LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 01:56:

I took the card out of the machine - It was actually counting time on that launch screen with the floppy card not in the machine, which is what worried me.

DOS is perfectly able to count time on an PC or XT without a clock card installed. It just looses time and date as soon as you power off the machine. So no worries if the clock is just ticking. You need to start worrying if it does not start at 00:00 after each power cycle.

LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 01:56:

After that first few successful boots, however, now it spins up, but seems to have an issue seeking - it tries 2 or 3 times and then fails to a Disk Boot Failure. I'll still play around with it to see if I can coax it into living again.

Sound like it really is time for a drop of oil on the axis of the head actuator. It can be accessed from the bottom side. Your case should have holes in the base plate that help you unmounting the hard drive.

Horun wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:00:

You need a real XT keyboard (or an AT that has a switch for xt/at), there are no real good adapters for XT.

Not quite correct. https://monotech.fwscart.com/PS2_to_XT_Keyboa … 4_19714002.aspx

mkarcher wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:09:

DOS is perfectly able to count time on an PC or XT without a clock card installed. It just looses time and date as soon as you p […]
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LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 01:56:

I took the card out of the machine - It was actually counting time on that launch screen with the floppy card not in the machine, which is what worried me.

DOS is perfectly able to count time on an PC or XT without a clock card installed. It just looses time and date as soon as you power off the machine. So no worries if the clock is just ticking. You need to start worrying if it does not start at 00:00 after each power cycle.

LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 01:56:

After that first few successful boots, however, now it spins up, but seems to have an issue seeking - it tries 2 or 3 times and then fails to a Disk Boot Failure. I'll still play around with it to see if I can coax it into living again.

Sound like it really is time for a drop of oil on the axis of the head actuator. It can be accessed from the bottom side. Your case should have holes in the base plate that help you unmounting the hard drive.

Ah, alright that makes sense. Admittedly I couldn't read what time was listed - the TV I was using does a terrible job of displaying the composite output from this machine.

I've had the drive out once already - it's only been mounted by 2 screws, one on the side and one from underneath - so it shouldn't be too bad to pull it out.

Caluser2000 wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:16:

Horun wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:00:

You need a real XT keyboard (or an AT that has a switch for xt/at), there are no real good adapters for XT.

Not quite correct. https://monotech.fwscart.com/PS2_to_XT_Keyboa … 4_19714002.aspx

Yes I know there are good ones, I meant no typical adapter you usually find in your spare parts drawer 😁
added: my bad for not meaning what I was thinking when he said he tried a few adapters....

Caluser2000 wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:16:

Horun wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:00:

You need a real XT keyboard (or an AT that has a switch for xt/at), there are no real good adapters for XT.

Not quite correct. https://monotech.fwscart.com/PS2_to_XT_Keyboa … 4_19714002.aspx

Thanks for the link - I also see at least one XT compatible keyboard on eBay for $25 CDN with local pickup within a 2 hour drive.... and there's a place that supposedly sells tested vintage hardware within an hour that lists a couple available for $60-70 CDN. I'll have to wait until I have some budget available.

LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:03:

EDIT: Someone noted in the Dumpster Find thread that some later XT BIOS's had support for AT keyboards - figured it was worth a try anyways.

That would be an impressive achievement. The AT keyboard protocol is supposed to be incompatible with the XT keyboard interface. It might still be possible (at least for some AT keyboards) to cope with the "wrong" interface. On the other hand, there definitely are auto-sensing keyboards that switch to the XT protocol if they are connected to an XT computer. It seems like IBM's Model M keyboards (if you connect them with a DIN cable, not with a PS/2 cable and a PS/2->DIN adapter) is such an auto-sensing keyboard that falls back to the XT protocol if it is plugged into an XT class computer. IBM added support for the extended keys in the latest revision of the XT BIOS, but it still requires the keyboard to switch to the physical protocol of the XT interface.

Do you have a reference to the post in the Dumpster Find thread?

That is a really great find. Did you have any luck cleaning up the battery mess?

mkarcher wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:26:

LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:03:

EDIT: Someone noted in the Dumpster Find thread that some later XT BIOS's had support for AT keyboards - figured it was worth a try anyways.

That would be an impressive achievement. The AT keyboard protocol is supposed to be incompatible with the XT keyboard interface. It might still be possible (at least for some AT keyboards) to cope with the "wrong" interface. On the other hand, there definitely are auto-sensing keyboards that switch to the XT protocol if they are connected to an XT computer. It seems like IBM's Model M keyboards (if you connect them with a DIN cable, not with a PS/2 cable and a PS/2->DIN adapter) is such an auto-sensing keyboard that falls back to the XT protocol if it is plugged into an XT class computer. IBM added support for the extended keys in the latest revision of the XT BIOS, but it still requires the keyboard to switch to the physical protocol of the XT interface.

Do you have a reference to the post in the Dumpster Find thread?

Re: I recently found this hardware, AKA the Dumpster find thread.

I'll have to wait until later in the week to get into the battery mess - it's late evening here and despite everything COVID related I'm actually still working, so I need to be up in the morning.

I've pulled the card out of the machine and I won't put it back in until I've got it cleaned up, but odds are good it'll be Saturday or Sunday before I'll get a proper chance to start.

LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:35:

mkarcher wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:26:

LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:03:

EDIT: Someone noted in the Dumpster Find thread that some later XT BIOS's had support for AT keyboards - figured it was worth a try anyways.

Do you have a reference to the post in the Dumpster Find thread?

Re: I recently found this hardware, AKA the Dumpster find thread.

Thanks. They reference this thread on geekhack: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=6916.0 and the claim that "the new XT BIOS supports AT keyboards" seems not be general consensus there. I would not count on it being accurate.

mkarcher wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:42:

LHN91 wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:35:

mkarcher wrote on 2020-06-10, 02:26:

Do you have a reference to the post in the Dumpster Find thread?

Re: I recently found this hardware, AKA the Dumpster find thread.

Thanks. They reference this thread on geekhack: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=6916.0 and the claim that "the new XT BIOS supports AT keyboards" seems not be general consensus there. I would not count on it being accurate.

Certainly wasn't counting on it being accurate, just figured I had little to lose by giving it a shot.

Alright, so the battery is finally off the floppy card (time has not been on my side lately) - Would I be correct to give it a bath in white vinegar, followed by cleaning with isopropyl alcohol?

Yes that would be a good start ! A small soft toothbrush to help scrub the vinegar in worst areas helps. Just make sure to keep the card very wet or immersed in vinegar where you are scrubbing.