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Newly aquired Tandy 6000HD! Lots of questions to follow...

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Chromedome45

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Ok as title says picked up a 6000HD. Last time I was in that warehouse could have sworn it was a 16B.

Cosmetics are ok but only has 4 boards in it is that normal? Looks like a 68000 board, Memory board, HD controller, Video controller. Looks like it does have a motherboard
on the bottom. Is this where the z-80 is? And the floppy controller? Looks like a 50 pin header coming out of the back of the motherboard.

Also will a 16a keyboard work if I have a 5 pin din to connect the Keyboard to the front of the 6000? :confused:

Some pics for now: 1st HDD Controller 2nd Video board 3rd 68K CPU board 4th memory board and last the 6000 it self.

Please help me with these questions if you can.
 

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I'm a little concerned about the video board picture. It looks like you have the 2 reddish colored connectors attached to the pins but I don't see the wires that lead to the video circuitry. Were they cut off?
 
Those just look to me like the bodies of the male video cable headers, not cut-off female connectors. We can also see the brown glue that originally held the female connectors in place. The part that pski thinks is the female connector housing just looks like the keying ramp of the male header to me.
 
NF6X said:
Those just look to me like the bodies of the male video cable headers, not cut-off female connectors. We can also see the brown glue that originally held the female connectors in place. The part that pski thinks is the female connector housing just looks like the keying ramp of the male header to me.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I see yours looks the same as this one. The ones I have look like this IMG_0750.jpg
 
I wonder if it would be safe to power up without the boards being installed. Looked at the main power supply looks like a big Rifka cap has a crack in it. Guess I'll remove it.

Also has anyone tried a Model II or 16 keyboard on this type computer?
 
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@Chromedome45

Also has anyone tried a Model II or 16 keyboard on this type computer?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is possible.
I use my Model II keyboard with my Model 12.
But be careful the keyboard has not the same layout, but the electric interface is the same.
Only the connectors need some adjustments. I made a short cable with two 5 pins male din sockets to
connect the keyboard to the computers. If you use a Model 12 keyboard with a Model II than you need
two female connectors.
Attention the pin numbers on each connector on the computers are different, there must be a table with the differences
on the internet.
I don't know why this is done, but if you make a mistake you surely blow the 5 volt fuse and some chips.
 
Chromedome45 said:
I wonder if it would be safe to power up without the boards being installed
Click to expand...

You can run it without the boards. In fact, you can remove the entire card cage and plug the video board directly into the motherboard. This is essentially a Model 12 configuration. This approach is used for adjusting the floppy controller which is embedded in the motherboard.

Mark has the type II hard drive adapter. You have the later Type 4. Yours has the contoller built in but as a result can only run 2 HDs. The type II can utilize up to 4 HDs.
 
pski said:
Mark has the type II hard drive adapter. You have the later Type 4. Yours has the contoller built in but as a result can only run 2 HDs. The type II can utilize up to 4 HDs.
Click to expand...

Does that mean that the Type 4 won't plug into a FreHD like the Type II can, since the FreHD simulates the controller which is inside the first external hard drive?
 
NF6X said:
Does that mean that the Type 4 won't plug into a FreHD like the Type II can, since the FreHD simulates the controller which is inside the first external hard drive?
Click to expand...

That is correct. FreHD takes a 50 pin connector typically from the Model 3/4 50 pin bus connector. The Model II type 2 adapter mimics this bus connector. Type 4 goes all the way and implements the controller which means it speaks directly to the drive via the 34 pin control and 20 pin data connections.
 
So this type 4 is just an MFM controller? Looks like one with the 34 pin and 20 connectors to the HD.

@Hans01 oh joy about the keyboard differences. May have to research the KBD DIN connectors differences
 
Partial success??? The floppy drive light is blinking 3 times then stops then repeats. Any ideas on that one??? sorry about blurry pics
 

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Cool. The HD is working and you got to Xenix! Lucky!

Hopefully the root password is not set otherwise you may be out of luck and will have to do a reinstall of Xenix. Once you get they keyboard figured out you can give it a shot.
 
Still the blinking floppy light is bugging me. Correction it blinks 3 times than 2 times then repeats.... Now it stopped doing it. Just realized I had a typo on the description. What is a Yandy??
 
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@Chromedome45

I found the table for you.

Model II / Model 12
1 / 1 / data
2 / 3 / busy
3 / 5 / ground
4 / 2 / clock
5 / 4 / +5 Volt

If you take a look at your picture number 2. On the video board there are 2 connectors on the top.
The right one with 5 pins and one missing is the keyboard connector.
The layout is the same for both computers.
 
Hans01 said:
@Chromedome45

I found the table for you.

Model II / Model 12
1 / 1 / data
2 / 3 / busy
3 / 5 / ground
4 / 2 / clock
5 / 4 / +5 Volt

If you take a look at your picture number 2. On the video board there are 2 connectors on the top.
The right one with 5 pins and one missing is the keyboard connector.
The layout is the same for both computers.
Click to expand...

You have to wonder sometimes why the engineers would switch the pin out like that for an updated model line. Were they even thinking that someone might pick up a 5 pin adapter at their local Radio Shack and try this?
 
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