VTech Laser 3000 / Dick Smith CAT composite video pinout

[Chris Pye via cctalk]

Hi all. I know I could scope this out, but just wondering if anyone has the 
pinout for the
VTech Laser 3000 / Dick Smith CAT (in Australia) composite video pinout.

It’s not in the technical manual that I have, and can’t find it online.


Thanks,
Chris

Re: Found today

[Chris Pye via cctalk]

> On 2 Jun 2019, at 5:07 am, Warner Losh via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> Found the Ultrix poster from 1984 I was asking about today when cleaning
> out my truck:
> 
> https://twitter.com/bsdimp/status/1134855890689855488
> 
> Warner


I see that there is a Pro sitting on the desk, was there are version of Ultrix 
for the Pro 350/380?

Re: Interest in a DiscFerret?

[Chris Pye via cctalk]

> On 11 Jan 2019, at 10:33 am, Guy Dunphy via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> That's a very good point, thanks. Hadn't occured to me, but of course the
> vast majority of Apple IIs ever sold used the 16 sector format. So that was
> the target market.
> Since almost all my A2 disks are DOS 3.2 13 sector, sounds like reading them
> with the A2 then transferring contents to PC via some link is the way to go.
> 
> Hmm, I was given an Apple IIe about two decades ago, but never used it. 
> Presumably
> my Apple DOS 3.2 driver card would work in that, and it could boot DOS 3.2
> Possibly that's a fallback plan if I can't resolve the severely flakey 
> operation
> of my early model, massively hacked Apple II. Assuming the IIe is less flakey.

There is a 13 sector version of ADTPro. All you need is a working Apple II or 
IIe with a floppy drive and serial card (or ethernet card).
It can even bootstrap the Apple into 13 sector DOS 3.2 mode and then you can 
read and transfer disk images to a PC via serial or ethernet.
Then use CiderPress to read the files from the disk images.

Re: Interest in a DiscFerret?

[Chris Pye via cctalk]

> On 10 Jan 2019, at 12:26 pm, Guy Dunphy via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> * At the moment I'm attempting to restore my old, heavily modified  Apple II 
> to working condition,
>  and then archive all my old Apple II files on floppies to PC. Part of a 
> project to document a
>  bunch of projects I did in my 20s, 1970s t0 1980s.
>  The intro article is here: 
> http://everist.org/NobLog/20181001_missing_wave.htm
>  Another article is in progress, about the restoration and doco of all the 
> mods I did on my Apple II.
>  After it's working and old files extracted, then an article about my hacking 
> Apple DOS 3.2 to
>  get higher data density. The old thermal printer listings are faded to 
> illegibility, so I'm
>  really hoping the floppies are still readable.


If you have a working Apple II and floppy drive you can use ADTPro  
http://adtpro.com
at least for standard Apple formats (probably not higher data density) it works 
rather well.


Chris

Re: determing date on TI 99/4 computers.

[Chris Pye via cctalk]

Hi Ed

Did you do any research on this at all?

The beige one was later.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A


Bill Cosby was their spokesperson. I can scan the advertising stuff that I 
have, but I’m pretty sure that it is all online somewhere.



> On 6 Sep 2017, at 4:00 pm, Ed via cctalk  wrote:
> 
> There is a white  or beige one
> 
> then there is the black and chrome  one?
> 
> which  first?  and  dates please?
> 
> This is unfamiliar territory  for me.
> but need to pay homage to these
> in a museum display here.
> 
> looking  for  good  hi res scans of
> adv. material etc. for  display??
> 
> thanks  ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org) 

Re: ChipQuik Troubles

[Chris Pye via cctalk]

> On 6 Jul 2017, at 6:42 am, Rob Jarratt via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> I bought some ChipQuik recently and managed to successfully remove a 74LS125
> with little trouble. Today I have come to trying to desolder another similar
> sized chip, but try as I might I just cannot get it to work. The ChipQuik
> just balls up and won't "take" to the pins. I applied plenty of the flux
> supplied with the ChipQuik, but I wonder if I applied too much?

Hi Rob, is there a chance that the second chip is on a lead free board?
Sometimes it helps to flow a bit of normal lead/tin solder on the pins first.

Chris..

Re: Model M case screws

[Chris Pye via cctalk]

> 
> It was on a test-bench setup.   Part of my job back then was calibrating
> the stroke of cylinders to the 3-15 psi control signal.  Plant air
> (power supply for the cylinder) was around 50 psi, IIRC.

Lucky it was just the pliers. Pneumatics can be rather dangerous at that 
pressure.

> 
> Just one of those things, where you forget where you left things.  Of
> course, nowadays, more than a half-century later, I forget where I leave
> my keys, glasses, wife, etc.   So it's not something that's remedied
> with age…

I’m sure your wife loves that..

When I was an electrician working in the HVAC industry, we had fortnightly 
catchups to swap tools that we had found (or left) in ceiling cavities. I still 
have stuff with other peoples names engraved on them.

> 
> Indeed, lately I seem to be suffering increasingly with the "where did I
> put that?" problem, even if the "when" was only a few minutes earlier.

I’m not even fifty, and I have that problem.

Re: Model M case screws

[Chris Pye via cctalk]

> On 2 Jul 2017, at 4:03 pm, Chuck Guzis via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> I once got a pair of electrician's pliers caught between the yoke and
> body of a 6" pneumatic cylinder.  Snapped the handles right off, it did.
>  The local Sears store replaced the pliers without
> questioning--although they did marvel at the damage.
> 
> --Chuck

Chuck, dare may I ask what you were doing with electricians pliers that close 
to a pneumatic cylinder?

Chris..