Old Iron at home stories wanted
Scott McClure
I am trying to compile a collection of stories from those
true Old Iron Hackers(tm) who have actually brought these magnificent
beasts home with them.
Interesting details might include:
- Why did you do it?
- How did you get the equipment?
- How did you find the space for it?
- What did you do about the heat problem?
- How did your neigbors react to the loss of television reception in the
area after you got it up and running?
- How can you possibly afford the power bill?
- How do your neigbors react to the brown-outs during a boot?
....and anything else you'd like to include.
Please reply via email. I'll post the finished collection to
alt.folklore.computers if I get decent response.
Thanks in advance,
Scott
--
INTERNET: sc...@ryptyde.cts.com | "Nuke the homeless gay
ARPANET: ryptyde!sc...@nosc.mil | baby whales for Jesus!"
UUCP: {crash, nosc}!ryptyde!scott | - bumper sticker
Alan Wm Paeth
>
>I am trying to compile a collection of stories from those true Old Iron
>Hackers(tm) who have actually brought these magnificent beasts home with them.
>
>Interesting details might include:
>- Why did you do it?
My first program was on a PDP-8 in High School in 1972. The first installation
I ever got my hands on was a PDP-11 -- the null job strobing out the front
panel in "pong" fashion. So DEC systems with core memory appeal to my Youth.
(Incidentally, it was Bill Gates who drove me out to Seattle Pacific College
for a tour of the 11).
>- How did you get the equipment?
I refused to pay money so traded an IBM/PC monochrome adaptor worth $35
for a mint condition PDP-11/20. I think I wound up with fewer transistors.
I picked a 20 because it has core memory and a discrete processor -- if you
drop bit 4 of the PC you know just where it lives. Mine was sitting idle at
the transmitter site at WQED Pittsburgh (world's first public television
station), where it had previously been used in real-time video production.
So it has had a very colourful past.
>- How did you find the space for it?
Fits in a desk with the ASR-33 on top. BASIC stays in memory when it is not
running. Probably almost as useful as an HP-25CV, but not as portable. "Gosh
grandpa, they had continuous memory back in 1970?". "Son, it was called CORE".
>- What did you do about the heat problem?
Runs off of 110VAC. Heat is not a problem if your house has electric heat and
you make it a winter-time hobby. But I couldn't find a way to hook the plenum
of my air handler to the PDP-11/70 I was considering so I settled for a 11/55
instead. (I'm a UNIBUS man all the way...). Since I've moved back to Canada,
I can compute year round. Snow is blowing by my office window as I type this...
>- How did your neigbors react to the loss of television reception in the
> area after you got it up and running?
They're on cable. Any loss of reception is from the 200 watt dual 6146 (tube)
finals of my Drake TX4/C ham transmitter. Incidentally, that rig was built
within a few months of my 11/20, also in 1972. It is no coincidence that I
turned sixteen the summer of '72 -- I'm trying to relive that year endlessly.
While on the subject: anyone got a European pressing of Floyd's _Dark Side
of the Moon_, or ELP's _Trilogy_? Or a Hammond B-3 organ with Leslie Speakers?
>- How can you possibly afford the power bill?
I can't -- Duquesne Light in Pittsburgh is power hungry in too many senses.
I'd wanted to put a gas line in but I've yet to see a Methane-powered computer.
(Hmm, I could be on to something. A Methane-powered laptop could really be a
very, uh, commodius, little take-anywhere machine. Batteries not required).
>- How do your neigbors react to the brown-outs during a boot?
I boot from (high-speed) paper tape. It is lots of fun. I've also got the full
DEC field diagnostics on paper, plus cases of unpunched manila. I'm very short
on mylar stock -- it's saved for very important stuff, like amazing hacks to a
"TREK" game stored in the form of patches to the vanilla version's core image.
>....and anything else you'd like to include.
Out of defiance to the shady stripping practices and outragious prices of
"Neumann Computer Exchange", I've wanted to form a consortium of users called
"The Old Mann's Computer Exchange". Paper tape media would be exchanged on a
round-robin basis. The mailers will have heavy block letter stencils reading:
GO AHEAD and X-RAY !!!
>Please reply via email. I'll post the finished collection to
>alt.folklore.computers if I get decent response.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Scott
>
>--
>INTERNET: sc...@ryptyde.cts.com | "Nuke the homeless gay
>ARPANET: ryptyde!sc...@nosc.mil | baby whales for Jesus!"
>UUCP: {crash, nosc}!ryptyde!scott | - bumper sticker
My pleasure, Scott. Hope this reply gets disseminated. I really am serious
about the "Old Mann's Computer Exchange" but I need a solid core of charter
members. Maybe a posting will help me put together an address list.
Heck, this is too much fun. I'll just post it directly.
Thanks for prompting this enjoyable discussion.
/Alan Paeth
VE3AWP/KD3XG
Computer Graphics Laboratory
University of Waterloo
CP/M lives!
> - How do your neigbors react to the brown-outs during a boot?
I had a roommate who complained until I got out the manuals and pointed out
that I'd have to start _two_ RL02s simultaneously to equal his 1500 watt(!)
blow dryer.
--
Roger Ivie "My God! That computer is full of Pentium!
iv...@cc.usu.edu It's a wonder that you haven't been turned
into mutants!"
Charles Lasner
>Greetings all,
>
> I am trying to compile a collection of stories from those
>true Old Iron Hackers(tm) who have actually brought these magnificent
>beasts home with them.
>
>Interesting details might include:
>
>- Why did you do it?
Because they were already there. I have had -8 hardware within personal
reach since 1975.
>
>- How did you get the equipment?
Many different ways, some of them even legal.
>
>- How did you find the space for it?
It let's me share some of its space in my building.
>
>- What did you do about the heat problem?
I use DECmates in the summer and -8's in the winter.
>
>- How did your neigbors react to the loss of television reception in the
> area after you got it up and running?
What's a neighbor?
>
>- How can you possibly afford the power bill?
It lowers my oil bill.
>
>- How do your neigbors react to the brown-outs during a boot?
If I had any neighbors, they wouldn't notice, since I have 0000 3-phase power
feed into my building.
>
>....and anything else you'd like to include.
I am not quite sure how many -8's I have, and there are several methods of
counting them that might apply.
>
>Please reply via email. I'll post the finished collection to
>alt.folklore.computers if I get decent response.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Scott
>
>--
>INTERNET: sc...@ryptyde.cts.com | "Nuke the homeless gay
>ARPANET: ryptyde!sc...@nosc.mil | baby whales for Jesus!"
>UUCP: {crash, nosc}!ryptyde!scott | - bumper sticker
Glad to oblige. Detailing this could take so much bandwidth that imminent
death of the Net would be predicted.
cj "-8's 'R us" l
Frank Ferrie
|>
|> I am trying to compile a collection of stories from those
|> true Old Iron Hackers(tm) who have actually brought these magnificent
|> beasts home with them.
|>
|> Interesting details might include:
|>
|> - Why did you do it?
As a graduate student back in 1980 I was looking for a
``personal'' computer. My budget was limited - I couldn't
afford the $N*K required to get a machine, display, memory
and some decent storage.
|>
|> - How did you get the equipment?
|>
Around the same time the EE department at McGill was clearing
out their 8's to make room for more 11's and Vaxen. I managed
to get hold of an 8/f with 24K (words) of core, a TU56 dual
dectape, high speed paper tape reader/punch, an RX08
clone (dual floppy), and a VT52. For good measure they
threw in a complete print set, a couple of boxes of paper
tape, and approximately 100 dectapes.
|> - How did you find the space for it?
Unfortunately the deal didn't include a rack. I managed
to build an enclosure that took up about the same space
as a standard double pedestel desk. The rest of stuff
ate up one standard closet.
|>
|> - What did you do about the heat problem?
|>
Hey man, I'm from Canada. Just turned off the radiators,
that's all. Worked great from September to May - Summer
was a bitch, though. The machine ran fine until the
ambient temperature hit 90. Now how many times did I
replace those $#%^&* series regulators?! A 25 foot
extension for the console into another room provided
an escape from the heat in summer.
|> - How did your neigbors react to the loss of television reception in the
|> area after you got it up and running?
|>
That's the neat part. Apparently DEC took EMI seriously
(at least in the later models). I NEVER had problems
with interference. In fact, the 8 was ``quieter'' than
one of the first pc boxes I dragged home.
|> - How can you possibly afford the power bill?
|>
Let's see now. Back then it was approximately 4 cents
per kilowatt hour, or 5 cents an hour to run the beast.
Sort of like driving a 68 Olds-98 with that monster V8
when gas was 30 cents a gallon.
|> - How do your neigbors react to the brown-outs during a boot?
|>
As I remember, my place had wiring dating from the
30's. When I turned everything on at once, there was
this lovely dimming of the room lights until everything
hit steady-state.
|> ....and anything else you'd like to include.
|>
I kept the machine alive until 1986. To my knowledge
it's still running at the domicile of a well-known
UNIX hacker by the handle of ``der mouse.''
We still have a straight 8 (no slash) in the EE
department (you know, the one with the heated core).
It has a two-digit serial number and still ran
the last time I powered it up.
|> Please reply via email. I'll post the finished collection to
|> alt.folklore.computers if I get decent response.
|>
|> Thanks in advance,
|>
|> Scott
|>
|> --
|> INTERNET: sc...@ryptyde.cts.com | "Nuke the homeless gay
|> ARPANET: ryptyde!sc...@nosc.mil | baby whales for Jesus!"
|> UUCP: {crash, nosc}!ryptyde!scott | - bumper sticker
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
F.P. Ferrie tel. 514-398-6042
McGill Research Center for Intelligent Machines
McGill University
Paul Repacholi
>>1993Feb15.2...@ryptyde.cts.com> sc...@ryptyde.cts.com (Scott McClure):
>>
>>I am trying to compile a collection of stories from those true Old Iron
>>Hackers(tm) who have actually brought these magnificent beasts home with them.
>>
I have an 11/70, about 8 11/34s, 3 PDP-8es misc 'micros' and a KL-10E
> My pleasure, Scott. Hope this reply gets disseminated. I really am serious
> about the "Old Mann's Computer Exchange" but I need a solid core of charter
> members. Maybe a posting will help me put together an address list.
>
Put me down. PS Anyone got an 18 bit bit fiddler for a TM02/TM03? I desperatly
need one for the 10...
~Paul
Frank - Hardware Hacker - Borger
..
>>- How can you possibly afford the power bill?
>
>I can't -- Duquesne Light in Pittsburgh is power hungry in too many senses.
>I'd wanted to put a gas line in but I've yet to see a Methane-powered computer.
>(Hmm, I could be on to something. A Methane-powered laptop could really be a
>very, uh, commodius, little take-anywhere machine. Batteries not required).
Brings back memories of a DECUS question and answer which went
something like this.
DEC rep on stage: "You should really trade in your PDP11/70's, just
think of the power you will save..."
Attendee at mike: "Maybe you didn't hear when I introduced myself,
I said I work for Ontario Hydro-Electric..."
Anyway, if anything goes of an old iron group, sign me up, although
I don't quite qualify, because my old iron is at work, not at home,
however we still have real use for high speed paper tape reader and
punch, among other things.
Frank R. Borger - Physicist ___ George Halas had two heirs; one carried
Michael Reese - U of Chicago |___ his seed and one carried his soul. ...
Center for Radiation Therapy | |_) _ One can imagine the wisper of George
net: Fr...@rover.uchicago.edu | \|_) Halas, rooting for his soul. -
ph: 312-791-8075 fa: 567-7455 |_) Jeannie Morris
Steve McKinty - Sun ICNC
> ..
> >>- How can you possibly afford the power bill?
> >
> >I can't -- Duquesne Light in Pittsburgh is power hungry in too many senses.
> >I'd wanted to put a gas line in but I've yet to see a Methane-powered computer.
> >(Hmm, I could be on to something. A Methane-powered laptop could really be a
> >very, uh, commodius, little take-anywhere machine. Batteries not required).
>
I wonder. What sort of efficiencies would you get from a methane
or butane fuel cell, or catalytic generator? Would it be an improvement
on rechargeable batteries?
Just top up from a cigarette lighter refill when necessary?
Steve
--
Steve McKinty
SUN Microsystems ICNC
38240 Meylan, France
email: smck...@france.sun.com BIX: smckinty
Megan B Gentry
>In article <C2JtB...@watcgl.uwaterloo.ca>, awp...@watpix.uwaterloo.ca (Alan Wm Paeth) writes:
>>>1993Feb15.2...@ryptyde.cts.com> sc...@ryptyde.cts.com (Scott McClure):
>>>
>>>I am trying to compile a collection of stories from those true Old Iron
>>>Hackers(tm) who have actually brought these magnificent beasts home with them.
>>>
>I have an 11/70, about 8 11/34s, 3 PDP-8es misc 'micros' and a KL-10E
I have (on the unibus side):
11/10
11/34
11/40
and on the qbus side:
2 11/23+
11/53
11/73
3 11/83
MV3600
all of the qbus machines are on ethernet, with most of the -11's
running RT-11 with some home-grown RT Ethernet networking software.
>> My pleasure, Scott. Hope this reply gets disseminated. I really am serious
>> about the "Old Mann's Computer Exchange" but I need a solid core of charter
>> members. Maybe a posting will help me put together an address list.
>>
Put me down as well, I don't have anything I'm looking for right now,
but I have lots of spare qbus boards (collected over the years).
Megan
Megan B Gentry
> I also appreciate the old-time friendliness of a
>'front-panel'. I dont actually run one at home but have a few in storage;
>hoping one day to have some resources to contribute to a computer museum.
I preferred a front panel as well, it was really hard to
see all the 11/70's panels removed and replaced with the
boring, unfriendly 'remote diagnostic' panel.
> You may like to note that Decus in Australia had
>the fore-sight some years ago to start up a "Nostalgic Obsolete Products"
>SIG for such interesting machines (and their owners).
Can anything of interest be passed on to this newsgroup?
> As a special project the Museum Curator at Digital
>Australia is hoping to set up "a PDP-11 with one of everything on it". I
>expect this to take some time in the planning, and longer in the assembly
>and testing. Contributions gratefully accepted. Any suggestions as to a
>particular version on a favourite operating system that will talk to the
>greatest number of different devices will also be accepted. A special
>guessing competition as to the final power loading will be held. Similarly
>guess how much space (in cubic metres will be required).
Would that be one of everything as in *ALL* the magtapes
*ALL* the disks, etc? That would be one MASSIVE machine,
and I don't think one single bus can handle it.
Or is it one of everything as in a magtape, a deccassette,
a paper-tape reader, a fixed disk, a removable disk, etc.
This latters seems more possible. Not to mention the fact
that some options were on qbus and not unibus (or vice
versa). You'll either need two machines, or a u-q
converter.
Oh yes, don't forget graphics like the VT11 and the VSV11.
Megan
ps. and for operating systems, why not ALL of the pdp-11
systems. One disk could be RT-11, one RSTS, one RSX, one
Mumps, one Ultrix-11, one for dos/batch, etc. Think about
the fact that you would then have in one place a system
which could convert ANYTHING to ANYTHING else.
pps. In rt-11 development years ago, we tried to have one
of everything represented in our development lab. At the
time, the common media was RL02, but we had most other
devices available.
Adam Thompson
>... Or a Hammond B-3 organ with Leslie Speakers?
There are a few people in Winnipeg (or Steinbach) [Manitoba] who may have leads
on that... I'd try Yamaha here in town, at (204)786-2461. To get to someone
who knows what a Hammon B-3 or Leslie is, start off the conversation with
"I understand you sell Church Organs now..." [ie: Bypass the SalesDroids who
think PCM means Perfect Contemporary Music... There is *one* salesperson who
is old enough to have dealt in those lines!] For leslie speakers, contact
the "church organ" salesman at J.J.H.McLean(don't have the ph# handy) -- when
I was in there two weeks ago, they had an old Hammond-made Leslie speaker,
with the yamaha-style plug. (As opposed to the ...??...square plug - Hammonds
used the round plug.)
>Out of defiance to the shady stripping practices and outragious prices of
>"Neumann Computer Exchange", I've wanted to form a consortium of users called
>"The Old Mann's Computer Exchange". Paper tape media would be exchanged on a
>round-robin basis. The mailers will have heavy block letter stencils reading:
>My pleasure, Scott. Hope this reply gets disseminated. I really am serious
>about the "Old Mann's Computer Exchange" but I need a solid core of charter
>members. Maybe a posting will help me put together an address list.
Used to be, if you wanted anything old, obsolete, or obscure, there was always
somewhere you could find what you were looking for. In Winnipeg, there was
J&J's - they did business internationally. But these type of places always
seem to vanish ... most of 'em within the last 4 or 5 years. So much for the
"Green" concept of recylcling... Yeah! I got it -- I'll use my old VIC-20's as
the processor in my answering machine -- save two parts, save a species... :-) :-)
-Adam Thompson
tho...@ccu.umanitoba.ca
--
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Adam Thompson University of Manitoba Computer Services |
| <Adam_T...@umanitoba.ca> OLC Project - Unix Group |
| UNIX -- where you can do anything in two keystrokes, or less... |
ger...@decus.com.au
> In article <C2JtB...@watcgl.uwaterloo.ca>, awp...@watpix.uwaterloo.ca (Alan Wm Paeth) writes:
>>>1993Feb15.2...@ryptyde.cts.com> sc...@ryptyde.cts.com (Scott McClure):
>>>
>>>I am trying to compile a collection of stories from those true Old Iron
>>>Hackers(tm) who have actually brought these magnificent beasts home with them.
>>>
Hello All,
I also appreciate the old-time friendliness of a
'front-panel'. I dont actually run one at home but have a few in storage;
hoping one day to have some resources to contribute to a computer museum.
You may like to note that Decus in Australia had
the fore-sight some years ago to start up a "Nostalgic Obsolete Products"
SIG for such interesting machines (and their owners).
I also know of two PDP-11/05s (or /10s) still in
commercial use in a local TV station. Does anyone know of any 11/20s still
in commercial use?
As a special project the Museum Curator at Digital
Australia is hoping to set up "a PDP-11 with one of everything on it". I
expect this to take some time in the planning, and longer in the assembly
and testing. Contributions gratefully accepted. Any suggestions as to a
particular version on a favourite operating system that will talk to the
greatest number of different devices will also be accepted. A special
guessing competition as to the final power loading will be held. Similarly
guess how much space (in cubic metres will be required).
Regards, John G. (alias 'megaJOHN')
v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v
John Geremin, PDP-11 Support Consultant, MEGATRONICS, Aust.
IN%"ger...@decus.com.au" voice: 61-2- 764 4855 (9am-9pm)
-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-
Scott Almburg
well, I have 2 VAX 750's at home plus some spare parts from another
one. 2 RA80's and a TU80 tape drive make it a minimul system.
The truck rental to move them here cost more than the "iron".
When powered on, the lights flicker.
When powered on, the system makes a good space heater..
The CPU shares a circuit with the refrigerator, so I can run the
VAX or the refrigerator, but not both....
Scott Almburg
Megan B Gentry
>In article <C2oMM...@world.std.com>, m...@world.std.com (Megan B Gentry) writes:
>> ger...@decus.com.au writes:
>
> I have come across a 'SITE PREPARATION' worksheet
> and a 'SYSTEM CONFIGURATION' worksheet from 1975
> and I expect to need multiple copies of both
> before we even start to roll any hardware in.
> Can you supply us with the AI configuring program
> that was used to stop the sales people selling
> impossible configurations. We are assuming that
> one-of-each is not impossible. 8-),:-} etc.
I think I have soime copies of *a* system configuration worksheet, but
it may be the qbus version.
As for a program, we started to do something like it for RT-11 years
ago, but it didn't really get off the ground. I think RSX had something
called 'autoconfig' which reported what you had (if reasonable things
were at reasonable places).
Megan
ger...@decus.com.au
>
>> I also appreciate the old-time friendliness of a
>>'front-panel'. I dont actually run one at home but have a few in storage;
>>hoping one day to have some resources to contribute to a computer museum.
>
> I preferred a front panel as well, it was really hard to
> see all the 11/70's panels removed and replaced with the
> boring, unfriendly 'remote diagnostic' panel.
>
the 'Rem.diag.' panels so I have some useful 11/70s.
>> You may like to note that Decus in Australia had
>>the fore-sight some years ago to start up a "Nostalgic Obsolete Products"
>>SIG for such interesting machines (and their owners).
>
> Can anything of interest be passed on to this newsgroup?
>
is getting harder all the time. The DECUS spirit will
really be encapsulated in these vintage 'home systems'.
>> As a special project the Museum Curator at Digital
>>Australia is hoping to set up "a PDP-11 with one of everything on it"...
>
> Would that be one of everything as in *ALL* the magtapes
> *ALL* the disks, etc? That would be one MASSIVE machine,
> and I don't think one single bus can handle it.
>
Max has initially suggested 'one of each mass
storage device. eg RP02, RP03, RP04, RP05, RP06, RP07.
> Or is it one of everything as in a magtape, a deccassette,
> a paper-tape reader, a fixed disk, a removable disk, etc.
>
> This latters seems more possible. Not to mention the fact
> that some options were on qbus and not unibus (or vice
> versa). You'll either need two machines, or a u-q
> converter.
Initial thought is an 11/40 or similar - definitely
UNIBUS for the first one - then it will get easier.
We may just create a world wide demand for UNIBUS
repeaters and BA11 Expansion boxes.
Rumour has it that Digital Australia has shed 20%
of their staff and has large empty spaces in the new
headquarters that needs to be filled with intelligent
systems.
>
> Oh yes, don't forget graphics like the VT11 and the VSV11.
>
Phase II for the small stuff like comms and terminals.
> Megan
>
> ps. and for operating systems, why not ALL of the pdp-11
> systems. One disk could be RT-11, one RSTS, one RSX, one
> Mumps, one Ultrix-11, one for dos/batch, etc. Think about
> the fact that you would then have in one place a system
> which could convert ANYTHING to ANYTHING else.
>
I fear we may need a RP04 disk before we can fit
ALL the device drivers for the SYSGEN. Then we will
probably need I & D space for the monitor image -
not to mention the common SWAP space on each disk.
> pps. In rt-11 development years ago, we tried to have one
> of everything represented in our development lab. At the
> time, the common media was RL02, but we had most other
> devices available.
I have come across a 'SITE PREPARATION' worksheet
and a 'SYSTEM CONFIGURATION' worksheet from 1975
and I expect to need multiple copies of both
before we even start to roll any hardware in.
Can you supply us with the AI configuring program
that was used to stop the sales people selling
impossible configurations. We are assuming that
one-of-each is not impossible. 8-),:-} etc.
Regards, John G. (alias 'megaJOHN')
ben...@dstos3.dsto.gov.au
> ger...@decus.com.au writes:
>>Australia is hoping to set up "a PDP-11 with one of everything on it". I
>>expect this to take some time in the planning, and longer in the assembly
>>and testing. Contributions gratefully accepted. Any suggestions as to a
>>particular version on a favourite operating system that will talk to the
>>greatest number of different devices will also be accepted. A special
>>guessing competition as to the final power loading will be held. Similarly
>>guess how much space (in cubic metres will be required).
>
> Would that be one of everything as in *ALL* the magtapes
> *ALL* the disks, etc? That would be one MASSIVE machine,
> and I don't think one single bus can handle it.
Of course, one of everything would include a unibus expansion box, and a
unibus repeater ;-)
> Or is it one of everything as in a magtape, a deccassette,
> a paper-tape reader, a fixed disk, a removable disk, etc.
I assume he means one of each disc type, plus magtapes at 800, 1600, 6250,
dectapes, cassettes. Sorry John, we threw out a pdp11 dectape system a few
years back :-(
Regards,
John Bennett ben...@dstos3.dsto.gov.au
Head, I.T. Services Development Phone : +61 8 259 5292
Corporate Information Systems FAX : +61 8 259 5537
DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION Postal: Bld 73 Labs Area
AUSTRALIA PO Box 1500 Salisbury
South Australia 5108
AUSTRALIA
ben...@dstos3.dsto.gov.au
> Initial thought is an 11/40 or similar - definitely
> UNIBUS for the first one - then it will get easier.
> We may just create a world wide demand for UNIBUS
> repeaters and BA11 Expansion boxes.
YES !! An 11/40 (I still have one here, runnable) running RSTS/E of course.
Actually RSTS/E is very flexible, I found a useful program for
examining/fixing tapes, it's in the Decus Library called TAPE, I still have it
on 1600 BPI tape, written in basic plus of course.
S. G. Green
It's about the size of a large upright suitcase. It's got about 18 seperate RS232 sockets for terminals, a couple of line printer sockets, some buttons and flashing
lights and a mysterious slot which I assume is some sort of tape drive.
I managed to get it up and running with a dumb terminal, and it appears to be running
some bizzare operating system called RT-11. From what I could figure out, it's got a 500Mb hard disk. Wow. It makes an impressive amount of noise when you power it up, too.
Can anybody tell me anything about this machine ?
Is there anywhere I can get software (PD or otherwise) for it ?
Any ideas what I could use it for apart from as a piece of furniture ?
Thanks,
Si Green.
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Chuck Whealton
>Can anybody tell me anything about this machine ?
>Is there anywhere I can get software (PD or otherwise) for it ?
>
>Any ideas what I could use it for apart from as a piece of furniture ?
<EOQ>
Wow... Sounds pretty neat! I don't know much about the PDP's at all
even though I've got my own MicroPDP 11/23+ sitting in the closet that
I need an OS for.
I do know that you can get software for it by checking through the
DECUS catalog. Unfortunately, all I have is the catalog and none of
the other DECUS information... However if you dial the order number
they might be able to give you the *CORRECT* number for joining (it's
currently free). The number is (508)841-3500 and the address on the
catalog is...
Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
333 South Street, SHR1-4/D33
Shrewsbury, MA 01545-4195
I hope this helps and if somebody has the correct number/address to
get ahold of DECUS at to join, please post it for this person...
Chuck
Megan B Gentry
>Well, I've got what claims to be a DEC "micro" PDP-11 lying around at home.
>It's about the size of a large upright suitcase. It's got about 18 seperate
>RS232 sockets for terminals, a couple of line printer sockets, some
>buttons and flashing
>lights and a mysterious slot which I assume is some sort of tape drive.
That sure sounds like a strange beast, doesn't sound familiar
>I managed to get it up and running with a dumb terminal, and it appears
>to be running
>some bizzare operating system called RT-11. From what I could figure out,
>it's got a 500Mb hard disk. Wow. It makes an impressive amount of noise
>when you power it up, too.
Excuse me, RT-11 is not Bizarre (I was a developer of it for fifteen
years). 500mb drive?! Wow. Keep in mind that RT can only access
disk volumes up to 32mb at a single time. If it is an MSCP device, you'll
have to use something called 'partitioning', which is built into the
MSCP device driver.
>Can anybody tell me anything about this machine ?
Boot the system and issue the command 'show configuration' and send
me the results, I'll be able to tell what you have...
>Is there anywhere I can get software (PD or otherwise) for it ?
DECUS (Digital Equipment Computer User's Society) is a good place for
all sorts of software for PDP-11's, although it's not like going to
CompUSA and getting a copy of Quicken ...
>Any ideas what I could use it for apart from as a piece of furniture ?
If you get to the point of wanting to use it as furniture, drop me
e-mail and I might take it off your hands.
Megan Gentry
former RT-11 developer
p.s. The pdp-11 newsgroup you could also try is vmsnet.pdp-11
CP/M lives!
> ssus...@csug.cs.reading.ac.uk (S. G. Green) writes:
>
>>Well, I've got what claims to be a DEC "micro" PDP-11 lying around at home.
>
>>It's about the size of a large upright suitcase. It's got about 18 seperate
>>RS232 sockets for terminals, a couple of line printer sockets, some
>>buttons and flashing
>>lights and a mysterious slot which I assume is some sort of tape drive.
>
> That sure sounds like a strange beast, doesn't sound familiar
Sounds like a Micro PDP-11 in the floorstand box with a TK25 or TK50 tape
drive. Not all that strange.