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Question about Sol-20
- Thread starter falter
- Start date
falter
Veteran Member
I checked it out today.. I think I can see a bit of rust inside too.. what do you think something like that would be worth? I notice one in good condition went for $750 (think that was a one off though).
billdeg
Technician
these can go for $2000 if working with drives and ephemera.
MicrocomputerSolutions
Veteran Member
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I've seen some of the stuff that the vintagecomputermuseum has sold on eBay when stuff has been shipped to me for repair after people bought into his ads. I don't he/they is/are as uneducated about the stuff that they are selling as they claim to be.
Everything they I have seen that has come from there is not very original, it's rigged and it's usually inoperable old junk. People have paid me thousands of dollars to make repairs, and restore stuff after buying from him/them. Once, I tried to ask some questions, and rather than answer me, he blocked me. If you ask detailed questions, question his description of an item/items, and try to tell him that what he sold you is not what he described in his ad, he blocks you.
Yet, while he blocked me from bidding on his items, and ignored my questions about what he was selling, several times he/they tried to bid and buy S-100 stuff that I put up for auction on eBay. The stuff I was selling was non-working experimenter only grade Compupro boards and odds and ends from other S-100 manufacturers that I acquired that was modified or not working that I felt was not the same quality as the stuff that I normally sell through my business. I did not want the stuff resurfacing for sale, misrepresented as working, or condition unknown and sold to unsuspecting S-100 Collectors and Users. I removed his bids for my items several times, and after he/they continued to bid on my items when I repeatedly told him I didn't not want his business, I had to put him on my Blocked Bidder List to end his attempts to buy my stuff anyway.
I'm not jealous of him/them, I'm mad that he can get away with misleading people and get inflated prices for junk, they he/they represent as "found" or untested and original, when it's often tested, thrown together unmatched odds and ends, and junk. I have nothing against him/them making AN HONEST LIVING, FAIRLY AND HONESTLY describing what he is selling. But that's not what he's about.
Everything they I have seen that has come from there is not very original, it's rigged and it's usually inoperable old junk. People have paid me thousands of dollars to make repairs, and restore stuff after buying from him/them. Once, I tried to ask some questions, and rather than answer me, he blocked me. If you ask detailed questions, question his description of an item/items, and try to tell him that what he sold you is not what he described in his ad, he blocks you.
Yet, while he blocked me from bidding on his items, and ignored my questions about what he was selling, several times he/they tried to bid and buy S-100 stuff that I put up for auction on eBay. The stuff I was selling was non-working experimenter only grade Compupro boards and odds and ends from other S-100 manufacturers that I acquired that was modified or not working that I felt was not the same quality as the stuff that I normally sell through my business. I did not want the stuff resurfacing for sale, misrepresented as working, or condition unknown and sold to unsuspecting S-100 Collectors and Users. I removed his bids for my items several times, and after he/they continued to bid on my items when I repeatedly told him I didn't not want his business, I had to put him on my Blocked Bidder List to end his attempts to buy my stuff anyway.
I'm not jealous of him/them, I'm mad that he can get away with misleading people and get inflated prices for junk, they he/they represent as "found" or untested and original, when it's often tested, thrown together unmatched odds and ends, and junk. I have nothing against him/them making AN HONEST LIVING, FAIRLY AND HONESTLY describing what he is selling. But that's not what he's about.
falter
Veteran Member
I've never bought anything from vintagecomputermuseum personally. And I am jealous, I want to find and buy the stuff he's buying at the prices he buys at, which I suspect are a lot lower than what he 'retails' for. 
But his Sol isn't the one I was looking at... it was this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SOL-Computer-Terminal-/252157918899?hash=item3ab5c87eb3:g:S2gAAOSw~bFWJxde
I'm thinking *that* is not worth $2000. And maybe I've been around old cars too long, but generally if there's rust on the outside, there's rust on the inside. The seller offered to try to fire it up though and see what we gets. We will see.
But his Sol isn't the one I was looking at... it was this one:http://www.ebay.com/itm/SOL-Computer-Terminal-/252157918899?hash=item3ab5c87eb3:g:S2gAAOSw~bFWJxde
I'm thinking *that* is not worth $2000. And maybe I've been around old cars too long, but generally if there's rust on the outside, there's rust on the inside. The seller offered to try to fire it up though and see what we gets. We will see.
billdeg
Technician
these are beautiful machines, but that's over priced IMHO
falter
Veteran Member
I was thinking $500-600 if non-working. Is that out there? There was that other non-working one in much better cosmetic condition that sold for $750.
Corey986
Administrator
I think those days might have come to an end. People have discovered the Sol-20 is a beautiful and useful machine. A fully contained S100 system including a built in riser for troubleshooting S100 cards. Working units for sale are becoming rarer, so you should have some troubleshooting skills.
With Sol-20, rule #1, try to get one that isn't a rust bucket and has all the parts (i.e. personality module). They aren't easy to troubleshoot, because they are pretty integrated, but not super difficult if you have an oscilloscope, logic analyzer and a 8080 simulator module.
Cheers,
Corey
billdeg
Technician
I keep putting off finishing mine. I tested the chips, ran through the voltages per the schematic but I have a single line of garbled text at the bottom of the screen and no > prompt. I have another system that does have the prompt (IMSAI with CUTTER), I just need to commit more time to my SOL-20. I have not scanned the underside of the motherboard for shorts, test the caps, etc.
vintagecomputermuseum Dropped the price to $809.
I don't think that this unit will work at all as it looks like it has been in water, perhaps smoke damage? as the circuit board it black except under where the personality module was which is missing.
The chassis has rust marks everywhere.
the edge connectors are corroded as are the IC leads and sockets from water.
The case was repainted. If you look close, you can see pits in the paint, so the case must have been rusted also.
So unless you need some keycaps, power transformer or wood sides, I would stay away from this one as it is only good for a static display.
I don't think that this unit will work at all as it looks like it has been in water, perhaps smoke damage? as the circuit board it black except under where the personality module was which is missing.
The chassis has rust marks everywhere.
the edge connectors are corroded as are the IC leads and sockets from water.
The case was repainted. If you look close, you can see pits in the paint, so the case must have been rusted also.
So unless you need some keycaps, power transformer or wood sides, I would stay away from this one as it is only good for a static display.
MicrocomputerSolutions
Veteran Member
- Joined
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vintagecomputermuseum has recently been advertising Morrow Designs MM256K 256K dynamic ram memory boards as static memory boards at $119 each.
Other people have been selling the same boards for $19.99.
Considering how vintagecomputermuseum sells tons of computer parts, I'd think that he should be able to tell the difference between static and dynamic ram chips.
Want to get banned from his auctions? Simply send a message to him/her stating that the MM256K is a dynamic ram board, and watch what happens.
Other people have been selling the same boards for $19.99.
Considering how vintagecomputermuseum sells tons of computer parts, I'd think that he should be able to tell the difference between static and dynamic ram chips.
Want to get banned from his auctions? Simply send a message to him/her stating that the MM256K is a dynamic ram board, and watch what happens.
Totally agree. That seller is a bad actor and refuses to update his auctions despite knowing full well his descriptions are fraudulent. This is not a gray area. He has the knowledge and skill to know what he is doing. I will not buy from him under any circumstances.
MarsMan2020
Experienced Member
Ugh I hate this guy. I am pretty sure he has single-handedly driven up the price of S-100 boards on eBay with his overpriced crap auctions.
MicrocomputerSolutions
Veteran Member
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I don't have a problem with his making a buck by selling hard to find parts.
What I don't agree with is, his buying up known defective and other parts, and misleading Buyers about the condition.
I'd bet that the $119 Morrow MM256k "static" memory boards were bought by him for $19.99 or less a short time ago from the same Seller that is still selling them as dynamic memory boards for $19.99.
While it has been a while since any new S100 boards were made commercially, I have often noted everything he sells is marked as "rare" or "extremely rare". IMHO, Godbout/Compupro/Viasyn boards were made in enough quantity that damn few of them would qualify as "rare". One possible exception would be the CPU 68K. I suspect if he were selling belly buttons he would mark them as "rare".
However, somehow this guy seems to be tapping into a supply of older hardware that is not readily available from other sources. One work around would be to deal directly with those sources if they could be identified. The alternative is to deal with him with your eyes wide open knowing that he is not the most reputable seller. ;-) Or avoid him entirely and wait for the item you want to turn up from a more reputable source.
However, somehow this guy seems to be tapping into a supply of older hardware that is not readily available from other sources. One work around would be to deal directly with those sources if they could be identified. The alternative is to deal with him with your eyes wide open knowing that he is not the most reputable seller. ;-) Or avoid him entirely and wait for the item you want to turn up from a more reputable source.
per
Veteran Member
One resource that's not readily available: Recycle stations and in particular things like universities and colleges. It's amazing how much old computer equipment that is just tossed at technical institutions.
vwestlife
Veteran Member
MicrocomputerSolutions
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There are Compupro boards showing up from Sellers in China on eBay now. It was not legal to export Compupro Systems and Components to the Reds back when Compupro was in business, so I have to figure that the boards being sold now are ones that were picked out of the electronic scrap that is exported to China by the shipload.