VT420-C2 (amber) terminals

Alan Frisbie

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Jun 29, 2016, 4:33:06 PM6/29/16

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Several people have asked me to announce when I have items from
my collection of DEC stuff for sale. If this offends anyone,
just say so and I'll stop.

I have four VT420-C2 (amber screen) terminals (without keyboards)
for sale. Before I put them up on eBay, I am offering them
here for $100 each (plus shipping) for the next two days.

These terminals were sent to HP for repair/refurbishing in 2005,
and have been sitting in the return packaging ever since. Three
of them are still in the sealed plastic bags with HP's seal on
them. The fourth one is still in the bag, but the seal is broken.
All are still in the shipping boxes with HP's foam packing.

I find it amusing that these are DEC terminals, in Compaq-branded
boxes, and with HP service seals on the bags. :-) The only
thing lacking is a connection to VSI.

I can send photos if you are interested.

Alan Frisbie

John Reagan

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Jun 29, 2016, 5:41:00 PM6/29/16

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If you want, I'll autograph them to make them true collector's items. :)

Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)

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Jun 30, 2016, 4:27:51 AM6/30/16

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In article <nuudnYJ93O3hrenK...@supernews.com>, Alan

Frisbie <Usenet0...@Flying-Disk.com> writes:

> I find it amusing that these are DEC terminals, in Compaq-branded
> boxes, and with HP service seals on the bags. :-) The only
> thing lacking is a connection to VSI.

Presumably, once I get an x86 system running VMS, I can hook up a VT220
via a serial line and use it as the console!

MG

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Jun 30, 2016, 4:52:12 AM6/30/16

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Op 29-jun-2016 om 22:32 schreef Alan Frisbie:

> Several people have asked me to announce when I have items from
> my collection of DEC stuff for sale. If this offends anyone,
> just say so and I'll stop.

Whoever could possibly be offended by that is probably not in
the right place here...

- MG

MG

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Jun 30, 2016, 4:54:20 AM6/30/16

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Op 30-jun-2016 om 10:27 schreef Phillip Helbig (undress to reply):

> Presumably, once I get an x86 system running VMS, I can hook up
> a VT220 via a serial line and use it as the console!

Never heard of LK-series PS/2 and USB keyboards? (Assuming
you seek it for proper keyboard input, assuming DECwindows
will work in VMS for x86/-64, too.)

In fact, I have several (including an HP-branded LK463 with
native USB interface) I actually wish to do away with.

- MG

Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)

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Jun 30, 2016, 6:20:03 AM6/30/16

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In article <5774de3b$0$22293$e4fe...@newszilla.xs4all.nl>, MG

<marc...@SPAMxs4all.nl> writes:

> Op 30-jun-2016 om 10:27 schreef Phillip Helbig (undress to reply):
> > Presumably, once I get an x86 system running VMS, I can hook up
> > a VT220 via a serial line and use it as the console!
>
> Never heard of LK-series PS/2 and USB keyboards? (Assuming
> you seek it for proper keyboard input, assuming DECwindows
> will work in VMS for x86/-64, too.)

Yes, I've heard of them and even seen them, but they are rare. However,
I like having a real terminal as the console, and since most of my
terminals are VT220, I plan to use them.

Someone from VSI said that DECwindows will be supported on x86. Maybe
no high-end graphics, but enough for what I need it for (such as typing
a usenet post in a DECterm running in CDE on a graphics monitor
connected to a satellite in my VMS cluster).

> In fact, I have several (including an HP-branded LK463 with
> native USB interface) I actually wish to do away with.

Hang on to them; I'll take them off your hands!

Charles Richmond

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Jul 1, 2016, 9:15:08 AM7/1/16

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"Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)" <hel...@asclothestro.multivax.de> wrote
in message news:nl2roh$1aog$1...@news.kjsl.com...

> In article <5774de3b$0$22293$e4fe...@newszilla.xs4all.nl>, MG
> <marc...@SPAMxs4all.nl> writes:
>
>> Op 30-jun-2016 om 10:27 schreef Phillip Helbig (undress to reply):
>> > Presumably, once I get an x86 system running VMS, I can hook up
>> > a VT220 via a serial line and use it as the console!
>>
>> Never heard of LK-series PS/2 and USB keyboards? (Assuming
>> you seek it for proper keyboard input, assuming DECwindows
>> will work in VMS for x86/-64, too.)
>
> Yes, I've heard of them and even seen them, but they are rare. However,
> I like having a real terminal as the console, and since most of my
> terminals are VT220, I plan to use them.
>

The VT220 is probably very good for use as a console, but I detest the
keyboard, both in key feel and the wretched keyboard arrangement!!! I
understand that DEC won some sort of award for the VT220 design, but I just
do *not* see why...

--

numerist at aquaporin4 dot com

VAXman-

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Jul 1, 2016, 10:02:39 AM7/1/16

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You'd rather the *wretched* IBM layout? Not me; albeit, I'm not fond of the
upsweep on the newer LKs. I liked the LK201 best.

--
VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)ORG

I speak to machines with the voice of humanity.

David Froble

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Jul 1, 2016, 10:38:44 AM7/1/16

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Counter point, I really like the KB on VT-420, and most of the later ones on VT-5**.

Paul Sture

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Jul 1, 2016, 11:07:45 AM7/1/16

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["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.vms.]

On 2016-07-01, Charles Richmond <nume...@aquaporin4.com> wrote:
> "Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)" <hel...@asclothestro.multivax.de> wrote
>>

>> I like having a real terminal as the console, and since most of my
>> terminals are VT220, I plan to use them.
>>
>
> The VT220 is probably very good for use as a console, but I detest the
> keyboard, both in key feel and the wretched keyboard arrangement!!! I
> understand that DEC won some sort of award for the VT220 design, but I
> just do *not* see why...

What's wrong with the VT200 keyboard arrangement?

Which arrangement do you prefer?

--
A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree.
-- Spike Milligan

Charles Richmond

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Jul 1, 2016, 1:54:34 PM7/1/16

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"Paul Sture" <nos...@sture.ch> wrote in message
news:5cdi4d-...@news.chingola.ch...

>
> ["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.vms.]
> On 2016-07-01, Charles Richmond <nume...@aquaporin4.com> wrote:
>> "Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)" <hel...@asclothestro.multivax.de>
>> wrote
>>>
>>> I like having a real terminal as the console, and since most of my
>>> terminals are VT220, I plan to use them.
>>>
>>
>> The VT220 is probably very good for use as a console, but I detest the
>> keyboard, both in key feel and the wretched keyboard arrangement!!! I
>> understand that DEC won some sort of award for the VT220 design, but I
>> just do *not* see why...
>
> What's wrong with the VT200 keyboard arrangement?
>

On the VT-220 keybaord, the < and > key is between the Z key and the shift
key. I always hit this extra key when reaching for the shift. The escape
key is somewhere in the function keys above the keyboard, instead of on the
upper left like "normal" keyboards. Between the L and the Enter key, there
are extra keys on the VT-220 compared to say a Selectric typewriter, a
DECWriter, or most PC keyboards. When reaching for the Enter key, I almost
always hit one of these extra keys.

>
> Which arrangement do you prefer?
>

I can deal with most PC-style keyboards much better. The best feel to a
keyboard that I ever used... was the DECWriter. So maybe the DECWriter
keyboard is the one that I prefer.

Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)

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Jul 2, 2016, 6:42:05 AM7/2/16

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In article <nl5qcq$l2h$1...@dont-email.me>, "Charles Richmond"
<nume...@aquaporin4.com> writes:

> The VT220 is probably very good for use as a console, but I detest the
> keyboard, both in key feel and the wretched keyboard arrangement!!! I
> understand that DEC won some sort of award for the VT220 design, but I just
> do *not* see why...

On the contrary, it is great:

full numeric keypad
CTRL is out of the way
proper size for hands of normal size