Okay gang, here's the story:
A week ago on Wednesday I literally stumbled across a Usenet advertisement
listing a VAX 11/750, PDP's, etc available for sale. It was *nearby*!
(Well, 50 miles is 'close' compared to any other DEC classics I've seen for
sale.) And it was in what is generally considered an even more backwater
area in north-western Pennsylvania! I therefore humbly apologize for the
rant a couple of weeks ago stating that virtually nothing of interest to me
is available around me.
To make a short story long, I contacted him regarding buying any RT-11
documentation he may have plus I made an offer on the hardware listed. He
replied saying my offer was acceptable (Great! :-)). Plus, he said he had
more stuff available. We talked on the phone and he mentioned another
system available. Yet other hardware was put into my pile. When I got
there, and after he had a chance to go thru a storage room, more hardware!
Well, yesterday (3 July) I took a rental truck with a 15' x 7.5' box and my
uncle, who's in town for the holiday, to pickup the gear. Only truck
available in the area amongst 8 rental truck shops. I thought it might be
more than large enough. I came back home with that thing actually *stuffed*
full, all for my original bid. NOW there probably is nothing of interest
left around my area <g>.
We spent about 6.5 hours loading the stuff. Hauled down from second floor
via elevator, through building and down a sidewalk to parking lot. Thank
Heaven the truck had a hydraulic lift gate. Took 2.5 hours to offload into
the garage.
Now I have two problems:
1. My wife. She was not too happy with how the amount of equipment grew
from what was originally expected. Can you blame her?
2. My garage. It now is completely full! We've just moved into that house
on 28 March. Beverly wants to park her Jeep in the garage. (See problem #1)
Why did I take such a large amount of equipment? The person selling had no
other persons seriously interested. Somebody wanted the uVAX but never
followed through to close a deal. Recall I said that this was a really
backwater area. Nobody like us types in ClassicCmp around there for sure
even though he advertised the DEC stuff in the area newspapers, as I
understand him saying, in addition to at least several newsgroups
(pgh.forsale is the one I stumbled onto while searching DejaNews for
anything about RT-11). He had to close out his offices because he's located
in California now. Obviously could not take the DEC stuff with him as
you'll understand from the list below. He and his wife are going back home
to California Monday or Tuesday.
Therefore, the dumpster would be the final location of this equipment.
So, this has turned into one of those Classic Computer Rescues to which
some of the members of this list dedicate themselves.
Problem number 3: I cannot keep everything (again, check the length and
content of the list below and problem #1 above). This is where you folks
can help!
So, please contact me to come and get some of this equipment for yourselves
or others. This is urgent as I need to clear out the garage again.
We got done unloading just before dark last night. Today, I made just a
quick list of major pieces to post. Had NO time yet to look at stuff further.
Here's the list. See notes below list.
1. VAX 11/750-CA
2. TU80 and RA81 in short rack, p/o the 750.
3. RA81 in short rack, p/o the 750.
4. PDP-11/24 with two RL02s in short rack.
5. PDP-11/34A
6. RK07 in short rack, p/o -11/34A.
7. RK07 in short rack, p/o -11/34A.
8 VAX 11/730-CA. Covers off chassis, may not work.
9. PDP-11/34 in 6'rack w/TS03 and RL01-A.
10. RK07 in short rack.
11. RK07-PA rack (rack only)
12. RK07 not in rack. Said to possibly not work.
13. RA60-AA in short rack.
14. BA-11 chassis, with several boards inside.
15. BA-11 chassis, with several boards inside.
16. BA-11 chassis, with several boards inside in a short rack.
17. 1-LP25 Band Printer
18. 3 units: Decwriter III (LA120? gotta check this)
19. 1-Decwriter II
20. 4 units: VT100 terminals
21. 1-VT220 terminal
23. 2-ADM 11 terminals
24. RL02, no rack.
25. RL02, no rack.
26. RL02, no rack.
27. RL02, no rack, marked "Bad?".
28. RL01-A, no rack.
29. RX02-BA, no rack.
30. RL02 in short rack w/some sort of Genigraphics chassis.
31. MicroPDP-11
32. MicroVAX II
33. Empty 6' rack from old -11/34, labeled Model H960-CF.
34. Empty 6' rack from something else, labeled Model SM-30LLA-LA.
35. Bunches of tapes for the various systems. I gotta sort through them first!
36. Bunches of RL01 and RL02 disc paks. Several RK07 paks. I gotta sort
through them!
37. 7' tall tape storage rack.
38. About 10 to 15 shelf-feet of DEC documentation.
39. Bunch of spare Unibus and Q-bus boards.
End.
Notes:
* I refer to 'short rack' or simply 'rack' as the one which is about 4'
tall. Same styling as VAX cabinet, etc. as some of you already know.
* The -11/34A, -11/24 and 750 booted okay the day before.
* I'm still so tired.
* Types of boards in BA-11's and assembled machines are not listed. Will do
that when time available or opportunity offers a chance.
* Same for the bunch of spare boards.
Now before calling me, I must state the following for you to know up front:
** The uVAX and uPDP are staying here! Beverly thinks they are just fine
(as in 'small' <g>).
** One OR two of the bigger systems I want to keep. Don't know which, but
the 750, 11/24, 6-foot 11/34 and 11/34A are in the running for being my
choice along with their appropriate peripherals. I'm asking for advice from
the DEC gurus in the group on this by private email if you can. Don't
clutter up the list with the advice unless you feel it is necessary to get
opinions.
**NO documentation will be let go unless it is redundant. That was the
original reason for checking this sale out. I got the RT-11 docs I was
hunting for anyway.
** I need to: first sort through the documentation; next organize the
original systems and their spares; finally evaluate what I want to keep.
There will be questions posted here as I've never owned DEC hardware up to
now. I've just been aware of DEC for years and have listened to the many
informative technical discussions here (but I never *retained* much of it
in my mind since I never had any hardware/software to practice it on! Now
there's suddenly a garage-full. Go figure!) Be aware that I'll need help
and may unintentionally come across as a 'newbie', so be nice. I have to
work quickly at resolving this but do not have very many DEC-related URLs
or other reference sources lined up yet. (Send me yours!)
** Plan on taking the rest as soon as you can get one or more "Rescue
Brigades" arranged.
Just pitch-in a few bucks to help with part of my costs (only paid a little
over 400 dollars for everything *including* truck rental and diesel fuel,
ibuprofin, Coca Cola). Will consider horsetrading.
** _Please_ do not hesitate calling me at our home number below 09:00 to
21:30 this weekend. We have an answering machine if we are outside the
house. We will not be traveling as we have relatives visiting. If you
_really_ have to, you may call me at my office on workdays but I am often
rather busy in other parts of the manufacturing areas. If you *really,
really* have to call during the work day and need to talk to me, my wife
works at the same company and can take the message. Ask for Beverly, phone
716.661.1843. But try to call the house and find me or leave message first.
BTW: Don't let Bev tell you to come take _everything_ while I'm at work!
<g> Email is okay too, but I will not be able to read it until sometime
Monday or Tuesday.
It all has to be out of the garage as soon as possible. Bev is very
understandably kinda pissed off. It's payback time for me. I am not too
happy with the garage either but I could NOT bear to see this stuff
dumpstered. As it was, I had to leave one LP26 Band Printer behind. There
was only exactly one to three inches of space, depending upon which point
you checked, left for the truck door to be pulled down. Truck was piled up
to my height (6', 0"), and even higher in spots.
Forgive my long message. I'm rather tired and a bit sore yet which causes
me to not be concise or able to organize my thinking well.
Thanks for helping me rescue DEC equipment.
--Chris
-- --
=======================================================
Christian R. Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
31 Houston Avenue, WE Phone: +716-488-1722 -Home
Jamestown, New York +716-661-1832 -Office
14701-2627 USA Fax: +716-661-1888 -Office fax
email: cfandt_at_servtech.com
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL:
http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
Received on Fri Jul 03 1998 - 17:05:03 BST