9370 is a dog! Was: Re: Re[2]: Firsts

From: Christian Fandt <cfandt_at_servtech.com>
Date: Thu Feb 5 15:32:27 1998

At 15:24 03-02-98 +0000, Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk wrote:

>> At 13:15 13-01-98 -0500, William Donzelli <william_at_ans.net> wrote:
>>
>>>> Me too! But I think a 4381, say or even a 9370, would be easier to work
>>>> on.
>>>
>>>Getting a 9370 should not be a problem - they are dogs that really were
>>
>> I'll agree it's no problem. I got the old 9370 from my company setting at
>> home. Paid an official $1 to act as a transfer of ownership. It's just
>> barely a classic now. Obsolete as heck -not too long after we paid $200k+
>> for it in '86/'87. Lot of Tylenol used to sooth aching back muscles when I
>> dragged it home piece-by-piece. (Should have seen the wife look at me...)
>
>Strange how people in different (geographical) areas find different
>machines. In the [year + 2 vacations] I worked for IBM, I never saw a
>9370 at all. It was released at about that time - I grabbed some
>marketing leaflets which I believe I still have - and I thought it
>looked an interesting system, but I never saw one :-(

Could it be that IBM did not sell many or none at all in UK? They were
first sold in '86/'87 until about 1990 or '91 I think.

>
>> It's a dog, but nevertheless, something important in the line of S/370
>> lineage which I literally rescued from the dumpster.
>>
>> Notably, it is said to be the first actual production unit sold. Don't
>> exactly recall complete serial number, but it probably is first since it
is
>> something like xxx0001. Will get back to the list later with SN, etc. if
>> anybody interested in confirming this.
>
>Fun if true. Do find out!

I'll check deeper into this at work, however, if any IBM folks out there
could tell me how to confirm this, I would like to hear from you! :^)

>
>> I need OS books (VSE, I think) and help in bringing her completely up.
>> Xerox, I believe, kept the OS manuals since they did all the software
>> maintenace under contract. IBM did hardware maintenance, of course. We
used
>> the Xerox Business Management System (XBMS) product to run our company.
Have
>> virtually all other hardware books and most periferal books safely at home.
>>
>> Heard that AIX could run on the 9370 under (I think) VM or something. Any
>> AIX and VM OS's around that I could scrounge for this iron??
>
>I'll have a look in my marketing bumf and see what IBM were offering.
>Alas, I have little of a technical nature.
>
>I'd think a 9370 ought to run Phoenix/MVT at least. Do any of our
>Cambridge (UK) contingent want to have a go?
>
>> Have tried to bring it up at home but, apparently, lack of certain
>> periferals it expects to see hung off the terminal ports causes the IPL to
>> quit before OS completely loads. Need a guru or present-day user to help
>> figure this out.
>
>You know, that sort of thing _might_ be in the marketing stuff (as in, a
>complete system need consist only of...) since the main selling point
>was the small size and no need of special machine room.

I could not drag home all of the peripheral units (the comm. controller,
3262 printer (S/370 Bus), and other incidentals) No room for it all :-(
Sorry folks, it was only a partial rescue.


>
>> Any of you folks willing to help me with this project later in the year???
>
>Yes, but not physically, since I am unlikely to get to travel to the
>States again in the near future! That said, I do have a voucher to
>spend with Continental Airlines sometime...

I meant help by email of course :^) Thanks for the offer of help! Though,
if you're ever in the neighborhood... ;-)

Maybe through use of email, snail mail and even 'phone/fax, you and anybody
else who's willing to pitch in to help me solve the startup problem(s) are
absolutely welcome to jump in whenever I get going on the project later in
'98.

>
>> Wife and I just bought another house and will not be settled until
>> summertime or later. I'm making provisions during my rewiring of the house
>> to include a 30A double-pole breaker since the 9370 takes 230V, single
>> phase. Will duct the air coming out of the CPU to heat the house instead
of
>> using the furnace (just kidding, but there's quite a few BTUs dumped outta
>> the thing and could keep the house above freezing in the winter at least.)
>
>30A at 230V is around 7kW - running continuously, that could keep a
>small house quite warm. (Typical electrical domestic heating
>installation in UK, four storage heaters rated at between 2kW and 4kW
>each, heat up for 7 hours at night, release heat slowly during day -
>equivalent of 3 to 4 kW continuously)

Not the full 30 amps is being consumed. That's the circuit breaker rating
which is around twice the normal current draw -fine for this application.
Surge current is handled well by the breaker upon startup. The rack Power
Controllers bring up the CPU, DASD's and tape in a sequential manner.

>
>>Will tell the list anything more on this machine if any interest.
>
>Yes please.
>
>Philip.
>


=======================================================
Christian Fandt Phone: +716-488-1722 -Home
111 Harding Avenue +716-661-1832 -Office
Jamestown, New York Fax: +716-661-1888 -Office fax
14701-4746 USA email: cfandt_at_servtech.com
Received on Thu Feb 05 1998 - 15:32:27 GMT