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DEC equipment - UK only.

I have removed the hard disks from the equipment and labelled everything up ready for the 'shifters' tomorrow. I will take them back with me and erase them.

The equipment needs a good clean - blow off the dust and other stuff that you may find taking precautions that you don't breath any of the stuff in!

Check the voltage setting!!! Just because the equipment is in the UK doesn't mean it is set for 230/240V. We use 110V internally - so the mains voltage setting could be on either!

I also noticed that some of the RFI 'tabs' on the covers had got bent and broken off. Check that none have broken off and are shorting out the internal electronics!

Do a bit of checking before powering up.

Dave
 
A bit of a delay getting equipment offsite today.

Enjoy the sights of Morecambe and pop back after 12:30. Hopefully the equipment should be there by then...

Dave
 
The pile of VAX bits seem to diminish to zero this afternoon!

Thank you to everyone who has played their part in saving equipment from the scrapper and (hopefully) getting some use out of it in the future.

Don't forget to make a suitable donation to Prostate Cancer UK based upon what you have received and what condition it is in when you start to play!

I have got all of the SCSI disks with me and (assuming my VAXstation 4000 model 96 works) I will erase the disks and forward them on to you if you want them.

Let me know how you get on.

There is not that much DEC stuff left here that has been decommissioned. I did find another Micro VAX II in a room, and a few DEC printers. I will catalogue when I am next up here and post what is available.

Enjoy.

Dave
 
Cheers Dave

Great to meet up today.

Paul (PG31) I have the storage unit box, so let me know and I can drop it off with you (not sure what it had in it, disks I imagine Dave still has)
 
All the storage boxes had tape drives in them.

But, I suspect, I will have a few SCSI disks spare when I have finished I dare say.

Dave
 
daver2 said:
All the storage boxes had tape drives in them.

But, I suspect, I will have a few SCSI disks spare when I have finished I dare say.

Dave
Click to expand...

As per the others’ comments many thanks Dave.

If you do indeed have the odd SCSI disk left over afterwards I would appreciate a spare one (or 2 ;).
Bob
 
Sorry,

I haven’t even found the time to do anything with the haul I brought back yet!

Just too much work on at the moment that needs to be done! We have subcontracted a lot if work recently, and I am the only person within our organisation who can approve this work as it is being completed.

Any spare time (whatever that is anymore) is in operating our live streaming video mixer at Church and expanding our complement of cameras. I have started training a few people up so I can have the odd day off, but that requires my time to train them! Catch 22.

Anyhow, my apologies to people waiting for me to scrub their disks...

I also want to get one of my acquisitions up and running as well!

Dave
 
Just bought a 240V to 110V Sturdy 800VA transformer to get the Microvax 3300 running. Fortunately, for something as heavy as this it was less than a mile from my house so no shipping costs.

s-l1600.jpg

Uses Reyrole Easigo plugs for which fuses are now very rare but have a few in the draw, but might change the sockets for something more modern.

The internal fuses should be 1 1/2" fuses but someone had put standard fuses in which were not clamped by the spring loaded holders and would not give proper contact. Can't believe it ever worked like that.

Anyway, plugged into the Microvax and it works :)
 
Yep, though one was labelled as a 240 and so isn't working at the moment. Looks as if the inrush thermistor has blown so I'm hoping the rest is alive, though its drive has a yellow label with 'faulty' written on it, so that might a problem for another day.
 
So the unit powers up and the hex display runs down but I can't get the console working.

I have powered the terminal from the same transformer but I am wondering if the centre tap is causing a ground shift problem with the serial comms. Certainly measuring the lines with my scope gives out of range voltages but as its on the 240v part thats not unexpected but it has made me think about the centre tap.

I think I will have a look at the transformer and see if I can move the ground from the centre to one of the other ends of the coils and make that ground/earth.

Cant see a problem with it other than the risk of electrocuting myself (again, that would be twice this week :) )
 
Ah Ha !

The 3300 uses RS-423 differential signalling so its doesn't care about the supply, just that the terminal is set to DEC-423.

Dodgy MMJ jack at the machine needs replacing as it can't see the key presses unless you pull the cord outwards, but otherwise the machine now boots to VMS version 5.5 :)

And I didn't even need to do the system password reset fix as a simple guess at 'manager' worked (shame on them)


I also have a varistor to replace with the part number ZNR 14K241U which seems to be an odd number as while I can see others have tried to find them it doesnt appear on manufactures sites

I think it means a 14mm disk with a conductance at 241V ? anyone know ?
 
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