I've wanted a PC/XT for a while now (my first computer was a XT-clone with 8MHz V20, CGA, 640K and 20MB). I decided to get a Tandy 1000 to get better sound from Sierra's AGI games. I wanted a 8088 processor (so I can upgrade to V20 that my first computer had) so I thought that the Tandy 1000 SX was the best model for me. I have some questions and I hope that someone can help me.
First issue is with Sound Blaster 1.5 (CT-1320C with CMS add on). Digital playback does not work when jumpered to port 220h. Playback starts but soon everything freezes. Sound Blaster is jumpered to use IRQ7 (SW4 is turned off on motherboard) but I also tried IRQ 3 and 5 but it did not help. Port 240h works just fine. Does something on Tandy use port 220h? I know that the Sound Blaster is working since I removed it from my 286. I'd like to use port 220h if possible.
Second question is about Tandy 1000 SX power supply. I have to use a step down converter since Tandy uses 120V and does not have 120/240V switch. I noticed that inside a power supply there is a gray wire connected to pin named 120V. Close to it is another pin named 240V. Can I use the Tandy without step down converter if I remove the gray wire from 120V pin and connect it to 240V pin? I didn't want to try it since bad things could happen.
Fan on the power supply was very noisy (bad bearings). I replaced the fan with something little more effective and it was a lot quieter. Air coming out of Tandy was not even warm so I used a Zalman Fanmate to slow down the fan and now it is almost completely silent. Now the air coming out is only a bit warm when Tandy has been on for about 3 hours. Is safe to assume that everything will work fine and safe? If so, then I think I should do similar thing to my 286 and 486.
I was going to install a Plus Hardcard 40 to Tandy but it did not fit. I tested the hardcard on my 286 and it worked fine. I then removed the metal frame from the hardcard and tried to bend it so that hardcard could be installed to Tandy. I was able to get it inside Tandy only to discover that hardcard does not work anymore. Controller card seemed to work since an error was displayed after a while. Hardcard did not work even on a 286 anymore so this is not a Tandy issue. I think that some of the small wires might have loosened on the harddisk side of the hardcard. Has anyone ever tried to take to take apart hardcard like that? I'm asking that is is possible to get the connectors visible without completely breaking the harddisk part of the hardcard?
Last questions are not Tandy related but I hope it doesn't matter. It about CF-to-IDE adapters. I recently bought one for my 286. I have four Apacer cards (basic 64MB, Photo Steno 256MB, Photo Steno Pro II 256MB and Photo Steno III 512MB). 512MB card does not work. I think it uses 2048 byte sectors (it reports 238 cylinders, 16 heads and 63 sectors per track). Are there any 512MB cards that would use 512 byte sectors so that it could be used on a 286? Would the card using 2kB sectors work on a newer computer, like on my 486 that supports large drives?
What brand of CF cards do you recommend to be used as a hard disk replacements for old computers?
First issue is with Sound Blaster 1.5 (CT-1320C with CMS add on). Digital playback does not work when jumpered to port 220h. Playback starts but soon everything freezes. Sound Blaster is jumpered to use IRQ7 (SW4 is turned off on motherboard) but I also tried IRQ 3 and 5 but it did not help. Port 240h works just fine. Does something on Tandy use port 220h? I know that the Sound Blaster is working since I removed it from my 286. I'd like to use port 220h if possible.
Second question is about Tandy 1000 SX power supply. I have to use a step down converter since Tandy uses 120V and does not have 120/240V switch. I noticed that inside a power supply there is a gray wire connected to pin named 120V. Close to it is another pin named 240V. Can I use the Tandy without step down converter if I remove the gray wire from 120V pin and connect it to 240V pin? I didn't want to try it since bad things could happen.
Fan on the power supply was very noisy (bad bearings). I replaced the fan with something little more effective and it was a lot quieter. Air coming out of Tandy was not even warm so I used a Zalman Fanmate to slow down the fan and now it is almost completely silent. Now the air coming out is only a bit warm when Tandy has been on for about 3 hours. Is safe to assume that everything will work fine and safe? If so, then I think I should do similar thing to my 286 and 486.
I was going to install a Plus Hardcard 40 to Tandy but it did not fit. I tested the hardcard on my 286 and it worked fine. I then removed the metal frame from the hardcard and tried to bend it so that hardcard could be installed to Tandy. I was able to get it inside Tandy only to discover that hardcard does not work anymore. Controller card seemed to work since an error was displayed after a while. Hardcard did not work even on a 286 anymore so this is not a Tandy issue. I think that some of the small wires might have loosened on the harddisk side of the hardcard. Has anyone ever tried to take to take apart hardcard like that? I'm asking that is is possible to get the connectors visible without completely breaking the harddisk part of the hardcard?
Last questions are not Tandy related but I hope it doesn't matter. It about CF-to-IDE adapters. I recently bought one for my 286. I have four Apacer cards (basic 64MB, Photo Steno 256MB, Photo Steno Pro II 256MB and Photo Steno III 512MB). 512MB card does not work. I think it uses 2048 byte sectors (it reports 238 cylinders, 16 heads and 63 sectors per track). Are there any 512MB cards that would use 512 byte sectors so that it could be used on a 286? Would the card using 2kB sectors work on a newer computer, like on my 486 that supports large drives?
What brand of CF cards do you recommend to be used as a hard disk replacements for old computers?