 is standard
chips, RAM expansion for the Color Computer 3 is generally found
inside a Color Computer 3 and can be hard to spot without some
disassembly required.
In fact, without OS-9 Level II, there is no way to detect memory
expansion in a Color Computer 3 easily -- well, I suppose there
might be a short machine-language program that could be poked in,
but I wouldn't know the details -- I drifted away from the Color
Computer line for a few years starting right about when the Color
Computer 3 was released, and I acquired OS-9 Level II before I
found my three expanded CoCo 3's at the Trenton Computer Festival
this past spring (and I still haven't had time to play with them
much).
What precisely do you mean by "Accelerator"? I've heard that there
is a way to replace the CoCo 3 CPU with a ?Hitachi? chip, but I
haven't been tracking the details. Somewhere around here I've got
a copy of some FAQ or other that might mention it. (There's a
good set of links for most of the TRS-80 line by Irs Goldklang at
<http://www.trs-80.com/> -- Model 1/3/4, 2/12/16/6000, 100/200, and
Color Computer -- the MS-DOS stuff is ignored).
--
Ward Griffiths <mailto:gram@cnct.com> <http://www.cnct.com/home/gram/>
When I was crossing the border into Canada, they asked me if I had any
firearms with me. I said "Well, what do you need?" -- Steven Wright 
10:29 a.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
On 10 Sep 98 at 9:40, Jason Simpson wrote:
Some things I'd like to find:
Commodore 64/128 stuff:
REU (RAM Expansion Unit)
Multicartridge adapter (did they make these? I haven't seen one)
Accelerator
Serial accelerator
SuperSnapshot 5 cartridge **
Try
J.P. PBM Products By Mail
Box # 60515, N. Sheridan Mall P.O.
Downsview, ON M3L 1B0
CANADA
They own the rights to SS and are TMK still producing it and were working on
version 6 which might be available now.
-jrs
ciao larry
lwalker(a)interlog.com
5:28 p.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
Commodore 64/128 stuff:
REU (RAM Expansion Unit)
Multicartridge adapter (did they make these? I haven't seen one)
I suspect someone probably made a Multicartridge adapter for the C64. I
know for a fact that they were made for the Vic-20 (I wish I still had mine
<sniff>). I know the Vic-20 adapter held 5 cartridges that were selectable
by a rotary switch, and available via the OCCUG (Oregon Commodore Computer
Users Group). Of course this was back in '81 or '82 and it was a kit, they
also had a kit to upgrade the 8k card to 16k, and you could switch between
the two sizes with dip switches.
As for the SCSI adapter for the Apple ]['s, I was able to get one for about
$40 from a company in Vancover. They do mail-order and advertise in the
Apple newsgroups.
You might be able to get a SID from http://www.paxtron.com they do Amiga
and Commodore stuff, though I prefer http://www.softhut.com for my Amiga
stuff.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)ix.netcom.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/ |
7:12 p.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
On Thu, 10 Sep 1998, Zane H. Healy wrote:
I suspect someone probably made a Multicartridge
adapter for the C64. I
know for a fact that they were made for the Vic-20 (I wish I still had mine
<sniff>). I know the Vic-20 adapter held 5 cartridges that were selectable
I know a 4-carthridge adapter was made for the TI-99/4a as I picked one up
from a thrift store a while ago.
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever onward.
September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0
See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 08/25/98]
14 Sep
14 Sep
12:36 a.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
On Thu, 10 Sep 1998, Zane H. Healy wrote:
I suspect someone probably made a Multicartridge
adapter for the C64.
I think I've seen ads for them. Probably any COMPUTE! or COMPUTE!'s
Gazette from the '83-'86 timeframe would be a good place to start looking
for what _may_have_been_ available. :)
I know for a fact that they were made for the Vic-20
(I wish I still had
mine <sniff>). I know the Vic-20 adapter held 5 cartridges that were
selectable by a rotary switch, and available via the OCCUG (Oregon
Commodore Computer Users Group).
I've got a multi-cartridge adapter for the VIC-20, which I don't know how
to use. I got it with a Quick Brown Fox cart still plugged into it, and I
assume that the cartridge adapter board was made so that multiple
cartridges could be active at the same time. So that, for example, I
could use an 8K expander with Quick Brown Fox.
The reason I say I don't know how to use the multi-cartridge adapter is
that it has a bunch of dip switches, and I've got no manual to tell me
what they do. I have managed to plug in my 16K RAM Expander and various
other carts at the same time, and had it come up with the 16K visible, but
then I don't know the proper entry point for the software (though I've
been able to scan through memory and see QBF there).
My adapter board says "Cardboard" on it, and it has space for six
cartridges. And it has a reset button. :)
Zane
Doug Spence
ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
5:48 p.m.
New subject: "Allow myself to introduce... myself."
I've got a multi-cartridge adapter for the VIC-20,
which I don't know how
to use. I got it with a Quick Brown Fox cart still plugged into it, and I
assume that the cartridge adapter board was made so that multiple
cartridges could be active at the same time. So that, for example, I
could use an 8K expander with Quick Brown Fox.
The reason I say I don't know how to use the multi-cartridge adapter is
that it has a bunch of dip switches, and I've got no manual to tell me
what they do. I have managed to plug in my 16K RAM Expander and various
other carts at the same time, and had it come up with the 16K visible, but
then I don't know the proper entry point for the software (though I've
been able to scan through memory and see QBF there).
My adapter board says "Cardboard" on it, and it has space for six
cartridges. And it has a reset button. :)
The one I had the rotary switch, which I gather you don't have, it was to
select the slot, you then pressed the reset button, and that rebooted with
that cartridge. IIRC it also had the DIP switches, these were used to copy
the cartridges to cassette tape or floppy, and back to a memory cartridge.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)ix.netcom.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/ |
20 Sep
20 Sep
8:58 p.m.
New subject: VIC multi-cartridge board
On Mon, 14 Sep 1998, Zane H. Healy wrote:
On mine (I pulled it out and played with the multimeter) the switches
control whether or not to activate certain address lines for each slot.
There is one block of six switches, and another block of seven switches.
The block of six switches controls whether or not a cartridge slot is
connected to the BLK3 address line ($6000-$7FFF). One switch per slot.
The block of seven uses the first six switches for the same purpose, but
with BLK5 ($A000-$BFFF). The remaining switch activates/deactivates the
BLK1 line ($2000-$3FFF) on all six slots.
I think. :) I may have got it reversed (side to side) so that the first
block of switches controls BLK2 ($4000-$5FFF), the second block of
switches controls BLK1 ($2000-$3FFF), and the remaining switch activates
BLK5 ($A000-$BFFF) on all slots. I'll have to check again.
$A000 seems to be where auto-starting ROMs live, though, so it would
probably be better if they were selected individually.
Yours is simpler to use, and the rotary switch wouldn't allow conflicts
the way this board does.
The reason I
say I don't know how to use the multi-cartridge adapter is
that it has a bunch of dip switches, and I've got no manual to tell me
what they do. I have managed to plug in my 16K RAM Expander and various
other carts at the same time, and had it come up with the 16K visible, but
then I don't know the proper entry point for the software (though I've
been able to scan through memory and see QBF there).
My adapter board says "Cardboard" on it, and it has space for six
cartridges. And it has a reset button. :)
The one I had the rotary switch, which I gather you don't have, it was to
select the slot, you then pressed the reset button, and that rebooted with
that cartridge. IIRC it also had the DIP switches, these were used to copy
the cartridges to cassette tape or floppy, and back to a memory cartridge. Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)ix.netcom.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/ |
Doug Spence
ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
10 Sep
10 Sep
5:49 p.m.
First off.. am I making a semantic error? The exact
wording on
the badgeplate of the 'good' machine reads 'VAXSTATION II/RC' and
the dead one reads just 'VAXSTATION II'... all this time I have
been refering to them as 'MicroVaxes'. Dumb? Irrelevant? Crucial?
VAXstation II = 8 slot backplane
VAXstation II/RC = 8 slot backplane with 3 slots filled in with Rosen = DEC
marketing ploy at a "Reduced Cost" system
I've heard that a cheap way to get a VAXstation II was to buy the II/RC,
and then replace the backplane with a normal fully functional 8 slot one.
If it's got a video card it's a VAXstation, if it doesn't it's a
MicroVAX.
Basically irrelevant.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)ix.netcom.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/ |
9431
days inactive
9442
days old
14 comments
10 participants
participants (10)
-
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
dastar＠ncal.verio.com -
ds_spenc＠alcor.concordia.ca -
gene＠ehrich.com -
gram＠cnct.com -
healyzh＠ix.netcom.com -
jason＠xio.com -
jpl15＠netcom.com -
lwalker＠mail.interlog.com -
rigdonj＠intellistar.net