On 18 May 99 at 12:34, Christian Fandt wrote:
> Here's a bit of a report of what I found at the Hamvention. I was there on
> Friday from about 09:15 to 17:30 except lunch for which we went off the
> grounds and on Saturday from about 08:00 to 13:30. Therefore with my method
> of checking every promising box and poking around under tables I saw about
> 3/4 of the whole fleamarket. I was looking for quite a variety of things
> -not just old computers.
>
> Stuff I dragged home were two DG Ones (model 2208A), two DG printers which
> go with them (model 2230), one AC power supply and one printer cable all
> for $15; VMEbus boards including one unopened Force Computers SYS68Y DRAM-2
> memory board ($5) and four Motorola CODEX boards, $15; an IOMEGA Ditto Easy
> 3200 external tape drive (Travan 3) with cable and power supply, $25.
>
> And my best find of all: a virtually mint, seemingly unused HP9000/300
> computer with 7958B hard drive (150 Mb IIRC) and 9144A 16-track tape drive.
> A label on the 98574 CPU module indicated it's been upgraded to a 375 which
> is just about the ultimate of the 300-series. A 68030 processor running at
> 50MHz and 16 Mb of RAM. Nice!
>
> I've been casually looking for one of the 300's for a couple of years. My
> ex-colleague who's an engineering manager from my ex-company's German
> parent company told me last week when he visited the house that an HP
> 9000/332 system was promised to me and will be shipped to me from their
> Chicago facility late this year.
>
> My new 9000/375 system was built into a 19" rack enclosure which was in
> turn bolted into a fiberglas transit case about 3' tall, 2' wide by about
> 2.5' deep. It was part of a military surplus system. I did not get a chance
> to find the AN system designation on the rack or case, just that it weighed
> 97 pounds and required two persons to carry.
>
> Apparently it had been built and not used *ever*. Just stuck in a military
> warehouse probably as a result of a military contract which didn't go
> anywhere or as a result of the Cold War ceasing or something. I absolutely
> cannot see *any* dust on the leading edges of the fan blades so this system
> has maybe only an hour or two at most of operation :) SNs are from mid-89.
> There's a Federal Stock Number or system part number rubber stamped onto
> the right side of the computer box. A probably earlier FSN or contractor's
> PN has been blacked out with paint (about 3/8" x 1.5" strip) and the
> present number rubber stamped onto the case after the upgrade to the 375
> model was done. A little ugly, but what the hey! It shows a bit about the
> original purpose of the machine. That's the only indication of any special
> use of it. The update was done in December '91 according to a date
> handwritten on the CPU board tag inside.
>
> I was passing by the previous owner's space when I overheard one of the
> guys asking "What is it?" as they were taking the cover off the 7958B box
> to try and figure out just what *it* was. I looked and saw the main box was
> a 300 system (Whoa!! Let's stop and look!), became interested and checked
> it out. I offered an explanation as to what it was, what it was usually
> used for, typical processors used in the 300's, etc. Apparently the
> then-new owner who'd just dragged it to his space from a nearby surplus
> dealer didn't see a use for it for himself and offered the HP 9000 items to
> me and I paid him nearly all the remaining money I had to spend: $40 for
> all three boxes. He kept the transit case and 19" rack which bolted inside
> as he had a use for it back at home in Houston. He didn't recognize at
> first when he bought the whole transit case (for $50) that those 3 HP boxes
> which were clamped onto rack slide plates were actually a computer. He was
> happy somebody got it who knew what it was and could use it and he was
> happy to have the transit case. I love happiness :-) Only thing I had to
> promise him was to email him with what I found on the disk. He's a UNI*
> system admin and had enough UNI* machines of his own. I'm surprised he
> hadn't seen an HP 9000 machine before but these 300's were obsolete some
> time ago and he indicated he was always an Intel-based UNI* user.
>
> I've got a copy of HP-UX 7.0 on tape with the license, both still
> shrinkwrapped, and manual set that I've had for some time. Now I've got a
> machine to hang it upon! :) BTW, ver. 7.0 is near or at the end of HP-UX
> support for the 300's. Have BASIC-UX ver. 5.0 w/license and docs too!
>
> The keyboard and monitor were some sort of rugged, militarized things built
> into an operator's station. The fellow who had it never got from the
> surplus dealer as it obviously didn't quite interest him and maybe he
> didn't realize what it was. If it's what I *think* I saw an hour or so
> earlier at a surplus dealer's space not far away it definitelly wasn't the
> normal HP keyboard as it was part of some other section of the system used
> as the operations console and was connected via AN/MS connectors and
> cables. Have absolutely no idea as to the function of the whole system. If
> there's something on the hard disk when it comes up it may give me a good
> clue. But I gotta get it lit up first.
>
> So, does anybody have a very decent looking keyboard and HP-HIL k'bd cable
> they're willing to sell to me? Keyboard model *I think* should be a 46020
> or 46021 or a 98203C. I don't know the exact differences as I have no
> pictures or specs. but they are mentioned in the "Peripheral Installation
> Guide for the HP 9000 Series 200/300", which I have had for some time, as
> being used with the 300-series. I'll post a separate request for a k'brd
> and other info in a separate msg. later today or tomorrow. Need feet for
> bottom of the boxes too but probably large stick-on rubber feet should be okay.
>
> I've got two old non-HP fixed frequency monitors I'll drag out of the
> garage and try after I get a k'bd. The video interface card is a 98547A
> which is not mentioned in the Periph. Inst. Guide.
>
> I saw a few DEC items: A rather lonely RL02 standing amongst a bunch of
> fairly new amateur gear; a VT320 and VT 420 with a few of DEC's serial
> cables; a couple of AUI-to-BNC translator modules for $10 each (Too much?
> Just right?) and little else that I could see.
>
> Bought a couple more Ethernet NICs for $10 new (Intel 8/16); 3.5-to-5.25"
> floppy adaptors for $1 each; 25' CAT5 cables for $3 each; "The Hard Disk
> Technical Guide", "The Modem Tech. Guide", and "The Network Tech. Guide"
> all w/CDROMs, published by Micro House, for $5 each; misc. cables and bits.
> Hard disks were even cheaper than I'd ever seen but had no extra bucks to
> spend, dang it.
>
> Also saw a pallet full (4' x 4' x 5' high) of Sun SPARC LX boxen; a Grid
> computer, don't know exact model as I don't know Grids, but I'd wager it
> was early. No model # on bottom or back. It weighed a ton it seemed,
> painted black. Guy wanted $30 but by then I was flat broke by then :( ;
> lots of C64 and C128 machines and accessories; tons of PeeCee stuff of all
> ages and condx; pallets full of printers and monitors; lots of IBM
> MicroChannel machines and boards; several HP Vectras; boxes of network
> stuff of varying conditions and types; boxes of shrinkwrapped software;
> bunches of other stuff I can't recall at the moment. Lots and lots of
> amateur radio gear of course.
>
> I wish I had more money to spend there dang it!
>
> Importantly, I did score a few really hard to find parts for the WWII
> BC-191F transmitter I'm trying to restore plus a few military connectors
> for some gear in the collection; also got a couple of test equipment
> manuals for units I have in the collection. Still wish I had more $$$ so I
> could get more old gear and parts! Dang.
>
> Saw a couple of antique radio collector friends from other distant parts of
> the country; made contacts with a couple of folks who may have parts for
> the BC-191 and the virtually identical BC-375 transmitters. Understand from
> another email list (Greenkeys) that a couple of fellow teletype collectors
> were there too. Not much TTY gear to be found though :( May have bumped
> into one of you ClassicCmp folks but we wouldn't have known each other
> visually.
>
> All-in-all a very good time. Free shuttle buses running frequently all day
> every day between the several distant parking areas (we parked free at the
> Salem Mall) and that made it very convenient to haul a heavy object or
> several bag loads back to the car :)
>
> Something for everybody there. Rain held off on Fri and Sat was really
> beautiful. I may go again someday as my uncle lives in nearby Xenia, OH and
> I have basically free room and board :) Only 360 miles from home so I don't
> have too much of an excuse not to go especially if after I find a decent
> paying job and could have extra $$ to spend.
>
> Wonder what the attendance was this year? No motel rooms available within a
> 75 mile or more radius. Columbus area was reported to be closest rooms.
>
> Incidentally, you locals may have noticed there's quite a different scene
> at Mendelson's Surplus in the past year or so. We went there to pickup a
> Hamvention ticket for myself and I was pleasantly surprised. New minor
> league baseball stadium being built across the street, an audio store just
> opened inside the main building, new parking lot in back of the church, a
> new Mendelson's outlet store next door across the new parking lot. But it
> apparently still has the good ol' 3rd floor full of all kinds of parts,
> equipment and untold amounts of obscure goodies! :-)
>
> Yes indeed, next year :)
>
> Regards, Chris
> -- --
> Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
> Jamestown, NY USA cfandt_at_netsync.net
> Member of Antique Wireless Association
> URL: http://www.ggw.org/awa
>
Ahh Christian, you restore my enthusiasm for collecting. The reports till now
were filled with no Decs nothing of interest except some tired 486s. And if
the Daytona had nothing of interest for computer collectors why bother to go to
Hamfests at all ? I'm delighted you found so many things available for those
not looking for Altairs or Imsais or rare cores. I believe your primary
interest has been radio but your scholastic and devoted approach to computers
is a joy. Not to mention your approach to early mfg in your region. You are an
inspiration. Keep on keeping on.
Thank you larry
lwalker_at_interlog.com
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Received on Tue May 18 1999 - 19:27:25 BST