SURVEY: Powering big iron in your home. - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

4 Jun 2002

...
  I wanted to conduct some survey of the common
practices (which
 may or may not be good practices) to powering your very own mini
 and maxi big iron in your home. I think this topic may be 
Well, the biggest I've got in our apartment is my PDP-11/73, and a couple of
PDP-8's.  They're small enough they plug into a normal wall socket.  Oh,
there is also the VAX 3500, but I've not even plugged it in to see if it
works.  Hmmm, then there is the really big 'computer', does a 4 slot Neo Geo
Arcade machine count as 'Big Iron' :^)  Or is that 'Big Wood' :^)

However, in my folks garage I've got my PDP-11/44 with a pair of RL02's. 
Since the system is supposed to have a 15A feed, my Dad built a 'extension'
cable that plugs into one of the sockets next to their washer & dryer (not
sure why they've a spare socket).  It's been a few years since he built it,
however, I remember that he built it useing parts that were spec'd at 15+
amps.  The only problem with this is you can't do laundry while the PDP-11
is running.

Now my question is, what are you doing about cooling?  I know the /44 will
get my folks garage up to a comfortable temp fairly quickly in the winter,
and it can only be run in the morning in the summer.

				Zane