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Offline bettablue

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« on: Mon, 21 March 2011, 09:41:54 »
I now have an Apple lle sitting my den and have an IBM PC AT being delivered to me at work this morning.  The Apple is working, but I have to open the monitor to look for a blown fuse.  The PC, however, I have no clue about.  The friend who picked it up told me that it's a real mess.  It definitely needs a good cleaning, inside and out.  The keyboard seems to have a couple of sticking keys too.  No doubt that all it really needs is to be opened up and cleaned out too.  

I'm starting to look for some addon cards for the Apple, but for the PC, it's not what I really want, so I'm not going to be doing much with it , other than cleaning and testing, unless I can't find the IBM 5150 I do want.  

I have a line on a complete, working 5150 system for only $200.00 plus shipping, but right now, I just don't have the money.  Does any one here have one I could get cheaper?  I don't care about the monitor, I just really want the CPU and keyboard.  I have access to a good display.
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Vintage Computer user, and collector, specializing in the IBM 5150 Personal Computer, the World\'s first REAL PC!
Keyboards - IBM Model M X 2, IBM AT X 2, IBM KB8923, Apple IIe, and Mac SE boards. 

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Offline Hak Foo

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« Reply #1 on: Mon, 21 March 2011, 20:48:02 »
The 5150 is a poor choice:

Five slots
a weak power supply
Limited BIOS.

Go for a 5160, or one of the many clones.

I sort of find some of the Tandy 1000 series boxes interesting; since they aped the PCjr's video and sound, they're actually marginally more competent than a stock PC or clone.

My retro box is a 386-16 with the GeoWorks suite installed.
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Offline Half-Saint

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« Reply #2 on: Tue, 22 March 2011, 02:39:46 »
So what is the question? :D
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Offline typo

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« Reply #3 on: Tue, 22 March 2011, 04:57:24 »
i'd love an apple ii. especially the black bell and howell one.

warning: the monitor has a fuse on the power supply pcb. if it is blown it is probably the flyback. do not mess with a plugged in monitor if you are not trained to service them. lethal volatge! i am not kidding.
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woody

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« Reply #4 on: Tue, 22 March 2011, 05:52:53 »
Quote from: typo;315811
do not mess with a plugged in monitor if you are not trained to service them. lethal volatge! i am not kidding.

Do not mess with an unplugged one, too. Big charge lurks in caps for quite some time.
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Offline quadibloc

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« Reply #5 on: Tue, 22 March 2011, 08:06:28 »
Not just the capacitors. The picture tube itself is a capacitor - the second anode is where the most lethal voltages in a CRT are present, and the parts of the circuit board connected to it (which is why they're usually in a little metal box). Introductions to TV servicing, such as instructions on how to change a picture tube, should explain the necessary safety precautions, such as the use of a suitably insulated shorting tool.
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Offline bettablue

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« Reply #6 on: Tue, 22 March 2011, 10:08:27 »
Quote from: Hak Foo;315634
The 5150 is a poor choice:

Five slots
a weak power supply
Limited BIOS.

Go for a 5160, or one of the many clones.

I sort of find some of the Tandy 1000 series boxes interesting; since they aped the PCjr's video and sound, they're actually marginally more competent than a stock PC or clone.

My retro box is a 386-16 with the GeoWorks suite installed.
I do apreciate the advice, but there is a reason I want the 5150.  The only reason for wanting the Apple lle and the 5150 is that these were THE begginning of real home computing.  These are the exact systems I had access to and used in college.  I started writing code on the IBM ans sold plenty of the Apples.  They are the reason I actually got into computers in the first place.  I have always felt that whenever I got my own and had to buy a clone, I was always getting something somehow, inferior.  Prices on the IBM were so high that I could never afford to buy one at the time, and ended up with what I always felt to be a compromise.  The best I was able to get was a Packard Bell.  It was similar to the 5170 I have now, and a pretty good machine, but it wasn't an IBM.  There is one more reason to get a 5150 besides that, the 5150 is the only IBM model with a cassette port.  I can use that in conjunction with the Apple lle to connect to my main PC to make my PC act as a tape machine to load and save my work from either of these.  I just don't want to compromise this time if I can help it.  

Thanks though for the little insight.  I wouldn't mind talking to you about these more.
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Vintage Computer user, and collector, specializing in the IBM 5150 Personal Computer, the World\'s first REAL PC!
Keyboards - IBM Model M X 2, IBM AT X 2, IBM KB8923, Apple IIe, and Mac SE boards. 

-----------------IBM Think!---------------------
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Offline Hak Foo

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« Reply #7 on: Tue, 22 March 2011, 10:32:19 »
As I hear it, the PCjr also had a tape interface.

I've always wanted to know more about the tape interface-- did, for example, any version of DOS support the tape system, thus allowing the retrieval of files for people who eventually went to disc?
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Offline bettablue

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« Reply #8 on: Wed, 23 March 2011, 00:14:03 »
Quote from: woody;315818
Do not mess with an unplugged one, too. Big charge lurks in caps for quite some time.
I am prett knowlegable about these caps.  Don't worry, I'll be wearing good protective rubber gloves while I have it open.  And, if it's not the fuse, I have a friend who can diagnose the problem and fix it for me.  My money is on the fuse though.  The screen looked really good during the time it was working.
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Vintage Computer user, and collector, specializing in the IBM 5150 Personal Computer, the World\'s first REAL PC!
Keyboards - IBM Model M X 2, IBM AT X 2, IBM KB8923, Apple IIe, and Mac SE boards. 

-----------------IBM Think!---------------------
.

Offline ch_123

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« Reply #9 on: Wed, 23 March 2011, 05:53:21 »
I wouldn't worry too much about a stuck key in an AT Model F, there isn't much that can't be fixed with those keyboards by taking it apart and putting it back together again. Unless the springs are damaged of course.
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Offline bettablue

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« Reply #10 on: Wed, 23 March 2011, 20:46:15 »
Quote from: Hak Foo;315938
As I hear it, the PCjr also had a tape interface.

I've always wanted to know more about the tape interface-- did, for example, any version of DOS support the tape system, thus allowing the retrieval of files for people who eventually went to disc?
I was wondering the same thing.  From what I know of the tape system, all it can really be used for would be to save and load programs from the cassette while the computer was in BASIC mode.  I was also wondering if there was some sort of audio interface card I could buy for a newer computer.  There are some programs that will allow you to use a newer PC to ACT like a tape drive.  One is ADTpro.  That one is primarily geared for systems like the Apple ll series.  You download a disk image that can be transferred to the computer and you would then format and write the disk on the client machine.  That would be a very slow, but unique way to network an older computer with a newer one.
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Vintage Computer user, and collector, specializing in the IBM 5150 Personal Computer, the World\'s first REAL PC!
Keyboards - IBM Model M X 2, IBM AT X 2, IBM KB8923, Apple IIe, and Mac SE boards. 

-----------------IBM Think!---------------------
.

Offline Hak Foo

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« Reply #11 on: Wed, 23 March 2011, 22:26:25 »
I think some stuff was accessible in BASICA too-- so maybe you could make a utility that opened a DOS file and read/wrote a casette file.
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Offline bettablue

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« Reply #12 on: Thu, 24 March 2011, 00:10:23 »
Quote from: ch_123;316611
I wouldn't worry too much about a stuck key in an AT Model F, there isn't much that can't be fixed with those keyboards by taking it apart and putting it back together again. Unless the springs are damaged of course.
Yeah, I just got done cleaning it and getting rid of all of the crud.  This thing was filthy!  I actually let the keys soak over night an hot tap water and Dawn dish soap.  They came out like new.  After a good scrubbing on the case the keyboard looks great.  I'll be tackling the main computer next.  Now THAT is where I expect to use some elbow grease.  I should be ready to test it in a couple of days.
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Vintage Computer user, and collector, specializing in the IBM 5150 Personal Computer, the World\'s first REAL PC!
Keyboards - IBM Model M X 2, IBM AT X 2, IBM KB8923, Apple IIe, and Mac SE boards. 

-----------------IBM Think!---------------------
.

Offline bettablue

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« Reply #13 on: Wed, 06 April 2011, 18:01:12 »
Quote from: Hak Foo;317362
I think some stuff was accessible in BASICA too-- so maybe you could make a utility that opened a DOS file and read/wrote a casette file.
I don't know about that, but it seems to be something that wouldn't be to terribly difficult to find out.  I just bought the 5150 computer I have been watching from another forum.  I really go lucky with this one, although I might have to do a memory upgrade as soon as I get the computer home.  From what I can see in one of the photos, it only has 64K of memory available...  Am I correct in my assumption?  Documentations states that it take up to 256K, If so, where can I get the additional memory?  The display in the photo reads as follows:

The IBM Personal Computer BASIC
Version C1.10 Copyright IBM CORP 1981
62940 Bytes free
OK

-
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Vintage Computer user, and collector, specializing in the IBM 5150 Personal Computer, the World\'s first REAL PC!
Keyboards - IBM Model M X 2, IBM AT X 2, IBM KB8923, Apple IIe, and Mac SE boards. 

-----------------IBM Think!---------------------
.

Offline kill will

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« Reply #14 on: Wed, 06 April 2011, 19:08:44 »
5150 isnt a choice.
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Offline bettablue

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« Reply #15 on: Thu, 07 April 2011, 02:16:02 »
Quote from: kill will;325903
5150 isnt a choice.
What do you mean?
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Vintage Computer user, and collector, specializing in the IBM 5150 Personal Computer, the World\'s first REAL PC!
Keyboards - IBM Model M X 2, IBM AT X 2, IBM KB8923, Apple IIe, and Mac SE boards. 

-----------------IBM Think!---------------------
.
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