Desperate...Help...HP 9-track drive...

From: Geoff Roberts <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au>
Date: Thu Oct 14 01:23:22 1999

----- Original Message -----
From: John Lawson <jpl15_at_netcom.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, 14 October 1999 2:35
Subject: Re: Desperate...Help...HP 9-track drive...


> but it's
> seldom I turn on a system that it doesn't woof it's cookies and go
> casters up on me.

What are you playing on? IBM 370's?

> Question:
>
> Do those of you with large functioning DEC systems go thru this
> crap as much as I seem to?

Can't speak about the PDP stuff, but very few hardware related problems with
my own Vaxen. My "pet" 6430 was built up out of a straight cabinet with the
addition of part of the contents of a seriously bent and twisted 6200. The
Microvax II has had nothing done to it but a strip and cleanout of the
cabinet. It's been whirring away happily on and off for a year or so.
The Vax 6440 I babysit at work hasn't had a spanner on it since I modded the
power supply to single phase in 1995, (apart from slinging in additional
s/hand cpu's, ram & a SCSI controller).
I've had two RA70 drives die on me, and a strange SCSI interface box to some
custom Everex HSC mounted 4mm DAT drives died. (So I moved one dat drive to
a SCSI based Vaxstation and clustered it...) That's about it. I'm still
using the system
disk I built in 1995 (RA72) at work and recently added some RA92's & moved
up from a HSC50 to a HSC70 etc.
I didn't have enough of any one type to do shadowing til yesterday, so that
will be the next hoop I learn to jump through.
Then I can do it to my "pet" Vax 6430 system (RA70's/90's x many).....
It's good having the same stuff at work and at home to play on.......

> Sigh. But I *do* love these big old whirring racks o' Stuff!

Yeah, me too...

Cheers

Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Mark's College
Port Pirie, South Australia.
Email: geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au
           netcafe_at_pirie.mtx.net.au
ICQ #: 1970476
Received on Thu Oct 14 1999 - 01:23:22 BST