Subject: VAX 11/750 available in TX (?)

From: Gunther Schadow <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 01:58:17 2003

Hi,

I was looking at a vendor site and it looks like they are offering an
DEC 11/750 for $158.76. It's not quite clear, but since I don't have
room for one I cannot simply order it. If you want it for the price,
you can go on their web site to just order it and then call and ask
them that you want to pick it up, that way you can find out what
really they offer here and if it's not a real 11/750 system you can
jump off (but if it is, you have a pretty good price.)

regards,
-Gunther

---

From: Gunther Schadow <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:00:06 2003

Oops, it's not in TX, it's in Melbourne, FL and here is the URL

http://www.4cheapparts.com/cgi-bin/checkitout/checkitout.cgi?networkpSTORE:4cPlistCKIE:prod11/750+

minimum QTY is 2. Hmm, very strange :-)

-Gunther

---

From: Dave McGuire <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:00:27 2003

On Monday, March 24, 2003, at 09:00 PM, Gunther Schadow wrote:
> http://www.4cheapparts.com/cgi-bin/checkitout/ 
> checkitout.cgi?networkpSTORE:4cPlistCKIE:prod11/750+
>

   Hey, now THAT'S tempting. :-)

       -Dave

--
Dave McGuire             "I've grown hair again, just
St. Petersburg, FL           for the occasion."       -Doc Shipley

---

From: "R. D. Davis" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:01:09 2003

> minimum QTY is 2. Hmm, very strange :-)

Funny thing, that reminds me of how I acquired two PERQ-T2 chasis,
over a decade ago.  While at a hamfest and looking for a UNIX box, I
saw a maching that had already been sold, but the seller told me about
a local warehouse where I could obtain another one.  The machine
turned out to be a PERQ graphics workstation, and was not runnign
UNIX... although I did eventually get a copy of PNX to run on it.

Anyway, when I got to the warehouse, the seller told me that I
couldn't buy the one complete machine unless I also hauled away the
chassis of another PERQ-T2.  Note: these are not small.  Smaller than
a VAX 11/750, but much larger, and heavier (about 150 lbs, IIRC) than
a PeeCee.  To make things more interesting, the machines had to be
taken out of the building from a shipping platform, which was many
feet higher than the tailgate of the station wagon... so, they had to
be lowered by hand from the taller than usual shipping platform.

The PERQ's (Keytronix, IIRC) keyboard decided to dive off the top of
the PERQ on the loading platform into the asphalt below.  The only
damage was a barely noticeable flattened area on one corner of the
keyboard!  It wasn't long before I was on my way home with two T2
chasis, a 19" monitor and a keyboard.  It's a good thing that real
station wagons (which are, alas, no longer made) have lots of cargo
space.  The only problem was that, with the tailgate window blocked by
the PERQs, I could only see PERQs in the rearview mirror, which made
the 20+ mile drive home, on the highway, fun. :-)

-- 
Copyright (C) 2002 R. D. Davis The difference between humans & other animals: 
All Rights Reserved            an unnatural belief that we're above Nature & 
[email-masked]  410-744-4900  her other creatures, using dogma to justify such
http://www.rddavis.org         beliefs and to justify much human cruelty.

---

From: Owen Robertson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:01:50 2003

on 3/24/03 9:09 PM, R. D. Davis at [email-masked] wrote:

> It's a good thing that real station wagons (which are, alas, no longer made)
> have lots of cargo space.  The only problem was that, with the tailgate window
> blocked by the PERQs, I could only see PERQs in the rearview mirror, which
> made the 20+ mile drive home, on the highway, fun. :-)

My PDP-11/34, in a 5' white DEC rack came home in the back of a station
wagon. Getting it in there wasn't so bad, but getting it out wasn't easy. My
Honeywell 316 rack was also brought home in the back of the same station
wagon. It works, but I wouldn't recommend it. :-)

-- 
Owen Robertson

---

From: Ethan Dicks <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:02:11 2003

--- Owen Robertson <[email-masked]> wrote:
> > It's a good thing that real station... have lots of cargo space.  The
> > only problem was that, with the tailgate window blocked by the PERQs,
> > I could only see PERQs in the rearview mirror,
> 
> wagon.

I brought home an 11/34, several RL02s and the two H960 DEC racks (72"
tall) in the back of my 1976 VW Microbus.

-ethan

---

From: Vintage Computer Festival <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:02:53 2003

> tall) in the back of my 1976 VW Microbus.

I brought home an IBM AS/400 (plus a butt-load and a half of other stuff
from the TRW swap and other various sources) in the back seat of a 4-door
Honda Civic.

-- 

Sellam Ismail                                        Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger                http://www.vintage.org

 * Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *

---

From: Roger Merchberger <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:03:14 2003

At 23:48 03/24/2003 -0500, you wrote:

[snip]

Altho the station wagons of days gone by could handle pretty decent loads, 
they always had the rear-view mirrors of a car... so I'll keep my full-size 
4x4, thanks! (horrible gas mileage & all...)

>When I hear the word Microbus, I can't help thinking about that 1970's
>country/trucking song "Convoy."  Hey, a convoy of computer collectors
>driving Microbuses and old station wagons, etc., loaded with
>computers, assorted electronic bits, and using CB radions, would be
>neat!  :-)

Dunno if you've actually listened to CB lately, but IMHO, the AM waves in 
that band are full of idiots. The never should have taken away the 
licensing restrictions on that band... [[ and yes, I used to know 90%+ of 
the 10-codes... my dad's a trucker, so I learned young. My handle was the 
"Whiz-Kid"]] My dad still has a CB (for channel 9...) but never uses it 
anymore -- because of the low S:N ratio.

I've asked him if he'd be interested in getting his ham radio license (I'm 
AB8KK) but he'd rather spend any left-over money he's got on his Harley. :-)

Me: When I hear "VW Microbus" I always think of Arlo Guthrie's _Alice's 
Restaurant_... Now *that's* a song... ;-)

To try to bring this ontopic - every time my friend moves his (rather 
heavy) Viewsonic 19" monitor, he complains about it's weight. (He does 
on-site digital photography; I help him out some weekends.) I remind him 
that I have a 17" that's just as heavy. He doesn't believe me. (The one for 
my VaxStation 3100). Some nite I'll have him over for a beer, and teach 'im 
a lesson... ;-)  Then I'll let him pick up my DEC 19"...  ;-)  Who says 
classic computers can't be a) educational & b) rewarding... ;-)

Laterz,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger

---

From: Ethan Dicks <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:04:17 2003

--- "R. D. Davis" <[email-masked]> wrote:
> Quothe Ethan Dicks, from writings of Mon, Mar 24, 2003 at 07:52:52PM
> -0800:
> Neat!  But, didn't that put quite a strain on the bus?  I never
> realized that they were built to be able to transport loads like that.

No problem...

2 x H960
1 x 11/34 
3 x RL02
2 x RX02
1 x MINC-11
papertape & floppies

That's about 5-6 passengers worth of mass.  The racks rode empty on the
back deck, the contents rode on the floor below (no middle bench seat).

> Hopefully your bus has less rust on the structural components than my
> '67 VW Beetle.

It's in much nicer shape than my '68 Beetle (that needs new floors/
heater channels).
 
> country/trucking song "Convoy." 

Did they even mention Microbuses?  That song make me think of "pick-em-up
trucks".

-ethan

---

From: JP Hindin <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Mar 25 02:05:03 2003

> tall) in the back of my 1976 VW Microbus.

I moved a pair of Sun 4/470 cabinets (IPI2 disk and cardcage) in the back
of a three door Toyota Starlet hatchback with a 1.0L engine.
I damaged the left-rear shock, its never really quite been the same
since. I moved the remaining six 4/260 cabinets with a borrowed van after
I came to my senses ;)

JP

---

From: Douglas Meade <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Mar 26 06:14:48 2003

Sounds like a job for Dr. McGuire.

---

From: Gunther Schadow <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon Mar 31 19:03:33 2003

So, what happened? Anybody took 'em? Was it true or too good to be true?

-Gunther

---

From: Dave McGuire <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon Mar 31 19:07:56 2003

It's being discussed, but no firm arrangements have been made yet.

      -Dave

---

From: Paul Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon Mar 31 19:15:27 2003

Dan Veeneman wrote:
> 
> "VT125 IC Error"
> 
> Does anyone have a service manual or other troubleshooting
> documents that might help me fix this error?

I don't think I have the service manual, but here are the six types of
errors indicated by the self-test error messages, from the User Guide.

VT125 Offline   VT100 text terminal is LOCAL. LOCAL was saved
                in SET-UP, or user permanent memory problem.
                Terminal can only process received graphics
                commands.

VT125 BM Error  Video bit map memory has one or more bad pixels.

VT125 VG Error  Vector generator could not draw sample shape.
                Graphics probably does not work, but terminal may
                communicate normally.

VT125 IC Error  Internal communications failed. VT125 cannot
                communicate with VT100. Terminal can only
                process received graphics.

VT125 SC Error  Auxiliary port failed data loopback test. Terminal
                cannot send data to printer.

VT125 EC Error  Computer port failed data loopback test. Terminal
                can only operate as text terminal in LOCAL.

As this is a comms failure, I would check out the 24-pin and 16-pin
cables that run from the graphics processor to the other boards. I think
there are tight twists in both cables that may have cracked over time.

- Paul

---

From: Dan Veeneman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon Mar 31 20:03:19 2003

Hello,

I bought a DEC VT-125 terminal today.  The text mode appears
to function correctly except that at powerup it displays the
message

"VT125 IC Error"

Resetting the terminal and reseating the cards has not
corrected the problem.

Cheers,

Dan
www.decodesystems.com//wanted.html

---

From: Dan Veeneman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon Mar 31 20:03:47 2003

Hello,

I purchased an Otrona Attache "luggable" computer with two floppy drives
and an add-on HP-IB interface.  It did not come with any software or 
manuals.

Does anyone have a set of boot disks for this machine?

I'd also be interested in hearing about any software that makes
use of the HP-IB interface.

Cheers,

Dan
www.decodesystems.com/wanted.html