28 Nov
2009
28 Nov
'09
10:18 a.m.
On 11/28/09, Zane H. Healy <healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote:
At 4:46 PM +0100 11/28/09, Pontus wrote:
And for something 40+ years old, my definition of local is somewhat
expanded... unfortunately, Texas is still a bit far from Ohio. If
that were in Indiana or even Missouri, I'd definitely try to pick it
up.
Looking at the rack, since a Straight-8 has huge backplanes that fill
the top of the rack, there are no upper doors - I'm wondering if
that's an -8/S cabinet.
-ethan
Not mine, not affiliated, but I think a serious
collector should pick
this up!
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/ele/1484014610.html
I agree, racks like that are surely rare enough to warrant a rescue!
If I were local, I'd go for it! 
28 Nov
28 Nov
10:32 a.m.
That box is OLD. I tried to find anything that looks like it and
we start looking in the 1966 or earlier realm. I suspect it was
a much earlier box (pre super mini as PDP11 was first gen
super mini) and none of the PDP11 or PDP8 (E,I,F,M,A,L or
pdp12) used that cabinet that I know of and some of the
fossils in the DEC lab areas were sometimes odd. It's a no
match until I looks at old pdp(pre '65) pictures.
FYI all the old 8 racks I'd ever seen were mostly black and
maybe gray. Blue is an old DEC color for old systems.
This one is unusual.
Allison
Ethan Dicks wrote:
On 11/28/09, Zane H. Healy <healyzh at
aracnet.com> wrote:
At 4:46 PM +0100 11/28/09, Pontus wrote:
And for something 40+ years old, my definition of local is somewhat
expanded... unfortunately, Texas is still a bit far from Ohio. If
that were in Indiana or even Missouri, I'd definitely try to pick it
up.
Looking at the rack, since a Straight-8 has huge backplanes that fill
the top of the rack, there are no upper doors - I'm wondering if
that's an -8/S cabinet.
-ethan
Not mine, not affiliated, but I think a serious
collector should pick
this up!
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/ele/1484014610.html
I agree, racks like that are surely rare enough to warrant a rescue!
If I were local, I'd go for it!
10:34 a.m.
Looking at the rack, since a Straight-8 has huge
backplanes that fill
the top of the rack, there are no upper doors - I'm wondering if
that's an -8/S cabinet.
I have seen Staight-8s in that style rack - they fit.
Very nice - I wish I was closer. I need to make a New York to
Knoxville run soon, but that is too far out of the way.
--
Will
11:04 a.m.
Looking at the rack, since a Straight-8 has huge
backplanes that fill
the top of the rack, there are no upper doors - I'm wondering if
that's an -8/S cabinet.
Hmm you are right, It can't be a PDP-8
http://www.oldcomputers.arcula.co.uk/files/images/pdp8101.jpg
I then thought It might be a PDP-5, but that is probably not so:
http://www.mcmanis.com/chuck/computers/images/pdp5-rescue.jpg
Perhaps it is for a peripheral for one of the above?
mvh,
Pontus.
11:52 a.m.
Looking at the
rack, since a Straight-8 has huge backplanes that fill
the top of the rack, there are no upper doors - I'm wondering if
that's an -8/S cabinet.
Hmm you are right, It can't be a PDP-8
12:56 p.m.
William Donzelli wrote:
You guys can not tell the top of the Dallas mystery rack has two
doors, side by side? They are not woodgrain, but blue - I have seen
Straight-8s like this, with no woodgrain. Maybe it is for another
piece of DEC gear, but the clues tell me Straight-8.
--
Will
True, it is the proportions of the upper half to the lower half that
don't match. Also the lower part of the Straight-8 does not have doors
and the upper doors are attached to the computer, if the computer is
gone, I would expect that the doors would be gone too.
http://www.megabaud.fi/~setala/pics/pdp8-6p.jpg
/Pontus.
Looking at the rack, since a Straight-8 has huge
backplanes that fill
the top of the rack, there are no upper doors - I'm wondering if
that's an -8/S cabinet.
Hmm you are right, It can't be a PDP-8
1:36 p.m.
True, it is the proportions of the upper half to the
lower half that
don't match. Also the lower part of the Straight-8 does not have doors
and the upper doors are attached to the computer, if the computer is
gone, I would expect that the doors would be gone too.
http://www.megabaud.fi/~setala/pics/pdp8-6p.jpg
Look at all that airspace in this machine. Certainly a Straight-8
could fit in the Dallas mystery rack.
Realize that DEC in 1960s was fond of never standardizing their
components (especially paint jobs and cosmetics). Minor variations in
the racks really do not matter.
--
Will
10:03 p.m.
It looks a bit like the main cabinet for our PDP-7. The typeface of the top logo matches,
as do the apparent dimensions. I'm not saying it might not have been for an early -8,
but the Straight 8s I've seen weren't in anything like this. The side-by-side
blue doors are typical -7.
Will, thanks for rescuing this! Regardless of how it's ultimately identified,
it's clearly Old Stuffe. -- Ian
________________________________________
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of
Pontus [pontus at update.uu.se]
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2009 12:56 PM
To: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Straight-8 Rack available
William Donzelli wrote:
You guys can not tell the top of the Dallas mystery rack has two
doors, side by side? They are not woodgrain, but blue - I have seen
Straight-8s like this, with no woodgrain. Maybe it is for another
piece of DEC gear, but the clues tell me Straight-8.
--
Will
True, it is the proportions of the upper half to the lower half that
don't match. Also the lower part of the Straight-8 does not have doors
and the upper doors are attached to the computer, if the computer is
gone, I would expect that the doors would be gone too.
http://www.megabaud.fi/~setala/pics/pdp8-6p.jpg
/Pontus.
Looking at the rack, since a Straight-8 has huge
backplanes that fill
the top of the rack, there are no upper doors - I'm wondering if
that's an -8/S cabinet.
Hmm you are right, It can't be a PDP-8
5819
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7 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
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ajp166＠verizon.net -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com -
IanK＠vulcan.com -
pontus＠update.uu.se -
wdonzelli＠gmail.com