[cctalk] Re: VCFMW items available upon request

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/2/24 21:27, Richard via cctalk wrote:

In article  
you write:

I think most people here would disagree with you. How many people would
scrap a KI10, 11/20, PDP8 or any piece of classic computer equipment if it
was not "working in proper order"?

I usually discuss this with the potential buyer.

I have never heard a technically skilled person say that.

In other words, all your inventory was pulled decades ago and has been
rotting away in some warehouse on a shelf and is a restoration project.

Got it.
Not sure what this attack on Paul is about, but his collection is from 
one of the largest DEC resale operations on the map.  It is in great 
shape from everything I've gotten from him as can be expected for 
decades old hardware.


I'm not stooping to insulting whatever else anyone might have in 
whatever shape it is in, as mine is in as good as most any of us who 
aren't Paul Allen can keep it.  And look how well that played out.



--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" free book 
 The Terminals Wiki 
  The Computer Graphics Museum 
   Legalize Adulthood! (my blog) 

[cctalk] Re: Pick system in Manitoba looking for a new home

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I know a lot about Ultimate systems, worked there as a developer, and 
have a system.


I've contacted the fellow about helping with the system.

It's got apparently 2 66mb Priam drives, and an F880 Cipher tape, a nice 
system.


If anyone here rescues it, I'm glad to help.  I am in Kansas City now, a 
bit distant, but asked him about it.  Probably will have to help someone 
else with it.


thanks
Jim


On 7/24/24 18:07, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:

It is apparently an LSI/PDP-11/2 with Pick operating system

On Wed, 24 Jul 2024, Adrian Stoness via cctalk wrote:
what is this thing im up in lynn lake be down in wpg in a week witch 
is 2hr

drive from wpg

[cctalk] Re: Pick system in Manitoba looking for a new home

[jim stephens via cctalk]

All but the processor board is built by Sigma System in Anaheim, CA.  I 
think it's an 11/23 clone system.


The owner said all of the boards were not dec, but the processor.

They built a Qbus system very much like the DEC one but w/o some of the 
hard to find things DEC only built.

thanks
Jim

On 7/24/24 14:21, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote:

On 7/24/24 10:47, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:
Would anyone like to rescue a vintage Pick minicomputer in Manitoba, 
Canada?


https://discuss.systems/@ahelwer/112836345012817998

«
A wide ask here so please boost: my grandfather is trying to get rid 
of an old business computer, and I was wondering whether any vintage 
computer people might want it. It was purchased for $50k from The 
Ultimate Corporation in the early 80s. This ran the Pick operating 
system, and my best guess is the hardware was originally manufactured 
by GE or Honeywell. It's about the size of a half-rack and currently 
lives in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. It has sat covered in plastic in 
a chemical warehouse for the past 35 years. Where do people usually 
post stuff like this other than here? Thanks!

»


The card cage has a VERY strong DEC look to it - probably LSI-11.

Jon

[cctalk] Re: Experience using an Altair 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/8/24 12:33, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote:

On 6/8/24 11:56, Vincent Slyngstad via cctalk wrote:

On 6/8/2024 7:43 AM, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote:

On 6/7/24 20:42, Vincent Slyngstad via cctalk wrote:

On 6/7/2024 6:19 PM, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote:
OK, I have to chime in here.  I worked for Artronix about 1972. 
The LINC computer was developed at MIT for use in biomedical 
research labs, and a bunch of people involved with it later moved 
to Washington University in St. Louis. The Biomedical Computer Lab 
there later added some features such a a crude memory mapping unit 
and more memory, and called this the Programmed Console, so as not 
to scare people away. Artronix began building these PC's and 
selling them to hospitals for radiation therapy planning.  I have 
no idea how many were sold. They were built into a desk, and used 
7400-series logic chips. They etched their own PC boards, drilled 
them by hand and soldered in the chips by hand.  I wrote a series 
of diagnostics for them.


Do any survive? I've looked for them but never found one. 


An Artronix PC?  I seriously doubt it, but it is possible. There is 
at least one LINC that was restored about a decade ago, and taken 
out to VCF 10.  If an Artronix PC did evade the scrapper, it would 
not be that hard to get it running again.


Even maintenance drawings would be great.

Does any software survive? Diagnostics would be cool, but so would 
MUMPS. Not sure the radiology software would be useful, but it would 
still be of historic interest.


Well, I believe that LINC LAP-6 will "boot" on an Artronix PC.  I am 
fairly sure I did try that a long time ago.


And, the guys who resurrected the LINC for the VCF demo did have LAP-6 
running.  One big feature of the Artronix PC was a TEK storage scope 
that allowed you to see a whole page of text at a time, instead of the 
tiny window that was available on the LINC. I think the LINC could 
only support about 8 or 12 short lines due to the slow refresh.


Jon

I'll ask Al Weber if he has anything.  I know unless it's PC sized he 
doesn't have it.  He has a lot of RS6000 stuff I need to pick up and 
Victor.  I think he did a give away of a lot of his documentation about 
5 years ago, so he may have given it away if he had it.

thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: First Personal Computer

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 5/24/24 11:49, Mike Katz via cctalk wrote:
The problem with this debate is that the definition of Personal 
Computer is totally fluid 
A friend worked with an IBM 4361 at UMSL in St. Louis.  It was very 
little used as the print and other unit record had a separate unit to 
handle that traffic to the University of Missouri, Columbia's 370-145 
(later upgraded a lot).


But the 4361 was his "PC" and was about ideal.  He had the system, tape 
drive, a few disks, and a 2741 and a couple of terminals to log on 
with.  Also a printer.


Ran VM/SP 5 as the OS, so you could do about anything you  liked without 
any impact on the system as far as creating a problem.


lots of toys if you knew where to get them.  I don't think they had 
anything but VM, or if they did wasn't complicated.


I think the 4361 was the best of all of those systems, because of the 
integrated storage director.


It had plenty of channels if you needed to add anything, and usually 
you'd have at least a tape drive on those.


All of the air cooled systems, 31, 41, 61 and 81 had integrated com 
connections, so you could hook up a console, as well as a few other 
"regular" consoles w/o adding a controller of any sort.


Thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Demagnetization of eproms was :Re: FWIW CD & DVD demagnitizitation

[jim stephens via cctalk]

... [was: Double Density 3.5" Floppy Disks]

On 5/7/24 12:15, CAREY SCHUG via cctalk wrote:

my ears would never be good enough to notice any difference
Off on another tangent years ago when the first eproms showed up, where 
I worked had nothing but programmable proms (as in Data I/O).


I had an Imsai system and had just gotten a board to carry eproms, and 
brought one in to put some patterns in it till I got a programmer.


We had a lot of mag tapes, and in our area (programmers cube farm) there 
was a utility area with paper punches, binding supplies, and a 
demagnetizer a safe distance from anyone's tapes.


We paused during a chat among about half a dozen and I was off to one 
side near the demagnetizer.  With my eprom in a carrier.


While the discussion on some random topic proceeded, I idly put the prom 
on the demagenetizer and proceeded to "degauss" it.  Someone noticed me 
doing that, and to my amusement, for a bit people were seriously asking 
about erasing the part with that.  Couldn't maintain laughing long 
enough to get to far, but was still hilarious.


about 78 maybe?
thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: 5,34 Petaflop System Cheyenne

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 5/3/24 09:35, Adrian Godwin via cctalk wrote:

Fairly sure you could find something to run Doom that uses less than 1.7MW
I saw that someone posted on Twitter that they repurposed a disposable 
home pregnancy test stick display and parts to run it.


Apparently it wasn't enough (isn't?) to have lines on the stick you need 
to have it have a fairly capable display.  And it's disposable.  Unless 
you're a tinkerer.




(from
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/04/us-government-auctions-5-34-petaflop-cheyenne-supercomputer/
)


On Fri, May 3, 2024 at 3:23 PM Ali via cctalk  wrote:


Just 7 year old and no longer in service.>Anyone with some space in the

basement ?But will it run Doom?

[cctalk] Re: Problem with Dell Vostro 1700

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I did run a hackintosh on one very long ago.  IIRC it was a core I 2 not 
very bright bulb.


That's not on topic either, but worth knowing.
thanks
Jim

On 4/5/24 19:41, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:

I find them to be painfully slow
   Actually I think it got a lot better once I installed debian in it.
Sorry you're having issues.
B

On Fri, Apr 5, 2024, 7:47 PM Van Snyder via cctalk 
wrote:


On Fri, 2024-04-05 at 22:25 +, Rick Bensene via cctalk wrote:


On Fri, Apr 5, 2024 at 1:45 PM Van Snyder via cctalk
wrote:


I have a Dell Vostro.

Sellam responded:


Um...

...Yeah.

Both extremely helpful. Thanks.

[cctalk] Re: Cleanup time again

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/26/24 20:47, CAREY SCHUG via cctalk wrote:

if you ever get a request to forense a raid for Solaris, take whatever
$$ they offer you.  just plug 'em in anywhere, diff controllers,
different sequence, no matter.  they have fingerprints, the os will
figure out and mount the raid, including recovery mode if one is
missing.
I did a recovery on a ReadyNAS device created on the original Netgear 
devices which used the mini sparc linux.  unfortunately the raid array 
software they used there had 4k setup, and at the time the Linux on i86 
was all 512 byte block sized.


though the original reason i favored ReadyNAS was because they used 
Linux instead of some proprietary raid chip which might or might not be 
supported, the 4k vs 512 byte took some doing.


it didn't "just work" at all.

And Netgear discontinued the Sparc version in favor of x86 and the 
problem subsequently went away.


The problem was by the way that the recovery scan stalled on real small 
physical defect block areas.  I had to go in and manually map out the 
files with the errors, which were luckily not ones I required as had 
other copies, but Netgear didn't fix the problem on the original boxes.


They could recover if you could replace an entire disk, but when there 
was a small defect, nope.

thanks
Jim

BTW the recovery at the time required building a driver I found and 
adding it to the kernel.  Not a fun or quick task.

[cctalk] Re: Cleanup time again

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/21/24 19:28, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk wrote:


And if the cost of shipping is more than the cost of the item
I stop at that point. 
I recently paid $5 for a Visara terminal box, paid 45 to have it shipped 
from Canada.  (free trade agreement Us <-->  Canada, nope).  Anyway, 
won't second guess on what the buyer wants to pay vs shipping.


Also isn't there a scam that Ebay uses to supply underwritten lower 
shipping costs?  Or is it exclusive to big sellers?  Out of touch with 
that.  However have seen varying versions of that on different platforms.


The guy who sold the terminal made no comment, too his 5iver and sent it 
along.  And since I have a pile of these terminals, I'm happy to get it.

thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Overland Data Depot4 application

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 2/8/24 00:59, Nico de Jong via cctalk wrote:


Maybe you dont know, but all the Qualstars I've met, are basically 
Pertec. I've run some 1052's on Overland software.


The 34xx series has a SCSI - Pertec interface, so if you remove this 
board, you have a Pertec drive.


Thanks'

Nico 
Thanks, Nico.  I have both the Pertec and the SCSI 1052 and 1260.  I 
know inside there is a SCSI converter.  FWIW there is a SCSI to pertec 
on both Kennedy and Cipher drives which will run Pertec when you pull 
off the SCSI adapter on the back as well.


I have a system called Pick which some here know, and have Pertec 9 
track software to allow the PC version R83 to access Pertec half inch 
drives, FWIW.  At the early stages we met with the founders in San Diego 
about their designs as well (Overland).  A friend developed and marketed 
the Pick product with our engineering help.


Thanks for noting about the Qualstars.  I have a skid of a mixture of 
Cipher, IBM, Qualstar, M4 and some 100X rack mount as well as CDC.  I 
haven't gotten into the mode of seeing if they still work, but "they did 
from 10 to 40 years ago".


thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Overland Data Depot4 application

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 2/7/24 21:51, steve shumaker via cctalk wrote:

Greetings!

Based on the comment in a message posted last fall, I downloaded and 
installed the Overland Data Depot4 software that was mentioned during 
a discussion of SCSI tape tools.  But so far I've been stumped in 
getting it to work.   Basic system is a freshly set up Win98SE and an 
Adaptec 1522 SCSI board connected to a Qualstar 9track.  Depot4 
installs and runs without issue but when I try to point it at the ASPI 
drivers it fails to recognize anything.  Any suggestions on where to 
look or what to tweak would be seriously appreciated!


Steve
I have all types of the original Overland Pertec controllers and none 
were SCSI.  There were drivers for those controllers, but nothing for 
any generic thing like ASPI that I encountered.


If this is for their tape libraries, that is way after my time.

Their utilities were great, handling a lot of scenarios and letting you 
configure for a lot of situations to save having to code and break up 
records yourself.


Not much use I guess, but Depot goes to the original programmed I/O, 
ATA, and PCI controllers.

thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Oscar's PiDP 10 parts arrived in Panama today

[jim stephens via cctalk]

Just saw on Twitter that the parts (main ones being front panel 
castings) arrived, he's going to start kitting and sending to a 
fulfifllment center in Florida.


I'm sure the audience here knows this, but this puts as marker in the 
record here, since it's been ongoing for 3 years (according to Oscar).


Now to figure out how to get one.
thanks
jim

[cctalk] Re: VCF SoCal

[jim stephens via cctalk]

1000 feet from where I lived in Anaheim.  needed this a few years ago, I 
would have helped any way I could.  Have fun.


If you find the prices at the former Doubletree a bit much, there are 
probably lots of cheap deals near Mouse Central, just 1 1/2 miles 
north.  I recommend it if you haven't been, even though it's horribly 
expensive.  One downside, the Haunted Mansion is closed for a rebuild.


Thanks
Jim

On 1/25/24 13:44, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote:

I'll be attending VCF SoCal on February 17-18 in Orange (California) in the
capacity of a presenter (on a panel and a solo presentation).

Is anyone else planning to attend the event?

Sellam

[cctalk] Re: VCF SoCal

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 1/25/24 15:44, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote:

On Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 1:37 PM Michael Mulhern via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


As a denizen of the antipodes I’ve heard about VCFSoCal, but maybe I’m more
into the socials.

Maybe VCF(etal) should be also sending notifications through email lists
and boards.


I agree, they should.
I've seen little mention of it on their discord.  I am not on the vcfed 
site much.  might be more action somewhere there.


a bit more mention on the cctalk (classsicmp) discord than vcf.

thanks
Jim





Hoping anyone local(ish) to VCFSoCal can get there and have a great time.

M.


Sellam

[cctalk] Re: IBM 5100 discussion

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 10/16/23 04:14, Steve Lewis via cctalk wrote:

I'm here (voidstar) 😄  I think at the time I wasn't aware of cctalk, or it
wasn't working for me at the time.
The fellow who did this got into a lot of trouble, as they also did the 
XT/370 and PC/370, and later the 390 PCI and MC boards.


I have contact with the leader of the latter group.  I think he's still 
there, but haven't chatted in about a year.

thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: What happened to the PDP-8 on ebay?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 10/3/23 21:23, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:

There was a PDP-8 (rack straight 8 with asr33) that was on ebay that
disappeared..anyone know if it was sold?  I can't find it, maybe the seller
pulled the auction to sell privately.
Bill
I trolled thru VCF forum and I think this is the one you recall. It's 
the last straight 8 I saw listed.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/145314563635

I also off your topic have observed a German listing and British listing 
for Olivetti Programma 101s for 40,000 pounds and 60,000 euro, in the 
same fantasy range as this listing which is for $18,000.


This listing shows currently terminated September 20 due to an error in 
the listing.  No relist by this vendor.  He also did something on Sept 2 
with is.


Thanks
jim

[cctalk] Re: FTGH: (3) Qualstar 1260 9 track tape drives pertec interface

[jim stephens via cctalk]

Overland data Pertec controllers, ISA, AT and PCI interfaces with 
utilities for the Pertec interface drives.


As Chuck mentioned, the 1260S is the SCSI version.

I use one of a stack of DL360 systems for the SCSI / Linux combo. has 
worked well, and is less fuss than building up a system and adding an 
Adaptec these days.

thanks
jim

On 9/25/23 20:37, steve shumaker via cctalk wrote:
I've yet to find anything online. 

[cctalk] Re: VCF this weekend, any one up for a trade?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/3/23 20:05, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
Once again, the first that I am hearing about it is too late to pack 
up stuff to take!


In the future, would everybody who knows about it mention it at least 
once a week for the month preceding?


--
Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com
I saw a lot about it on Facebook groups from individuals, but not much 
in the way of communications from the organizers.


Erik Klein sent out reminders, the latest was 6/23 to my vcf email 
receptacle.  I thought you'd exhibited, are you n not getting those 
emails as well as ads / postings?


Thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: SCO on Virtualbox

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/3/23 13:21, KenUnix via cctalk wrote:

My efforts have failed. My host is Ubuntu 22.04 with Virtualbox 7.0.10.
I'd be curious given the nature of SCO if anyone has posted the goods to 
install any of them, and what versions.


That aside, as mentioned by Grant, the system then was broken down with 
so many bits and pieces with different tariffs on the parts that it was 
a bitch to get one running.  Not only was Linux "free" to get early on, 
but it didn't screw with holding back anything. Not to mention you were 
on your own to fix stuff and contribute to the effort.


I don't know how many engineers SCO had working on support, but once 
Linux took off there were a lot working on it, and later a lot of 
resources to ask for help and support, vs. sending a bug report or 
support request down the black hole at SCO.


I'd certainly try virtualbox, vmware and QEMU to see if it ran.  I'm 
still playing with the latter to get guest networking going, and with 
older NICs on old SCO distributions, you may have some challenges having 
support.  But the 3M controllers seemed to be a hardware universal 
device pre virtualization, and I'd hope any i386 virtualization would 
still have support.


I still have boxes with hopefully SCO install goods, but haven't looked 
into getting them running in a long time.

thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Old Professional/350 software, any of this out there

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 7/28/23 20:19, Chris Zach via cctalk wrote:
Well, then it wanted it write unlocked (no way on a install disk), so 
I used Imagedisk to write a copy, popped it in and with a quick 
"access" it started the program and now it doesn't need the disk. 
This sounds suspiciously like something I think was called Prolock or 
such.  Used screwed up disks, usually as the boot disk with a signature 
to enable the final bit of install.  Copywrite (I think it was) which 
did bit binary copying with timing on the disk could copy them.  Even 
had some things to align with the high track bit offset of the defect.


A company I worked for bought them  but didn't study the usage manual 
and ended up with disks which could be copied by dos copy command, then 
write protected.  The genuine ones had to have the write protect 
removed.  The disk error from the write protect caused it to think the 
read of the protected part of the track was successful.


thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: 1-click exploits was Re: BEWARE: Phishing

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 7/28/23 17:36, Tapley, Mark B. via cctalk wrote:

TLDR:

“your computer can be infected by clicking on a single link … please click on 
this single link.”

Is this an IQ test?

Did I pass?

Yes.  A three letter company I worked for and another large company in 
San Diego  would send out less obvious emails and if you clicked on 
them, would get remedial invites to training.


BTW, these are pretty simple to navigate with lynx.  I downloaded a 
pretty subtle one some time ago and unpacked the payload.  Fun things I 
didn't follow, mostly sucking in other stuff from other sites.


thanks
Jim

On Jul 9, 2023, at 2:51 PM, Todd Pisek via cctalk  wrote:

[EXTERNAL EMAIL]

Be aware that clicking on a malicious url can result on malware or spyware 
being installed on your machine without any further action on your part. All 
browsers have vulnerabilities. The most famous of these was the older version 
of Pegasus by NSO back in the 2014-2016 timeframe. These so called 1-click 
exploits are well known to bad actors. It’s a continuous cat and mouse game 
between exploit writers and infosec. For the interested, look at this report 
regarding Apple and the “Trident” series of exploits from 2016.

https://info.lookout.com/rs/051-ESQ-475/images/ 
pegasus-exploits-technical-details.pdf

—-Todd

P.S. Exploits have evolved considerably since Trident and now include 0-click 
exploits. See Google’s Project Zero for instance.

[cctalk] Re: Death of Mitnick

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 7/19/23 22:35, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

On 7/19/23 19:58, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:

A quick google turned this up.

https://www.securityweek.com/famed-hacker-kevin-mitnick-dead-at-59/

Too bad, but on the other hand, John Draper turned 80 this year.
Probably a better role model.

--Chuck



https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/las-vegas-nv/kevin-mitnick-11371668

[cctalk] Re: IMSAI BASIC PROM set?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/29/23 21:39, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:

So I was able to get the listing for the PROMs by using the HEX file of
IMSAI BASIC 1.4 from.Rich Cini's website.  I was able to then pull the
Intel papertape file image using Teraterm to capture the log of the session
while using to load BASIC into the IMSAI.  I can use the log to make an
ePROM-friendly file.

Imsai 8K basic fills ..1FDB and stores programs from 2000, so you need
some RAM after IFFFh (8K).

My IMSAI has an IMSAI SIO serial card.

Bill

On Thu, Jun 29, 2023, 8:36 AM Bill Degnan  wrote:




for those who come by 5 years from now, hopefully these links work:
Basic Listing:
http://cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/Imsai/Imsai%208K%20Basic.pdf
This seems to have the hex images:
http://cini.classiccmp.org/zips/IMSAI%20BASICs.zip

I know there's a bit of a fuss about archive . org but they don't seem 
to have most of the useful data in the Richard Cini pages slurped up.  
Will see if that can be remedied.  I'd like such things if they can 
inhale them to be there in case something happens to the classiccmp . 
org servers.


thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: IMSAI BASIC PROM set?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/28/23 21:43, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:

Anyone have the 2716 ePROM listing for IMSAI Basic.  Version 1.4 or
whatever.  I once had it, can't find my copy.  If not 2716, I'll take any
listing that I can convert somehow.
Thanks
Bill
Possibly the Prom-4 board with 1702s.  As mentioned 2 boards = 8k. Each 
chip is 256 bytes, possibly harvest the code from the listing? I'm sure 
Bill is looking for someone with the image, or the chip masters.


I looked @ the listing provided, it's assembled for org 0x00. There's a 
different org for CPM.  So you can't use the CPM binary in rom unless 
you put a rom at 0 to jump to the CPM binary, and I'm guessing it has 
conditional assembly for the serial drivers.


http://www.s100computers.com/Hardware%20Folder/IMSAI/PROM/PROM-4.htm

Will be interesting to archive if someone comes up with it.  Wonder if 
anyone with the basics for the clone boards may have a basic which could 
be used that runs on such as the Altair or Imsai clone? I know the 
Altair clone has a number of alternative boot images you can select 
from, could swear one is Basic, but don't have the documents handy here.


thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Identify these drive read heads pdp11 related?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

All of them are for various hard drives.  None floppy of any sort.

The first 4, 2840, 34, 21, and 09 all look like ones I'd use on a 
Western Dynex either 5mb or 10mb (capacity) drive.  100tpi or 200tpi.


The others are progressively higher density, someone else may recognize 
them.  Epay periodically has some guy listing them for high prices, and 
though I'd never pay what he wants if you can find his listings, they 
might be a good reference if noone else here turns up with an answer.


From the ages of the guys I knew in the 70s and 80s that serviced 
these, and their disposition of working on the hardware, they're 
probably all mid 70s, and not paying much attention to this sort of 
thing anymore.  They certainly knew the subject well, the ones I knew.


A fellow I knew ran AHMCO  (After Hours Maintenance, Company), which was 
well named, as when does this crap fail.  anyway, hopefully someone has 
either memory or knowledge of these.


I've got a few sets for my older Microdata Marathons, and Dynex drives 
in similar packaging.


On a side note from my experience, wish more companies had used the pink 
plastic for bagging boards, and this foam, as I've not seen any of it 
broken down like many types of foam.  And I'm talking about Los Angeles 
air, which kills anything plastic with ozone.


thanks
Jim

On 5/30/23 20:57, devin davison via cctalk wrote:

I picked up boxes of these disk heads when i picked up a warehouse
stockpile of pdp 11  computers.

Any idea what they are to? I want to say floppy? I have 2 different types
of heads, in boxes. Please see pics, and if anyone needs heads, im the guy
that has a bunch to part with now.

Let me know what kind of drive they are for if you can, i have no clue.

https://i.postimg.cc/nrHTdwcV/20230528-182840.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/y8JjrRBR/20230528-182834.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/sfcTBywM/20230528-182821.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/2y2GgFVQ/20230528-182809.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/4N2w5PCZ/20230528-182617.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/W1Q8R4bH/20230528-182614.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/28S2hJK2/20230528-182606.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/25hwCf18/20230528-182555.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/DZ3xGw9X/20230528-182543.jpg

[cctalk] Re: MIT Lisp Machine and ucode recovered

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/30/23 12:34, Eric Moore wrote:

Here is a hello world:

(format t "Hello, World!")

It kinda works, need to throw maybe a \n on it, no idea what options 
format takes.


It kicks you to the debugger pretty quick, where you get to find out 
you need to go read the usim documentation on key mappings, unless you 
have a knight or space cadet keyboard laying around and properly 
mapped, lol.


Good times, it is definitely very different and weird.

-Eric



On Thu, Mar 30, 2023 at 12:27 PM jim stephens via cctalk 
 wrote:


This is great to see.  One note, you'll need to install libx11-dev
(on
Ubuntu 22 anyway)
then build it.  Now to figure out how to play with it.

thanks
Jim



I've found a few things, will post my rough notes below.  I noted some 
things that get other than the debug prompt from the system.


The keyboard mapping in the usim document I found doesn't match what 
this usim is doing, so finding an accurate usim would be nice.


Also having no experience here, a document on how to bring this up from 
the keyboard to something more useful would be great, besides a usim 
manual.  I've got hints of that in the documentation on bitsavers, but 
no document approaching it from the direction of how to use it.


I thought maybe Genera would be useful as a guide but not looking like 
that now.  That's why I put in a link anyway.

thanks
Jim


*documents*
Genera guide, might be slightly useful to try things outl

http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/symbolics/software/genera_8/Genera_User_s_Guide.pdf

Bitsavers CADR documentation
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/cadr/

Lisp machine manual 1981

http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/cadr/chinual_4thEd_Jul81.pdf

broken up manual
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/cadr/chinual_6thEd_Jan84/

Window system guide
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/cadr/Weinreb_Moon-Lisp_Machine_Manual_Jan_1979.pdf

top level of source site
https://tumbleweed.nu/

*Examples*

(format t "Hello, World!")

(room)
(time)
(working-storage-area) fails spectacularly, gets lots of interesting 
crap.  probably restart
machine till real info is found.  Somewhere someone suggested finding 
usim docs.  not found

at this point in the notes.
(print-disk-label) puts out a lot of stuff.
(decode-universal-time (get-universal-time))

https://tumbleweed.nu/r/usim/doc/trunk/README.md

from this page: https://tumbleweed.nu/r/lm-3/uv/operat.html
f1 is the  button on the keyboard.
I Inspector menu shows up
hitting the buttons across the top two boxes crashed usim, or at least 
it exits.

bottom box has what usually shows up when you bomb out with a bad function

Keys from the README.md file are inaccurate, but here they are.  F1 
works as  for me.

F2 propmts network.  Not sure where they are defined.

Telnet doesn't work at least on my box.  I did manage to try to connect 
to a host, and

usim loops.

|[kbd] F1 = escape F2 = system F3 = network F4 = abort F5 = help F6 = 
clear F7 = call F11 = end F12 = break |




--30--

[cctalk] Re: MIT Lisp Machine and ucode recovered

[jim stephens via cctalk]

This is great to see.  One note, you'll need to install libx11-dev (on 
Ubuntu 22 anyway)

then build it.  Now to figure out how to play with it.

thanks
Jim

On 3/30/23 10:53, Eric Moore via cctalk wrote:

Originating in 1960, Lisp is second only to Fortran as the oldest
programming language still in use today. Historically used for research,
artificial intelligence, and mathematics, Lisp remains relevant in these
fields, as well as in quantum computing research and other cutting-edge
applications.

In the mid-1970s, researchers sought high-performance, single-user,
interactive machines due to the constraints of running their code on large
multi-user mainframes. Such machines would allow for more efficient and
flexible research and development. Richard Greenblatt at the MIT AI Lab
spearheaded the development of the first dedicated Lisp machines, including
the successful CONS machine and later CADR machines.

MACSYMA, a symbolic mathematics program written in Lisp which consumed
significant resources on the PDP-10 running ITS, was a key motivator for
the Lisp Machine's creation.

LispM hackers in residence, including Daniel Weinreb (DLW), David Moon
(MOON), Richard Stallman (RMS), John L. Kulp (JLK), Mike McMahon (MMcM),
and others, were responsible for the overall system development. Kulp
designed the legendary Space Cadet keyboard, known for its unique key
arrangements and symbols, and Moon and Weinreb wrote the first and second
Lisp Machine editors (EINE, ZWEI) respectively.

Brad Parker developed the first working CADR simulator (usim), which
emulates the MIT CADR, and with the Lisp Machine microcode running on top,
allows users to explore the historic system and its unique features.

Until recently, only up until system 78 of the LISP operating system and
microcode from MIT could be emulated. Alfred M. Szmidt (AMS) received
copies of backup tapes containing systems 98 and 99, dating from 1983 and
1984, respectively, and was able to get them running after a decade of
effort. The bootstrap process was an impressive hack, due to the Lisp
Machine's use of network booting and a mixture of compiled and uncompiled
code. Szmidt has now iterated the distribution to system 100 with all of
his fixes included.


This marks the first time in 35 years that anyone can use this environment,
designed to support AI and computational research at the cutting edge. The
windowing and graphical feel of the environment stand out, and the Lisp
machine and CADR processor allow users to dive deep into the operating
system's inner workings. The line between compiled and source code is thin,
and users can open and read almost everything.

The CADR machine served as the foundation for commercial products sold by
LISP Machines, Inc., founded by Richard Greenblatt, and Symbolics, founded
by MIT AI Lab ex-administrator Russell Noftsker. The emulator provides a
glimpse into the height of 80s MIT hacker culture by booting to MIT System
100.

Find more information and try the system out yourself via AMS's
announcement post:
https://tumbleweed.nu/r/bug-lispm/forumpost/7475d8a3db

Or visit https://tumbleweed.nu/lm-3

-Eric

[cctalk] Re: Visiting the computer history museum (chm)

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/12/23 15:00, Tarek Hoteit via cctalk wrote:

Thank you so much. The links are extremely helpful. Actually, your entire blog 
is excellent, Steve

Regards,
Tarek Hoteit


On Mar 12, 2023, at 12:24 PM, Steve Lewis via cctalk  
wrote:



Hello. I am visiting the Computer History Museum in California next week

Tarek,

I forgot, I have my own little CHM notes page here:
https://voidstar.blog/vcf-west-2021/

Not much, since at the time not all the exhibits were re-opened yet - so
there is much more to see now-a-days. May look into the schedule of their
1401 demo (I think they do fairly regularly, but schedule may vary).

While in the area, I did make it over to Oakhurst to see the old Sierra
(software company) buildings - it was meaningful to me, but it's a far
drive.  I have notes about it at the bottom of this page:
https://voidstar.blog/san-francisco-california-2021/

-Steve




You might check the shops across the street on maps to see their hours.  
With the area, they are most likely to be open during hours when the 
surrounding offices are occupied during the week, so on weekends as 
mentioned earlier might need to go a bit to find food. But there are a 
lot of spots around that are good.


The Microdata 1600 I donated to the CHM is of course my favorite. In the 
timeline part of the display

Thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: mainframe vs mini

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/10/23 19:07, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote:

The school district was thrilled to get the PDP.  Then they had PG&E set
up the power for it.  Some PG&E technicians did not know the difference
between "Delta" and "Wye"/"Y" three phase!  Seriously dsmaged the
machine.

This goes a bit sideways here.  I've dealt with a lot of power people, 
shady company or not, and the equipment they have isn't for amateurs 
that don't know the type of service or whatever.  Just doesn't fly.


And as far as any dealings I know about, all of them put the order of 
the service responsibility on the customer.  The power company will put 
in what you order.  They could put in the wrong service, but again 
referring to the previous paragraph, there are many more issues with the 
equipment and people involved for someone to have not caught it.  I'd 
put the blame on the company at 5% as far as the story.


As to the business issues, can't say.  Again, getting far into grassy 
knowl territory for someone not to talk, and there are a lot of PG&E 
people who would dearly love to drop that company into boiling oil as 
there are customers.


No way to verify on my end, just observing the state of the story at 
this point from what I read here.


(Not Sellam's story, clipped from his level of the tread).

thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: mainframe vs mini

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/10/23 20:13, Gavin Scott via cctalk wrote:

And all the OS/360 variants were so late that they introduced three
other operating systems as a stopgap to allow IBM to actually ship
systems that were usable by customers. First came Basic Operating
System/360 (BOS/360), which was pretty much cards in and out (plus
printer),
The 1620's I resurrected at USL in Lafayette, La. were card in and out.  
There was also a printer.  It had an assembler deck and a Fortran compiler.


I suspect that the 360 would have slipped in there except for the fun 
getting arithmetic to match on the machines.


Had 2 cpus,  one card reader / punch and a printer for the 1620.

thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Age of Tape Formats?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/10/23 00:16, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

I believe that this photo shows a Datamatic 1000 tape next to a standard
1/2" drive.

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/00/3e/7d/003e7d4e3a2478db0b9a7c94f2033252.jpg

--Chuck

Hub size looks small on the 1/2" for later style tapes.  2" tape?  I 
wonder if that was linear?  Had to have impressive motors.


Our Ampex 1/2" 7 track data tapes which ran 200ips to get any sort of 
bandwidth had huge motors on it.  One of the 3/4ips to 200ips machines 
with 10 push buttons, similar to the similar chart recorders with up to 
that speed.


FWIW, OT, I visited a small TV production facility in Springfield Mo 
(got some excess equipment), and they had the Betacam, 3/4" Umatic, and 
a 1" machine for editing.  Most has gone to digital storage. They had a 
mirrored 22tb server, and used Mac and the like for production editing.  
Most use was for a 3 camera studio, but could mostly do talking head 
direct to digital.


Anyway never saw either a data or video 2" in person.
thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Age of Tape Formats?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/8/23 22:23, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

On 3/8/23 19:23, Chris Elmquist wrote:


Who can read them now?  ;-)

I suppose that you could rig something up as a streaming rig, but the
metal was murder on heads; the Univservo I interposed a thin plastic
tape between the metal and the head.  Fortunately, the density was
pretty low.

Not easy--the contents would have to be special.  But not gone forever.

--Chuck


The Univac 3 had nothing but Uniservo 3 tape drives, and continually did 
things between drives in most installations.  I read that most job steps 
consisted of putting the OS and other stuff on a tape prior to doing 
something, then preparing another drive with the next step and a copy of 
the OS.


So any Uniservo U3 tape could have the OS and the job data on it. None 
should be taken to have only data.


And most operations programmed variants, so different installations 
tapes would have differ flavors of the OS to suit their styles and needs.


Not many had disk drives from what I saw, certainly none had Disk OS.  
Some probably didn't run the software from the tape drives, but the tape 
was the reason for the movies both fiction, bad TV and real machine 
rooms in that era having so many drives.


I don't think the U3 had metalic tape, but won't swear.  Didn't really 
get a chance to look at the tape  when i had access to the Univac 3.


My web page archived, and referenced by Wikipedia.  Photos taken when we 
had a Univac 3.


Bill Donzelli may have tapes and residue from the system.
Thanks
Jim

https://web.archive.org/web/20050901062918/http://jwstephens.com/univac3/page_01.htm

[cctalk] Re: Great Vintage Computer Heist of 2012

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 10/29/22 01:06, ED SHARPE via cctalk wrote:

Re below. why would they refuse cash?
  And vy the way, as soon as I had it, I offered it, but
they refused the tender.
If they accepted any amount from Sellam, they were on the hook for a lot 
of laws
and regulations in the state.  CA has some of the most extensive tenancy 
rules anywhere.


From their treatment of Sellam, they broke them, but when you step into
the legal realm, you get into another cesspool.  Ruled by lots of 
money.  If you

can't pay rent, you usually can't afford the retainer for a good lawyer.

I had a dispute to pursue about 7 years ago, and when I sought out a 
reasonable
firm to handle it, the starting retainer was $25,000.  No guarantees.  
So Sellam

was between a rock and a hard place most likely.

The way the landlord handled his collection was stupid, so I'm not sure 
I understand

that either.

I'm going only on the fact I know Sellam lost a huge collection.  He has 
disclosed
nothing to me.  I'm reading in a lot from a loss I suffer from outright 
theft of my
own in Riverside county.  Mine involved criminal behavior, but again $$ 
rule.


The Storage wars show and fad of doing such things as well as how tax
sales are handled in the country is a total crock.  The law breaks into 
a part
of rights and the like and then equity.  The rights part is pretty well 
defined.


But those who want do screw you like tax collectors, storage unit owners can
unfairly (my term) seize all assets you have on the property to satisfy 
the debt


In the case of Storage units (not what Sellam had, he was a regular 
tenant) they
seize the entire contents from you after a very short time of 
delinquency and sell

it all and pocket the proceeds like they won the lottery.

All sucks.

Still sad he had his situation after all this time.

[cctalk] Re: Minicomputer front panel.

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/24/22 14:59, Adrian Stoness via cctalk wrote:

o?

On Sat, Sep 24, 2022 at 12:30 PM jos via cctalk 
wrote:


On 24.09.22 04:57, Adrian Stoness via cctalk wrote:

Wow someone mentioning à phillips p series
Has a p854 new old stock panel my self along with bunch of manuals and à
spare core memory pack in safe keeping


I have spare P854's.

Jos


There is Oscar's actual computers, a PDP 11 replica and PDP8 replica as 
well as great IMSAI and Altairs available which look great as well as 
being actual simulators or emulators of the computers, with the  lights, 
not just dead displays.


For display, on could get front panels from Ron Smallwood and produce 
switches and the other few parts required by 3d printing and make a 
pretty good display panel.


thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Minicomputer front panel.

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/22/22 22:56, ben via cctalk wrote:

On 2022-09-22 11:30 p.m., Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

On 9/22/22 21:49, Teo Zenios via cctalk wrote:

I assume some of that stuff was purchased for TV show or movie props.


I recall all of the IBM 1620 front panels in "The Forbin Project", along
with CDC 3000 series (green glass) cabinets.  In fact, I recently
pointed out to James at starringthecomputer the inexplicable presence of
three CDC 607 tape drives visible from the opeating room in the pilot of
"Emergency".  Only visible for a few seconds, but there they were.

I suspect that the innards of those drives had been stripped out and
simply made to spin the tapes.

--Chuck

Tape drives tended to show powerful modern computers.
Blinking lights tended to be for computers of the future.
World maps with lights where nuclear missiles could strike
seem to be movie props only.
Ben.



I implemented a system monitoring setup when I worked  at Microdata to 
count instructions executed.  We were able to log to a 1600 BPI 45 ips 
drive and keep up without much compression, just some tricky encoding, 
large record sizes to optimize the tape motion, and the fact the 
machines we shipped didn't really execute macro instructions at any high 
rate.


Anyway when I first got it going, I was able to play for a while before 
signing off it was working.  The system being monitored had 32 terminal 
ports, and was an interactive Pick system (Reality was Microdata's 
version).  When I would do a command of some small length, the tape 
would spin then stop.  Quite satisfying to have it working that way, and 
the spinning movie and TV tape drives  were the first to come to mind.


As to implementation, the target system had a modified firmware in it to 
send out information and a ready pulse to the recording system.  There 
was a program to monitor the parallel interface (64 bits wide) and dump 
the information into the tape buffer.  Some pretty simple code to keep 
track of the ping pong, and when a buffer swap took place, the trick was 
there was very little to initiating the I/O for the hardware.


Both systems were pulled off of the production line so were twin new 
production systems.


But watching it run various benchmarks later and see the drive spinning 
was really fun.


Thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Minicomputer front panel.

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/22/22 10:05, Peter Van Peborgh via cctalk wrote:

I know this is sacrilege but I am looking for the front panel of a *Data
General Nova *and/or *a DEC PDP 8/11/12/15*.
Why? I collect artefacts from the days of the minicomputer and earlier and
I want them for my collection/display. They should be not too damaged and
of course do not need to be functional. I would be willing to pay
postage/freight.
Any offers? Any offers?
Peter

PS Please don't shout at me!
I exhibited a front panel collection display at VCF West about 4 years 
ago.  It exists not because of a collection, but as spare parts.  Also 
brought one attached to one of my machines.


there were two from a friend's collection of systems as well.  Sorry not 
to help out, but suggest you buy the machine, not just a front panel.  
That way when they are no longer something to have to display, they can 
be passed on as a part of functional machines later.


I did grab a couple of parts panels, and also did find a panel bezel on 
Ebay, but they weren't cheap, and by what usually happens, the machines 
showed up from somewhere else later after I acquired them.


thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Data Systems Designs floppy interface cross-compatibility?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/17/22 13:30, Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:

Greetings, all,

While getting ready for VCF Midwest etc, I have been spending a lot of
hobby time in the past year digging out various DEC minicomputer items
and testing/repairing them. To that end, I've been staring at a DSD480
on top of a PDP-8 rack.  It's one of the ones with the DSD 26-pin
interface.  My question is that since there are several different
devices with that connector, are any of them compatible with each
other?

Specifically, here are the DSD interfaces with a 26-pin connector:

802130 DSD210 PDP-11 Interface (26 pin) (2130)
802131 DSD440 DSD210 PDP-8 Interface (26 pin) (2131)
802132 DSD210 LSI-11 Interface (26 pin) (2132)

804430 DSD440 PDP-11 PDP-11 Interface (26 pin) (4430)
804432 DSD440 LSI-11 LSI-11 Interface (26 pin) (4432)

808830 DSD880 (SA850/SA1004) PDP11 Interface Card (26 pin) (8830)
808832 DSD880 (SA850/SA1004) LSI-11 Interface Card (26 pin) (8832)
808836 DSD880/20/30 (SA850/Q240) LSI-11 Interface Card (26 pin) (8836)

I'm getting ready to move to KC and my pile of DSD is back there.

I have both PDP8 varieties and PDP11.  One complete system from Sellam 
which hopefully

contain data, etc.  Dual booted for a friend he helped maintain it.

A guy in West Wendove NV had a number of subsystems  and
I have all of them.  We'll have to make a date to do a prisoner 
exchange, and I'll

loan / trade you what I've got, and hopefully come up with working systems.

I've got two of the units with the SA-1000 drives as well.

Will take a bit of sorting, will have it on the list to get some stuff and
visit you later this year, but probably next year.

Glad you're looking into this.  I don't think I've got enough
to run much on DEC disk hardware.

I think among a pile of 8/As I got from sellam there are
DSD cards, but it was all unsorted.  Hand over money load and drive
with a pile is the state of that lot.

I have makings of 6 or 8 8/A's would like a couple, but DSD again
would be nice.

thanks
Jim

It looks like the 2131 board is Omnibus and works with either the
DSD440 or DSD210, but on the PDP-11, can the 883x interfaces work with
older drives or do they only work with the DSD880 floppy/hard drive
box?

I remember where/when I got this DSD480, so it seems likely to me that
I have a PDP-11/34 with an 4430 board in it.  I could probably use an
2131 board just so I have an Omnibus interface.  I also have an 808836
board but do _not_ have a DSD880.

I've found the prints on bitsavers that cover the DSD440/480 interface
so I know what signals are there, but I haven't found the equivalent
docs for the DSS880, just user guides.  Anyone here know enough about
DSD products to shed some light?

Thanks,

-ethan

[cctalk] Re: You have Apple Lisa 1 "twiggy" system to trade for my IBM 5100 Portable PC?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/5/22 11:07, Tom Stepleton via cctalk wrote:

Are you sure about that? The 5100 doesn't support floppy drives. And

I've

never heard of third-party drives (that would need IMFs, too) for the

5100.

$3100 is about what IBM charged for a fully loaded 5150. (PC)
THAT is not a 5100!   $3100 for a 5100 would have been a bargain.

We are neither talking about the 5150, nor about $3100 but $31,000 for a
5100 (see above). Or did I miss something?


There was a third-party floppy drive for the IBM 5100 :-)

Or at least there as something that was sold in this way. Here is its
brochure:

http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/sykes/brochures/Sykes_Comm-Stor_5100_Brochure.pdf

Note that it "plugs directly into the Serial I/O Adapter of the IBM 5100
with no hardware or software changes". So it's a serial-port connected
floppy drive that talks to the 5100 in a format that it likes.

(What is an IMF?)

--Tom

The unit I have is IBM.

It only did single sided diskettes, low density.  It's the only device 
which I've ever had which could write deleted sectors.  The formatting 
on the diskette is very similar to the tape formatting with two EOT 
records followed by the remainder of track 0 padded out with deleted 
sectors.


My Tarbell controller would read the two records and returned errors for 
the remaining sectors.  That's how I discovered that deleted sectors 
existed.


Sykes made much more robust devices, and I'm not familiar with the unit 
for the 5100.  But I'd not be surprised if it wrote and read many more 
formats.


Thanks
Jim


thanks
jim

[cctalk] Re: You have Apple Lisa 1 "twiggy" system to trade for my IBM 5100 Portable PC?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/5/22 08:53, Christian Corti via cctalk wrote:

On Mon, 5 Sep 2022, Fred Cisin wrote:

Well, it ain't in the 5150/5160 range!
The 5100 new was $10K to $20K.

On Sun, 4 Sep 2022, jim stephens wrote:

I had a 5100 that a dentist had bought as soon as it  came out and he

    
added the floppy drives and printer. It was a direct IBM buy for 
31000.

^

On Mon, 5 Sep 2022, Christian Corti via cctalk wrote:
Are you sure about that? The 5100 doesn't support floppy drives. And 
I've never heard of third-party drives (that would need IMFs, too) 
for the 5100.


$3100 is about what IBM charged for a fully loaded 5150. (PC)
THAT is not a 5100!   $3100 for a 5100 would have been a bargain.


We are neither talking about the 5150, nor about $3100 but $31,000 for 
a 5100 (see above). Or did I miss something?


correct.  I'm guessing they are thinking I'm confusing the unit with the 
integrated 8" floppies, or with a much later PC.  which I'm not.


The referred to guy was a dentist who had had this in a closet for 15 
years or so, had written a couple of floppies worth of programs, and 
otherwise had not done anything with it.


it was all in the trunk of a huge ass Cadillac convertible.  I was one 
of the first who came by, and bought it on the spot.  Drove to my truck, 
offloaded it and sent him on the way on an early Sunday morning.  At the 
ACP Swap Meet in Santa Ana.  He wondered if he asked too much, and 
wanted it gone and didn't want to really be in the middle of a spectacle 
over it and how little he got out of it.


I was glad to get it.


Christian

[cctalk] Re: You have Apple Lisa 1 "twiggy" system to trade for my IBM 5100 Portable PC?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

the 5100 has an external connector.  The floppy drive is a floor unit 
about the size of three AT units upright, with two single density 
floppies in it.  We used my unit as an engineering reference to do a 
floppy interface project which required 3740 compatability from our 
hardware.


And there was another connector on the back of the unit to daisy chain 
the printer.  This is the 5100 desktop unit.


I've got 3 of the floppy drives. Ethan Dicks was kind enough to retrieve 
another system for me from Pittsburgh, PA some time ago and is storing 
it for me at his house.  Got the printer and the floppy unit.


I've got one of the units with the integrated 8" floppies as well.

Initially a 5150 was 6000 and wasn't fully loaded.  A friend against 
computer advise bought one along with an IEEE interfaced 5mb drive when 
the PC first came out.

thanks
jim

On 9/5/22 07:16, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:

Well, it ain't in the 5150/5160 range!
The 5100 new was $10K to $20K.

On Sun, 4 Sep 2022, jim stephens wrote:
I had a 5100 that a dentist had bought as soon as it  came out and 
he added the floppy drives and printer.  It was a direct IBM buy for 
31000.


On Mon, 5 Sep 2022, Christian Corti via cctalk wrote:
Are you sure about that? The 5100 doesn't support floppy drives. And 
I've never heard of third-party drives (that would need IMFs, too) 
for the 5100.


$3100 is about what IBM charged for a fully loaded 5150. (PC)

THAT is not a 5100!   $3100 for a 5100 would have been a bargain.

A 5150 would not be worth as much as a Lisa.
A 5100 would be. (or at least in a similar range)

[cctalk] Re: You have Apple Lisa 1 "twiggy" system to trade for my IBM 5100 Portable PC?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/3/22 17:38, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:


Well, it ain't in the 5150/5160 range!
The 5100 new was $10K to $20K.
I had a 5100 that a dentist had bought as soon as it  came out and he 
added the floppy drives and printer.  It was a direct IBM buy for 31000.

thanks

Also a fair amount of software.

Jim

[cctalk] Re: Floppy Disk Drive Controller History

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/2/22 11:59, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

On 9/2/22 11:15, Tom Gardner via cctalk wrote:

I’m working on an update to Wikipedia on floppy disk drive controllers –
there is a nice section on WD but nothing on Intel/NEC


Anyone know the history of how the NEC µPD765 and the Intel 8272 became
compatible devices?


The 8272/µPD765 as well as the graphics controllers (µPD7220:  Intel
82720) were the result of a cross-licensing deal between NEC and Intel.
Both were essentially NEC designs.  The 765 is described in detail in
the 1980 NEC catalog:

http://blog.kevtris.org/blogfiles/Handhelds/Datasheets/1980%20NEC%20Catalog%20c20120827%20%5B419%5D.pdf

The 7220 came a bit later.  The Intel FDC that preceded the 8272, the
8271 was single-density only and doesn't resemble the 8272 at all.

It's obvious from the abovementioned NEC catalog that the extent of
licensing peripheral chips from Intel was pretty broad.  The whole
affair continued peacefully until the V20, where Intel sued NEC for
pirating the 8086 microcode, which is an interesting read all by itself.

--Chuck
I hope you get information on Don Tarbell's work included.  He had an 
early single density controller.  Then later a high (double) density 
controller.


He of course had huge success with his tape reader design, and was 
following his interests in storage.


I wish I had good references if they aren't already on Wiki or 
elsewhere, only my recollections.  I knew him and his manufacturing 
friend, Don Culbertson, who did a lot of his manufacturing.  But don't 
have anything up to wiki requirements for citation.

thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Flipping an 8" diskette

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/31/22 13:33, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:

Someone on Fesse Bouc just found a sealed box of SS/SD 8" floppies in
their garage.

Most FB types are too young to know 8" disks existed, of course.

Someone suggested punching a notch in them and using both sides.

Was that even possible on 8" disks?

(TBH single-sided actually-floppy floppies are before my time and I
never used 'em. When they were on low-end American 8-bit home
computers, this impecunious young Brit couldn't afford floppy drives
at all. By the time I could, 5.25" DS/DD was the cheapest drive and
cheapest media.)


It would be possible but for the drives mostly being double sided.
The most useful thing for a notcher was to make AOL and other
mailer diskettes writable.  Never did the double side thing
much if ever.

Sad day when AOL changed to CDs and you then had to make
coasters or trash them.
thanks
Jim

[cctalk] Re: Cell phone as a dial up modem.

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/11/2022 5:33 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote:

On 8/11/22 2:07 AM, jim stephens via cctalk wrote:
I have used such as US Robotics with a vonage voip account pad. Sends 
and receives faxes quite well, as well.


ACK

not sure what you are after then.  I haven't seen a way to hook up to it 
in a "modem" fashion, so you can call dialups (like older serial BBS 
modems) on any phone.
The cell phone perhaps could provide a connection.  A friend used the 
cell via Wifi tethering to a PC. Then set up a route command to make 
it primary and function as a router outside.  Then connect to the 
network via other devices, including the voip box.


That's tangential to what I'm wanting to do.

The vonage for voice worked, but not sure if it could do much more 
than 2400 or such (whereever you can function in modem protocol land 
w/o phase coherency.)



was glad the pile worked at all.

ACK

I wonder what level / speed of fax you manged to get to work.

didn't check or care.  The machine ran full blast and sent over a 
reasonable copy(copies).
I've heard that under optimal situations, sometimes 14.4 can be 
persuaded to work.


I know USR should be able to tell, and I used the best version I've 
seen, a 56k one.  Would be interesting to query it.

We were in the center of Santa Ana with a very close in cell site, BTW.


I wouldn't expect the distance to the cell site to make much 
difference.  At least not as long as there were no drop outs in the 
cell signal / connection.


Makes a big difference on T-mobile.  if it works at all.  Actually they 
suck.  but I'm not interested in dealing with the billing @ other 
companies.  T-mobile is creeping towards not being useful though.


I was interested in two problems here, one to run an office or network 
on my cell.  And the other to use the old modems to dial into dialup 
services.


World in Boston still has dialup into their service, which is a remote 
shell service.

[cctalk] Re: Cell phone as a dial up modem.

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/10/2022 10:53 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote:
Does anyone know if it's possible, or -- better -- have experience 
using a cell phone as a dial up modem?


I'm wondering about doing something as an alternative to a traditional 
POTS modem connected to a VoIP ATA.  I'd think that treating the phone 
as a traditional modem with venerable Hayes AT commands might be more 
reliable than trying to do dial up connections across VoIP.


It's been *YEARS* since I've tried to connect a modem to a serial port 
on a PC, universal or otherwise.


Does anyone have any experience with or thoughts about doing this?

I have used such as US Robotics with a vonage voip account pad. Sends 
and receives faxes quite well, as well.


The cell phone perhaps could provide a connection.  A friend used the 
cell via Wifi tethering to a PC.  Then set up a route command to make it 
primary and function as a router outside.  Then connect to the network 
via other devices, including the voip box.


We used this for a company I did IT chores for in a pinch when bell 
couldn't make up its mind for our DSL, and pissed off T-Mobile.  But a 
couple of devices behind the tether didn't piss it off.  Using  10 pcs 
did though. (FWIW).


The vonage for voice worked, but not sure if it could do much more than 
2400 or such (whereever you can function in modem protocol land w/o 
phase coherency.)


We were in the center of Santa Ana with a very close in cell site, BTW.

Thanks
Jim

Re: tape drives, oscilloscopes, and test equiment in Austin, TX

[jim stephens via cctalk]

If you scroll thru the other auctions, these aren't the only ones with 
interesting material.  There is a lot of other equipment and items.


I scrolled and saw meters and power supplies for instance.  The sad 
thing that this shows is how poor a choice of an agent this operation is 
in attracting bidders for good equipment.  It will probably be bought up 
by metals or scrappers for the bids if they stand.

thanks
Jim

On 7/14/2022 8:17 AM, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote:

On 7/14/22 2:37 AM, Mark Linimon via cctalk wrote:

Closing this Friday the 15th (sorry for noticing this late).  At the
University of Texas in downtown Austin.

I have no association with the University, etc.

   https://swicoauctions.com/online/26/item/110345


I'd pay the current bid of $11 for the tape drives if I was in person.

But, sadly, I can't find, much less arrange for an agent in state to 
assist me with this in the remaining time.


Nor do I want to pay 10 times the bid in shipping.


https://swicoauctions.com/online/26/item/110400
   https://swicoauctions.com/online/26/item/110404

There are a few other items that may be of interest.


Ya...  I'm not going to look at things I'll just end up wanting and 
not able to get.  Better for my (mental) health.  :-D



Note that these are all fine examples of the type of things I need
*less* of :-)


~chuckle~

Remember, one person's trash is another person's treasure.


(including, of course, a Tek 564 that I have been lugging around for
a few decades.  Does anyone want to give it a good home?  Fair warning:
it's *heavy*.)


~chuckle~

Re: Retire cctech

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I'm good with the duality going away.  I see in a day longer ago that 
the split made sense and also was more useful.


I don't think I've seen the cctech separate out much that can't be 
located and followed anyway.


Appreciate all the efforts.  I'll look at my archives.  I think Jay had 
all I had the he did not.  I also have a very long archive composed of 
emails and not from scraping the archives off the web page, though I 
don't know that is much use.


thanks
Jim

On 7/13/2022 7:01 PM, Dennis Boone via cctalk wrote:

  > Are the old posts all archived and searchable? I have a gap from 2016
  > through 2022, and before that it is complete back to Mar 29, 2007 (I
  > think it is complete).

I think I have cctech back to 2005 for import into the new mailman web
system.  I also have the mailman2 pipermail archives that go back to
2014.

I have cctalk archives back to the beginning in 1998? to load, and the
pipermail back to 2014.

The pipermail archives are online now.  The stuff to load still requires
some massaging to get it to load cleanly.  Since it's somewhere north of
400,000 messages, and I'm not getting diagnostics about _why_ some
messages aren't getting loaded, it's taking some time to finish the
cleanup.

De

Steve Castner

[jim stephens via cctalk]

Dag Spicer posted a Tweet saying that Steve, a volunteer @ the CHM has 
passed away.


https://twitter.com/dag_spicer/status/1544666106501087234?t=bMAk29lJ42j9mKv_iZaf7Q&s=03

Thanks
Jim

I can't sent to gmail either with my domains

[jim stephens via cctalk]

not sure what needs to be done either.  Maybe Jay's having problems with 
that.t


Sending this along to see if my non google  related post goes thru. 
google folks apparently won't get it.


thanks
Jim

Re: Selling my 026/029 IBM punch card control drum ($150)

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I picked one up several years ago for my 029.  maybe 25 or 30 bucks.

I also grabbed a couple of the cylinders that were used to put legends 
on cards, which were around.  Never knew exactly what process used them, 
but the look cool.



On 4/22/2022 3:16 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

On 4/22/22 14:37, Lee Courtney via cctalk wrote:

Works fine.  Good Condition.

Doesn't say whether it includes power cord or not?

You'd figure that there would be buckets of these things around.  Many
keypunch pools would have several of them for each keypunch, preloaded
with cards for appropriate forms.   They were also commonly
"appropriate" by various individuals.

Still, I guess if any technology is old enough, it gets scarce.

--Chuck

Re: phishing increase lately

[jim stephens via cctalk]

The list doesn't send any of the emails, but I get forged emails that 
were harvested from someone with a folder full of different emails.


They show up with all the addresses, a lot of them email addresses from 
here, all in the From: or CC: field, which the list mail server never does.


I've not seen them, but you getting the spam is the luck of the draw 
having a list posts of yours with the email address in someones folder 
that was scanned.


Paul  said he'd not seen any, because by luck he didn't have an email in 
the email client for whoever got scanned.


I get them from a couple of different email lists that pinched my 
address, and is probably now sold bulk along with the harvested address.


Again the only relation to this list was that your email post address 
was harvested from an email on someones email client.  The actual spams 
don't get sent thru the list out to all of us.  I've seen very little of 
that in a long time if any.


thanks
Jim

On 4/14/2022 11:08 AM, dwight via cctalk wrote:

I was just wondering if I was the only one. It may have been through someplace 
else I've been at.
I just wanted to send the warning. I've seen 3 in the last day.
I must be on someone's list.
Dwight

Re: Core memory

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 4/1/2022 11:51 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:



On Apr 1, 2022, at 2:38 PM, Brent Hilpert via cctalk  
wrote:

On 2022-Apr-01, at 6:02 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:


When I looked at that ebay listing of "glass memory" it pointed me to another item, 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/265623663142 -- described as "core rope memory".  Obviously it isn't -- 
it's conventional core RAM.  Interestingly enough, it seems to be three-wire memory (no inhibit line that I 
can see).  It looks to be in decent shape.  No manufacturer marks, and "GC-6" doesn't ring any 
bells.

Well, it would still work for 1-bit-wide words, so to speak. One wonders what 
the application was.

I wonder if the sense wire was used as inhibit during write cycles -- that 
seems doable.  It would make the core plane simpler at the expense of more 
complex electronics.  With that approach, you have regular memory, not limited 
to 1 bit words.


There are a couple of Soviet core-rope memories up right now:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/294558261336
https://www.ebay.com/itm/294851032351

Neat looking stuff.  It doesn't look like core rope memory in the sense of the 
AGC ROM, nor in the sense of the Electrologica X1.  It looks more like the 
transformer memory used in Wang calculators that you documented in your core 
ROM paper.

paul


without the driver hardware there's no real way to determine for sure 
what the interface was.  It's clearly not structured as the Apollo or 
other roms were.  Not all of the core built that way for the Apollo 
systems were ROMs as well.


Someone googled and found the descriptions of the Apollo use of core I 
suspect and has no clue.  No mention of documentation or provenance in 
the listing which would be absolutely required for this sort of artifact 
as it would be out of the normal for such use as the seller has.


Sad about all the Soviet stuff, probably will be a long time before 
there is any more buying from there again.

Thanks
Jim

Re: PDP 11/24 - A Step Backwards

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/27/2022 11:49 AM, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk wrote:

On 3/27/22 14:48, Chris Zach via cctalk wrote:

Bigger question is who repaired the power supply "under warranty"?



My guess would be whoever fixed it this last time and warranted it.

bill


I have an Alpha DS-20 retired Feb 2021 that was under service contract 
thru 3/2021.  The PDP 11s are probably actively supported by those who 
are supporting customers with active systems.  Article said use of 
software and probably hardware thru the rest of the decade.


DS-20 was replaced by High Availability configuration Dell servers, 
Alpha on Intel emulation.  No change to OS or software in the 
migration.  Same goes for PDP 11, and possibly this was retired in such 
a move with remaining warranty.  (didn't see where OP got the system.


thanks
Jim

Re: Searching cctalk archives?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

sorry to put on list, but never heard from Tom about what I sent him.
thanks
Jim

On 3/22/2022 9:23 AM, Tom Hunter via cctalk wrote:

I came across a reference to a cctalk message from 9 September 200

Re: Searching cctalk archives?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 3/22/2022 9:23 AM, Tom Hunter via cctalk wrote:

I came across a reference to a cctalk message from 9 September 2006 and
would like to read the rest of the thread with the subject "PDP-8m Console
Switch Problems - fixed!".

Sending you the requested month.  many titled messaages.

will send gzip.

I have back to 1999.  I don't know where the full archives are, but this 
was discussed in the past.


I need to do a refresh.  I have all the gzips, and as you say, just 
unzip the lot and grep or egrep.


Look in your spam folder or email me a different address if this is a 
cctalk only no reply email you use.


thanks
Jim

Re: gcobol

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I have a serial Documation M-1000.  Not running at the moment, but 
adequate for such


Two more M-600 parallel, and I think the number for the dinky one is 
M-150, also parallel.
interface would go thru an arduino with 5v board easily to a USB serial 
or whatever (Ethernet maybe)


thanks
Jim

On 3/14/2022 6:53 PM, ben via cctalk wrote:



Good question. Does any one have card reader hooked up to modern machine?


paul

Ben. 

Re: Information about an unknown IC

[jim stephens via cctalk]

The thread with the photograph had an Ebay source for the part.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/151010204380

doesn't help with function, or with the solder blob jumper purpose (or 
booboo) but can get the part for some amount if they ship to Brazil.



On 2/24/2022 10:24 AM, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:

I have a pretty complete set of TI books, there are no chips that begin
with TB-n.  There are many chips that start with T, but none that match
your chip ID

On Thu, Feb 24, 2022 at 1:21 PM Paul Koning via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:




On Feb 24, 2022, at 1:16 PM, Brent Hilpert via cctalk <

cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

On 2022-Feb-24, at 8:29 AM, Clemar Folly via cctalk wrote:

I'm looking for information about Texas Instruments TB-759933 IC.

Does anyone have the datasheet or any other information about this IC?


A search shows this question was posted over here, with a picture:


https://atariage.com/forums/topic/331769-unknown-cart-ic-please-i-need-some-help/

Wow, that's a sorry looking board.  It looks like it was assembled by
someone using a soldering gun and acid-core solder.  But most plumbers
would do better work than that.

 paul

Re: Information about an unknown IC

[jim stephens via cctalk]

Could be speaking ahead of answers here, but TI had an entire internal 
PN system for their parts in the 70s (I dealt with it in 75) and they 
did it to stop people from doing component level repairs on such as TI 
silent 700s.  I don't think there's a common P/N part in those.


I couldn't get the internal to "real public" part number equivalency 
list and I was just a wet behind the ears EE trying to maintain 40 of 
them for a college, and quite pissed off that they did that. Some were 
figured out but most weren't.


They wanted upwards of the value of the units for parts, and were aholes 
in my book.  The Silent 700s weren't the only thing they pulled that on.


So if you have a schematic and what it came out of someone here or on a 
circuits or specialized list which deals with TI shenanigans might be 
able to guess what it is and what would replace it.


May not be this, someone may have a book with it in it, but I avoid TI 
at all costs for this reason. Enough problems with old electronics w/o 
dealing with crap like this.


thanks
Jim

On 2/24/2022 10:01 AM, ben via cctalk wrote:

On 2022-02-24 9:29 a.m., Clemar Folly via cctalk wrote:

Hi

I'm looking for information about Texas Instruments TB-759933 IC.

Does anyone have the datasheet or any other information about this IC?

Thanks.

I forgot to ask, What kind of package?
Ben.

Re: Origin of "partition" in storage devices

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 1/31/2022 11:01 AM, Tom Gardner via cctalk wrote:



It seems clear it was used in memory well before HDDs but when it got
started there is unclear.
* IBM PC DOS v2 was an early user in 1983 with FDISK and its first PC
support of HDDs
* UNIX, Apple OS's and IBM mainframe all seem to come later.

We had a local grown OS which was really a way to file paper tapes on a 
disk with file pointers.  We had an allocation method, all the file 
system things, a VTOC (copied a lot of ibm terms).  Eventually added 
half inch tape.


This was on a Microdata 1621 minicomputer, and was named MPS, or 
Microdata Programming System.  We could take paper tape distributed 
software from Microdata, read them in and patch the terminal read / 
write and in the case of compilers, the paper tape read / write 
instructions and point them easily at our disk.


Anyway our files had a name and  disk pointer which essentially was the 
cylinder and sector of the file.  All was on a 2.5 mb platter using both 
surfaces of our the removable pack on the 5mb Western Dynex drive.


I added the capability to select surfaces which occurred when you booted 
the system and it would remember a surface system variable used by the 
disk routines that the programs didn't have to be concerned with. We 
could run from either platter this way with a copy of the system.


Used the other platter for storing an image and doing a backup. Before 
that time, we had not written any way to back up, so I built that up.


I later implemented a system to save out to tape, and rebuild and 
install to the disk.


Also could later when I worked at Microdata use multiple drive and do 
the copying as well as double sized disks.


There was a lot of odd data stored outside the disk space (allocated and 
free).


I implemented a small rotating log of when the disks were booted, a name 
for the disk system running you could query, and other information.


I don't know how this might fit into partitioning disks, but it did 
divide the two platter system into two separate file systems.  I never 
moved it to any hardware requiring more complication, but would have 
just added more indexing as to where the disk was mounted and what the 
volume was.


You'll note that our 2.5mb file system isn't much larger than two 1.4mb 
3 1/2" floppies, but we ran all the system software that we needed, 
system generation, sources and user files and easily had 20 to 25% of 
the space left over.  Much smaller systems back then.


Single user similar to a large high wattage PC I suppose.

The partitioning was implemented in 1972 (or dual platter backup).

BTW we had an entertaining file recovery and sort that ran on either 
platter.  We'd erase the "other" platter to no files, and then copy all 
the files in on the other volume to the alternate.  When you finished 
all of your files were sequential and not wasted space.


Our file system used linked sectors, and the free space was allocated by 
a linked list of sectors, not a bitmap.  The beginning of files were 
luckily odd enough that they could be recognized and another utility 
could recover all the files and rebuild the entire VTOC with nothing but 
the files present.  IMplemented over a couple of horrible days when the 
VTOC got erased.


thanks
Jim

Re: Datum Front Panels

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I think Datum was an Orange County, CA company mostly.  They also did 
tape formatters which were used with Pertec (also OC based for initial 
time) to do NRZI and PE.  I recall that they were similar to the Pertec 
units, might have been related.


A friend worked for them on projects doing programming for their logic 
as well as design.  They probably bought the disk and fashioned logic 
and systems to allow it to be used, maybe for a custom unit, or for some 
mini at one time or another.


thanks
Jim

On 1/26/2022 6:16 AM, Will Cooke via cctalk wrote:

Some years ago I was on a mission to rack mount all my computer and test 
equipment.  I found three front panels at a hamfest that I planned to use.  I 
never did anything with them but still have them.  These are from Datum 
systems, but they appear to be rather hard to find much information on.

The short story is, if anyone needs them for something, let me know.  I would 
hate to do away with them if someone needs them.  Two of the panels are marked:
Datum, inc Rotating Drum Memory 6008
Datum, inc Data Acquisition System 120

The last isn't marked.
A picture is here:
http://wrcooke.net/FrontPanels.jpg

I will likely be moving in a few months and these are on the "get rid of" list.

Thanks,
Will

Re: tamayatech let down

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 12/26/2021 7:49 PM, Ali wrote:

Not sure what you mean here. Refurbished means that a seller has brought an item to the 
original operating specs and that the item will operate as it should. This is also eBay's 
meaning of refurbished. So I am not sure why you think they "screwed" it up.
I have several friends who sell on ebay.  All were screwed over by 
buyers who used any other descriptions other than New or Parts only to 
obtain refunds at the expense of them.  YMMV.


I agree with your definition, and if you read what I said, anywhere you 
wish to use those definitions in a reasonable way that is what it should 
mean.


And I separated another attribute, Warranty from that. Refurbishment 
claims things that relate to warranty.  Is it certified by you on 
shipping, and is a "theshold" warranty?  Is it for a certain period of 
time to remain functioning?


Such questions are hard to agree on on very old equipment.  Also the 
equipment such material is inserted into can be a big factor and wipe 
out a good part, so you have to know as a vendor if you can trust the 
situation you are shipping your parts into.  An experienced organization 
who has done support and probably won't do something w/o care and 
experience, or those who may not be able to.


I supported 8 ways for several years, and learned who I could trust when 
something I tested good came back under warranty, and those I had to 
deal with differently.


I just mentioned ebay as they make the definition there not much use.

Re: tamayatech let down

[jim stephens via cctalk]

Epay has messed the definitions up into a useless mess.

I'd expect  a vendor not selling on such to actually test the items.  
Whether they are warranted is a separate issue.


On ebay they've screwed over sellers to the point that it's all but 
wasting time to list there unless you sell either really new stock, or 
list as parts, junk only.


Any attempt to describe the item as refurbished will mean most buyer 
will claim a problem, Ebay will refund them and screw you.


thanks
jim


On 12/26/2021 7:09 PM, Ali via cctalk wrote:

Side question, if I may, but what does "refurbished" mean within the
context of sellers like this? Board [fully] tested and working? Or
simply
"visually good"? Or have components such as electrolytic capacitors
that
might be marginal from old age been tested and replaced with new
components
where necessary?


It means the item is actually so worthless that if it doesn't work, we
refund you, we still make enough profit on S&H alone to justify the sale to
you. Seriously, none of these guys are looking or testing anything and you
would be nuts to think they would actually do any repairs.

-Ali

Re: tamayatech let down

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I don't know who is left, but a friend who has a system running on a 
DS-20 alpha system migrated off the hardware as the vendor supporting 
them was withdrawing support (finally) for that and some others.  But 
they also supported hardware replacement for them, and migrated them to 
Intel servers.


They did this about April last year.  I have the old Alpha, but don't 
expect to get much other than off ebay should I need parts.


I don't know the support company, or where they were getting parts, 
their own, or working with such as you all mention.


thanks
Jim

On 12/26/2021 10:33 AM, P Gebhardt via cctalk wrote:

PinnacleMicro was very different and a pleasure to deal with, but 
unfortunately, they dropped the DEC equipment support. I wonder where all their 
remaining equipment went to. Probably to some other support vendors. There are 
only a handful left regarding some bigger ones, to my knowledge.

Re: PDP-11/44 gas struts

[jim stephens via cctalk]

There was a Basic four system I had which was a small amount taller but 
you get into having to have a really big counterweight.  I could imagine 
a smaller amount and the rear placement of the 11/44 Power supply weight 
would allow RL02s and such pulled, but leave the system where it is and 
raise the lid.


All w/o having gone to look it up, so I'm guessing.  Also the H960 has 
small feet that support the weight as well when you pull things for service.


thanks
Jim

On 12/24/2021 12:16 PM, Zane Healy wrote:

Out of curiosity, is there a manual for this style PDP-11/44 online?  This is 
the style I have, but I’m pretty sure my manual is for the pull-out enclosure.

A manual on this enclosure might give some idea on the gas struts.

Zane




On Dec 24, 2021, at 11:58 AM, jim stephens via cctalk  
wrote:

I have the same system cabinet, but have not looked at it in detail.  I think 
from some of the replies, they are thinking about the H960 tall cabinets and 
systems that are pulled out, then rotate on the slides.

This I think is  like the hood of a car, then the system tilts up, as the 
cabinet isn't that tall that you can't work on it on top.

As to sources, either automotive sources and match the fit, or a supplier like 
McMaster Carr.  I don't think any NOS on these would be any better than the 
ones  you have that rotted out.

I only just got the 11/44 and didn't poke at it yet, just moved it from the 
original owner's storage to mine.

I hope it to be one of my first 'big' projects after some PDP8s are tackled.

thanks
JIm

On 12/23/2021 8:43 PM, Alan Frisbie via cctalk wrote:

I have a PDP-11/44 system in the DEC 41" high cabinet.
It is designed to be tilted up for service, aided and
supported by two gas struts, one on each side.

Unfortunately, after all these years, the struts have
failed and do not provide any assistance. That box is
heavy!

Does anyone know where I can get replacement gas struts?

Thanks,
Alan Frisbie

Re: PDP-11/44 gas struts

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I have the same system cabinet, but have not looked at it in detail.  I 
think from some of the replies, they are thinking about the H960 tall 
cabinets and systems that are pulled out, then rotate on the slides.


This I think is  like the hood of a car, then the system tilts up, as 
the cabinet isn't that tall that you can't work on it on top.


As to sources, either automotive sources and match the fit, or a 
supplier like McMaster Carr.  I don't think any NOS on these would be 
any better than the ones  you have that rotted out.


I only just got the 11/44 and didn't poke at it yet, just moved it from 
the original owner's storage to mine.


I hope it to be one of my first 'big' projects after some PDP8s are tackled.

thanks
JIm

On 12/23/2021 8:43 PM, Alan Frisbie via cctalk wrote:

I have a PDP-11/44 system in the DEC 41" high cabinet.
It is designed to be tilted up for service, aided and
supported by two gas struts, one on each side.

Unfortunately, after all these years, the struts have
failed and do not provide any assistance. That box is
heavy!

Does anyone know where I can get replacement gas struts?

Thanks,
Alan Frisbie

Re: SCSI2SD for HVD?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 11/20/2021 11:11 AM, Jonathan Katz via cctalk wrote:

Hey everyone!

Has anyone been able to use a SCSI2SD setup where HVD is required? I
know by default that isn't supported, but given we can get custom kits
to solder, we could just change out one of the controller chips
(optimistically?)

Cheers!

I'd think you could get one of the DEC or Pacific data converters to 
handle that.  They work well converting to SE anyway.  Are the SCSI2SD 
proper SE or LVD only?  Some SCSI don't do the SE voltage version 
properly, just the LVD.


DEC sold Pacific data converters with a DEC logo on them.

thanks
Jim

Re: I-4004

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 11/16/2021 2:20 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:

On 11/16/21 2:08 PM, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote:
Did the 4004 chip start our interest in microcomputing? 


no


I got interested in microprogramming  before it was hijacked as a a term 
for such devices.  It's generous at best to apply that term to a 4004 
anyway.


In 1971 firmware and the like still was still very much something that 
was used in conjunction with system design.  A group was very active, 
SIGMicro to share techniques.  Only after most microprogramming vanished 
into a black hole in the silicon did it taper off.


I'm glad some amount of that discipline has emerged in that context, and 
not applied to small ceramic chips with gold legs.


thanks
Jim

Re: Found my favorite DOS editor

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/28/2021 2:48 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:


"I've been using vi for about two years, mostly because I can't 
figure out

how to exit it."


:q

you're welcome


Or having to power cycle the machine to get out of EMACS.
thanks
Jim

Re: R.I.P. Clive Sinclair

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I have a version of a full size 8" floppy drive footprint (or hard 
drive) which is wafer scale storage.

thanks
Jim

On 9/21/2021 3:00 PM, Jecel Assumpcao Jr via cctalk wrote:

An interesting project that Sir Clive was involved in was the wafer
scale integration effort by Ivor Catt.

http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/8199/Anamartic-Limited/

The goal was to eventually do what the Cerebras people are now doing
(with lots of positive press), but their first products attempted to
replace hard disks with battery-backed wafer scale SRAMs. The many-core
processors would come later, but as HD densities took off (after only
having grown slowly from the mid 1970s to mid 1980s) the investors
pulled out.

-- Jecel

Re: More cleaning out the Bob basement

[jim stephens via cctalk]

Wifey has phone numbers and knows about several of these lists.

thanks
Jim

On 9/18/2021 7:10 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote:

On 9/18/21 7:32 PM, Mike Katz via cctalk wrote:

Which is worse, no basement or a wife 😁


To all the wives out there:  "no basement"

Re: R.I.P. Clive Sinclair (is: TV and computer in the US)

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/18/2021 1:45 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:

On Sat, 18 Sep 2021, dwight via cctalk wrote:
Of course, Busicom was the first programed microprocessor driven 
calculator, it wasn't the first calculator using calculator ICs. That 
is what Busicom was trying to compete with, when going to Intel in 
the first place.


I think that the Sinclair used TI calculator ICs.
Unless he had a special "in" with TI, AND was fastest to market, then 
it is doubtful that he could legitimately claim to be "FIRST".
I was really fascinated with the Sinclair TV when he brought it out.  It 
worked great and was a cool toy.


I don't recall for sure what computer showed up, but I'm not sure it was 
the ZX80, but it was a black thing with a touch

type keyboard.  I got it as soon as it was available.

At one point of course had to hook the computer to the TV and squint.  
To the  credit, the TV performed well enough

to see the screen, but of course wasn't really useful.

Both are lurking.  I hope the TV(s) show up in my move I have done 
recently as I unpack. There are 2 varieties of the
Panasonic 1" sets, and the Sinclair.  Also a 1" viewfinder wired to run 
off of some voltage with a generic RCA compatable

input.

thanks
Jim

Re: Looking for an IBM 3803

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 9/5/2021 2:55 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

On 9/5/21 1:24 PM, Gabriel Nielson via cctalk wrote:

I was digging through the internet and found a post where a 3803 was posted for 
sale, would there happen to still be one available?Preferably a model 2
Thanks,gcniel...@yahoo.com


Aside from a couple of sales of 3420+3803 drives about 5-6 years ago,
about the only current sale is just the panel:

ttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153912466858?hash=item23d5e5ddaa:g:P8QAAOSw86ZeqMBo

--Chuck
There's a transformer about 2' on a side and the unit weight around 800 
or 900#.  Make sure it's close, or the freight will exceed the cost, 
even @ Sellam's asking price.


I sold one to a couple of guys in northern california some time ago.  I 
never heard whether they got the tape or disk systems running or not.


thanks
Jim

Re: IBM 1620 Simulation

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/26/2021 5:14 PM, Ray Jewhurst via cctalk wrote:

Hello all,
Long time lurker, extremely rare poster, I was reading the Wikipedia
article on the IBM 1620 and became quite intrigued.  I know that there is a
simulator for it on SimH but I have never ran or simulated any card-driven
machines before.  I have all the documentation and the ibm1620.zip file
from bitsavers but I am not sure what to do next.  I know I would like to
try Monitor, Fortran-II and possibly GOTRAN but I have so many questions.
I read the SimH documentation which gave me some understanding but I don't
know exactly how the card decks work, how to install Monitor or how to boot
Monitor once it is installed since I know you have to boot off a deck.  My
final question is, is there an easy to use card-driven machine to cut my
teeth on?  Also, any anecdotes on any of the old IBM computers would be
both welcome and greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Ray

To run from cards, you probably will need to look up the exact keys, but
basically you insert a boot instruction in memory with the machine halted
then run it.

You prepare one of the decks in the card reader prior to that (keep the
SIMH console hand).

The Fortran compiler will need a punch file specified where you can find it,
as each pass will punch cards that need to be successively read in on 
future passes.


I've not run one with a disk or paper tape or other facilities, but the 
reader / punch

/ printer / cpu setup wasn't too hard to run.

Run assembler if you want to study for a while.

thanks
Jim

Re: DEC ME11 Memory Expansion on eBay

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I had an 11/15 with one of these, no memory in the main box.

Both stolen along with an 8/M

Wondering if anyone saw such for sale in the last 5 years.   Private 
email if so.

thanks
Jim

On 8/20/2021 4:04 PM, Steve Malikoff via cctalk wrote:

I just saw there is an ME11 Memory Expansion unit on eBay (not mine), stamped 
'M11'.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/114941479208
Until seeing this one I had not heard of any other units out there apart from 
the one I recovered
(ex-BHP steelworks) a few years ago. Mine was connected by a flexprint cable to 
a rebadged PDP-11/15.

If anyone here ends up with it, I have an OpenSCAD model of the Mazak bracket 
p/n 1211221 that holds
the regular 5-1/4" DEC fascia panel onto the front of the H-909 cabinet this 
unit uses.

This is the same cabinet as the slimline PDP-11/05 and to be honest when I 
found the ME11 that's
what I thought it was, and that the console and CPU boards were missing. I then 
found the fascia panel
with the original brackets close by, and it fitted exactly.

I've printed a few from PET and they work as well as the originals (including 
the threaded hole), so
I could do a few more for whoever gets the eBay one should they want them.

I am slowly scanning the ME11 print set too as I've not found any online copy 
out there so far.

Steve.

Re: Ultrix-11

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/14/2021 1:36 PM, Warner Losh via cctalk wrote:

On Sat, Aug 14, 2021, 2:08 PM Douglas Taylor  wrote:


On 8/14/2021 1:54 PM, Warner Losh wrote:



On Sat, Aug 14, 2021 at 10:19 AM Douglas Taylor via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


I ran into a YouTube video, that it is 5 years old, titled "Ultrix-11
3.1 on an emulated PDP-11/73" and I found it very interesting.
It shows installation of Ultrix-11 under SIMH.  The fellow steps through
the installation process and appears to be quite knowable.
I wanted to replicate it but couldn't locate the *.tap file used in the
video that was an image of the bootable TK50 distribution.
Bitsavers and tuhs.org have Ultrix-11 files, but not the bootable tape
image.
Anyone know where the tape image is located?


https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/DEC/Ultrix-3.1/
has ultrix-3.1-bootape.tar.gz and seems to be, at first blush, the boot
tape (or its files) that you are looking for.

Warner

I took a look at that file and don't exactly know what to do with it.  It
is not a bootable image of a tape, but rather the files that are on that
tape.  Have to do some more digging.  Its a learning experience.


There are several prep programs that take the tape files and make a .tap
file.

Warner

I unzipped all the cctalk images I have and in the 2000 time frame 
there's a discussion about running 3.x version and upgrading to 4.x.


Fun to see digression into how Netscape is having trouble with java 
extensions to the Altavista search engine they were looking for

image info with.

This is the closest to the subject I found.  No references to any tape 
images of the 3.x version.


From July 2008 archive (I think Jay has these online somewhere back 
that far)


From richardlynch3 at tx.rr.com  Wed Jul 23 20:44:41 2008
From: richardlynch3 at tx.rr.com (Richard Lynch)
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:44:41 -0500
Subject: ultrix on simh

On 7/23/08 7:09 AM, "Tom Manos"  wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm running Ultrix V2 on Simh quite happily today and have a couple 
of goals

> I don't know how to accomplish. I'm hoping someone here can help.

... snip ...
I have an image of an Ultrix V3.1 upgrade tape I can send if you want to try
it.  You should be able to mount it as a tape in the simh vax emulator and
boot it.  If you want to go a little further, I also have V4.x images.
Richard Lynch

Thanks
Jim

Re: ISO Laserjet I/II/III firmware

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/11/2021 11:23 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:

On 8/11/21 11:12 PM, jim stephens via cctalk wrote:



On 8/11/2021 10:57 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:


"nobody collects printers"
Tossed a couple 2 years ago which were unloved.  I don't think I have 
any in my KC warehouse, but will have my friend there check.


I mainly don't save the Laserjet  because no parts and they 
don't run forever.


I've never been that interested either, but someone had a curiosity to 
plug the firmware into MAME and make it work.


It seems like the early printers are prime targets for people looking 
for motors so I'm sure the electronics have

been tossed in the trash.

I'll look.  My main point was that the lifetime and usefulness was 
further limited most likely to those who can life extend those parts, 
which weren't that numerous among us.


I might know where an Apple printer is, but not sure i we took it. The 
one with the Laserjet 2 Canon engine.  Not what you're after, but 
possibly interesting.


There seems to be a lot of cartridges turning up though.  Those would 
probably be interesting as well if you had the emulated engine.


thanks
JIm

Re: ISO Laserjet I/II/III firmware

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/11/2021 10:57 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:


"nobody collects printers"
Tossed a couple 2 years ago which were unloved.  I don't think I have 
any in my KC warehouse, but will have my friend there check.


I mainly don't save the Laserjet  because no parts and they 
don't run forever.  If there was a way to extend life I didn't practice 
it.  Such as recharging the cartridges, etc.


Still have a 10 year old or so HP 2016 laser printer with about 50,000 
pages, hardly broken in.

Re: For Sale: FANUC A860 papertape reader with DOSTEK BTR (adapter)

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 8/2/2021 7:22 PM, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:

FANUC A860-0056-T020 Papertape Reader and DOSTEK 440A BTR
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274883740917

Ebay listing includes my project notes.  Hopefully someone here will want
it.

Bill
I see that to ship from you to the Los Angeles area is $112.00, 
addressing one of your concerns.  Very reasonable shipping for that type 
and size off device.


If I didn't have a pile of Remex reader / punches I might take a run at it.

thanks
Jim

Re: Reading MT/ST Tapes

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 7/31/2021 8:12 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

On 7/31/21 6:23 PM, Steve Malikoff via cctalk wrote:


A practice still observable on Youtube where you can marvel at a grimy oily
ASR33 being stripped down and restored, all the while whilst wearing a spotless
crisp ironed long-sleeve pin-striped business shirt... :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEzpYHb4p5w

Another one comes to mind--picking out bits of shredded ribbon from a
line printer type train.

--Chuck

A friend told me of  guy who prided him on the white shirt and tie sort 
of dress code
despite it being unnecessary at a place he worked.  People would just 
shake their

heads and just let it go.

One morning, a lady he worked with stopped him short of going into a 
room where
the printer were, and a burster.  "Johnny (or whatever)" is in there, 
you don't want

to go in.

He peeked in and a burster had shot carbon paper from about half a case 
of 4 ply

all over the room and he was having to pick up the mess.

thanks
Jim

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I stored the tape drives and printers from the SDS pile.  I asked when 
the whole fiasco first surfaced and someone connected to the landlord 
got into the mess.  They said there was no media.  I never saw any in 
Kansas City which was to have been delivered as part of me storing that 
stuff for him.  He took off with the mainframe boxes, processors and 
maybe disks with a single trip, and only returned on threat of me 
assuming ownership of the pile and took it.


None of the SDS to any report or query I made ever showed up.  Maybe 
metal scrapped somewhere else.


All the stuff that is shown in the FB photos was a mess of newer smaller 
equipment in a pile which looked like a bomb had gone off. The "nice" 
pile seen in the FB post is way thinned out.  Looks like someone was 
going to try to sell it off retail and those plans have changed.


Chuck, sad you donated anything to him.

thanks
Jim

On 7/21/2021 6:12 PM, Lee Courtney via cctalk wrote:

Al or other - any idea what happened to the SDS relics and detris HCM
picked up after the donation to CHM?

Lee

Re: core matt repair

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 7/20/2021 10:13 AM, pspan via cctech wrote:
I worked at a company called DMA located in Amery Wisconsin during the 
80's and 90's that did do core mat repair. Yes, the gal that did the 
work used a scope. She replaced cores and wires. Good luck finding 
someone to do that work now. If I remember the process, first the mat 
was removed from the driver assembly, then the varnish was removed. 
Then the mat was repaired and revarnished and then reassembled and 
final test before returned to the customer. 
There was a company started around a lady who did the core repair (one 
of two) at Microdata. They had inhouse built up from scratch cores of 8 
and 16k size.  Later the Ampex core division which was sold to CDC 
manufactured a 32k version.  There were also Keronix 8k which went in 
Micro 800s and 1600s.  Earlier there were 4k boards for the 800s.


Anyway the company was Memtek and was located on Grand Ave in Santa Ana, 
CA.  They ran into the early 80s until the married couple won one of the 
early lotteries for $1m.  The lady wanted to keep working and the 
operated for another 18 months when they hit another jackpot for $1m. 
That was all she wrote.  I had a chance to buy the core rework 
equipment, but didn't.


There was a pretty expensive micro spot welder that she used with a 
microscope and a lot of skill plus some cutting devices to free the 
wiring.  The patches she did (and the others I saw from the Microdata 
lady that remained there) looked like they stood up in the air over the 
core plane.  used an acetone soluble material to hold the patch with a 
tiny dab on the patch.


The Microdata operation that manufactured 16k cores was relocated to 
Puerto Rico and ran for a number of years.


The welding device as I understood it was pretty expensive and very 
precise.  I saw, but didn't photograph both off the rework stations.


Somewhere in the pile because we (Microdata) manufactured core I have a 
big box of sample vials dumped by a purchasing engineering guy when he 
was laid off.  I think they were still buying cores, but he wasn't in a 
good mood that day.


A lot of good stuff went home with me that evening as I wasn't laid of.

As one of my early exercises like that felt like a vulture, but it was 
funny as I found three other guys picking thru cubicles of laid off guys 
picking over goodies.  Felt pretty bad, but you gotta pick up stuff when 
it presents itself.


Observation about that, was on a Friday the layoffs took place.  The 
hatchet man thought that he actually had a job in charge or Engineering, 
he was fired the second Friday after he terminated about 40 engineers. 
(Karma).


And the slow ones that thought about the empty cubicles. took to about 
Tuesday for some of them to mention in casual conversation (Gee maybe 
some good stuff is left in the laid off guy's cubes / offices).  Well, Duh.


anyway a story about core and other stuff.

thanks
Jim

Re: CHM's 1620 (was Re: Early Programming Books)

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/23/2021 10:25 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:

On 6/23/21 10:17 AM, Lee Courtney via cctalk wrote:

Many years (decades?) ago Dave Babcock and I read all the cards as 
part of

the original 1620 project at CHM.


There has been a steady stream of misinformation about CHM's 1620 in 
the past
week. I had been staying out of making any comments about it since I 
was hoping

you or Dave were still watching this mailing list.


This is my fault, and I apologize.  I had the 1620 at USL that I first 
mentioned and it was a lament that a solid machine with printer and card 
reader / punch plus a spare cpu was not preserved to my knowledge.  
There was a great donation made to the CHM, and that is the source of 
the misunderstanding.


The system I speak of was in Lafayette, LA, and it would probably not 
have been feasible to save the 1620, or the GT-40 that was in my lab there.


That system to my knowledge has nothing to do with the museums holdings.

It's just a lament that such a gem was not saved or fate is unknown.  I 
appreciate finding out that what did get to the CHM from that collection 
is in good hands.


Thanks
Jim

Re: Early Programming Books

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/22/2021 11:46 PM, Van Snyder via cctalk wrote:

| The same goes for Multics

I think the 80286 was a better platform than the original for Multics.
And, of course, the Pentium is even better. Is Multics available for
Intel systems?
I'm not sure what you are talking about.  Intel's engineers studied the 
Multics ring architecture then bungled the implementation of it.  the 
Intel 286 has nothing but that in common with Multics.


Thru the efforts of several very talented people, and the releasing of 
the archived sources that MIT had had, as well as a backup from a very 
good system, a Multics emulator was written that can be found to run on 
Linux and on the Raspberry pi, and presumably other platforms to which 
the emulator can be ported.


Is multics available for intel systems, as in did it ever run native.  
never.


but it does run just fine on Intel systems of about any sort running an 
appropriate host OS.


thanks
Jim

Re: IBM 1620; was: Early Programming Books

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/21/2021 4:00 PM, Van Snyder via cctalk wrote:

I was once told that the most valuable guy in a Honeywell 6080 Multics
shop was the plumber.

No water cooling.

Re: Early Programming Books

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/21/2021 1:43 AM, ben via cctalk wrote:



But with all this computing science, they have yet to make a clean
meta compiler like Meta II, or Tree meta. 

The compiler structure used in Pick is pretty much like this.

XPL by William M. McKeeman and others which Microdata used to create the MPL
and EPL languages which were the basis for the 3200 OSs was a cross 
compiler with

the starter kit running in the Microdata case on an IBM 360.
thanks
Jim

Re: Early Programming Books

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/21/2021 12:17 AM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

It's been over 50 years since I last did this, so I may have gotten
something wrong in my wetware.   But you get the general idea.
The University of Southwestern Louisiana had a running (actually two 
CPUs) and a reader punch and printer that I was able to do this with.  
1974.  I suspect destroyed as they didn't appreciate such.


They had it in storage and I pulled it out and restored it.  That I 
could isn't a credit to me, but to the bullet proof IBM (or close enough 
or me) nature of it, and great manuals.


They did keep the Microdata 3200 which is in the Computer History 
Museum, and was on display prior to their current exhibit layout.


That 1620 would have been a fantastic addition to their running 
display.  Much easier to work on than what it sounds like the 1401 is.  
And with a duplicate backup.


thanks
Jim

Re: Early Programming Books

[jim stephens via cctalk]

If you bring up the Android (maybe apple, too) translate and engage the 
camera icon an aim it at the screen, you can peruse it as well. It would 
be cool to find some utility to break up the PDF if the OCR is accurate 
enough and re-assemble it in some fashion similar to the auto camera 
translation, so that the formatting and illustrations could be retained 
in the translted document.

thanks
Jim

On 6/21/2021 1:43 AM, Paul Birkel via cctalk wrote:

Google document translate

Re: Vintage Computer Museum eBay Sales

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/17/2021 2:10 PM, John Foust via cctalk wrote:

At 03:59 PM 6/17/2021, jim stephens via cctalk wrote:

When I first crossed paths with this guy I sent him a message about some item 
he had listed correcting his claims about it.  Don't recall that.

Is there some reason we're not naming names here?  Are they known?
After my interaction with him 17 years ago, IIRC he's on the other side 
of the country from me, and I'm glad of it.


I didn't get any name.  I just told him bring it a**hole as a response 
to his threats.

And a Museum doesn't imply that any of the articles were acquired by 
donations.  I think that' s just part of the game.

I used "museum" in the name of my web for my classic stuff a long time ago.
Got a few calls from people over the years who wanted to visit...  well,
it's just all the stuff in storage here.  No exhibits.

- John

My point about museums.  They need not even have exhibits.  I played 
along with John Keys Houston Museum
which had a sad end.  I think he did take things with the notion that he 
was a museum.  A lot of people

don't check if the stuff goes off their dock, basement or garage.
thanks
Jim

Re: Vintage Computer Museum eBay Sales

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 6/17/2021 4:40 AM, D. Resor via cctalk wrote:

It seems at least on the first page of their listings, $899.99 is a favorite
asking price?

https://www.ebay.com/str/vintagecomputermuseumservices?_trksid=p2047675.l256
3

Don Resor



When I first crossed paths with this guy I sent him a message about some 
item he had listed correcting his claims about it.  Don't recall that.


I do recall the two Ebay max length psychotic rants i got back along 
with threats to get me banned from Ebay.


A seller name can be anything on Ebay.  People must be assuming he ever 
was what his title claims.  I don't know where he got his stuff, it was 
Pre the Sellam situation (who lost a lot of possibly similar materials).


And a Museum doesn't imply that any of the articles were acquired by 
donations.  I think that' s just part of the game.  Most of the items 
listed have been listed and remain so from near his registration date, 
and one must wonder if any of it is still in the listed state.


as to "target market" and all that, the seller has been ridiculous as 
long as the listings have been there.  He appears to not be selling the 
high priced stuff, and a lot of his stuff seems to be in line with ebay 
prices.


Thanks
jim

Re: DEC Computer Lab for sale

[jim stephens via cctalk]

Manual is here:

http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/handbooks/Digital_Computer_Lab_Workbook_1969.pdf

On 5/29/2021 7:58 AM, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote:

Over on the Discord, I have posted a DEC Computer Lab H-500 for sale.
Needs cosmetic help, but will be priced accordingly.

Offers? Off list...

--
Will

Re: PDP-11 SPACEWAR running again!

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 5/11/2021 10:18 PM, Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:

I don't have the keyboard, lightpen or a tube yet.
to run lunar lander, you do that thru the switches.  We never used a 
keyboard or lightpen.  just had an ASR33 to load lander while I had 
charge of it.


I don't know previous use, but it had 3 years of landers, LEM bases, and 
all but obliterated the McDonalds when I got it.  I was there 8 months 
and never reloaded it.


Someone had left it on one night and there was a phosphor burn in the 
middle right of the tube.  They had a factory replacement from DEC 
should I have had someone want to really use it.


This was at USL, in Lafayette, LA.  Toy stash was a Microdata 3200 / 
32/S (now an exhibit at the CHM), the GT40, two IBM 1620s, and access to 
the campus multics and RCA Spectra 70.  Spent most time on the multics 
and in the lab with the good stuff.


I saw you thanked BK for your career, i went to Microdata and worked in 
parallel with him on an OS stealing ideas from his and DMR's unix 
writings and other stuff.  Only got access to Unix when three off us 
formed a group and bought a developer license SCO license.


I'd love go get what he has for I/O added to a Unibone, seems like one 
could do it with an arduino or teensy and a bit of finagling. Could also 
use beaglebone DAC ports possibly, or emulate the DEC hardware and 
interface a higher resolution set of DACs for the task.


thanks
Jim

Re: PDP-8/I Negative-bus termination

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 5/5/2021 12:27 AM, Vincent Slyngstad via cctalk wrote:

On 5/5/2021 12:03 AM, Josh Dersch via cctalk wrote:

Until this point I've never had any peripherals for my negibus systems
(apart from teletypes), and it occurs to me that I have no idea if 
the bus

needs to be terminated (and if so, with what).  There are 6 slots in the
RF08 backplane (D01-D06) for daisy-chaining to the next device, which is
where I assume they'd go; the RF08 manual does not make it clear what 
this

looks like or if it's actually required, and I've gone through the
available PDP-8/I docs and I'm still at a loss.

Can anyone with negibus experience point me in the right direction?


I don't have any actual Negibus gear except a TC01 (which I've yet to 
be able to cable to anything), so I'm likely not the best expert.


Regardless, my understanding is that it is terminated in basically the 
same way as the positive bus, which is to say you stick a G717 in the 
BAC connector that has the IOP and TS signals on it (at the far end of 
the bus, of course).



this is Vince's site, (I think)

http://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/Eagle/projects/DEC/Gxxx/G717/

This has the effect of terminating the signals that need to be 
cleanest with 100 ohm resistors to ground.


Not sure where I read that though, so I'm not able to easily double 
check my memory.


Vince


Thanks
Jim

Re: PDP-8/I Negative-bus termination

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 5/5/2021 12:03 AM, Josh Dersch via cctalk wrote:

Can anyone with negibus experience point me in the right direction?
As you and Ethan helped me with on FB about my 8/I, I don't know which 
bus I had.  And worse it
went to a second rack with about 10 of the expansion racks built out 
with decoders (W103s IIRC)
and the like.  I couldn't afford or justify the custom stuff in that 
rack because other than the manuals
for the 8/I it was all undocumented.  I bought a bunch of what I recall 
were 1949 racks and some
cards from the broken up system and the 8/I. I didn't think to ask for 
termination, but it had to be

at the end of a bunch of cables that they pulled apart.

I think there were 5 or 6 sets of 6 (?) or so cables daisychaining the 
peripherals all together.


Obviously you have checked whether the cards Vince mentioned (or the 
termination) in your
rack.  If it was the main external peripheral one would hope they were 
there.


Otherwise a scamble to find some or make some.  If you do the latter, 
let me know as I'm sure I'll be
interested and would be glad to buy some PCBs to make it cheaper to get 
a run made.


thanks
jim

Re: Cipher C995 manuals

[jim stephens via cctalk]

I have the M990, not sure if I have the manuals.  My stuff is in storage 
if I do, the rest to be scanned, sorry.


On 5/2/2021 7:52 PM, Dennis Boone via cctalk wrote:

I have a recalcitrant Cipher C995 9track drive.  Does anyone have
manuals for this thing?  It seems to be enough different from the M990
to matter.

Thanks,

De

Re: 3B2 in Brazil on Facebook

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 4/27/2021 11:33 AM, Dave Wade G4UGM via cctalk wrote:

Some one appears to have three AT&T 3B2/300 manuals, cables diskettes, sadly
in Brazil and has posted some pictures in a Facebook group

  


https://www.facebook.com/groups/vintagecomputerswapmeet/permalink/3954289997
980016/

  


You can open the link in an incognito, sandboxed, VPNd session and still see
the post..

  


Dave

G4UGM

Argentina.  A bit aways.  There's a list member I'm in contact with in 
Sao Paulo Brazil, but that's not Argentina.


I've seen this posted, didn't realize it was there.

thanks
Jim

Re: ISO intel iPDS-100 w/8085 pod (UK)

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 4/23/2021 1:11 AM, Adrian Graham via cctalk wrote:

  8085 ICE

 scope and LA

The latter will only let you trace but have run control to stop or do 
other actions (dump rom and memory spaces).  Sometimes there are tricks 
to dump the memory space w/o ICE, but still nice to have an idea what is 
going on and being able to dump registers, etc.


BTW ICE is more useful for development and finding design flaws rather 
than troubleshooting.  Saying this as an employee of a maker of an ARM, 
Intel x86 / x64, Itanium and AMD processors.


The other ICE I had (may have survived) is two Z8 boxes, and a few of 
the Intel ICEs for 286 and 386.


Having the processor not functional means it isn't likely that the ICE 
will do anything w/o applying effort to figure why it goes nuts in the 
first place.


If you are after bit rot, however it might be nice to use.

I am guessing you put up the same complaint over on Twitter?

Do you have any parts of the MDS, or were you looking for the entire rig 
with the 8085 ICE?  A friend has a ton of parts from a scrapping 
operation eon ago, could check with him if you have a working MDS to see 
if he has any complete ICE for that.


thanks
Jim

Re: Is this a new record?

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 4/22/2021 7:30 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:

On 4/22/21 5:08 PM, Chris Zach via cctalk wrote:
Jesus, I just traded a Perq1 keyboard to a guy for a $100 donation to 
a food bank of his choice.


josh dersch is looking for a keyboard and a monitor

He already chimed in.  His search also triggered as soon as it was 
posted.  Up to 4900 in first hour.  Ridiculous.


One has to wonder for these two (another keyboard maybe a month ago) 
where the machines are these are "liberated" from, or if the actual 
owners are missing them.


thanks
Jim

Re: PDP 11/23 for sale on Ebay

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 4/21/2021 12:31 PM, Chris Zach via cctalk wrote:

Well, it probably is lighter than the one with 2 RL02's :-)

On 4/21/2021 2:32 PM, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote:

On Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 8:18 AM Jeffrey S. Worley via cctalk
 wrote:


There's a nice, working PDP 11/23 with 20 meg hdd and 1meg (!!) of ram,
with terminal screens indicating full operation.  The asking price is
$900.00, but I imagine the fellow might negotiate.  Shipping is gonna
be a fair penny.



I assume you mean this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154037992233

Item location: Winnetka, California, United States


This is about a 90 minute drive for me.  Don't need another one though.

guessing 50# shipping though, the seller says no shipping, local pickup 
only.

thanks
Jim

Item description:
"This listing is for one DEC PDP 11/23 Computer preloaded with
Micro/RSX v3.1 operating system.  The unit includes a Seagate ST-225
hard drive, and DEC dual floppy drive model RX50.  The CPU is a M8189
KDF11 full size board, and also includes two 512KB full size memory
boards model M8067, for a total of 1024KB memory.  The unit also has
an IEEE GPIB card M7954 and a 4 line ASYNC Mux board with rear panel
ports, model M3106.  The controller is an RQDX-3 QBUS controller,
model M7555.  The CRT monitor is not included.  The unit is in very
nice condition and has been tested and verified to be in perfect
working condition and ready for use.  This unit is for local pickup
only."

Re: eBay sellers

[jim stephens via cctalk]

On 4/13/2021 5:04 PM, jwest--- via cctalk wrote:

You probably already did it in your initial contact with him Noel, but I
would think the thing that would make it stand out and make him change it -
tell him a PC05 doesn't connect to a PDP8, it goes with something completely
different (a PDP11 ofc, correct?).

Given that the title says its for a pdp8 (it isn't if it's a PC05) I bet
the seller would lose a 'not as advertised' battle pretty quickly.

J
I figure they throw in about every keyword they can.  Some take some 
time to try, but a lot will throw in keywords to catch searches or watch 
lists.  Some will throw in PDP with S-100 and heaven knows what else.


I've gotten good replies for the last few years when I bother. Sometimes 
will provide links or other auctions to help them.


There was one guy with an id "vintage" something or other (no idea if 
the current guys on ebay are them) but I got a psychotic full length 
rant that made me wonder whether the guy was deranged.


I never send suggestions on anything then bid, so he didn't have that 
excuse.  Unfortunately he had a lot of stuff, but I blocked him off 
after that.


He said he reported me to ebay, so I opened an incident an sent his 
deranged rant.  If he did, nothing came of it that I heard.  No hostile 
sellers since.


I know a friend who sells on epay a lot an has had some fraud.  One has 
to continuously tune to avoid being screwed by ebay or the buyers that 
are dishonest.  Makes it complicated for those of us who will make the 
buyer's whole as far as the agreed upon deal.


Jim