Here's a good one. I have an 11/44, which is supposed to boot RSTS-E from an RA81. Since the SDI cable is inverted at each connector, I am using one cable. I removed the cables attached to the drive, and detached the cables attached to that little box at the bottom of the rack, and attached those to the drive. I have a direct connection between UDA50 and the RA81. I spin up the RA, let it get to READY, and then boot the machine. I tell ODT to B DU0. When the RA has A or B selected, it does absolutely nothing. When both are selected, the drive spins down, and doesn't reset. I have to push RUN/STOP twice to spin it back up. It doesn't give me a FAULT. The RA has passed all the diagnostics, I plugged a terminal. This is very probably my screw-up. What did I do wrong?

On Wed, 6 Aug 1997, Tim Shoppa wrote: Was: UDA50----cable----->RA81 Should be: UDA50------->box from bottom of RA rack------>RA81 Is this correct? The RA81 was in a separate rack with 2 other RAs. I got it, the little box that the SDI cables plugged into at the bottom of the rack, and the terminator box. It is now sitting on top of the PDP cabinet. Does sitting it on the cabinet count? I'd rack mount it, but I'd get a hernia doing it. I'd get Jeff to do it, maybe he could smash the OTHER foot... (He has broken the SAME FOOT 3 TIMES THIS YEAR! [Clutz!]) That waits till I get that little ladder, it's the right height to hold it for me. They end up all on, I think. It's not here in front of me (Wish it was!) I'll post that later. I have plugged a terminal into the drive and tested it as per the documentation. It passed all the tests. That's a neat trick! Like to see an IDE of SCSI disk do that... Is there a list of commands that the drive understands?

On Tue, 12 Aug 1997, William Donzelli wrote: I think; I may scream! *How* do we reach these people *before* things like this happen?!? (preferably without starting a mad rush from yuppie collector wannabes!) -jim --- jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174

On Tue, 12 Aug 1997, William Donzelli wrote: This shows the need to get the word out to people that you collect old computers. You never know who's going to say "Oh really? My dad has this old mainframe in his garage that he's throwing out next week." Once word gets out that you collect old computers, people will be coming to you. It gets in their head and they start to find the opportunities for you through casual contacts with friends and relatives. This has happened to me on a few occassions; people I have explained my hobby to have come back to me saying they saw System X or heard of someone wanting to get rid of System Y. Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass

This newsgroup is a real savior. I was beginning to think my friends and relatives references to my "lunacy" might be justified. But NOW I realize that I'm not the only obsolete computer nutcase. Kind of gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling all over. I must, however, admit to a transgression of which I am still in deep denial. In a pique of " I have to make some room in this bloody 1 bedroom apt." I threw out a bunch of mono monitors as well as a working LANPAR terminal. From the guys that Lotus reputedly stole their system from. Lotus won the court case because of some technicalities in LANPAR's copyright application. I only shudder to think that it might have been the last one in existence. ciao larry