----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, May 05, 2000 7:20 PM
Subject: Re: value of RK05
> > > > Drives like RK07s and RL01/RL02 are worth nothing. It would be worth
> > more
> > >
> > > Speak for yourself. This is the sort of attitude that I really hate.
Of
> > > course they're worth something. For one thing the RLxx is one of the
first
> > > embedded servo drives ever. And for another, they are darn fine
storage
> > > devices...
> > >
> >
> > I am speaking from an "actual" collector value point of view. I use the
>
> Fortunately, I am not, never have been, and never will be a collector...
>
Agreed.
> > drives too.. No one wants them, DEC made too many of them so they are
not
> > rare, hence , they are worth no $$$$$. They are not even worth the
shipping.
>
> Again, IMHO, it depends. I remember spending considerable time/effort to
> track down my RK07s. Yes, I seriously wanted them. Still do.
>
Agreed. You *wanted* RK07s for a specific use.
> > The PDP-11/45 in 1972 was shipped with RF,RS, PC05 type devices. People
want
>
> Actually, my 11/45 is an early one (it has the older boards and power
> cabling). I happen to know that the original configuration included an
> RK11-C (which I have, the one it came with), one RK05 (I don't have the
> _original_ one) and a number of DJ11 serial ports (I have some DJ11s, but
> not currently on that machine). Paper tape was added early on, using 3rd
> party cards and devices. There _may_ have been a DX11 in the
> configuration as well.
>
> > Yikes. Again, collectors like the original stuff *when* it was
available.
> > There are a lot of 3rd party devices that are worth $$$ (8 peripherals).
>
> I've said it before and I'll say it again -- I am not a collector!
>
I understand.
> > Exactly, so if you wanted one then it would cost you considerable $$$.
Same
> > thing as collecting/restoring old cars, boats, radios, ???
>
> Well, I used to be interested in old radios, but when the 'collectors'
> moved in, it all went out of my price range. So I've still got the few
> sets I managed to get before that happened, I've still got the valve
> testers, spares, etc. But I'm not likely to get any more.
>
> Looks like computer collecting may go the same way.
>
Already has.
> >
> > > > one in a PDP-8A.
> > >
> > > Probably :-(. Which is, of course, where it would stay if I found one
> > > like that.
> > >
> > Unfortunatly, PDP-8As aren't worth much $$$ (maybe $100 - so not worth
> > restoring) so they would be stripped and the cards would be placed in an
8E.
>
> Err, of _course_ they're worth restoring. They're a 12 bit DEC computer
> for one thing. And they're interesting to work on.
>
12 bit computers were obsolete at the end of the '60s. A 12 bit computer
built 6 years after they were *totally* useless is not my cup of tea... and
from the number of DEC engineers I have spoken to - thye feel the same.
> > BTW: I have an 8A I stripped for the interfaces if anyone wants it for
the
> > cost of shipping. [that's box PDP-8/A-500, CPU and memory]
>
> And just how does stripping the interfaces out of a machine relate in any
> way to 'preservation' (which, IIRC, is the main theme of this list).
>
Preservation comes in many packages. If I can use the peripherals from one
*new*, very common computer in an old one then I would prefer to increase
the value and use of the old computer. If the subscribers on this list tried
to preserve every computer they got then they would probably be using
COCO-2s for insulation in their homes ;-). My objective has always been to
preserve any computer built before 1973 - and I have saved well over 60 of
those since the beginning of the year from the dump, crushers, etc... Not
every computer can be preserved , ie: PDP-11/34. If I saw an 11/34 with an
RK11-D in it I would take the RK11 and any other *useful* interface and drop
it into some older unibus computer made before '73. I get quite a few 11/34s
in and *no* one wants them. By the end of this month I will have gone
through at least 25 34's and I am getting another 8 PDP-11/34 systems in
June - who wants the CPUs???
I guess it's different for folks who don't get a lot of old systems.
http://www.pdp8.com/
John
> -tony
>
>
Received on Fri May 05 2000 - 20:24:08 BST