pdp8/e

From: Lawrence LeMay <lemay_at_cs.umn.edu>
Date: Tue Oct 5 14:30:23 1999

Well... I found out that the PDP8 stuff was scheduled to be shipped away
tomorrow morning. They're only open to the public from 11am - 3pm T, W, TH.

So, I went out there.. Luckly I had send that email yesterday, as the guy
assumed my interest in the computer was a departmental request, which
overrides private interests.. And someone else beat me to the machines!
So, lucky me, the machines were held for me.

Anyways... The machines were in bad shape. Yes, it was a PDP8/e, and
yes there were 2 pdp8/a machines.. But someone had gone crazy with a
wire cutters, and all cables were gone or cut (the pdp8/e has a cut
power cord).

I managed to get the pdp8/e and one of the hard drives set aside, and
i did look in the pdp8/e and someone had taken the core memory stuff,
but there were still 3/4 of the card slots full of cards, so i can hope
this will be useful. At least 2 of the front panel switches are broken,
one missing.

Someone had already trashed the front panel of one of the pdp8/a units,
so i grabbed all the cards. then, I popped the lower part off the other
pdp8/a and grabbed all the cards I could, leaving only the few Hex height
cards behind the programmers console. So, I have some spare cards now...
One backpack full of pdp8/a cards, to be exact...

I also obtained a small RS-232 to current loop converter (without the
12Vdc 20ma power supply). And the top rack plate which is for a PDP8/m
which is in good shape except for a couple stickers that are on it.

All in all, I did what I could. One of my co-workers said he has a pickup,
and will drive me out there tomorrow to get those 2 boxes (pdp8/e and HD).
I expect the racks will be long gone before I get there, so what I have
is what I have.

-Lawrence LeMay
 lemay_at_cs.umn.edu

PS: and no, i dont know what I have from the list of cards yet, though I
know i have the 3 main cpu boards at the very least...

I offered the guy $200, because the core memory was gone, and he said it
was way too much, so I asked what he wanted, and he says $30. I reluctantly
agreed...
Received on Tue Oct 05 1999 - 14:30:23 BST