On 9/18/24 08:57, Glenn Roberts via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
A while back I picked up a Miniterm 1205 but it needs some help.
Category:Computer Devices - Terminals (terminals-wiki.org) <https://terminals-wiki.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Computer_Devices>
Computer Devices Miniterm 1205 - Terminals (terminals-wiki.org) <https://terminals-wiki.org/wiki/index.php/Computer_Devices_Miniterm_1205>
After removing the cover, I see evidence of a pretty massive tantalum failure (and these tants are huge!) and perhaps other concomitant damage to the power supply. Also the rubber tractor band that moves the head back and forth appears to have dry rot on it - not sure that can be cleaned up. And the label on the unit says it's for 230V/50Hz (not sure if there's an option on the power supply board to reconfigure that (?). (hmm. Wondering if someone attempted to power with 120V?)
This is an impressively built machine with a beautiful keyboard. It has a NASA property sticker on it. I am nostalgic for the old era of these terminals (I used a TI silent 700 back then) and when I picked it up was hoping to get it in working order some day.
So I'm trying to decide what to do with this unit. Are schematics or service manuals likely to be available? If not, how best to repair the power supply? (find someone else who has one?) Am I likely to be able to find a workable replacement for the belt? Or fix it? I guess I'd have to get a power converter to run this. Feels like a lot to take on.
Interested in any advice or pointers. If someone in the group would be interested in tackling this project I'd be happy to have a discussion (off list) on that.
I have one of those, at least I'm pretty sure I still have it; I've had it since I was in my teens. I've never had any docs for it, it always "just worked" though I've not powered it on since sometime in the late 1980s. It's a really nice little terminal with, as you observed, a fantastic keyboard. I've never seen another, before or since. Reading your post really put a smile on my face. I'll keep an eye open for it the next time I'm up on the storage floor. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA