8 Oct
2002
8 Oct
'02
4:17 p.m.
I've just acquired an old Processor Technology SOL-20, and wonder if
anyone can advise on what video monitors are compatible with it (how
about an old IBM monochrome monitor - hercules compatible?), and what
the video connector on the back is (huge 1/2" dia. coax connector) - are
the mating connectors still available?
Second, I'm planning to use my PC sound card to record/playback in lieu
of a tape recorder (more reliable, less hassle), and wonder if anyone
has done the same with any success?
Thanks,
Ben
8 Oct
8 Oct
4:28 p.m.
That's a great find, it's one of the big one's on my want list. I can't
find any MN or TX.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ben Bridgwater" <bennyb(a)ntplx.net>
To: "CCTech" <cctech(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 1:23 PM
Subject: What video monitor for SOL-20?
I've just acquired an old Processor Technology
SOL-20, and wonder if
anyone can advise on what video monitors are compatible with it (how
about an old IBM monochrome monitor - hercules compatible?), and what
the video connector on the back is (huge 1/2" dia. coax connector) - are
the mating connectors still available?
Second, I'm planning to use my PC sound card to record/playback in lieu
of a tape recorder (more reliable, less hassle), and wonder if anyone
has done the same with any success?
Thanks,
Ben
6:08 p.m.
I'm almost certain that the video is standard, plain
old NTSC RS-170, which you could probably hook up to
any modern TV having a video input with a simple
mechanical adapter. Much as it makes me ill to mention
this, but Radio SH**, which has gotten enormously
worse in just the last 3 months, probably will have an
adapter to a more modern RCA for it. You MIGHT be able
able to get a decent display from an RF modulator but
at 64 characters by 16, it would be close.
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I've just
acquired an old Processor Technology
SOL-20, and wonder if
anyone can advise on what video monitors are
compatible with it (how
about an old IBM monochrome monitor - hercules
compatible?), and what
the video connector on the back is (huge
1/2" dia.
coax connector) - are
the mating connectors still available?
Second, I'm planning to use my PC sound card to
record/playback in lieu
of a tape recorder (more reliable, less hassle),
and wonder if anyone
has done the same with any success?
Thanks,
Ben
9 Oct
9 Oct
4:52 p.m.
I'm almost certain that the video is standard,
plain
old NTSC RS-170, which you could probably hook up to
any modern TV having a video input with a simple
mechanical adapter. Much as it makes me ill to mention
this, but Radio SH**, which has gotten enormously
worse in just the last 3 months, probably will have an
adapter to a more modern RCA for it. You MIGHT be able
able to get a decent display from an RF modulator but
at 64 characters by 16, it would be close.
Nah - can't do that! I still have vivid memories of how my NASCOM-1 TV display
jiggled up and down back in '78! This time I'm splurging on an eBay composite
monitor, and Jim Battle kindly clued me in where to get an appropriate PL259 to
RCA adaptor for my SOL-20.
I'll admit though that I do use Radio Shack when gotta-have-it-now overcomes me.
9 Oct
9 Oct
4:15 p.m.
Second,
I'm planning to use my PC sound card to record/playback in lieu
of a tape recorder (more reliable, less hassle), and wonder if anyone
has done the same with any success?
Just use the serial port... It's more reliable. 
8 Oct
8 Oct
7:54 p.m.
At 02:23 PM 10/8/02 -0400, Ben Bridgwater wrote:
I've just acquired an old Processor Technology
SOL-20, and wonder if
anyone can advise on what video monitors are compatible with it (how about
an old IBM monochrome monitor - hercules compatible?), and what the video
connector on the back is (huge 1/2" dia. coax connector) - are the mating
connectors still available?
Second, I'm planning to use my PC sound card to record/playback in lieu of
a tape recorder (more reliable, less hassle), and wonder if anyone has
done the same with any success?
Thanks,
Ben
It should hook up to any monitor that you might find in north america, BW
preferrably. The only weirdness is the PL59 connector, so you may have to
build a PL59 to BNC or what-have-you cable to connect it to your
monitor. I picked up a 9" B&W security monitor for $10 at a swap meet and
it has worked just fine.
Here's where I get to plug my web site:
http://www.thebattles.net/sol20/sol.html
You may want to seek out the section on repairing the keyboard.
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
9 Oct
9 Oct
4:31 p.m.
New subject: SOL-20 keyboard
Here's where I get to plug my web site:
http://www.thebattles.net/sol20/sol.html
You may want to seek out the section on repairing the keyboard.
Thanks, Jim. Googling for SOL-20 already turned up your site pretty prominently,
and I today bought a bunch of Sun 4 keyboards for $1/ea off eBay to savage for
the pads! Hopefully they've still got some life in them ...
8 Oct
8 Oct
8:27 p.m.
At 02:23 PM 10/8/02 -0400, Ben Bridgwater wrote:
I've just acquired an old Processor Technology
SOL-20,
...
Second, I'm planning to use my PC sound card to
record/playback in lieu of
a tape recorder (more reliable, less hassle), and wonder if anyone has
done the same with any success?
I've been using the serial port to send/receive programs. Using a tape has
met with mixed success. Besides, the tape peaks at 1200 baud, while the
serial port should be able to go higher than that.
An interesting experiment would be to convert some of the .ENT format
program files from my web site and use one of the programs here:
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~edsa/
to convert it to a .WAV file. I haven't tried it myself, but it should
work pretty well. I've tried Ed's program to decode a .WAV file back to
binary, but it hasn't worked at all on real recordings. It works fine on
the .WAV files that Ed's programs generate, though.
And for those of you who don't care about Sol's, the programs mentioned
above supposedly work for any tapes recorded in KCS format.
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
9 Oct
9 Oct
4:45 p.m.
New subject: SOL tapes
An interesting experiment would be to convert some of
the .ENT format
program files from my web site and use one of the programs here:
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~edsa/
to convert it to a .WAV file. I haven't tried it myself, but it should
work pretty well. I've tried Ed's program to decode a .WAV file back to
binary, but it hasn't worked at all on real recordings. It works fine on
the .WAV files that Ed's programs generate, though.
I'll definitely check this out. I hopefully have some SOL tapes (content
unknown) on their way to me, so I'll also bear this in mind as an approach to
try reading them if for some reason my tape interface doesn't work.
11:13 a.m.
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10 Oct
10 Oct
4:53 a.m.
On Tue, 8 Oct 2002, Ben Bridgwater wrote:
Second, I'm planning to use my PC sound card to
record/playback in lieu
of a tape recorder (more reliable, less hassle), and wonder if anyone
has done the same with any success?
It can be done without problems. An exhibitor at the VCF has used a CD
player (with a CD burned with cassette audio files) in the past in lieu
of a tape drive.
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
benb＠Basit.COM -
bennyb＠ntplx.net -
foo＠siconic.com -
frustum＠pacbell.net -
jrkeys＠concentric.net -
sloboyko＠yahoo.com -
wh.sudbrink＠verizon.net