3 Oct
1998
3 Oct
'98
11:04 a.m.
If it isn't one problem it's another. Last night I left the PDP-11/23+
(still haven't gotten it to work with a /73 CPU board) running for about 4
hours to see how it handled being left on. The only thing running was
"show mem" on the console since I was working on some other stuff.
Much to my terror/irritation, about 10pm I noticed a buzzing or sparking
sound. I quickly moved it away from the sofa, and started investigating.
It sounds as if something in the area where you've got the breaker and the
powercord plugs in is 'arcing and sparking'. I've got to take off in a
little while, but I plan on looking into this later this afternoon or
tonite.
Unfortunatly I don't have any docs on the BA123 (just the BA23), so will be
having a fun time figuring out how to get it apart.
Does this problem sound familiar to anyone, and does anyone have any
suggestions?
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/ |
3 Oct
3 Oct
7:22 p.m.
Zane H. Healy wrote:
If it isn't one problem it's another. Last
night I left the PDP-11/23+
(still haven't gotten it to work with a /73 CPU board) running for about 4
hours to see how it handled being left on. The only thing running was
"show mem" on the console since I was working on some other stuff.
Jerome Fine replies:
I agree that this is a valid way to test a "new" system.
Much to my terror/irritation, about 10pm I noticed a
buzzing or sparking
sound. I quickly moved it away from the sofa, and started investigating.
It sounds as if something in the area where you've got the breaker and the
powercord plugs in is 'arcing and sparking'. I've got to take off in a
little while, but I plan on looking into this later this afternoon or
tonite.
I also lost the power supply on 2 BA123s in the past, but it seems
that it was the capacitors which rectify the DC output.
Unfortunatly I don't have any docs on the BA123
(just the BA23), so will be
having a fun time figuring out how to get it apart.
The whole power supply comes out if you unlock 4 bolts holding the
power supply in place and also disconnect the cables at the front.
Opening the box is only a little more difficult. I did so without any
specs.
My problem is that I have neither the equipment nor the inclination
to fix a power supply from either dead one from the BA123. I offered
both of them before, likely for local pickup only since they are
very heavy and I also don't have any boxes to package them.
Is there anyone who wants a spare (but not unfixable) power
supply for a BA123. I will even through in one backplane box
as well, but the wheels have been removed.
Sincerely yours,
Jerome Fine
RT-11/TSX-PLUS User/Addict
Year 2000 Solutions for Currently Running RT-11 Applications
(Sources not always required)
8:39 p.m.
Well, thanks in part to advice to from Bruce Lane, I was able to find the
problem with the power supply. I pulled the PS out and cleaned it up, and
then cleaned up the area around it. That's when I discovered the problem,
a seed pod.
Yep, you heard it right, what I thought was the power supply arcing turned
out to be a seed pod. It was suspended by some cobwebs and positioned to
rattle rather nicely. I guess I ran it long enough last night to dislodge
it from where ever it had been.
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/ |
8:41 p.m.
At 09:39 PM 10/3/98 -0800, Zane wrote:
Well, thanks in part to advice to from Bruce Lane, I
was able to find the
problem with the power supply. I pulled the PS out and cleaned it up, and
then cleaned up the area around it. That's when I discovered the problem,
a seed pod.
Yep, you heard it right, what I thought was the power supply arcing turned
out to be a seed pod. It was suspended by some cobwebs and positioned to
rattle rather nicely. I guess I ran it long enough last night to dislodge
it from where ever it had been.
Don't go to sleep near it! Thats when 'they' take over your body and
clone you!!
(...why, yes! I am watching old sci-fi flicks while writing this. Why do
you ask?)
-jim
---
jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com
The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw
Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174
4 Oct
4 Oct
3 a.m.
At 09:39 PM 10/3/98 -0800, you wrote:
Well, thanks in part to advice to from Bruce Lane, I
was able to find the
problem with the power supply. I pulled the PS out and cleaned it up, and
then cleaned up the area around it. That's when I discovered the problem,
a seed pod.
Heh... can I call 'em or can I call 'em? ;-)
Those supplies are actually pretty durable if they've had the ECO applied.
That's why I suspected the mechanical debris issue.
Any clue as to what kind of seed it was?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
(Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)jps.net) (Web:
http://table.jps.net/~kyrrin)
SysOp: The Dragon's Cave (Fido 1:343/272, 253-639-9905)
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own
human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
9:57 a.m.
At 09:39 PM 10/3/98 -0800, you wrote:
I'm not sure, I'm threatening to do a page up on it for my web pages :^)
It's a little pod with a couple of small round seeds in it. It rattles
rather nicely.
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/ |
Well, thanks in part to advice to from Bruce Lane,
I was able to find the
problem with the power supply. I pulled the PS out and cleaned it up, and
then cleaned up the area around it. That's when I discovered the problem,
a seed pod.
Heh... can I call 'em or can I call 'em? ;-)
Those supplies are actually pretty durable if they've had the ECO
applied.
That's why I suspected the mechanical debris issue.
Any clue as to what kind of seed it was? 
9:40 a.m.
It's probably a descendant of the moth (first "bug") Grace Hopper
found in one of the relays of a machine.
Zane H. Healy wrote:
At 09:39 PM 10/3/98 -0800, you wrote:
I'm not sure, I'm threatening to do a page up on it for my web pages :^)
It's a little pod with a couple of small round seeds in it. It rattles
rather nicely.
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/ | Well, thanks in part to advice to from Bruce Lane,
I was able to find the
problem with the power supply. I pulled the PS out and cleaned it up, and
then cleaned up the area around it. That's when I discovered the problem,
a seed pod.
Heh... can I call 'em or can I call 'em? ;-)
Those supplies are actually pretty durable if they've had the ECO
applied.
That's why I suspected the mechanical debris issue.
Any clue as to what kind of seed it was? 
9:56 a.m.
At 10:57 10/04/98 -0800, Zane H. Healy wrote:
Sounds like Black Locust or Honey Locust tree seed pods. They are like Snow
Pea pods (Snow Peas like you get at your local Chinese restaurant). About
10-12mm wide x 20mm to up to about 100mm long. The unit probably was stored
for awhile in a garage or such building with one of those trees nearby.
I've found Mountain Ash leaves (they're rather small leaves, like Locust
tree leaves) in the fans of some other pieces of equipment I had over the
past decades.
--Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
At 09:39 PM
10/3/98 -0800, you wrote:
I'm not sure, I'm threatening to do a page up on it for my web pages :^)
It's a little pod with a couple of small round seeds in it. It rattles
rather nicely. Well, thanks in part to advice to from Bruce Lane,
I was able to find the
problem with the power supply. I pulled the PS out and cleaned it up, and
then cleaned up the area around it. That's when I discovered the problem,
a seed pod.
Heh... can I call 'em or can I call 'em? ;-)
Those supplies are actually pretty durable if they've had the ECO
applied.
That's why I suspected the mechanical debris issue.
Any clue as to what kind of seed it was?
9425
days inactive
9426
days old
7 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
cfandt＠netsync.net -
djenner＠halcyon.com -
healyzh＠ix.netcom.com -
jhfine＠idirect.com -
jimw＠agora.rdrop.com -
kyrrin＠jps.net