stamasd wrote:

Also, while doing that I went through a huge stack of floppies trying to separate the bad ones from the usable ones. I needed a total of 14 working blank floppies to transfer all the drivers needed onto the Thinkpad. I tried to use a CF card through a CF/PCMCIA adapter, but it didn't work. If I formatted the card (an old 64MB one) on my main laptop and write files to it, the Thinkpad can't see it. If I format it on the Thinkpad then transfer it to my main laptop to write files to, it can't be read and I need to format it again before writing to it, but then again my Thinkpad can't see it anymore. Grr.

What software are you using to get the CF/PCMCIA adapter recognized on your ThinkPad?

lolo799 wrote:

What software are you using to get the CF/PCMCIA adapter recognized on your ThinkPad?

I use the IBM card services package. It can be found at http://john.ccac.rwth-aachen.de:8000/ftp/mirr … pccbbs/mobiles/ file pctpx130.exe (it's a self-extracting disk image that needs to be run on a DOS machine with a blank floppy in the drive). Once that's installed from the floppy, it will create at boot 4 HDDs that correspond to the 4 possible PCMCIA slots in this system (2 on the laptop and 2 on the optional dock). CF cards placed in an adapter and inserted in one of the slots will be automatically recognized as HDDs, the letter depending on which slot they're inserted into.

stamasd wrote:

lolo799 wrote:

What software are you using to get the CF/PCMCIA adapter recognized on your ThinkPad?

I use the IBM card services package. It can be found at http://john.ccac.rwth-aachen.de:8000/ftp/mirr … pccbbs/mobiles/ file pctpx130.exe (it's a self-extracting disk image that needs to be run on a DOS machine with a blank floppy in the drive). Once that's installed from the floppy, it will create at boot 4 HDDs that correspond to the 4 possible PCMCIA slots in this system (2 on the laptop and 2 on the optional dock). CF cards placed in an adapter and inserted in one of the slots will be automatically recognized as HDDs, the letter depending on which slot they're inserted into.

Thank you for this! I think this may come in handy 🤣

386SX wrote:

Skalabala wrote:

386SX wrote:

Finally found a working 512Mb PC133 I needed to complete my Athlon Thunderbird machine for this config: […]
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Finally found a working 512Mb PC133 I needed to complete my Athlon Thunderbird machine for this config:

Asus A7V133 (KT133A)
Athlon 1400 / 133Mhz (Thunderbird)
1,5 GB PC133
Geforce2 MX 32MB

I could go for the Athlon XP that could still run on this but I think the right top cpu is this.

I think a geforce 2 pro or geforce 3 will be better matched.
Mx is too old for that system. Who had 1.5gb ram back then? 😵

Yeah but the original Geforce 2 GTS (and 3) are not easy to find in good conditions, not to mention the Ultra. Also I already reached 110->130W of total watt usage mostly on 5V rail, so I try to save some watt with a time correct card (the first on full 0,18 micron process?).
The ram was important cause I'm testing this as everyday machine and a recent os but I understand it sounds like too much ram for a time correct point of view.

GF4MX might be a reasonable substitute for a GF2 and should be easier to find.

And have fun with that A7V133! 😁

What revision is yours? I got one of mine working with a Palomino even though it's a revision 1.05 (not the 1.05.) and with 1GB SDRAM (I had very few 512MB SDRAM sticks).

If you have any questions about the A7V133, feel free to send me a private message and I'll see what I can come up with 😀

Tetrium wrote:

GF4MX might be a reasonable substitute for a GF2 and should be easier to find. […]
Show full quote

GF4MX might be a reasonable substitute for a GF2 and should be easier to find.

And have fun with that A7V133! 😁

What revision is yours? I got one of mine working with a Palomino even though it's a revision 1.05 (not the 1.05.) and with 1GB SDRAM (I had very few 512MB SDRAM sticks).

If you have any questions about the A7V133, feel free to send me a private message and I'll see what I can come up with 😀

Thankx. 😀

Actually I've temporary switched the same config to the KT600 asrock mainboard I have cause I had the feeling that the system was unstable. It seems that sometimes at boot it couldn't see the ide drive while next reboot it showed up magically. Maybe the Athlon 1400 is asking too much to the mainboard who knows or maybe something to do with the secondary raid controller. But I just paused that config I'll back to it later. 😁
Another question, are the yellow capacitor good? They seems ok until now but one maybe a bit more "rounded" on top. Not badly just a feeling.
Mine is the 1.05 standard with latest bios. A very big and full of components mainboard indeed. 😁

Today I discovered that a wonderful Socket 7 ATC-5220 mainboard that looked almost never used, it doesn't boot anymore. No vga signal only fan running and no beep. No damages done, only the latest time I updated the bios and it definetely booted ok but when I unmounted the mainboard I unplugged the bios battery. Could have the bios being damaged? Even tried with an isa vga, nothing.

Also I rebuilt an Athlon 1400 setup around a KT600 board. Retro config with faster memory. 😉

orinoko wrote:

stamasd wrote:

lolo799 wrote:

What software are you using to get the CF/PCMCIA adapter recognized on your ThinkPad?

I use the IBM card services package. It can be found at http://john.ccac.rwth-aachen.de:8000/ftp/mirr … pccbbs/mobiles/ file pctpx130.exe (it's a self-extracting disk image that needs to be run on a DOS machine with a blank floppy in the drive). Once that's installed from the floppy, it will create at boot 4 HDDs that correspond to the 4 possible PCMCIA slots in this system (2 on the laptop and 2 on the optional dock). CF cards placed in an adapter and inserted in one of the slots will be automatically recognized as HDDs, the letter depending on which slot they're inserted into.

Thank you for this! I think this may come in handy 🤣

BTW that directory I linked to is the biggest current repository of old Thinkpad drivers that I know of. It mirrors all of the driver files that were on Lenovo's support site (inherited from IBM) until a few years ago. They're gone from Lenovo's site - thank you very much Lenovo.
They're not organized, but there's an index file; with some searching you'll find what you need. It covers all Thinkpads from the very first models until the 600/770 series.

Yes, I had a feeling that it covered a vast range of models. It is really sad to see that Lenovo have decided to remove support for the older models. It's not like disk space is a problem... They could just have them hosted. Ah well...

I'm going to have to go through these and find the drivers I need before this goes away too haha

Trying a few 486 parts. Today a new battery arrived and I've been messing around with the board, a Logitech PAS16 and some VLB cards I still have around.

stamasd wrote:

I use the IBM card services package. It can be found at http://john.ccac.rwth-aachen.de:8000/ftp/mirr … pccbbs/mobiles/ file pctpx130.exe (it's a self-extracting disk image that needs to be run on a DOS machine with a blank floppy in the drive). Once that's installed from the floppy, it will create at boot 4 HDDs that correspond to the 4 possible PCMCIA slots in this system (2 on the laptop and 2 on the optional dock). CF cards placed in an adapter and inserted in one of the slots will be automatically recognized as HDDs, the letter depending on which slot they're inserted into.

Try one of the trial enablers from http://www.tssc.de/site/products/enablers/ata … ab/default.aspx

386SX wrote:

Today I discovered that a wonderful Socket 7 ATC-5220 mainboard that looked almost never used, it doesn't boot anymore. No vga signal only fan running and no beep. No damages done, only the latest time I updated the bios and it definetely booted ok but when I unmounted the mainboard I unplugged the bios battery. Could have the bios being damaged? Even tried with an isa vga, nothing.

Some boards won't boot without a good battery.

dondiego wrote:

386SX wrote:

Today I discovered that a wonderful Socket 7 ATC-5220 mainboard that looked almost never used, it doesn't boot anymore. No vga signal only fan running and no beep. No damages done, only the latest time I updated the bios and it definetely booted ok but when I unmounted the mainboard I unplugged the bios battery. Could have the bios being damaged? Even tried with an isa vga, nothing.

Some boards won't boot without a good battery.

Very true. I bought a Socket 7 SBC recently that was new in box. Looked beautiful! Had manuals and cables and foam and so on. Thing wouldn't POST... Long story short, I ended up replacing the completely dead CR-2032 and it fired up straight away!

Same thing with a Gateway 2000 all in one I had many years ago. Actually a nice machine, I wish I held onto it. Thing wouldn't POST when I got it. Had to completely strip the whole system apart (this is a CRT all in one) to get to the CR-2032 and once I replaced it and put it all back together, worked a treat!

Sorry for the long story. Watching kindergarten Cop 2 with the lady on the couch and your comment made me reminisce 😀

The ultimate non-computer related retro activity... Been sick with a bad cold, for 2 to 3 days, and still feeling tired. 🙁

Payday....so after all the obligations were done....have the following going on.....as I am planning to raid some PC recycling companies this weekend and see if I can find one of the following...

- XT Power Supply
- Baby AT Chassis
- Some cool looking lay-flat desktop chassis with a standard PSU I can easily repair or swap out without spending a bunch of money

Also did one last scan around for the Compaq Portable 486c since I'd not done it in awhile. Sent some price quote inquiries to another company to see if they had any 128902-001 replacement 640X480 TFT Active Matrix LCD panels around for the Compaq. So far every place I've talked to said the parts were out of stock even when the websites said they were not, not sure if this is just the parts places dicking me around, if it's some kind of way they try to lure you into their site by offering a part they don't really have, or if they just never update their inventories or don't have their inventory system tethered to their website in some way. Once I have the screen for this thing, my portable DOS rig will be up and going.

Making a list for tomorrow's parts hunt....hope to at least find something usable in AS/IS at Re-PC if nothing else....

- 32Kx8 24/32 pin DIP SRAM (TAG for 486, x1)
- 128Kx8 32 pin DIP SRAM (486 Cache RAM, x4)
- 486 DX4-100 or AMD 5x86 or AMD 486 DX4-120 (good luck) CPU and matching active HSF
- XT Power Supply, pref 200 Watt or better
- Baby AT Case

Or if I get stupid lucky and find this case again, I'm snagging it at almost any cost....

Yesterday I found that my Socket 7 mainboard I was writing about some posts above, boot again!! As usual it was my fault forgetting to see one the FSB jumper that was wrong for who knows what final FSB setting. 😁
Now rebuild my K62+ machine and writing with it.

386SX wrote:

Yesterday I found that my Socket 7 mainboard I was writing about some posts above, boot again!! As usual it was my fault forgetting to see one the FSB jumper that was wrong for who knows what final FSB setting. 😁
Now rebuild my K62+ machine and writing with it.

its a little bit mean, but when i hear a guy say such things i'm happy he's not a surgeon 😁 most people should be happy i'm not a surgeon either :>

mrau wrote:

386SX wrote:

Yesterday I found that my Socket 7 mainboard I was writing about some posts above, boot again!! As usual it was my fault forgetting to see one the FSB jumper that was wrong for who knows what final FSB setting. 😁
Now rebuild my K62+ machine and writing with it.

its a little bit mean, but when i hear a guy say such things i'm happy he's not a surgeon 😁 most people should be happy i'm not a surgeon either :>

I don't usually set wrong mainboard jumpers but in this case the last bios update with a patched version convinced me it was that the problem and I missed a single jumper. 😵
But I'm happy it was not the voltages jumpers. 😁

Monday, I kind of finished up my Unisys PW/2 Series 300 restauration and upgrade.
Then I got sick, only today had the strength to take the photo's.

It is still with the standard 640k Ram, so this has to be adressed next. Or not....
Originally with a 20mb MFM harddrive, now with 40mb SCSI.
Originally with Paradise EGA 8bit, now with CL-5424 16bit VGA (thanks to a member).
Originally with PC speaker only, now with a YMF-718/19 soundcard (thanks to another member).
Originally without any optical drive, now with an external 4 speed Yamaha SCSI CD-R drive.

I really begin to like this baby, that are my parents first computer, and the one I learned Dos on.
Things have really come a long way, since the age of MS-Dos 3.3

Rebuild my Athlon 1400, 1,5GB PC133 with some add in the config:

-Asus A9250 RV280 128MB (nice for low power usage considering the cpu...)
-Fastrack SATAII 2300 PCI (nice to add a new sata3 SSD and a new DVD reader)

With linux I got a impressive 140MB/s on writing and 75MB/s in reading (200Mb/s cacheable). Not bad!

The past couple of days included.....

Diagnosing and trying first attempts to repair my newly acquired NEC MultiSync II JC-1409 CRT, I need to clean up the traces, remove some corrosion, and solder in a new DB-9 Female plug to the back as the original one is flaky for a multitude of reasons.

Went to RE-PC yesterday in Seattle and Tukwila and looked around for 80486 and older parts. Did come up with an InWin micro ATX chassis that won't fit anything of my era, but might be handy later for a retro-style modern build of some sort. Started pulling out my 286 parts to put that back in it's original case and put the 486 guts back in the XT case becasue I bought a XT PSU (200 Watt) new in Box off E-Bay for a pretty good price I'm willing to pay. Seems the guy who had them has a lot of them in stock. Then the 486 is going back in the XT Case, the 286 is going back in it's case, and once the CRT is fixed I'll probably free my Tandy from it's unter TV Prison.

The eventual goal is to have the desktop vintage machines (8088, 286, 486) all sitting on the table side by side, ready for play at any time, with vintage or vintage-like hardware so that the experience is much like it was back then. I'm not really interested in much newer than that than just whatever works now for daily regular activities.