9 Jun
1998
9 Jun
'98
2:15 p.m.
Was the second episode also in Antarctica? Wouldn't there be a reason
why the first chip fried? I mean chips don't just evaporate their
casings!
At one job, I want back to the stock room to find three monitors
that were tagged "BAD (RED|GREEN) GUN". One was repairable by
straightening out the bent pin. The other two were too crimped
and broke off. Fortunately, we had a pile of (genuinely) dead
ones that could be stripped for the cables. This was in Antarctica.
Couldn't exactly send out for spares (until sunrise).
At that same place, the other techs ooh'ed and aah'ed when I
replaced a surface mount chip that drove the parallel port
on a Dell 316sx. (When I went to that service call, after half-
an-hour of debugging the machine (which still booted and ran),
the customer commented, "maybe it won't print because of all the
smoke that was coming out of it." I thought he was joking at
first. I mean, wouldn't you mention _that_ in the first five
minutes of describing the problem? Upon closer examination,
I could see the hole in the package. New chip, no problem.)
-ethan
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I add to this tricky problems:
- Bent pin on VGA monitor plug
9 Jun
9 Jun
2:47 p.m.
New subject: Portables
Hi all...
Does anyone have insight into a portable system called "the Husky"?
My curiosity is piqued...
Best regards,
van
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van burnham http://www.futuraworld.com
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3:15 p.m.
New subject: Portables
I thought that the Husky systems were first developed in 1981?
Doesn't that count as "classic"...
van
On Tue, 9 Jun 1998, Van Burnham wrote:
........................................................................
@
/
/ Shift Lever
(D)/
\===================================== @ ================ Floor Plan ===
BNL |- - -Phase Shifter- - - -|--/ Get Wired!
- ------------]=[]@----------------------@ 415.276.4979
Trans- ] ]](A) Toll Free 1.888.208.6655 (B) ? (C) Rear Connection
mission ]]]]]]]]]]]]Driveshaft]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
] ]]
71 ------------] web superstation of the stars...
van burnham http://www.futuraworld.com
production manager
wired 520 third street fourth floor san francisco ca 94107 united states
........................................................................
for immediate emergency wireless access send email to van-page(a)wired.com
van(a)wired.com van(a)futuraworld.com pingpong(a)spy.net vanburnham(a)aol.com
Does anyone have insight into a portable system
called "the Husky"?
Husky makes ruggedized pen-based machines. Non-classic, AFAIK.
-- Doug 
4:22 p.m.
New subject: Portables
On Tue, 9 Jun 1998, Van Burnham wrote:
I thought that the Husky systems were first developed
in 1981?
Doesn't that count as "classic"...
Hmm, I've never seen one of their old machines before, but you're right:
http://www.husky.co.uk/uk/company/history.html
<<
1981. Responding to a request from Severn Trent Water, DVW designed and
manufactured the first rugged handheld computer - the Husky, dramatically
featured on the BBC TV programme 'Tomorrow's World'. This caught the
attention of the UK Ministry of Defence, who subsequently awarded DVW a
contract to supply the MOD with rugged handheld computers as part of the
Rapier missile project.
>
Do you have one of the older models?
-- Doug
8:56 p.m.
Was the second episode also in Antarctica? Wouldn't there be a reason
why the first chip fried? I mean chips don't just evaporate their
casings!
You haven't seen how dirty the power is down there. Officially, the
power grid ground was a busted tractor on the end of a cable, pushed
into the bay. Unofficially, I was told that the station's phone system
acted as a sort of ground web.
At McMurdo, there are several diesel generators, most of which were
working at any given moment. It took four turning in the summer when
the demand was highest. We used to get frequent brownouts in the summer
time with the occasional station-wide blackout. Yes, there are more
lights on in the winter, but in the summer, all the buildings are open
and all have furnace blowers and computers and office lights, etc.
Stuff would break mysteriously; UPSes would mysteriously melt down. At
the South Pole station, the clocks didn't keep proper time because the
frequency wasn't exactly 60 Hz. Be glad for your local power grid. We
had no such luxury.
ObClassicCmp: Until 1996, the primary and secondary DNS servers at
McMurdo were a pair of uVAXen running VMS. They had the advantage of
being unlikely to be cracked. It was their only advantage. :-)
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