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101090 discussions

Info needed on Microbee, System 80, Pencil II, TI 99/4

by scott＠isd.canberra.edu.au

I need some information on some old micros I have in my collection. They are all Australian models apart from the TI, although some of them made it overseas. Pencil II --------- The sticker on the base says this machine was made by Soundic Electronics, although I believe it may have been distributed by Hanimex. I need information on the power supply. I have been told it's 9.9V DC 1A and 17.7V DC 500mA, but I need the pinouts for the 3-pin DIN socket the supply is meant to connect to. Microbee -------- I believe the DIN socket at the rear right-hand corner is a combined power supply, cassette in/out and composite video out socket. Can anyone tell me the pinouts? System 80 --------- Originally this had an RF modulator, but the one I have has been very heavily hacked. Can someone give me the pinouts for the video DIN socket? TI 99/4 ------- Note that this is the 99/4, *not* the 99/4a. Can someone tell me the power supply requirements and pinouts? It is *not* the same as the 99/4a. I *think* it may need +5, -5 and +12, but I'm not sure. Thanks in advance, | Scott McLauchlan |"Sometimes the need to mess with their heads | | Client Services Division | outweighs the millstone of humiliation." | | University of Canberra |___________Fox_Mulder_"The_X-Files:_Squeeze"_| | scott(a)cts.canberra.edu.au | http://www.canberra.edu.au/~scott/home.html |

28 years, 3 months

Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<also wave their hands. And finally, I'm looking for a PC based 8080A <disassembler. My plan is to pull the chips and airmail them to a kind <volunteer. Actually - although I don't have a lot to spend - I will be m <happy to pay for the preservation (restoration?) of these data. I think <important. Well I don't know of a dos based 8080 disassembler but... There are several dos based programs that can emulate a 8080/z80 and run a any of the existing 8080 disassemblers. I prefer MYZ80 and resource. 1k of 8080 code is not bad. What's tough is not knowing what a given port may do. Though guessing is possible. <restoring properly. I would note that the cosmetics are near flawless; <this bodes well for the electronics inside, no? Generally yes. Allison

28 years, 3 months

Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>Silly question of mine: what is the machine supposed to boot >from? Oh, my terminology is wrong, I guess. I've not used a front-panel machine. I guess you'd call these roms the machine's OS? Of sorts. Well... what ARE they, then? >In the first stages of bit rot, single bits go "flaky" and will not >read reliably. So the first thing to do is read the 1702A's multiple >times and see if any are going bad in this way. Of course, be sure >to save the results of each read pass... Thanks for that suggestion. Wilco. Cheers A

28 years, 3 months

Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>Are there any markings on the stickers covering the 1702A windows? Only numbers identifying their position. >What do you know of the history of the machine? Was it used for data >acquisition? Was it used for industrial control? Who was the previous >owner? What might they have used it for? This from the gent I bought it from.. this is ALL i know. "Hmmm.... The DL8a came in a job lot at an auction... It came with a CRDS PDP11/23 clone, A gutted Universe, a 19" monitor, several hundred kilos of RT-11 and Unix manuals, several hundred 8" disks, and some other bits and pieces.." >The EPROM's might hold bootstrap code, they might hold software that >drive some sort of device that you don't have, they might contain >a monitor, it's hard to tell. A disassembly will make that easy(ish) to determine, surely! >Have you checked out the power supply yet? This is definitely the >first priority. No, I've not checked it - having no equipment. I don't intend to supply power to it at all until I get those EPROMS copied. So I'm thinking it's actually a lower priority. I'll check the power while the eproms are away being saved. A

28 years, 3 months

Strange PCjr found

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

yes, i've seen one of those funky pcjr models too. i wish i had bought it just for the curiosity factor. i dont remember what brand the expansion unit was though. my particular pcjr has another drive in an external case with its own power supply and a cable going to the unit like an apple ][ In a message dated 98-03-05 18:37:23 EST, you write: << I was in a thrift store during lunch and saw a PCjr which had a second box attached to the top which contained a second floppy drive. This almost doubled the height of the system and there was a larger side car type box on the side as well. Any ideas as to what this may have been? Was it just for adding a second floppy maybe? I'm thinking about going back by and picking it up. They also had a VIC-20 with the VIC version of the floppy drive which I think I grab as I don't have one of those. >>

28 years, 3 months

486 upgrade boards

by manney＠lrbcg.com

Last I heard, Evergreen was still selling 386-486 upgrade chips, which are really quick. US$20 each, IIRC manney(a)lrbcg.com "Chicken Little was right!"

28 years, 3 months

Vacation Finds...

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

Have been on vacation since Friday and still have a couple days to go... From the thrift store outlook in the area things are improving again (I guess people are starting their pre-spring cleaning) Stuff I got: - Timex/Sinclair 16k RAM unit with a few cassette programs for it. - Given to me, a COMPLETE IBM PC (read model 5150, the first IBM PC I think... (he had run this one until very recently when he got a new multi-media system...) The computer has dual floppy drives, a cassette port and everything! Computer, Monitor, Printer, (all IBM) IBM DOS and other disks and all manuals! (Wordstar, Microplan, BASIC, etc. etc.) Haven't powered this one up but the previous owner says drive A has problems, but once running he could work off of B. (if anyone is interested in it an willing to pick it up, I will pass it along, otherwise it will go with me to VFC 2.0 (Hey, Sam, wanna raffle off a COMPLETE GENUINE IBM PC?) What I passed up on... Mac Plus Some Atari Stuff (800, 520ST, ST floppy drive) Commodore 64 stuff (never a shortage there...) PET 8032, 4040 dual drive. I'm just waiting for the weather to improve one weekend, then the Flea Market I like will be going again... Larry Anderson -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Visit our web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/ Call our Commodore 64 BBS (Silicon Realms 300-2400 baud) at: (209) 754-1363 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 3 months

Old computer still accessible on internet?

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<> > Hey, does anyone have a list of classic systems that people have conn <> > to the internet? I know I've heard you guys several times talking abo <> > doing it. Well? < <RCS/RI has a VAX-11/750 on the net from time to time. I'm trying to figure out how to do that with a MV-II or vs2000. Allison

28 years, 3 months

Sol-20 revisited

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< Thanks Jim. Have you replaced the video ram in the Sol-20 before? < Also, do you know if parts are still available or will I have to < cannibalize from a similar vintage pieces part? < < Marty If it's a bad video ram swap it with the one next to it, if the pattern changes the ram is fried (I have tons of them). If the pattern doesn't change is likely a bad 74ls157 or 8097(74ls367). the test for a bad '157 or 8097 is to swap it with another on the board and see if the symptom changes. The fact that you've seen different patterns says the video rom is ok. Try popping out and reinstalling all the socketed parts and boards. You may have a crusty connection. Allison

28 years, 3 months

Sol-20 revisited

by Marty＠itgonline.com

Thanks to all for the hints, help and tips on the problem of getting this Sol-20 running. I fired this up last night but the screen didn't appear as I remember it last time> I must be losing my memory. All testing was done with the Sol-20 barebone, no S-100 add-on cards installed. The screen appears as such: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ >$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ The prompt > is at the beginning of the second line, and this pattern is repeated in all 16 rows, save the second where the prompt appears. The upper case light and local light are on, the shift lock light is off. The keyboard doesn't respond except for the - key which is to the left of * on the numeric keypad section on the right. Next, I disconnected the keyboard cable (after powering down for a minute or so) and get the exact same result as above, less the upper case and local lights on of course. Finally (after powering off) I removed the SOLOS prom board and of course don't get the prompt > but get a new video display repeated from top to bottom of an equal sign '=' followed by a lightning bolt, this pattern repeats = then lightning bolt (I cannot reproduce the symbol) endlessly from top to bottom. I also tried a different RG62 video cable in all tests and get the same results. Thanks again for your help- Marty Mintzell email:marty@itgonline.com

28 years, 3 months

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