11 Feb
2004
11 Feb
'04
4:51 p.m.
McCollum, Peter wrote:
Hi all,
Just joined up.
I have a straight-8 in the garage (not working, but repairable I think) with an ASR-33.
No other perpherals.
Also have an 8-E (almost working I think). It has several option/IO cards in it, but no
actual perpherals.
I started with DEC in 1981, in a Test Engineering group for Storage.
Here's my first question:
What should I do about the glass on the straight-8 front panel? The paint markings are
peeling off.
Is there a recommended way to preserve it?
Or, has anyone made a graphic template that can be used to print a new panel, and put it
behind a piece of plain glass?
Regards,
Pete
You need to get in touch with this guy
about getting your straight 8 working.
His 8 has suffered major damage and
needs major parts like a core memory
and backplane and front panel.
See this web site for details.
http://nisler.org/crash/
** warning -- not for the faint hearted **
I am also posting this to classic computers
since a lot of people have 8's there.
A replacement front panel and other parts
may be a good group effort for the people
that still have straight 8's.
Ben.
11 Feb
11 Feb
6:17 p.m.
On Wed, 11 Feb 2004, ben franchuk wrote:
McCollum, Peter wrote:
Nisler's PDP-8 is scrap. It can be restored, but I think it makes no
sense whatsoever to take apart Pete's PDP-8 to supply parts for Nisler's
machine. It should be the other way around if anything.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
Hi all,
Just joined up.
I have a straight-8 in the garage (not working, but repairable I think) with an ASR-33.
No other perpherals.
Also have an 8-E (almost working I think). It has several option/IO cards in it, but no
actual perpherals.
I started with DEC in 1981, in a Test Engineering group for Storage.
Here's my first question:
What should I do about the glass on the straight-8 front panel? The paint markings are
peeling off.
Is there a recommended way to preserve it?
Or, has anyone made a graphic template that can be used to print a new panel, and put it
behind a piece of plain glass?
Regards,
Pete
You need to get in touch with this guy about getting your straight 8
working. His 8 has suffered major damage and needs major parts like a
core memory and backplane and front panel. See this web site for
details. http://nisler.org/crash/ ** warning -- not for the faint
hearted ** I am also posting this to classic computers since a lot of
people have 8's there. A replacement front panel and other parts may be
a good group effort for the people that still have straight 8's.
12 Feb
12 Feb
12:56 p.m.
Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
Nisler's PDP-8 is scrap. It can be restored, but I think it makes no
sense whatsoever to take apart Pete's PDP-8 to supply parts for Nisler's
machine. It should be the other way around if anything.
I beg to differ. Both people need a front pannel to say the least.
Both people have talents skills and hardware that need to shared.
While Nisler's PDP-8 is only a pile of parts right now, Kermit
may still live if he can compare it to a working 8. Pete lacks the
hardware know how to get his 8 working. Fixing Kirmit and Pete's
8 togther gives both people a chance to learn more.
I posted this message to cctalk in the hopes of people with
straight 8's and other 8's to share knowlage and information.
Ben.
1:58 p.m.
On Thu, 12 Feb 2004, ben franchuk wrote:
Ben, PA-lease! Have we both seen the same photos of Nisler's PDP-8? His
machine got CREAMED. As I stated before, it can be restored, but I would
NOT take parts from another machine (as you seemingly suggested in your
last message), such as Pete's, which, from the description, sounded like
it was 1,000,000 times more readily restorable than Nisler's. It just
had paint peeling off the front panel glass. Nisler's is a pile of scrap
sitting amidst the rubble of a condemned house.
"Kermit" is not a person, it's a computer. A smashed computer. And no
matter how you want might want to personify it (calling it Kermit is cute
but doesn't help) it still doesn't change the fact that it has one foot
in the scrap bin.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
Nisler's
PDP-8 is scrap. It can be restored, but I think it makes no
sense whatsoever to take apart Pete's PDP-8 to supply parts for Nisler's
machine. It should be the other way around if anything.
I beg to differ. Both people need a front pannel to say the least.
Both people have talents skills and hardware that need to shared.
While Nisler's PDP-8 is only a pile of parts right now, Kermit
may still live if he can compare it to a working 8. Pete lacks the
hardware know how to get his 8 working. Fixing Kirmit and Pete's
8 togther gives both people a chance to learn more.
I posted this message to cctalk in the hopes of people with
straight 8's and other 8's to share knowlage and information. 
13 Feb
13 Feb
6:20 a.m.
New subject: **********Re: Straight 8 -- front panel repair
if ya all are patient folk I know I have an extra frontpanel for a straight
8 in one of our buildings that could be for trade. as I recall it is nice.
Thanks!
Ed Sharpe Archivist for SMECC
See the Southwest Museum of Engineering, Communications and Computation
online at:
http://www.smecc.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vintage Computer Festival" <vcf(a)siconic.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 5:58 PM
Subject: Re: Straight 8 -- front panel repair
Ben, PA-lease! Have we both seen the same photos of Nisler's PDP-8? His
machine got CREAMED. As I stated before, it can be restored, but I would
NOT take parts from another machine (as you seemingly suggested in your
last message), such as Pete's, which, from the description, sounded like
it was 1,000,000 times more readily restorable than Nisler's. It just
had paint peeling off the front panel glass. Nisler's is a pile of scrap
sitting amidst the rubble of a condemned house.
"Kermit" is not a person, it's a computer. A smashed computer. And no
matter how you want might want to personify it (calling it Kermit is cute
but doesn't help) it still doesn't change the fact that it has one foot
in the scrap bin.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
On Thu, 12 Feb 2004, ben franchuk wrote:
> > Nisler's PDP-8 is scrap. It can be restored, but I think it makes no
> > sense whatsoever to take apart Pete's PDP-8 to supply parts for
Nisler's
machine. It should be the other way around if
anything.
I beg to differ. Both people need a front pannel to say the least.
Both people have talents skills and hardware that need to shared.
While Nisler's PDP-8 is only a pile of parts right now, Kermit
may still live if he can compare it to a working 8. Pete lacks the
hardware know how to get his 8 working. Fixing Kirmit and Pete's
8 togther gives both people a chance to learn more.
I posted this message to cctalk in the hopes of people with
straight 8's and other 8's to share knowlage and information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
International Man of Intrigue and Danger
http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage
mputers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at
http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
14 Feb
14 Feb
2:47 p.m.
New subject: **********Re: Straight 8 -- front panel repair
Ed,
If the panel is indeed a nice one it would be a good candidate to copy to
make reproductions using one of the places I listed in a previous
message. I believe all they need is a good sample from which to shoot a
master. Other -8 owners could then order repros as they are needed. All to
make the existing units better if there's a panel problem.
-Chris F.
NNNN
Upon the date 10:20 AM 2/13/04 -0700, Ed Sharpe said something like:
if ya all are patient folk I know I have an extra
frontpanel for a straight
8 in one of our buildings that could be for trade. as I recall it is nice.
Thanks!
Ed Sharpe Archivist for SMECC
See the Southwest Museum of Engineering, Communications and Computation
online at:
http://www.smecc.org
--snip--
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.antiquewireless.org/
4:35 p.m.
New subject: **********Re: Straight 8 -- front panel repair
On Sat, 14 Feb 2004, Christian Fandt wrote:
If the panel is indeed a nice one it would be a good
candidate to copy to
make reproductions using one of the places I listed in a previous
message. I believe all they need is a good sample from which to shoot a
master. Other -8 owners could then order repros as they are needed. All to
make the existing units better if there's a panel problem.
I've got a high resolution scan of the PDP-8 front panel that I used for
the replica I built. It's been touched-up and so is a very good sample.
I can provide it to anyone that wants it.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
13 Feb
13 Feb
8:51 a.m.
A few sources that some of us radio folks use for making reproduction flat
dials on old radios could help. Here is contact info for several that I
know so far:
Lynn Brock email: n0alo(a)kans.com (good reputation)
Radio Daze http://www.radiodaze.com/reproglassdials.htm
And a non-glass source (made from acrylic sheet, etc.):
Rock Sea Enterprises http://members.aol.com/RockSeaEnt/
This is a start to help find a way to have PDP-8 fronts reproduced. An old
time radio company called Hallicrafters made decent quality radio receivers
for commercial, military and Ham or shortwave listening use. They had made
several radio models with relatively large glass dial panels which had
markings silk screened onto the back. With age and especially poor storage
conditions those markings would peel off like Peter's PDP-8 panel did.
At least Peter McCollum, who initiated this thread, could benefit. The
folks above make replacement dials for such radios and one or more may be
convinced to give you a cost quotation for your -8.
On the other hand, in checking recently added photos on Jeff Nisler's
website (the fella who had his PDP-8 *and* house thoroughly demolished by a
decidedly errant automobile) I agree his PDP-8 is wrecked so much that it
would not be practical to restore it. Some untouched PC boards and other
parts may be salvaged, but the rest sure looks like toast. What a sad,
miserable mess. I would be absolutely heartsick to have to go through that.
-Chris
NNNN
Upon the date 08:51 PM 2/11/04 -0700, ben franchuk said something like:
McCollum, Peter wrote:
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.antiquewireless.org/
Hi all,
Just joined up.
I have a straight-8 in the garage (not working, but repairable I think)
with an ASR-33. No other perpherals.
Also have an 8-E (almost working I think). It has several option/IO cards
in it, but no actual perpherals.
I started with DEC in 1981, in a Test Engineering group for Storage.
Here's my first question:
What should I do about the glass on the straight-8 front panel? The paint
markings are peeling off. Is there a recommended way to preserve it?
Or, has anyone made a graphic template that can be used to print a new
panel, and put it behind a piece of plain glass?
Regards,
Pete
You need to get in touch with this guy
about getting your straight 8 working.
His 8 has suffered major damage and
needs major parts like a core memory
and backplane and front panel.
See this web site for details.
http://nisler.org/crash/
** warning -- not for the faint hearted **
I am also posting this to classic computers
since a lot of people have 8's there.
A replacement front panel and other parts
may be a good group effort for the people
that still have straight 8's.
Ben.
7445
days inactive
7448
days old
7 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
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bfranchuk＠jetnet.ab.ca -
cfandt＠netsync.net -
esharpe＠uswest.net -
vcf＠siconic.com