Subject: It's Alive! (HP 1000)

From: Joe <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 05:58:58 2003

Last night I cleaned up the HP 1000 that I picked up a couple of days ago and double-checked everything. Then I powered it up. It came up with no problems. Next I punched in some code into the front panel and run it. I spent three hours or more changing the program around, moving it to different memory locations, running it with different data, etc. Everything is working perfectly. The two broken switches haven't been a problem. I just poke my finger into the hole in the panel and press the contacts. Now I have to get busy and built a terminal cable and hook up hard drive.

    Joe

---

From: The Design Fort DTP <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 12:43:28 2003

Hi all,

I found myself a "holy grail" :) I was lucky and acquired a Kenbak-1
computer from 1971. The computer is in really good condition considering the
age. With the computer came the original "student laboratory manual". It was
published by C.T.I (Consulting Technologies, Inc). They were the sales agent
for the Kenbak-1 back then.
I just got the Kenbak today so naturally I'm very excited about it. I will
take pictures and publish them on my website soon.

Is there anybody on this list who owns a Kenbak-1? I would love some
information exchange.

Greetings
Herbert
The First Computer Museum of Nova Scotia

---

From: The Design Fort DTP <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 17:50:19 2003

Hi again,

here is the link to my website. I posted a few pictures of the Kenbak-1 and
the manual. I will update the page in the next few days with a few stories
that I found out about the Kenbak computer history as well as other links
related to the Kenbak-1.

Here is the link:
http://www.computermuseum.20m.com/frame.htm

just follow the Kenbak-1 exhibit link on the main page or click on the
"computers" button and scroll down to Kenbak.

Again if anybody has information about the Kenbak computer or owns one or a
manual, please contact me.

Herbert

---

From: The Design Fort DTP <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 19:42:19 2003

Hi, 

the pop-ups on my webpage are gone. I apologize for any inconvenience they
may have caused. Unfortunately running a real computer museum is not always
cheap and has to be done on a tight budget.

Stan, donations are always welcome. If somebody wants to sponsor a pop up
free webpage for a year it is $23.88

Thanks
Herbert

Stan Sieler wrote:
Caution...besides popping up more annoying popups than I've
seen for weeks (I temporarily disabled my pop-up blocker),
at least one of the popups offered to install the spyware GAIN
from Gator!

-- 
Stan Sieler
[email-masked]
www.allegro.com/sieler/wanted/index.html

---

From: Joe <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 20:21:14 2003

Herbert,

   Why don't you talk to Jay West? He's offered to give free, unlimited web space to anyone that wants to post classic computer related web pages.

    Joe

---

From: The Design Fort DTP <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 20:39:15 2003

Hi Joe!
Wow, that would be great! Do you have his email address?

Thanks
Herbert

on 4/15/03 8:51 PM, Joe at [email-masked] wrote:

> Herbert,
> 
> Why don't you talk to Jay West? He's offered to give free, unlimited web space
> to anyone that wants to post classic computer related web pages.
> 
> Joe
>

---

From: Joe <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 20:48:18 2003

>Wow, that would be great! Do you have his email address?

   Yes, it's "Jay West" <[email-masked]>. But he hosts this list so it's not hard to find.

    Joe

---

From: "Merle K. Peirce" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 21:35:10 2003

Today we got to visit two donors and preview some of the things they have 
for us.

The first is rehabilitating the 1894 Standard-Times Building in New 
Bedford, MA.  Even in its derelict state, this building is beautiful.  We 
have been offered the paper's old computer systems on the 4th floor.  The 
elevators are gone however and removing them would involve either 
bringing each rach down a narrow winding staircase for the whole 4 
floors, or high level defenestration.  The good news is that the donor 
will bring the equipment to the sidewalk for us to load.

The systems are two identical DEC PDP-11/70's that seem to date from the 
early 1980's.  There are two CDC 9766 drives and a nice DEC LP26 printer, 
plus 6-8 terminals.  The systems have not been powered on since 1996.
They also seem to bear the name of an aftermarket supplier - Systems 
Industries?- and some sort of system name, which I cannot remember, but 
suggests typesetting.

Our second visit in East Providence, RI let us view the ca1930-35 Art Deco 
transmitting facility of WEAN.  Although not 100% original, the bulk of 
the original features are there, including the original black and chrome 
decor.  The original transmitter has been replaced twice, but an 80's 
era Harris MW-5A is the main unit, with a 40's era RCA as a fully 
functioning backup.  The building itself is cast concrete with the main 
transmitter rooms flanked by office and attendant's living space.  This 
is truly a beautiful building.  As most space is now used for storage,
we looked over and were given a Printronix, a GE paper terminal and a 
Data General Nova 4, all in excellent condition, and an American Anadex 
printer.

---

From: William Donzelli <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 21:35:28 2003

> Industries?- and some sort of system name, which I cannot remember, but 

SI made lots of disk products for DECs. At one point I had a somewhat 
trashed Diablo drive for a PDP-8/E (RKmumble), with an SI interface board 
and power supply. I still have the power unit, if anyone os interested, 
but the rest is long gone.
 
SI also made a neato disk cache for the VAX-11/780. Neato, as it had an 
LED bar graph for the hit rate! No stinkin' ten LED doodad this - this 
graph had *many* LEDs, because you never know when you will need to know 
just how precise your cache is...

> functioning backup.

Do you remember what kind? Shame on you for noting the modern Harris but 
not the classic RCA...

Generally broadcast transmitters and computers don't mix.

William Donzelli
[email-masked]

---

From: "Merle K. Peirce" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 21:35:56 2003

All I call is the beautiful RCA broadcast transmitter logo in red and 
black.  It's either ca 1942 or 1948, but incredibly beautiful.  The 
backside is somewhat reminiscent of an Ardent.  It's about 5-6 feet tall 
and 12-15 feet long, plus an external transformer.  Easily 3times the 
size of the Harris.  The Nova is also ex-WEAN, apparently.  If only the 
building could be restored.  Some of the glass brick has been replaced 
with cement block.

When we get moved, you'll have to come see the new warehouse. 

> Generally broadcast transmitters and computers don't mix.

M. K. Peirce

Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
Shady Lea, Rhode Island 

"Casta est quam nemo rogavit."
              
              - Ovid

---

From: steve <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 21:36:15 2003

Great find, good pictures of the Kenbak-1 are hard to
find on the net, a couple detailed pictures of the
inside and back would be nice. 

It is the "holy grail", or at least one of them, my
holy grail is the CM2, here is one for sale, if only I
had room....!

http://www.paulos.net/other/cm2.html

steve

--- The Design Fort DTP <[email-masked]>
> The First Computer Museum of Nova Scotia
The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo
http://search.yahoo.com

---

From: Geoff Reed <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 21:37:56 2003

Looks cool, however :(  please warn about the pop-ups at your host, I got 
cascading popups because I didn't ahve my pop-up killer loaded when i 
visited your site :(

---

From: "Stan Sieler" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Apr 15 21:38:06 2003

---

From: "Erik S. Klein" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Apr 16 21:21:13 2003

That is one great machine!  The site is very well done also!

There must be a great story to the acquisition, right?  How did you run
across such a rare computer?

   Erik Klein
   www.vintage-computer.com

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]]
On Behalf Of The Design Fort DTP
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 4:40 PM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Kenbak-1 pictures

Hi again,

here is the link to my website. I posted a few pictures of the Kenbak-1
and
the manual. I will update the page in the next few days with a few
stories
that I found out about the Kenbak computer history as well as other
links
related to the Kenbak-1.

Here is the link:

Again if anybody has information about the Kenbak computer or owns one
or a
manual, please contact me.

Herbert

---

From: William Donzelli <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Apr 16 21:22:22 2003

> When we get moved, you'll have to come see the new warehouse. 

Yes, when I have time. I also still have that Altos system for you.

William Donzelli
[email-masked]

---

From: Ethan Dicks <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Apr 16 21:26:18 2003

--- The Design Fort DTP <[email-masked]> wrote:
> and the manual...

Pretty nice.

> Again if anybody has information about the Kenbak computer or owns one or
> a manual, please contact me.

I wish!  I take it, then, that the student manual does not have
schematics.  :-(

That's a sparse-looking design.  I wonder how hard it would be to
render it in a few GALs.  The case would be hard to replicate, I'd
guess, but a functional implementation shouldn't be hard.

-ethan

---

From: Ethan Dicks <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Apr 16 21:29:04 2003

--- William Donzelli <[email-masked]> wrote:
> > The systems are two identical DEC PDP-11/70's that seem to date from
> > the  early 1980's.  There are two CDC 9766 drives... aftermarket 
> > supplier - Systems Industries?
> 
> SI made lots of disk products for DECs. 

My first 11/750 had an SI9900 on it from the day it was used by the
original owner.  My 11/70s also have SI9900s - they are, in their
simplest form, a 5.25"-tall rack-mounted box with cards that talk to
hosts (over MASSBUS for the 11/750 and 11/70; over Qbus or Unibus for
"lesser" machines), and cards that talk to drives (SMD, as far as I've
seen).  You can pack several of each kind on their respective sides
of the enclosure.  The 11/750 controlled two drives and had a total
of three cards (one host, two drive)

I know they made wads of other, less elaborate, interfaces.

The 11/70s also came with SI-badged tape drives, in 60" Corporate-Cab-
style cabinets.

> At one point I had a somewhat trashed Diablo drive for a PDP-8/E
> RKmumble), with an SI interface board and power supply.

I haven't seen an OMNIBUS SI controller for Diablos, but the
PDP-8/m-based Mass Spectrometer at the Vet School at Ohio State
had a different brand of dual-ported controller - the operator would
switch a drive to face the -8/m that ran the mass spec, collect
samples, then flip the drive to face the -8/m that had the Tektronix
terminals, analyze and print the results.

I'm sorry I never got that machine when they dumped it - two CPUs,
24K of core each (IIRC), two 4014 terminals, a 9-track mag tape,
4 or 5 Diablo model 30s, and a Xebec? dual-ported OMNIBUS disk
controller, all in 4 racks!  At least I got to play on it when the
mass spec was being torn down and cleaned.  :-)

-ethan

---

From: Jeffrey Sharp <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Apr 16 21:31:43 2003

On Wednesday, April 16, 2003, Ethan Dicks wrote:
> original owner.  My 11/70s also have SI9900s - they are, in their simplest
> form, a 5.25"-tall rack-mounted box with cards that talk to hosts (over
> MASSBUS for the 11/750 and 11/70; over Qbus or Unibus for "lesser"
> machines), and cards that talk to drives (SMD, as far as I've seen).  You
> can pack several of each kind on their respective sides of the enclosure.
> The 11/750 controlled two drives and had a total of three cards (one host,
> two drive)
> [...]

The previous owner of my SI9900s said he had problems getting it to work
between some CDC 9762s and a Unibus PDP-11.  He said that it liked to
perform a spiral write for him at inopportune moments.  I didn't get much
more information than that.  He was certain that the SI box was at fault.
Has anyone, by chance, heard of anything like this before regarding the
SI9900?

And when it interfaces to Qbus/Unibus, what does it look like to the rest of
the system?  MSCP?  Or maybe it was configurable?

-- 
Jeffrey Sharp

---

From: The Design Fort DTP <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu Apr 17 07:26:58 2003

Hi Erik,
I'm glad you like the site.
I'm currently working on the story how the Kenbak got to my museum. I hope I
have it up soon. 

Greetings
Herbert

---

From: Ethan Dicks <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat Apr 19 13:21:32 2003

--- Jeffrey Sharp <[email-masked]> wrote:
> > original owner.  My 11/70s also have SI9900s... MASSBUS...
> 
> perform a spiral write for him at inopportune moments.

Hmm... how nasty.  I've never used the Unibus interface.  I have what
I _think_ are a couple of Qbus interfaces (spares from an old SI FS
guy), but I've never even installed one to test.

> Has anyone, by chance, heard of anything like this before regarding the

I have no such experience, but we had Fuji drives, not CDC drives, and
we weren't using a Unibus interface, so YMMV.
 
> And when it interfaces to Qbus/Unibus, what does it look like to the rest
> of the system?  MSCP?  Or maybe it was configurable?

I doubt it was MSCP unless that was done on the Unibus/Qbus card itself.

We used the VMS DRDRIVER on the 11/750 (and its equivalent under SysV
and 4BSD, IIRC).  One perpetual problem we had was that our big drive
was a Fuji Eagle, which does not equate to any DEC drive capacity.
Our choices were to ignore massive amounts of storage, or patch the
driver.  We were dependent on SI for upgrade after upgrade.  It would
have been a real nightmare, except that our system drive was a Fuji
160MB disk (with the translucent lid) that appeared to be two real
RM03s to the VAX.  No patches required.  As far as the VAX thought,
there were a pair of 9762s out there on the end of the cable.

I think a Fuji Super Eagle matched up closely enough with something
real that you didn't have to patch the driver if you had one of those,
but we didn't, so I'm not certain of that.

This is a "problem" that MSCP relieves you of (that and manual bad
block replacement).  The SI9900 would have been *the* way to go
for our 11/750 if it had been MSCP.  As it was, we never bought any
disks beyond the original two spindles (both of which I now have in
storage).  When we went to expand the machine, we kept its MASSBUS
boot drive and added a UDA50 + RA81s (they weren't cheap, but they
were physically smaller than the SI9900 + drives, and they were
self-contained).

If I ever get any SI9900-compatible SMD drives (not SMD-E, AFAIK) in
the 8" range, I might drag a controller home from the farm and stick
it on a MicroVAX to see how it behaves.  I just don't want to be
humping around a bunch of Fuji Eagles.  They look nice exactly where
they are.  :-)

-ethan