On 9/4/2023 3:31 AM, Raymond Wiker via cctalk wrote:
On 2 Sep 2023, at 15:07, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk
wrote:
On 9/1/2023 11:45 AM, dwight via cctalk wrote:
My first computer was a Poly-88. I had no monitor and no keyboard.
I read and understood the instructions about finding a TV that
> On 2 Sep 2023, at 15:07, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk
> wrote:
>
>
> On 9/1/2023 11:45 AM, dwight via cctalk wrote:
>> My first computer was a Poly-88. I had no monitor and no keyboard.
>> I read and understood the instructions about finding a TV that used a
>> transformer power supply. Man
On 9/1/2023 11:45 AM, dwight via cctalk wrote:
My first computer was a Poly-88. I had no monitor and no keyboard.
I read and understood the instructions about finding a TV that used a
transformer power supply. Many newer TV's of that day were not using a
transformer for the main supply. I wen
On Fri, 1 Sep 2023, wrco...@wrcooke.net wrote:
My favorite is Votrax (speech synthesizers) being a division of Federal
Screw Works.
We have one attached to our lab8/e :-)
Christian
Chuck wrote:
> The terminal consisted of a leadscrew-fed printing head with a vertical
> typewheel rotating
> perpendicular to the (tractor-feed) paper. Said typewheel was in contact
> with an ink-soaked felt
> wheel. Carriage return was accomplished via a large spring. Utter
> steampunk
On 9/1/23 14:38, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
With all this talk about Friden and Singer, perhaps someone can help me
jog my memory. We were working on a contract that, as remote terminals,
included a card reader (singer) and a printing terminal (singer also).
The terminal consisted of a leadsc
With all this talk about Friden and Singer, perhaps someone can help me
jog my memory. We were working on a contract that, as remote terminals,
included a card reader (singer) and a printing terminal (singer also).
The terminal consisted of a leadscrew-fed printing head with a vertical
typewheel r
On Fri, 1 Sep 2023, dwight via cctalk wrote:
My first computer was a Poly-88. I had no monitor and no keyboard.
I read and understood the instructions about finding a TV that used a
transformer power supply. Many newer TV's of that day were not using a
transformer for the main supply. I went to
> On 09/01/2023 12:42 PM CDT Chuck Guzis via cctalk
> wrote:
>
>
> On 9/1/23 10:23, Will Cooke via cctalk wrote:
> > They made pistols:
> > https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23340620/singer-sewing-machine-company-45-pistol-gun/
> >
> I love these seeming corporate mismatche
On 9/1/23 10:23, Will Cooke via cctalk wrote:
> They made pistols:
> https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23340620/singer-sewing-machine-company-45-pistol-gun/
>
I love these seeming corporate mismatches. You know, Exxon purchasing
Zilog (and a number of other unrelated businesses).
On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 6:29 PM Rick Bensene via cctalk
wrote:
>
> Tony wrote:
>
> > Didn't Singer own Friden (or at least the name) at one point? I am sure
> > I've seen calculators
> > batched(sic) 'Singer Friden').
> Singer effectively began the death of internal electronic calculator
> devel
> On Sep 1, 2023, at 1:23 PM, Will Cooke via cctalk
> wrote:
>
> They made pistols:
> https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23340620/singer-sewing-machine-company-45-pistol-gun/
>
> Will
Lots of companies made weapons during WW2. M1 carbines were made by Rock-Ola,
Pitney-Bowe
Tony wrote:
> Didn't Singer own Friden (or at least the name) at one point? I am sure I've
> seen calculators
> batched(sic) 'Singer Friden').
Yup. In July of 1963, Singer announced its intent to purchase Friden. The
deal closed in October.
It was all a part of a larger diversification mov
> I did manage to get one of those stickers off in one piece. I stored
> it on the backing paper of some rub-down letter transfers (remember
> those?) and never put it back after I completed the
> modifications/repairs. My idea was I'd put it on a unit I'd been
> inside if I did want to claim on th
They made pistols:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23340620/singer-sewing-machine-company-45-pistol-gun/
Will
>
> On 9/1/23 09:02, Tony Duell via cctalk wrote:
>
> >> The keyboard was from a surplus Singer data entry machine ( I thought they
> >> only made sewing machines )
On 9/1/23 09:06, Adrian Godwin via cctalk wrote:
> Singer certainly had a place in early computing. But was it the same Singer
> that made sewing machines ?
>
Yes, the sewing machine maker (also purchased Link). The small card
reader even sounded like a sewing machine when running.
--Chuck
On 9/1/23 09:02, Tony Duell via cctalk wrote:
>> The keyboard was from a surplus Singer data entry machine ( I thought they
>> only made sewing machines ).
>
> Didn't Singer own Friden (or at least the name) at one point? I am
> sure I've seen calculators batched 'Singer Friden'). And I have a
Singer certainly had a place in early computing. But was it the same Singer
that made sewing machines ?
On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 5:02 PM Tony Duell via cctalk
wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 4:51 PM dwight via cctalk
> wrote:
> >
> > My first computer was a Poly-88. I had no monitor and no keybo
On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 4:51 PM dwight via cctalk wrote:
>
> My first computer was a Poly-88. I had no monitor and no keyboard.
> I read and understood the instructions about finding a TV that used a
> transformer power supply. Many newer TV's of that day were not using a
> transformer for the ma
opic Posts'
Cc: W2HX
Subject: [cctalk] Re: Silly question about S-100 and video monitors
Ok great info, everyone. Thanks for the information!
73 Eugene W2HX
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@w2hx/videos
-Original Message-
From: William Sudbrink
Sent: Wedne
On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 4:31 PM dwight via cctalk wrote:
>
> I do understand the warranty sticker. Say we have the average computer buyer.
> He has a screw driver and mostly knows how to use it. He also went to Radio
> Shack ( long gone 🙁 ) and bought a cheap soldering iron. He is now fully
> eq
ften can fix it myself.
Dwight
From: Wayne S via cctalk
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2023 9:45 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Cc: Wayne S
Subject: [cctalk] Re: Silly question about S-100 and video monitors
I think you might be confusing
I have been on hold with customer service now for almost 19 months.
On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 10:26 AM Sellam Abraham via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 1:53 PM Chris Zach via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
>
> > Which is weird, since Radio Shack was re
On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 1:53 PM Chris Zach via cctalk
wrote:
> Which is weird, since Radio Shack was renowned for putting schematic
> diagrams on so many of their products. My Flavoradio still has the
> schematic on it if a transistor goes bad
>
> CZ
>
Of course, because they want to encoura
Back in the day, I could not afford a terminal. All I could afford was
a Polymorphic video card and a real cheap keyboard to connect to my
IMSAI 8080 (with a memory card borrowed from a friend that eventually I
bought from him). This was in the 1970's, and I was still in the Navy
and my pay w
On Thu, 31 Aug 2023, Mike Katz wrote:
Composite will 99.99% of the time be better than RF modulated due to the
bandwidth of NTSC (American) Televisions. The NTSC television standard was
not what I would exactly call high tech or high resolution. It was 525 scan
lines interlaced at 30Hz me
I think you might be confusing a law argument with a logic argument. 🤓 The 2
are not related.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Aug 31, 2023, at 21:00, Tony Duell via cctalk
> wrote:
>
> On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 9:53 PM Chris Zach via cctalk
> wrote:
>>
>> Which is weird, since Radio Shack was ren
On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 9:53 PM Chris Zach via cctalk
wrote:
>
> Which is weird, since Radio Shack was renowned for putting schematic
> diagrams on so many of their products. My Flavoradio still has the
> schematic on it if a transistor goes bad
And they would sell spare parts and service ma
On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 7:49 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk
wrote:
> On Thu, 31 Aug 2023, geneb via cctalk wrote:
> > Fun fact - the "Warranty Void if Removed" tags were and are illegal. The
> > warranty can only be voided if the mfgr can prove the thing you did resulted
> > in the problem you're clai
On 8/31/23 16:39, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
> They were available with a variety of connectors.
> Some of those switchboxes had a short flat wire with spade lugs as
> output for connecting to the TV, and for input had screw terminal
> antenna input, and RCA for the RF input from the RF modulator
One important reason for UHF for the Sup'R'Mod, instead of channel 3/4:
Some TVs at the time had a built-in VHF antenna, and no external
connection for VHF! But, the UHF was a small loop or "bowtie" that
connected to a pair of screw terminals on the back of the set.
For example, the 17"? 19"
They were available with a variety of connectors.
Some of those switchboxes had a short flat wire with spade lugs as
output for connecting to the TV, and for input had screw terminal antenna
input, and RCA for the RF input from the RF modulator.
the Wikipedia article for the Sup'R'Mod II has a
You are correct for some but I do recall some with a composite output in
that little switch box as well. Maybe I'm misremembering from 50 years ago.
On 8/31/2023 6:02 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
On Thu, 31 Aug 2023, Mike Katz wrote:
The roots of this standard go all the way back to the 19
On Thu, 31 Aug 2023, Mike Katz wrote:
The roots of this standard go all the way back to the 1930's and became a
standard in 1940. By passing the tuner meant bypassing all of the filters
and demodulation that needed to happen. Many video games of the 70's and
early 80's came with 300 Ohm anten
Composite will 99.99% of the time be better than RF modulated due to
the bandwidth of NTSC (American) Televisions. The NTSC television
standard was not what I would exactly call high tech or high
resolution. It was 525 scan lines interlaced at 30Hz meaning that there
was only 262.5 lines
On Thu, 31 Aug 2023, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
I believe that Sony used some of their portable transistorized TV sets
as monitors, equipping them with SO239 UHF connectors. I recall having
one of those as well.
Sony's CV and AV series reel to reel portable video recorders used one of
thos
OMG Flavor Radio, that brings back memories of working at Radio Shack in
1977 fresh out of high school.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane and making me feel old again (or is
that still)👴.
On 8/31/2023 3:52 PM, Chris Zach via cctalk wrote:
Which is weird, since Radio Shack was renowned for
On 8/31/23 14:06, David Arnold via cctalk wrote:
>
>> On 31 Aug 2023, at 07:07, William Sudbrink via cctalk
>> wrote:
>>
>> Now that I'm thinking about it, there were also instructions for hacking the
>> composite signal straight into the TV, bypassing the tuner... but Mom and
>> Dad probably w
On Thu, 31 Aug 2023, Wayne S via cctalk wrote:
Was the picture significantly better then with the modulator ?
It always was for me.
With composite input, I could read 80 characters per line, not with RF,
For example, on the RS Coco, it wasn't very hard to bring out composite
video for a shar
On 8/30/23 6:24 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
Hence the short text lines on "home" computers.
The TRS80 used an RCA TV, converted into a monitor. (presumably bulk
purchased before the tuner was installed).
OB_irrelevant: In the TV sitcom "Married With Children" in many seasons,
on the B
#x27;General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'
>>
>> Cc: 'W2HX' ; William Sudbrink
>> Subject: [cctalk] Re: Silly question about S-100 and video monitors
>>
>> There were RF modulators. See the November 1976 review of the Poly-88 here
>> (o
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2023 4:54 PM
> To: 'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'
>
> Cc: 'W2HX' ; William Sudbrink
> Subject: [cctalk] Re: Silly question about S-100 and video monitors
>
> There were RF modulators. See the November 1976 review of
Which is weird, since Radio Shack was renowned for putting schematic
diagrams on so many of their products. My Flavoradio still has the
schematic on it if a transistor goes bad
CZ
On 8/31/2023 2:48 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
Hence the short text lines on "home" computers.
. . . . .
Hence the short text lines on "home" computers.
. . .
. . . Dave Sparks, the RS
repair technician, was happy to ignore any mods that he understood, so he
didn't void the warranty. When his boss objected, he said that since I had
brought it in with an intact warranty label and paint on the sc
On 8/30/23 17:14, Wayne S via cctalk wrote:
When s-100 machines came out, they were standalone. The serial port was for
sending serial data not for a terminal. You would have to write some software
to use it with a terminal.
Well, maybe, I did have a home made S-100 system in 1976
with limite
On Wed, 30 Aug 2023, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
Hence the short text lines on "home" computers.
The TRS80 used an RCA TV, converted into a monitor. (presumably bulk
purchased before the tuner was installed).
OB_irrelevant: In the TV sitcom "Married With Children" in many seasons, on
the
'
Cc: W2HX
Subject: RE: [cctalk] Re: Silly question about S-100 and video monitors
Now that I'm thinking about it, there were also instructions for hacking the
composite signal straight into the TV, bypassing the tuner... but Mom and Dad
probably wouldn't go for that (mine did
I remember just getting close to channel 33, not worrying what the actual
channel was anyway...as long as it worked.
On Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 9:47 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk
wrote:
> >> In the circles that I was in, the Sup-R-ModII seemed to be the most
> >> common. Oddly, it was on UHF channel 34
In the circles that I was in, the Sup-R-ModII seemed to be the most
common. Oddly, it was on UHF channel 34, although there were plenty of
channel 3/4 ones. Tuning the TV to channel 34 wasn't all that hard,
because it was right below a third tier channel and a 24/7 [speed-freak?]
preacher dude,
>
>
>
>
> In the circles that I was in, the Sup-R-ModII seemed to be the most
> common. Oddly, it was on UHF channel 34, although there were plenty of
> channel 3/4 ones. Tuning the TV to channel 34 wasn't all that hard,
> because it was right below a third tier channel and a 24/7 [speed-freak?]
Hence the short text lines on "home" computers.
The TRS80 used an RCA TV, converted into a monitor. (presumably bulk
purchased before the tuner was installed).
OB_irrelevant: In the TV sitcom "Married With Children" in many seasons,
on the Bundy kitchen counter was a [off white, instead of
When I said "tape drive", I was actually thinking mostly of cassette
On Wed, 30 Aug 2023, Mike Katz wrote:
I think you forgot the most common storage back then. Audio cassette at 300
or 1200 baud.
On 8/30/2023 5:39 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
On Wed, 30 Aug 2023, Wayne S wrote:
When s
The probem with RF Modulators is that due to the National Television
Standards Committee standards for American television there wasn't
enough bandwidth to display 80 characters x24 lines (or 25 lines with
status). Generally 64 x 16 was the maxmimum that would be readable on a
standard black a
I think you forgot the most common storage back then. Audio cassette at
300 or 1200 baud.
On 8/30/2023 5:39 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
On Wed, 30 Aug 2023, Wayne S wrote:
When s-100 machines came out, they were standalone. The serial port
was for sending serial data not for a terminal.
On Wed, 30 Aug 2023, Wayne S wrote:
When s-100 machines came out, they were standalone. The serial port was
for sending serial data not for a terminal. You would have to write some
software to use it with a terminal.
Of course.
To do anything with it, you needed some input and output.
Either
When s-100 machines came out, they were standalone. The serial port was for
sending serial data not for a terminal. You would have to write some software
to use it with a terminal.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Aug 30, 2023, at 14:45, Fred Cisin via cctalk
> wrote:
>
> On Wed, 30 Aug 2023, Will
On Wed, 30 Aug 2023, William Sudbrink via cctalk wrote:
There were RF modulators. See the November 1976 review of the Poly-88 here
(on page 16):
http://cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/DrDobbs/DrDobbs-1976-11-12-v1n10.pdf
Note the reference to the "Pixie Verter". It is a little cheap circuit
board that
ccmp.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2023 4:54 PM
To: 'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'
Cc: 'W2HX' ; William Sudbrink
Subject: [cctalk] Re: Silly question about S-100 and video monitors
There were RF modulators. See the November 1976 review of t
There were RF modulators. See the November 1976 review of the Poly-88 here
(on page 16):
http://cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/DrDobbs/DrDobbs-1976-11-12-v1n10.pdf
Note the reference to the "Pixie Verter". It is a little cheap circuit
board that takes the composite signal and modulates it onto channel
/115,200 in the S100 era was also rare. It was usually 9600 or 19200 at
the top end/
That is true. I remember setting my serial board for external baud rate
and the SWTPC CT-82 terminal to generate the baud rate and I think it
was like 38,400 maximum.
My VT-220 maxes out at 9600 and my VT-3
On Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 1:52 PM Mike Katz via cctalk
wrote:
> I had a video board and keyboard on my Gimix SS-50 system.
>
> Why?
>
> 1. The video board/monitor is much faster than a terminal even at
> 115,200 baud.
>
115,200 in the S100 era was also rare. It was usually 9600 or 19200 at the
to
I had a video board and keyboard on my Gimix SS-50 system.
Why?
1. The video board/monitor is much faster than a terminal even at
115,200 baud.
2. A Video board, keyboard and monitor was way cheaper back then than a
terminal (Yes there was the SWTPc CT64 and the Lear Siegler ADM-3A kits,
bu
> Other than graphics (and maybe some special function keys for an application
> on a keyboard), why would an S-100 builder in those days opt to buy a video
> card instead of a terminal?
Primarily cost I'm led to believe. There were also games that took advantage of
primitive graphics character
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