13 Jan
1999
13 Jan
'99
8:15 a.m.
Is there still a source for paper tape and punch cards (new or old)?
Is there also a source for old mechanical ttys? I'd love to get one
connected to one of my Linux boxes!
Arfon
13 Jan
13 Jan
9:02 a.m.
Western Numerical Supply in Grass Valley California sells paper tape. I
bought some from them for an ASR 33 I've been restoring. Getting mechanical
TTYs is somewhat difficult at the moment.
--Chuck
At 01:15 PM 1/13/99 -0600, you wrote:
Is there still a source for paper tape and punch cards
(new or old)?
Is there also a source for old mechanical ttys? I'd love to get one
connected to one of my Linux boxes!
Arfon
9:47 a.m.
Western Numerical Supply in Grass Valley California
sells paper tape. I
bought some from them for an ASR 33 I've been restoring. Getting mechanical
TTYs is somewhat difficult at the moment.
--Chuck
What do you mean "at the moment"?
I've thought about buying a Teletype for fun (haven't decided which model --
I suppose the 5-bit ones are a lot simpler to maintain). The sources I
would check are this list, ham radio swapmeets/rallies, organizations for
the deaf (since Teletypes have had long and honorable service as TDD's), and
all the other usual places. But I don't know the prospects or the prices.
So your message had me a bit worried -- What made you write that? Do you
expect the situation to improve?
OK, there is a local museum with a nice collection -- they might have
pointers too but somehow I doubt they would sell any of their machines.
-- Derek
10:27 a.m.
When I got the PDP-8/e I wanted to add a Teletype (ASR-33) for its console.
This being the one true console for a PDP-8. So I started looking around,
then deeper, then deeper still. After going to many ham swaps, lots of the
Silicon Valley surplus scene, and the Internet I determined that 1996 was
the year of the great TTY purge. Literally dozens of people told me, "I
junked n of them last year." (in 1997 of course). I then began advertising
and eventually put up posters in a couple of the more well known "surplus"
places around town offering $100 for one in good condition. I got serveral
calls, many because and ASR-32 (5 bit TELEX machine) had shown up, and a
few "How about an KSR-43?" (got one of those), and a couple of "I've
only
got pieces of one." I've collected a bunch of pieces and have been
restoring some of them. I then was contacted by a wonderful person in Utah
who actually had a running one and I bought it from him. However, that one
was not wired for current loop (it had some home brewed RS-232 converter on
it) and it's reader is not functioning. (No idea why yet.)
I say "at the moment" because I cannot tell if this lull is permanent or
temporary. Lots of machine shops had ASR-33's and they might be converting
them at some point. Jim Willing was looking for one too, I don't know if he
found one or not. I know of two others, but how they will go is unknowable
to me.
--Chuck
At 12:47 PM 1/13/99 -0800, you wrote:
Western
Numerical Supply in Grass Valley California sells paper tape. I
bought some from them for an ASR 33 I've been restoring. Getting mechanical
TTYs is somewhat difficult at the moment.
--Chuck
What do you mean "at the moment"?
I've thought about buying a Teletype for fun (haven't decided which model --
I suppose the 5-bit ones are a lot simpler to maintain). The sources I
would check are this list, ham radio swapmeets/rallies, organizations for
the deaf (since Teletypes have had long and honorable service as TDD's), and
all the other usual places. But I don't know the prospects or the prices.
So your message had me a bit worried -- What made you write that? Do you
expect the situation to improve?
OK, there is a local museum with a nice collection -- they might have
pointers too but somehow I doubt they would sell any of their machines.
-- Derek 
10:54 a.m.
New subject: TTYs and hunting and readers (was - Re: Paper tape and Cards...
On Wed, 13 Jan 1999, Chuck McManis wrote:
When I got the PDP-8/e I wanted to add a Teletype
(ASR-33) for its console.
This being the one true console for a PDP-8.
Well... Maybe a '35 in a REAL large configuration... B^}
So I started looking around,
then deeper, then deeper still. After going to many ham swaps, lots of the
Silicon Valley surplus scene, and the Internet I determined that 1996 was
the year of the great TTY purge. Literally dozens of people told me, "I
junked n of them last year." (in 1997 of course).
Sad, isn't it? But never give up! Far too often you just have to turn
over one more rock!
... I then was contacted by a wonderful person in
Utah
who actually had a running one and I bought it from him.
See, what did I tell you!
However, that one
was not wired for current loop (it had some home brewed RS-232 converter on
it) and it's reader is not functioning. (No idea why yet.)
OK. A bit of seriousness here. In most of the TTYs I've worked on
(fought with?) over the years, when a reader suddenly (more or less) goes
non-functional, it is usually because the clutch trip solenoid has gone
south. (the coil usually goes open)
Disclaimer for next steps - BEWARE moving mechanical parts and exposed
voltage sources within the device that are unshielded when the cover is
removed!
If you are not familiar with safety procedures for working in this
environment, or are uncomfortable doing such things... STOP and find
someone who is!
Easiest way to tell for sure is to pull the top cover off, put a tape in
the reader, and move the control lever to the 'run' position. Based on
your description, nothing will happen...
Locate the reader transmission clutch solenoid (rear of the machine,
slightly in from the right side, above the main shaft), and the lever that
is latched by the solenoid. Manually trip the solenoid. (briefly, don't
hold it down)
If the clutch cycles with a loud clunk, accompanied by the reader
executing one read cycle and advancing the tape, (and possibly the unit
printing the tape character that was read) congradulations. You have
found the problem! Now, you just need to decide how to fix/replace the
coil. (too long a procedure to go into here)
I say "at the moment" because I cannot tell
if this lull is permanent or
temporary. Lots of machine shops had ASR-33's and they might be converting
them at some point. Jim Willing was looking for one too, I don't know if he
found one or not. I know of two others, but how they will go is unknowable
to me.
As with many things like this, its either flood or famine. I found one
after much struggle, and then ended up with multiples! And then, an
ASR-38 popped up! Again, it just took finding the right rock to look
under... Now I'm seeking the more elusive ASR-35 or 37!
And before anyone starts drooling, yes I am open for trades... Just what
I don't know yet. I still could use a MITS 'turnkey' card for an 8800B
turnkey unit... or a 'straight-8'! B^}
(hey... I can dream!)
-jim
---
jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com
The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw
Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174
1:11 p.m.
New subject: TTYs and hunting and readers (was - Re: Paper tape and Cards...
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2:26 p.m.
At 12:47 PM 1/13/99 -0800, Derek Peschel wrote:
At 12:02 PM -0800, Chuck McManis wrote:
>> Western Numerical Supply in Grass Valley California sells paper tape. I
>> bought some from them for an ASR 33 I've been restoring. Getting mechanical
>> TTYs is somewhat difficult at the moment.
>> --Chuck
>What do you mean "at the moment"?
>I've thought about buying a Teletype for
fun (haven't decided which model --
>I suppose the 5-bit ones are a lot simpler to maintain). The sources I
>would check are this list, ham radio swapmeets/rallies, organizations for
>the deaf (since Teletypes have had long and honorable service as TDD's), and
>all the other usual places. But I don't know the prospects or the prices.
Actually, ASR33's are sort of easy to find. Just gotta keep looking. They
turn up. If you were close by you could have one of my ASR33's for the
taking as I don't need three of 'em.
There is an email list just for data communications gear such as Teletype
machines. It's called Greenkeys. We're not a very active list, far less
traffic than ClassicCmp, but several folks on the reflector are rather
well-versed in TTY gear as they'd used it for years, repaired it for years
or even built it at Teletype Corp.
The list owner has a small data communications museum in So. Cal. Check
out this URL: http://www.nadcomm.com.
>So your message had me a bit worried -- What
made you write that? Do you
>expect the situation to improve?
>OK, there is a local museum with a nice
collection -- they might have
>pointers too but somehow I doubt they would sell any of their machines.
Which museum is that Derek?
Regards, Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
9364
days inactive
9364
days old
7 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
arfonrg＠texas.net -
cfandt＠netsync.net -
cmcmanis＠freegate.com -
dpeschel＠u.washington.edu -
jimw＠agora.rdrop.com