VCF East, ASR33 help wanted

From: Bob Shannon <bshannon_at_tiac.net>
Date: Thu Jul 1 16:16:35 2004

Ok, anyone bring a HP 21MX machine to VCF and I'll debug, repair and
configure the
machine to the point where it will boot HPBASIC or HP-IPL/OS at the show!

evan wrote:

>Rather than a contest, you should rebuild the computer in the VCF exhibit hall.
> Sure, some attendees will get in the way, but I bet it'd be a great draw.
>
>--- Bill Sudbrink <wh.sudbrink_at_verizon.net> wrote:
>
>>I have an ASR33 that exhibits the following symptoms in local
>>mode (I have not attempted to test online):
>>
>>1) Paper will not advance (roller seems to move OK when turned
>> by hand)
>>2) Bell will not ring
>>3) When at the start of a line (carriage to the left) it will
>> over print several characters before it starts moving to
>> the right
>>4) Carriage returns very slowly and sometimes does not make it
>> all the way back
>>5) Filthy inside (although not as bad as when I got it... I've
>> vacuumed and blown a lot of crud out of it)
>>6) Smells a little funky... not the clean warm oil smell that
>> I remember from high school days
>>
>>As well as being dirty, I suspect that it was improperly
>>lubricated by the previous owner as it seems to be particularly
>>sticky inside.
>>
>>I also have a nearly new KSR33 from the same source that was
>>improperly handled to the extent that its plastic shell was
>>shattered (it was in a cardboard box with some newspaper, none
>>of the shipping bolts in place, and apparently roughly moved
>>around his ham shack). I have made no attempt to power up the
>>KSR (in case stuff got bent) but I think that it could be used
>>as a source of replacements if some of the parts of the ASR are
>>badly worn.
>>
>>I would like to recruit 3 or 4 knowledgeable and highly motivated
>>classiccmpers (motivated by the prospect of DINNER and BEER on me)
>>at VCF East to completely tear down, clean, adjust, lubricate and
>>reassemble the ASR. I will supply all of the tools and materials
>>(unless you have special purpose tools that will help). I picture
>>a marathon operation, with the experts doing the disassembly,
>>assembly and adjustment work and me with a toothbrush and a pan of
>>Simple Green (or alcohol or kerosene or whatever solvent the experts
>>suggest) busily scrubbing parts as they are handed to me. With four
>>guys and one scrubber, could this be accomplished in a couple of
>>hours?
>>
>>Why don't I do this myself?
>>
>>1) I don't really have the space. Having the entire interior of a
>> hotel room to myself will be something of a luxury to me (I have
>> two kids). Or maybe I can ask Sellam for some space at the
>> festival and we can make it a spectator sport. It could even
>> become sort of a challenge...
>> "The crew at VCF East was able to rebuild an ASR33 in two hours,
>> how fast can the West or Europe do it?"
>>2) I don't have the unbroken periods of time. I have the fear that I
>> would get it all apart, have one of my all too frequent family
>> "emergencies" and then have to pack it up, resulting in lost parts
>> when I finally get back to it.
>>3) I'm a gutless wimp. If I get it apart, I'm not sure I could get
>> it all back together, even with the docs. I have original prints
>> of some of the docs and the rest in electronic form.
>>
>>Email me if interested,
>>Thanks,
>>Bill
>>
>>
>
>
Received on Thu Jul 01 2004 - 16:16:35 BST