Last week I found an interesting looking computer in a scrap place. It
was called a Road Runner and was made by AVL. I wasn't familar with it so I
posted a question here on the CC list about it and no one knew exactly what
it was but a number of people contacted me about it and wanted to see some
pictures of it. Yesterday I went back and and bought it. I brought home and
today I cleaned it up and took some photos. First, the system was made by
Audio Visual Labs of Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Second, I ended up with TWO
monitors, TWO floppy drives and a detachable keyboard even though the unit
has a built in keyboard. After I bought the thing but before I left, I was
looking around and found a bigger computer marked AVL Eagle (I THINK Eagle
was the name on it). I opened it up and it looked like an S-100 chassis. It
had 9 slots with 8 boards in it. Two boards had 8080 CPUs, three boards had
Intersil 6204s (communications boards? and three boards had 2114 memory ICs
on them. All the boards including the backplane were made by AVL. I'd
already paid for my stuff and I didn't think this one was all that
interesting so I left it behind. But my point is that I think I ened up
with the keyboard, monitor and floppy drive from the second AVL system as
well as those for the AVL Road Runner.
Anyway here's the links to the pictures. The Road Runner computer
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl3/avl-rr.jpg> and the back of it;
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl3/avlrr-b.jpg>. Note the connector on the
left that connects to the expansion box.
Picture of the expansion box, front and rear;
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl3/avlexp-b.jpg> and
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl3/avl-exp.jpg>. Note the the floppy drive
attachs to the expansion box and it appears that only one floppy drive can
be used on the compter.
Small VM-5 (5 inch?) monitor, front and back;
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl2/vm5.jpg> and
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl2/vm5-b.jpg>.
Large VM-9 (9 inch?) monitor, front and back;
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl3/avl-vm9.jpg> and
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl3/mon-b.jpg>.
The external keyboard; <
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl3/avl-kb.jpg>.
The two floppy drives; <
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl2/fd1.jpg> and
<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl2/fd1-b.jpg>. I don't know which drive
goes with which system but I don't thinkit matters since the drives appear
to be very similar despite the cables coming out at different points in the
box and the drives being painted different colors. Both drives are marked
FD-1.
It's not made by AVL but this patch panel was in the box with the AVL
stuff.<
http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/avl1/patch.jpg>. From the markings on
it, I'd say that it was used with the Road Runner.
OK that's it. Can anyone tell me any more about it?
Joe
Received on Tue Nov 04 2003 - 15:22:13 GMT
