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Sperry PC/IT 286

bolex

bolex

Experienced Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2021
Messages
433
Location
Utah
I picked up a Sperry PC/IT 286 over the weekend. It's a beautiful machine and constructed like a tank. It is in pristine condition and looks absolutely brand new. It came with the matching keyboard (with single CNTRL and ALT keys).

It's a 286 with 1024K or onboard RAM and a 4MB ram expansion card. It had a CGA card it it, with a 44MB Micropolis full height MFM drive. It includes the 80287 co-processor. The battery was dead, so I replaced it with a 3.6V rechargeable ni-cad phone battery pack. I swapped out the CGA card with a VGA card (the composite out on the CGA card was not working). That resurrected the computer and it was able to boot from a 360K floppy.

Since the PC had lost it's entire configuration, the BIOS was giving all kinds of errors. I was able to make a 360K boot disk with G-Setup on it, and from this I was able to configure the floppy drives and indicate that there was no hard drive. I was then able to boot from and XTIDE card. I think just getting it to boot has been a success.

However, the issue I have is that the G-Setup program does not appear to work 100% with this computer. The RAM configuration does not work. I cannot select a hard drive or edit the drive configuration (selecting no drive works, but selecting a drive type creates issues). It also does not appear that the serial/printer ports are being reported to DOS.

Does anyone know where I might find the configuration disks specific for this computer? I really think that is all that I'm missing to make this a working 286 instead of a barely booting one.

The motherboard was made by Mitsubishi. The BIOS reports that it's a PhoenixView bios - which I assume is a very early Phoenix Bios. There does not appear to be any key combination to the BIOS configuration. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

islandora_2160109_JPG.jpg
 
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This brings back fond memories as I had one of these as my first PC in about 1992. Mine booted into DOS from its HDD but the floppy drive didn't work so I wrote a small program using debug to transfer files over an RS-232 link from my dad's machine. The first program I transferred was a proper serial transfer program and then I could get everything else I needed. As a teenager I felt quite a sense of achievement having done this. I hope you manage to get it working properly.
 
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It seems like that the floppy problem was not isolated. I found this KB article about it. https://jeffpar.github.io/kbarchive/kb/073/Q73726/

I guess I may need to upgrade the BIOS as well since mine is version 1.02. I was thinking about just swapping the BIOS with a MR.BIOS generic 286 BIOS, if I can't find the latest BIOS specific to that motherboard.
 
It is a humongous case. I bought this from a local picker and the only reason he sold it to me was because it was completely impractical to ship. I should have weighed the case with the drives in it. it felt like it was over 30 lbs to me.

I've ordered some 28c256's from China and will try a few generic 286 BIOS and see if that will fix my issues. Meanwhile, I'll continue looking for the configuration disks.
 
I happen to have a packet of disks from this model if you're still looking. There's a couple msdos 3.1 disks, but also a disk labeled 'diagnostics'. Also an empty sleeve :-(

I don't have a 5.25 to verify or image them with though. But if you think the diagnostics disk is what you're looking for or can help, I can try to locate one, or someone local (philly west burbs) that would be willing to help.
 
I would love to get a hold of that disk. I can image it if you mail it to me. I'll pay for shipping and then send the original back to you. If you can find someone local that will work too. I'd just love to get my hands on the disk anyway I can.
 
bolex said:
I would love to get a hold of that disk. I can image it if you mail it to me. I'll pay for shipping and then send the original back to you. If you can find someone local that will work too. I'd just love to get my hands on the disk anyway I can.
Click to expand...

That's probably the fastest way. I'm not sure how to PM here, or if I can(hey look a banner about it). Poking some more your profile lists a website, if you can email from that domain I can be reached at my username at gmail. I think that will probably establish authenticity fairly well.

Given your website, I also have a set of disks from an ATT 3b2, the 'accessory pack', would you care/mind to image them as well? I'm mid-endless-move and haven't uncovered any 5.25s yet(but may have tossed them all in my youth)...
 
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What a score! I had one of those too back in the day and have very fond memories of it. I used it to run a BBS in the early/mid 90's and it ran like a tank.

I remember the keyboard that it had was one of my favorite keyboards that I ever owned. I have no surviving photos of that computer but my fuzzy memory says that might be the same one. Is it a Unitek 156? I remember the keys having relatively short travel (for the time) but a very solid and satisfying click. What are your impressions of it?

Oh, and please post some actual pics of it!
 
I'll get pictures of the system sometime this weekend along with its keyboard. I should have some time to work on it. I received the disks from darkcirc last week and I just finished imaging the diagnostic/setup disk (attached). Thanks darkcirc!
 

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bolex said:
I picked up a Sperry PC/IT 286 over the weekend. It's a beautiful machine and constructed like a tank. It is in pristine condition and looks absolutely brand new. It came with the matching keyboard (with single CNTRL and ALT keys).

It's a 286 with 1024K or onboard RAM and a 4MB ram expansion card. It had a CGA card it it, with a 44MB Micropolis full height MFM drive. It includes the 80287 co-processor. The battery was dead, so I replaced it with a 3.6V rechargeable ni-cad phone battery pack. I swapped out the CGA card with a VGA card (the composite out on the CGA card was not working). That resurrected the computer and it was able to boot from a 360K floppy.

Since the PC had lost it's entire configuration, the BIOS was giving all kinds of errors. I was able to make a 360K boot disk with G-Setup on it, and from this I was able to configure the floppy drives and indicate that there was no hard drive. I was then able to boot from and XTIDE card. I think just getting it to boot has been a success.

However, the issue I have is that the G-Setup program does not appear to work 100% with this computer. The RAM configuration does not work. I cannot select a hard drive or edit the drive configuration (selecting no drive works, but selecting a drive type creates issues). It also does not appear that the serial/printer ports are being reported to DOS.

Does anyone know where I might find the configuration disks specific for this computer? I really think that is all that I'm missing to make this a working 286 instead of a barely booting one.

The motherboard was made by Mitsubishi. The BIOS reports that it's a PhoenixView bios - which I assume is a very early Phoenix Bios. There does not appear to be any key combination to the BIOS configuration. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
I had the leading Edge version of this Mitsubishi manufactured computer. Mine never supported 3.5 floppies and I believe there were only 16 drive types same as the IBM AT. The dealer that sold it to me told me that the latest Sperry BIOS would support 3.5 drives, but I was never able to get that and used a compaticard II for a 1.44 drive. I eventually rewrote my BIOS modifying the drive table to support my 60Meg PRIAM drive. Until then I used an 8-Bit MFM controller which allowed me to enter the drive parameters. Yes it ran slower. I rewrote that BIOS several times for the dealer I bought the computer from to support other customers drives. I later ran SCSI drives and the drive controller had it's own BIOS. Before I got rid of the computer I ran SCO Xenix also. I ran a 2 line BBS from this beast using OS/2 2.1 and PcBoard software. Way better machine then the IBM AT.
 
I have this machine in storage and eventually just gave up trying to get 3.5" drives to work in it. I just got it working with it's dual 1.2MB drives and a CF card using XTIDE and called it good. I had not thought too much about it until I saw Adrian from Adrian's Digital Basement working on a Leading Edge and realized it was the exact same computer/motherboard. He was having the same issues I was experiencing. I do have to say, its a tank of a machine and is incredibly dependable. Using a floppy controller with onboard BIOS sounds like the right approach.

 
Wow, hadn't seen That video. Kind of makes me wish I still had mine. Can't say I ever remember those DIP switches, but I don't think I ever made any changes after I got it from the dealer.
 
I found this group after an impulse search for Sperry IT. I still have mine and am the original owner. I have all the original manuals, keyboard, monochrome monitor, and boxes of floppy disks. I even have the original shipping boxes for the computer and monitor. Sounds like there may be a good home for it if I ever decide to let it go.

My IT has not been powered for over 20 years so who knows if it would boot or not.
 
sperry_owner said:
I found this group after an impulse search for Sperry IT. I still have mine and am the original owner. I have all the original manuals, keyboard, monochrome monitor, and boxes of floppy disks. I even have the original shipping boxes for the computer and monitor. Sounds like there may be a good home for it if I ever decide to let it go.

My IT has not been powered for over 20 years so who knows if it would boot or not.
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Should you ever decide to move it on, I may be interested in throwing my hat into the ring. May I ask where on the globe you are located? Shipping might be a bit brutal on that guy.
 
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