Re: MicroVAX 3100 ROMs

2019-09-21 Thread shadoooo via cctalk
Hello,
first of all, I would advice to READ the original eproms and compare with
known good.
This will possibly spare a lot of efforts...

Andrea


Re: Data General AViiON AV300D docs?

2019-09-21 Thread alan--- via cctalk



I'm in the same boat.  I have a PSU I'm trying to resurrect.  And have 
also discovered the SCSI pinout is not the same as the Sun 50-pin of the 
same (normal) density.


I had started to layout a replacement PSU board with modern Meanwell 
modules to provide the +5V and +12V bulk rails and then source some 
inverting modules to provide the negatives. However it has slipped 
pretty far down my priority list.  I did take accurate measurements of 
the PSU board for connector placement, edge dimensions, mounting 
locations and sizes, etc.  I also traced out the connector pins to each 
rail and control signals (though haven't documented the signal meanings 
yet).  I can share the Eagle project if you are still interested or just 
want to cross check your own work.


I had also planned on pinning out the SCSI cable.  But that fell down 
the priority list too.


-Alan

On 2019-09-21 17:52, Chris Hanson via cctalk wrote:

Does anyone have AViiON AV300D or related docs? I got a pair that have
bum power supplies and I’m hoping to find something that will makes
servicing them easier.

After I get them running, I’ll obviously be looking for software. And
a pinout for their unique SCSI port, though I hear they can netboot;
any details about that would be useful too.

  — Chris

Sent from my iPhone


Data General AViiON AV300D docs?

2019-09-21 Thread Chris Hanson via cctalk
Does anyone have AViiON AV300D or related docs? I got a pair that have bum 
power supplies and I’m hoping to find something that will makes servicing them 
easier.

After I get them running, I’ll obviously be looking for software. And a pinout 
for their unique SCSI port, though I hear they can netboot; any details about 
that would be useful too.

  — Chris

Sent from my iPhone


TU58 Archival (Was: Re: Tektrionix VAXBI board and DC100 training tapes?)

2019-09-21 Thread Mark J. Blair via cctalk




> On Sep 21, 2019, at 12:17 PM, Mattis Lind  wrote:
> 
> I dumped some 40 TU58 tapes a year ago. I replaced the band directly with 90 
> mm plastibands without even trying to run the tape. This was my procedure: 
> Open up the tape cartridge. Then the old band was removed carefully by 
> heating it slightly with a heat gun (low temperature). Then I managed to 
> remove it without destroying the tape itself. One can see the tape changes 
> appearance on the surface, then it can be removed. (Thanks to Rik Bos for the 
> advice about heating)


Thank you very much for your detailed instructions! I've tried using 
plastibands from a Baumgarten assortment once but it didn't work for me. I 
think the ones I used were the wrong size. They were very narrow once stretched 
into place, and they wouldn't stay on the tape reels without slipping off and 
terribly tangling everything up.

Coincidentally, I just got a food dehydrator for baking magnetic media before 
archiving, to prevent oxide shedding. I'll be using it for 8" floppy diskettes 
first. Does it matter whether baking is done before or after unsticking the old 
band from the tape?


> There are usually some residue from the band left on the tape. I used 
> isopropanol to remove this by gently rubbing the surface. Sometimes some kind 
> of salty residue has deposited on the back of the tape. Usually at the posts. 
> This was also cleaned gently using isopropanol. Failure to do the last step 
> usually caused the tape to stick during tape winding. Then cleaning the 
> backside helped out. 


Is cyclomethicone lubricant helpful for imaging old edge-driven cartridges like 
TU58, QIC, etc., or does it interfere with the belt drive?


> The bands I used was the 90 mm baumgarten plastibands. The interesting thing 
> is that they are actually japanese made by Nisshinbo and are called mobilon 
> bands. 
> 
> It should be possible to buy from Misumi. 
> 
> https://us.misumi-ec.com/vona2/detail/223000860382/?KWSearch=Mobilon&searchFlow=results2products&curSearch=%7b%22field%22%3a%22%40search%22%2c%22seriesCode%22%3a%3000860382%22%2c%22innerCode%22%3a%22%22%2c%22sort%22%3a1%2c%22specSortFlag%22%3a0%2c%22allSpecFlag%22%3a0%2c%22page%22%3a1%2c%22pageSize%22%3a%2260%22%2c%220161458%22%3a%22mig0001661601%22%2c%22fixedInfo%22%3a%22MDM0001617623122300086038211%7c12%22%7d&Tab=codeList
> 
> 
> 460 bands for 18 dollars is far better than buying those assorted packs from 
> Baumgarten. 
> 
> Haven’t ordered myself since they want that you have a  company to order. 
> Need to ask a friend to help out. 


I've ordered a bag of those Mobilon bands. I just typed in my name for the 
company name when I registered, and their site seemed happy with that.


-- 
Mark J. Blair, NF6X 
http://www.nf6x.net/



Re: Tektrionix VAXBI board and DC100 training tapes?

2019-09-21 Thread Mattis Lind via cctalk
lördag 21 september 2019 skrev Mark J. Blair via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org>:

>
>
> > On Sep 21, 2019, at 11:19 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> > I've got over a hundred TU58s I need to look at some day as well.
> > Fixed the pinch rollers on some TU58s a year or two ago, just too many
> other things to do.
>
> I have about a dozen TU58 cartridges which came with my VAX-11/730. I'd
> like to archive them (or even read them, for that matter), but so far I
> have had not had any success with repairing cartridge drive belts. I just
> hate those things. I have a feeling that I might have better results by
> building an open reel imaging drive where I transfer the tape media out of
> the original cartridge, abandoning the &$@#! drive belt concept. But that's
> going to be a fairly big project, so I haven't made progress on it beyond
> brainstorming so far.


I dumped some 40 TU58 tapes a year ago. I replaced the band directly with
90 mm plastibands without even trying to run the tape. This was my
procedure: Open up the tape cartridge. Then the old band was removed
carefully by heating it slightly with a heat gun (low temperature). Then I
managed to remove it without destroying the tape itself. One can see the
tape changes appearance on the surface, then it can be removed. (Thanks to
Rik Bos for the advice about heating)

There are usually some residue from the band left on the tape. I used
isopropanol to remove this by gently rubbing the surface. Sometimes some
kind of salty residue has deposited on the back of the tape. Usually at the
posts. This was also cleaned gently using isopropanol. Failure to do the
last step usually caused the tape to stick during tape winding. Then
cleaning the backside helped out.

Now the plastiband was installed and the cover put back.

I managed to fully recover all but one tape that had one bad block.

The bands I used was the 90 mm baumgarten plastibands. The interesting
thing is that they are actually japanese made by Nisshinbo and are called
mobilon bands.

It should be possible to buy from Misumi.

https://us.misumi-ec.com/vona2/detail/223000860382/?KWSearch=Mobilon&searchFlow=results2products&curSearch=%7b%22field%22%3a%22%40search%22%2c%22seriesCode%22%3a%3000860382%22%2c%22innerCode%22%3a%22%22%2c%22sort%22%3a1%2c%22specSortFlag%22%3a0%2c%22allSpecFlag%22%3a0%2c%22page%22%3a1%2c%22pageSize%22%3a%2260%22%2c%220161458%22%3a%22mig0001661601%22%2c%22fixedInfo%22%3a%22MDM0001617623122300086038211%7c12%22%7d&Tab=codeList


460 bands for 18 dollars is far better than buying those assorted packs
from Baumgarten.

Haven’t ordered myself since they want that you have a  company to order.
Need to ask a friend to help out.

/Mattis


>
> --
> Mark J. Blair, NF6X 
> http://www.nf6x.net/
>
>


Re: Tektrionix VAXBI board and DC100 training tapes?

2019-09-21 Thread Mark J. Blair via cctalk



> On Sep 21, 2019, at 11:19 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk  
> wrote:
> I've got over a hundred TU58s I need to look at some day as well.
> Fixed the pinch rollers on some TU58s a year or two ago, just too many other 
> things to do.

I have about a dozen TU58 cartridges which came with my VAX-11/730. I'd like to 
archive them (or even read them, for that matter), but so far I have had not 
had any success with repairing cartridge drive belts. I just hate those things. 
I have a feeling that I might have better results by building an open reel 
imaging drive where I transfer the tape media out of the original cartridge, 
abandoning the &$@#! drive belt concept. But that's going to be a fairly big 
project, so I haven't made progress on it beyond brainstorming so far.


-- 
Mark J. Blair, NF6X 
http://www.nf6x.net/



Re: Tektrionix VAXBI board and DC100 training tapes?

2019-09-21 Thread Al Kossow via cctalk



On 9/21/19 10:57 AM, Mark J. Blair via cctalk wrote:

>> I know of only one place that has TU58 dumps.
>> http://iamvirtual.ca/VAX11/VAX-11-software.html

I should mirror those.
I've got over a hundred TU58s I need to look at some day as well.
Fixed the pinch rollers on some TU58s a year or two ago, just too many other 
things to do.





Re: flux to imd

2019-09-21 Thread Chuck Guzis via cctalk
On 9/21/19 10:26 AM, Al Kossow wrote:
> 
> 
> On 9/21/19 10:12 AM, Mark J. Blair wrote:
> 
>> Is it effective to bake cookies in their jackets?
> I don't know, since i've never baked floppies. Chuck would know.


Yes, I do.  Usual 58C temps that I use for tapes.  Doesn't seem to
affect the jacket.

--Chuck



Re: Tektrionix VAXBI board and DC100 training tapes?

2019-09-21 Thread Mark J. Blair via cctalk



> On Sep 19, 2019, at 12:45 PM, Mattis Lind via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> Then there were some DC100 tapes in a huge heap of TU58 diagnostic tapes
> for VAX-11/730 and  VAX-11/750 that looked different.
[...]
> BTW. What are the status of various 11/730 and 11/750 diagnostics on TU58.
> Are those already dumped? It takes some time to work with TU58 so if
> someone already done all this I might skip dealing with them.
> 
> I know of only one place that has TU58 dumps.
> http://iamvirtual.ca/VAX11/VAX-11-software.html

That's the only site that I know of, too. Please see to it that those tapes get 
archived! Especially the 730 ones, for my own selfish interests as a 730 owner. 
:)

-- 
Mark J. Blair, NF6X 
http://www.nf6x.net/



Re: DEC RP04 service manual available

2019-09-21 Thread Paul Anderson via cctalk
I think I have a DDU, AKA off line tester.

On Sat, Sep 21, 2019 at 2:40 AM Evan Koblentz via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> I know of two RP04 drives in the wild. One belongs to a private
> collector. VCF has the other.
>
>


Re: DEC RP04 service manual available

2019-09-21 Thread Paul Anderson via cctalk
I think I have a DDU, AKA off line tester.

On Sat, Sep 21, 2019 at 2:40 AM Evan Koblentz via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> I know of two RP04 drives in the wild. One belongs to a private
> collector. VCF has the other.
>
>


Re: analog computer - texas

2019-09-21 Thread Toby Thain via cctalk
On 2019-09-20 2:36 p.m., John Herron via cctech wrote:
> Not bad. Ended up going for $215. I couldn't tell condition from pics but
> hopefully someone enjoys and shows it off some time.
> 


In the unlikely event the winner was anyone on this list, note that I
bought the manual for the TR-20 on ebay recently and after it gets
scanned, I could send it on for shipping so that it stays with the machine.

--Toby


> On Fri, Sep 20, 2019, 4:04 AM Mark Linimon via cctech 
> wrote:
> 
>> I'm local.  OTOH I have $ problems right now so I can't promise
>> to go over there, pick up stuff, and pack and ship it for free.
>>
>> I do have a bid in on the biological sample cases.
>>
>> (OK, it's a joke, but I do have one in on a rack)
>>
>> mcl
>>
> 



Re: DEC RP04 service manual available

2019-09-21 Thread Evan Koblentz via cctalk
I know of two RP04 drives in the wild. One belongs to a private 
collector. VCF has the other.