On Apr 12, 2017, at 2:20 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 11:06 AM, Stephen Pereira via cctech <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote: So is this a 100A with a 64k expansion card? Or is it the 100B with no card? If you have the 100A and a 3-bank expansion card, you should be able to remove the 64k chips that are on there and replace them with 256k chips. You should be able to take it to 832k with 27 256kbit DRAM chips. 41256-120's in DIP 16 if I recall correctly. Need to set the DIP switches correctly. This is the easiest path forward, if you are lucky enough to have this configuration, since chips are easy to get, relatively speaking, and last time I priced them, they were ~0.70 each so this will set you back ~$20 from JAMECO. You'll want an anti-static setup to do this, since the BBSs were full of people that had done this w/o adequate setup blowing up their card / chips. IMHO, if you are going this route, it's not worth messing with 64k chips since the price difference is tiny and the win for 3 banks of 256k on the Rainbow is big. If you have a 100B with no expansion card, I can't help... The expansion card is the hard bit these days... Warner

On Apr 12, 2017, at 3:07 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 1:00 PM, Stephen Pereira <spereira1952 at comcast.net> wrote: Bummer. The cards come up from time to time in different places, but there's none on ebay right now. Last summer there were like 5, including one that had an 8087 coprocessor option... > smp > -- > Stephen M. Pereira > Bedford, NH 03110 > KB1SXE > > On Apr 12, 2017, at 2:20 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: > > On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 11:06 AM, Stephen Pereira via cctech > <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > I?m looking for expansion memory for my DEC Rainbow. > > I currently have 128K RAM, and I?d like to have 256K RAM, so I can actually > use the Lotus 1-2-3 that I recently purchased (without thinking). > > Any suggestions? > > > So is this a 100A with a 64k expansion card? Or is it the 100B with no card? > > If you have the 100A and a 3-bank expansion card, you should be able > to remove the 64k chips that are on there and replace them with 256k > chips. You should be able to take it to 832k with 27 256kbit DRAM > chips. 41256-120's in DIP 16 if I recall correctly. Need to set the > DIP switches correctly. This is the easiest path forward, if you are > lucky enough to have this configuration, since chips are easy to get, > relatively speaking, and last time I priced them, they were ~0.70 each > so this will set you back ~$20 from JAMECO. You'll want an anti-static > setup to do this, since the BBSs were full of people that had done > this w/o adequate setup blowing up their card / chips. IMHO, if you > are going this route, it's not worth messing with 64k chips since the > price difference is tiny and the win for 3 banks of 256k on the > Rainbow is big. > > If you have a 100B with no expansion card, I can't help... The > expansion card is the hard bit these days... > > Warner > >

On Apr 12, 2017, at 3:41 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: For you and me both. I was getting read errors on my RX-50, so I tried to swap in a new drive, and now that's all I get as well. Guess I'll have to figure out another way to get the Venix/86R disks copied. Warner On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 1:23 PM, Stephen Pereira <spereira1952 at comcast.net> wrote: > I guess it doesn?t make any difference now. I reassembled the computer and > now I get a message 28 ?RX50 Controller Board" failure during POST. > I?ve taken it apart and put it back together several times, but I cannot > clear the failure. This really has been a bad day! > > smp > -- > Stephen M. Pereira > Bedford, NH 03110 > KB1SXE > > On Apr 12, 2017, at 3:07 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: > > On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 1:00 PM, Stephen Pereira > <spereira1952 at comcast.net> wrote: > > Thanks for your response. > > Just to be certain, I just tore it all down and reconfirmed, in case my > memory was playing any tricks. > > I have a PC-100B with no expansion card. > > Thanks again for the advice. > > > Bummer. The cards come up from time to time in different places, but > there's none on ebay right now. Last summer there were like 5, > including one that had an 8087 coprocessor option... > > smp > -- > Stephen M. Pereira > Bedford, NH 03110 > KB1SXE > > On Apr 12, 2017, at 2:20 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: > > On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 11:06 AM, Stephen Pereira via cctech > <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > I?m looking for expansion memory for my DEC Rainbow. > > I currently have 128K RAM, and I?d like to have 256K RAM, so I can actually > use the Lotus 1-2-3 that I recently purchased (without thinking). > > Any suggestions? > > > So is this a 100A with a 64k expansion card? Or is it the 100B with no card? > > If you have the 100A and a 3-bank expansion card, you should be able > to remove the 64k chips that are on there and replace them with 256k > chips. You should be able to take it to 832k with 27 256kbit DRAM > chips. 41256-120's in DIP 16 if I recall correctly. Need to set the > DIP switches correctly. This is the easiest path forward, if you are > lucky enough to have this configuration, since chips are easy to get, > relatively speaking, and last time I priced them, they were ~0.70 each > so this will set you back ~$20 from JAMECO. You'll want an anti-static > setup to do this, since the BBSs were full of people that had done > this w/o adequate setup blowing up their card / chips. IMHO, if you > are going this route, it's not worth messing with 64k chips since the > price difference is tiny and the win for 3 banks of 256k on the > Rainbow is big. > > If you have a 100B with no expansion card, I can't help... The > expansion card is the hard bit these days... > > Warner > > >

On Apr 12, 2017, at 3:49 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: Thanks! I have another experiment to try, but need some parts for that, so it will have to wait until they arrive. the unit has been a bit flakey this time, so I don't know if I need a new controller board, new RX-50 or a new power supply. Or a ROM refresh.... Warner On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 1:47 PM, Stephen Pereira <spereira1952 at comcast.net> wrote: > Wow. Since misery loves company, I guess we make a great pair today! > > Good luck with your equipment! > > smp > -- > Stephen M. Pereira > Bedford, NH 03110 > KB1SXE > > On Apr 12, 2017, at 3:41 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: > > For you and me both. I was getting read errors on my RX-50, so I tried > to swap in a new drive, and now that's all I get as well. Guess I'll > have to figure out another way to get the Venix/86R disks copied. > > Warner > > On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 1:23 PM, Stephen Pereira > <spereira1952 at comcast.net> wrote: > > I guess it doesn?t make any difference now. I reassembled the computer and > now I get a message 28 ?RX50 Controller Board" failure during POST. > I?ve taken it apart and put it back together several times, but I cannot > clear the failure. This really has been a bad day! > > smp > -- > Stephen M. Pereira > Bedford, NH 03110 > KB1SXE > > On Apr 12, 2017, at 3:07 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: > > On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 1:00 PM, Stephen Pereira > <spereira1952 at comcast.net> wrote: > > Thanks for your response. > > Just to be certain, I just tore it all down and reconfirmed, in case my > memory was playing any tricks. > > I have a PC-100B with no expansion card. > > Thanks again for the advice. > > > Bummer. The cards come up from time to time in different places, but > there's none on ebay right now. Last summer there were like 5, > including one that had an 8087 coprocessor option... > > smp > -- > Stephen M. Pereira > Bedford, NH 03110 > KB1SXE > > On Apr 12, 2017, at 2:20 PM, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: > > On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 11:06 AM, Stephen Pereira via cctech > <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > I?m looking for expansion memory for my DEC Rainbow. > > I currently have 128K RAM, and I?d like to have 256K RAM, so I can actually > use the Lotus 1-2-3 that I recently purchased (without thinking). > > Any suggestions? > > > So is this a 100A with a 64k expansion card? Or is it the 100B with no card? > > If you have the 100A and a 3-bank expansion card, you should be able > to remove the 64k chips that are on there and replace them with 256k > chips. You should be able to take it to 832k with 27 256kbit DRAM > chips. 41256-120's in DIP 16 if I recall correctly. Need to set the > DIP switches correctly. This is the easiest path forward, if you are > lucky enough to have this configuration, since chips are easy to get, > relatively speaking, and last time I priced them, they were ~0.70 each > so this will set you back ~$20 from JAMECO. You'll want an anti-static > setup to do this, since the BBSs were full of people that had done > this w/o adequate setup blowing up their card / chips. IMHO, if you > are going this route, it's not worth messing with 64k chips since the > price difference is tiny and the win for 3 banks of 256k on the > Rainbow is big. > > If you have a 100B with no expansion card, I can't help... The > expansion card is the hard bit these days... > > Warner > > > >