Free VAX/Alpha hardware

[Zane H. Healy]

On Thu, 8 Oct 2009, Ethan Dicks wrote:

>>  This stuff is for the most part worth rescuing.    The MicroVAX I and II
>> can be converted into a PDP-11 if so desired.
>
> I was going to do that myself, but I recently came into a fully
> working original-model (KDF11) MicroPDP-11, so I'm going to focus on
> that now (it has 2x MSV11PK for 512K of memory, an RQDX1, and an RD51
> (10MB) - at least until I pull some newer cards/disks off the shelf).

My primary PDP-11 started life as my first working VAX.  One of my winter
projects will be putting it back together.  It is still in pieces after our
moves.  I also need to retrive my PDP-11/44 from my parents garage still.

>>  I think MicroVAX I's are moderately rare.
>>  Though since this is in MA, they might not be back there.
>
> They were uncommon but not unknown here in Ohio... I got one from a
> former employer, and another that was DEC-upgraded to a MicroVAX-II
> (for something like $17,000) when those were new.  Since then, though,
> I've only ever run across one other.  Lots of MicroVAX-IIs.

I *might* have a set or two of CPU boards (I don't remember and I have a
lot of MV II sets), but I've never seen a MV-1 in person.  I wish I could
have rescued the VAX-11/730 Paxton had.

> This reminds me that I still need to take some time to image my
> MicroVMS distro floppies.  I'm sure they aren't unique, but I'm not
> sure where I'd get uVMS from the 'net (and ISTR, there are no versions
> of full VMS that fit on an RD51 or RD52).

This is something I for one would like to see preserved.  I have a
VAXstation II/RC that ran MicroVMS.

Zane