I have a BlueSCSI in my HP logic analyser. It works pretty well but at one time it was getting corrupted (I think it may be fixed now) and I have to take the analyser apart to change the SD card.
There are adapters available that fit ribbon cable into the uSD slot on the BlueSCSI and bring it out to an enclosed SD card slot giving you a lot more control over how you make it accessible. Although this sounds a bad idea for data integrity, it doesn't seem to have caused any extra problems. I also use one on a 3D printer where the SD card slot is poorly mounted and it's very easy to post a uSD card inside the printer. On Mon, Dec 1, 2025 at 3:41 AM Zane Healy via cctalk <[email protected]> wrote: > I still have a large supply of DEC SCSI drives, and some BA350’s shelves > for them, but I have switched my main VAXen over to SCSI-to-SD boards, > though except for the VAXstation 4000/90 it makes more sense to use SIMH. > I used to be dead against emulating hardware for VMS, these days I would > rather have a nice low-power and reliable solution. > > Zane > > > > > On Nov 30, 2025, at 4:00 PM, Peter Ekstrom via cctalk < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Jerry, > > > > The ones I am seeing now range from a little over $500 up well over > $1000. > > But I will keep an eye on what pops up. > > And perhaps some other opportunity will present itself too. Who knows. I > > have a couple of MFM emulators for my PDPs > > so a SCSI emulator would be neat. Those old drives tend to get pricey and > > you never know how long they will last. > > > > - Peter > > > >> On Sun, Nov 30, 2025 at 6:25 PM Jerry Weiss <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> > >> If you are patient, its likely a MicroVAX 3100 at a lower price will > >> eventually appear. > >> > >> For disks I would suggest a SCSI2SD (now ZuluSCSI ?) or BlueSCSI > >> devices. You can partition one SD card into several drives. Using > >> industrial endurance SD cards is preferable, and slightly more > >> expensive, but in the sizes you are likely to need (~32 GB or less), it > >> shouldn't be too bad. SD card speed is not a factor. > >> > >> Checking out the electrolytic capacitors at the onset is important. It > >> can be hard to diagnose and repair semiconductors in switching power > >> supplies damaged by a shorted capacitor. > >> > >> Jerry > >> > >> > >> ------ Original Message ------ > >> From "Peter Ekstrom via cctalk" <[email protected]> > >> To "Wayne S" <[email protected]> > >> Cc "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > >> <[email protected]>; "Peter Ekstrom" <[email protected]> > >> Date 11/30/2025 3:27:23 PM > >> Subject [cctalk] Re: VAX and OpenVMS > >> > >>> Ok, good things to keep in mind. And glad to hear I was right in > thinking > >>> it seemed a bit high. > >>> Thank you, > >>> - Peter > >>>> On Sun, Nov 30, 2025 at 4:19 PM Wayne S <[email protected]> > wrote: > >>>> It depends on what the machine still has inside. > >>>> If you have to add disk and memory that will be expensive. > >>>> Also, if memory is missing, I’d be suspicious that the machine was > >> faulty > >>>> from the beginning. > >>>> $550 seems like a lot for a machine, especially if it’s not running. > >>>> Just my opinion. > >>>> I got my 3100 about two years ago for $90. Just missing disc drives. > >>>> Sent from my iPhone > >>>>> On Nov 30, 2025, at 13:14, Peter Ekstrom via cctalk < > >>>> [email protected]> wrote: > >>>>> I have no problem replacing caps in PSUs so if that's the only > >> problem > >>>> I'm > >>>>> good. Although the battery damage you mention can be quite a bit > >> trickier > >>>>> (if at all possible) to fix. > >>>>> Unfortunately many of the sellers on eBay don't really know, so it is > >>>> part > >>>>> of the risk one takes. So I am trying to make sure I pay a low but > >> fair > >>>>> price. > >>>>> - Peter > >>>>>> On Sun, Nov 30, 2025 at 3:54 PM Peter Coghlan via cctalk < > >>>>>> [email protected]> wrote: > >>>>>>> Very interesting thread. I was kinda thinking too that someone > >> running > >>>>>> VMS > >>>>>>> on a machine for hobby use would be too small of a potato to go > >> after. > >>>>>>> Incidentally, what would y'all value a MicroVAX 3100 at? I am > >> looking > >>>> at > >>>>>>> one on eBay for $550 but am considering making a lower offer. > >>>>>>> I have no details about it so don't know the amount of memory and > >> such. > >>>>>> I have about five or six MicroVAX 3100s and a similar number of > >>>> Vaxstation > >>>>>> 3100s. > >>>>>> They were all given to me or rescued from being dumped so I didn't > >> pay a > >>>>>> penny > >>>>>> for any of them. Almost all of them have had problems with > >> electrolytic > >>>>>> capacitors in the power supplies leaking. The nicad battery packs > >> would > >>>>>> also > >>>>>> have leaked if I hadn't removed them years ago. > >>>>>> If you are thinking of paying money for a Microvax 3100, I suggest > >> you > >>>> make > >>>>>> sure it hasn't already been damaged by leakage from capacitors or > >>>> batteries > >>>>>> and if you do aquire it, take immediate steps to make sure it > >> doesn't > >>>> soon > >>>>>> get > >>>>>> damaged by same. > >>>>>> Regards, > >>>>>> Peter Coghlan. > >
