New find - OSI Challenger 4P - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

7 Oct 2000

Your message reminded me of a common mod that was done on OSI machines to
avoid inadvertant resets caused by accidently hitting the "break" key.  Many
people installed a capacitor across this keyswitch so that it had to be held
down for a couple of seconds to reset the machine.  The screen would contain
random gibberish at power up and pushing the break key should give you the
"C/W/M" or "H/D/M" depending on the ROM pages selected for start up.
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Stek &lt;r.stek(a)snet.net&gt;
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org &lt;classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org&gt;
Date: Saturday, October 07, 2000 4:34 PM
Subject: New find - OSI Challenger 4P

...
 Wheeee!  I got an OSI Challenger 4P today (does this
complete my collection
of early micros with walnut sides?  I now have my Sol and NorthStar Horizon
and Challenger.)  Of course it would be even better if it worked or at least
...
 I had some documentation.  A shielded cable terminating
in an RCA phono plug
...
 exits the cabinet.  The fan turns and apparently
something is being output.
I tried a mono composite monitor with no luck, but channel 11 (?) seems to
give what could be a screen image with several inverse video blocks
scattered down the left side (we have a STRONG channel 3 here, and 4 is
garbage).  Pressing "return" shows no change in the screen, nor does
pressing a momentary-contact switch (home-brewed?) above the keyboard
labeled "Break Enable."

Since I never even saw one of these in the 70's, I could use some help.
Does anyone have docs they would be willing to copy for a reasonable fee?
Any other advice cheerfully accepted.

Bob Stek
Saver of Lost Sols