Hello from Washington State

[candrews]

Hello,

I suppose that my collection initially came from my inability to throw things away. Probably like many others here i started using these when they weren't vintage and just put them in storage when the next computer came along. Cleaning out the storage makes for an instant collection. Working with them brings back many fond memories and (i hope) helps brain health. More recently i have gone on the hunt to get a few things i wanted in the day but couldn't afford then. (truth be told, given some of the 'selling bids' i see, it seems that i can't afford/justify them now either).

Without trying to start any arguments about the best CPU ever, i am pretty much in the 8085 camp. I like building hardware, debug/diagnostics/repair, and software. I took a 35 year hiatus and when i came back, the current issue was the ARM so that is where i got back in a few years ago. I pretty much missed everything between the 8085 and the ARM. Nowadays with new hardware if i want the destination i will go the ARM route, if i want the journey it is 8085.

My CPU children include:

Intel SDK-85 (yes, these count)
Intel MDS Series III
Intel SBC (various but mostly 8080 or 8085)
Intel iPDS
Altair 8800b
HP 85b
Kaypro 4
Compaq Portable
Heath and Zenith Z-110, 120
PC
S-100 mule systems
various other SBC

i hope i haven't forgotten anyone.

Current project queue includes:

making a few S-100 boards,
replacing the foam in the compaq keyboard,
adding 3.5" drives to the Series III,
trying to adapt memory card based drive emulators in everybody,
repairing an I/O card in the altair,
bringing up some recent SBC acquisitions,
populating, playing with, and finding a use for some new cards from s100computers,
fixing whatever went on the fritz in the HP-85B last month then fixing the tape drive,
putting up a BBS and file server so the ones with modems have someone to call.

regards

craig

 

[inotarobot]

An Australian welcome to you Craig.

Great detailed Introduction. well done.

Your certainly amongst 'friends' here with the "my inability to throw things away". I have a 40ft semi trailer and 2 by 20ft shipping containers crammed with bits.

I call that "saving for later reuse or re-purposing"

If none of us saved anything after we had stopped using it on a daily basis, then they would be no VFC.. in fact no hobbies to enjoy in the evenings or other spare moments. I think life would then be very drab.


I wonder if the BBS you mention your thinking of, so people with real modems can call it, could be done by making a small wired phone line to skype interface, using the likes of a Raspberry Pie.

That way one can save on phone costs, while still using the dial up modem.

FIY Do note there appears a healthy S100 group on here, that on occasions do runs of PCB's.

regards
David

 

[Rick Ethridge]

Welcome from eastern Nebraska! I have friends in Spokane.

 

[seaken]

Hi Craig,

I spent my youth in Washington State. What area are you from?

I'm fascinated by all the minicomputer stuff. But I was never able to actually get near anything of that type. I started on a PET in school. But I read about computers and knew that the "real" computers were way more sophisticated than the PET. The closest I ever came was I owned a NorthStar Horizon for awhile. Not a minicomputer like a PDP, and I had trouble getting my head around the S-100 bus and it turned out to be too difficult for me. I kept the NorthStar Advantage but sold the Horizon. Alas, minicomputers were out of my reach and I ended up with microcomputers in the PC age.

Sean

 

[NeXT]

Welcome to the PNW. There's a few members here and outside the forums which reside between Tacoma and Vancouver BC.