- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Univac name plate
by Evan Koblentz 04 Apr '16

04 Apr '16

Dean and I went to install the Univac CPU name plate that Corey L. rescued. As we hoped, the air vent (in which the name plates mount) from the tape drive has screw holes in the same locations as on the CPU, so I removed the vent from our spare tape drive in the warehouse. The next challenge is the remove the name plate from the vent: it's riveted on there. Jimmy J. from the train group explained to me how to grind down the rivet doughnut thingamajig using a Dremel and the right attachment. He even put some rivets in a piece of scrap wood so I have something on which to practice before doing the real one. The proper name plate has nuts on the back, so it will attach without needed to re-rivet anything. I brought home the spare vent and the correct name plate and will work on that during the week.

1 1

museum report
by Evan Koblentz 04 Apr '16

04 Apr '16

Dean and I worked in the museum from about 10am to 5pm. A few of the microcomputer cart backdrops came down overnight. We addressed this by putting superglue between the adhesive side of the velcro and the backdrop material. Hopefully they'll still be up the next time we go there! If that still doesn't work then we will try a mechanical fix (maybe put hose clamps and/or hooks around the cart poles, or something along those lines.) You can see the wall side of the micro exhibit and its new backdrops here: http://vcfed.org/evan/backs_wall.jpg and the center aisle side here: http://vcfed.org/evan/backs_center.jpg. Remember, there are going to be signs on each unit where the rear poles extend beyond the top shelves. Per the recent discussion about terminals, we put the Televideo 750 with the Prime 6500 and a VT100 with the VAX-11/785. There wasn't room for separate tables in that area so we put the terminals on top of the computers. I'm leaning toward the idea of moving the Prime's tape drive rack and the VT100 back into storage to make room for a DECwriter next to the /785 (theory being we already have a few other tape drives and terminals in the exhibit, but nothing else like the teleprinter.) This would let us show more kinds of artifacts, which is a good thing. We reinstalled the bottom vent on another of the Prime racks. It was bent and the plastic part was badly separated from the metal frame. Tony fixed it for us a while ago. The plastic part is yellowed, but so is the one on other Prime rack next to it, so it looks like they match. :) Dean and I also did an unplanned project with the PDP-8. I was lamenting that the brown+blue table for that computer is hard to move because its legs are of questionable integrity and that it doesn't match any other furniture in the next space. Started thinking if we could replace it with a small stand made from our usual metal shelf parts. Problem was, the 8's wooden platform is way too deep for that. We called David G. to ask what's involved in separating the computer from the platform; he explained how easy it is, so we did that. We cut a piece of plywood to fit neatly between the chassis and the cart shelf because the usual shelf liner kept bubbling under the 8's adjustable feet. Now, anytime David (or whomever) needs to work on that computer, all we have to do is wheel over the cart. Of course, the 8's wooden platform is historic! We decided to mount it on the wall above the ASR-'33 next to the 8 itself. The platform is light, so we drilled a small hole in the center (it'll be covered) and hung it with a lag bolt and washer into a stud. We will put a sign explaining the RESISTORS in the center of the platform (covering the bolt head) and leaving all the RESISTORS alumni signatures visible around the edges. This was a fun project. See the picture here: http://vcfed.org/evan/kagan_close.jpg and see how it greets visitors in the transition from mainframes to minis here: http://vcfed.org/evan/kagan_far.jpg. At first we were reluctant to drill a hole in the platform; in retrospect we could have put a hook on the back and hung it like a picture. But this worked out fine, didn't hurt anything, and the platform is very secure. Another thing we did today, but there's a lot more of it to do, is clean computers using a variety of baby wipes, goo gone, and that sort of thing. Dean attended Corey C.'s computer cleaning lesson at the VCF East last year and put those skills to good use! I started zip-tying loose cords to the back of the micro carts but ran out of time.

4 6

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] museum report
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 04 Apr '16

04 Apr '16

Jonathan Gevaryahu via vcf-midatlantic writes: >On 4/4/2016 8:42 AM, Brian Schenkenberger via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > A >DECwriter LA-120 would have been the more appropriate 'console' for > >a/any VAX-11/78x with wide paper. I have a fine speciment of an LA-120 > >if you're interested for VCF. What rom revision does your LA120 have in >it? (i.e. what 23-xxxxx numbers on the chips?) I'm hunting for the >'older' LA120 ROM set, which was on 5 chips (all 2316 mask roms). I have >a good copy of the 'newer' ROM set on 2 chips (one 24-pin 2364, and one >2316). I have one logic board out at the moment. It has 23007E2 and 23038E4 on its chips. I need to run out to ship out an RMA. If I get a chance to, I'll check the chips on the board of the LA-120 I use most of the time.

1 0

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] museum report
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 04 Apr '16

04 Apr '16

Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic writes: >Dean and I worked in the museum from about 10am to 5pm. > >A few of the microcomputer cart backdrops came down overnight. We >addressed this by putting superglue between the adhesive side of the >velcro and the backdrop material. Hopefully they'll still be up the next >time we go there! If that still doesn't work then we will try a >mechanical fix (maybe put hose clamps and/or hooks around the cart >poles, or something along those lines.) You can see the wall side of the >micro exhibit and its new backdrops here: >http://vcfed.org/evan/backs_wall.jpg and the center aisle side here: >http://vcfed.org/evan/backs_center.jpg. Remember, there are going to be >signs on each unit where the rear poles extend beyond the top shelves. > >Per the recent discussion about terminals, we put the Televideo 750 with >the Prime 6500 and a VT100 with the VAX-11/785. There wasn't room for >separate tables in that area so we put the terminals on top of the >computers. A DECwriter LA-120 would have been the more appropriate 'console' for a/any VAX-11/78x with wide paper. I have a fine speciment of an LA-120 ir you're interested for VCF.

3 2

Next up: more cleaning!!!
by Evan Koblentz 04 Apr '16

04 Apr '16

I know we won't get ** everything ** done by VCF East, but we can try! I'd like take another museum day this week (maybe Wednesday or Thursday) and of course this weekend again. The weekday edition should be 100% for cleaning: use those baby wipes (etc.) on ALL computers, dust all the window frames/sills, dust all the blinds, mop the floor .... none of this will be any fun, but the results will be great!

1 0

Museum report
by Evan Koblentz 03 Apr '16

03 Apr '16

Sorry for the late and picture-less report. Mouse and I got to the museum around 11am today. Jeff J. came over in the afternoon and we all worked until early evening. Today's major accomplishment was installing decorative backings on all the microcomputer shelving carts. We also painted over some ugly spots on both of the black wooden display cases, added an industrial power strip to the workbench, did more cleaning (that never ends!), and so on.... Tomorrow it'll be Dean and I. Lots of detail tasks are on the list, such as (still more) cleaning, bringing the much-discussed terminals into the minicomputer display, doing some re-cabling, sprucing up the UNIVAC exhibit, etc......

1 1

Which terminal for Prime 6550?
by Evan Koblentz 02 Apr '16

02 Apr '16

As discussed the other day: we'll use a Tektronix terminal with the DG Eclipse and an ADM-3A with the hobby systems. PDP-8 gets an ASR-33. That leaves the Prime 6550 (and also the PDP-11/785, but that one is easy because we have a selection of DEC terminals). So... which terminal (that we might have) is the best choice for the Prime?

7 11

Prime 6550
by Ian Primus 02 Apr '16

02 Apr '16

With all this talk of a terminal for the Prime, does this mean you think you'll get it to the point where we can *run* the 6550? I've been offering to fix it up and get it in running condition for years, but that's never been an option due to lack of power for it. I mean, I know these machines very well, and I have all the service manuals, the operating system tapes and the spare parts. Getting it running is very doable. Problem is, that thing needs three phase in it's factory configuration. I can rewire it to run on anything (240 or 110), but you still need a *lot* of current, and that's historically been a problem for InfoAge, especially considering the problems I had just powering my little Prime 4450 when I've brought it to VCF. -Ian

2 1

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Which terminal for Prime 6550?
by VAXman＠tmesis.org 02 Apr '16

02 Apr '16

Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic writes: >As discussed the other day: we'll use a Tektronix terminal with the DG >Ec= lipse and an ADM-3A with the hobby systems. PDP-8 gets an ASR-33. >That le= aves the Prime 6550 (and also the PDP-11/785, but that one is >easy becaus= e we have a selection of DEC terminals). So... which >terminal (that we mi= ght have) is the best choice for the Prime? More April Fools?

5 9

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Which terminal for Prime 6550?
by Mike Loewen 02 Apr '16

02 Apr '16

>> the last thing that you would use on a 6550 would be a genuine DEC >> terminal > > What DO we use? Try a PT250: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Terminal-prime-pt250.jpg Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

1 0