RetroLizard wrote on 2021-01-08, 05:55:

Shagittarius wrote on 2021-01-08, 05:53:

RetroLizard wrote on 2021-01-08, 05:51:

So, I have this card lying around, which appears to be a ATi Radeon 9700? […]
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So, I have this card lying around, which appears to be a ATi Radeon 9700?

According to this http://www.playtool.com/pages/agpcompat/agp.h … versalagp30card, ATi Radeon 9700 is compatible with an AGP 2x slot in theory, but it doesn't seem to work in my i440BX board. Maybe it's dead?

Not to discourage your efforts but it wouldn't be uncommon for a Radeon 9X00 series to be DOA.

Ah, a shame. Are there any visible signs that it's dead, other then plugging it in and checking?

I'm sorry I don't know of any physical signs that would be indicative. Plug and Pray.

Shagittarius wrote on 2021-01-08, 06:10:

RetroLizard wrote on 2021-01-08, 05:55:

Shagittarius wrote on 2021-01-08, 05:53:

Not to discourage your efforts but it wouldn't be uncommon for a Radeon 9X00 series to be DOA.

Ah, a shame. Are there any visible signs that it's dead, other then plugging it in and checking?

I'm sorry I don't know of any physical signs that would be indicative. Plug and Pray.

It's not a big loss, so I guess it's just time to move on. Got the card for free, alongside the FX5200 I bought for a different computer, so there's that.

RetroLizard wrote on 2021-01-08, 06:15:

Shagittarius wrote on 2021-01-08, 06:10:

RetroLizard wrote on 2021-01-08, 05:55:

Ah, a shame. Are there any visible signs that it's dead, other then plugging it in and checking?

I'm sorry I don't know of any physical signs that would be indicative. Plug and Pray.

It's not a big loss, so I guess it's just time to move on. Got the card for free, alongside the FX5200 I bought for a different computer, so there's that.

You could always try another motherboard to be sure.

I mean, I already did try it out before, and the computer turned off pretty quickly, so I'm guessing it's just a defective card.

Fixed the NOS Citizen W1D floppy drive by oiling the motor shaft bearing for the gears and used a screwdriver to turn the gears clockwise and counterclockwise to free it up and also reseated the ribbon cable.

Bought another Versa M/75, had to fight with Paypal so I could use my $10 gift card......GRRR......wound up not using it because of such. Which also sucks because any selling of PC Stuff this year will have to wait as my PayPal account is royally jacked up and I'm having to wait for e-mails from them to get it resolved. Can't even login.

New rule to self, don't scrap the case even if it's cracked apart badly. I've been binge watching/listening to videos on how to mold with Alumilite and Silicone molds so I can start reproducing plastic parts, looking at baking soda and superglue - to supplant to my case repair and part replacement methods. Also, if molding goes good, I might be able to make my own guitar pedal enclosures, custom PC cases with faceplates, and so on, using wood fabrications (I build guitars, this PC case stuff out of wood is EASY) to make "masters".

Also did a bunch of binge research the other night on the 3M Touch Screen, Might be able to use a replacement from China for cheap, one of the 10.4" ones, 5 wire, should work, then modify a 3M Stylus to work with it as well.

I also did the thumbnail for the last Versa video for awhile, after these, I'm focusing on getting a TNDY card for the GEM 286, and hopping the Tandy 1000A to a NEC V20 and 8087, and fabricating a custom hardcard attachment for the Tandy so I Can put the second floppy drive back in - effectively making it a "sleeper".

creepingnet wrote on 2021-01-08, 18:28:

New rule to self, don't scrap the case even if it's cracked apart badly. I've been binge watching/listening to videos on how to mold with Alumilite and Silicone molds so I can start reproducing plastic parts, looking at baking soda and superglue - to supplant to my case repair and part replacement methods. Also, if molding goes good, I might be able to make my own guitar pedal enclosures, custom PC cases with faceplates, and so on, using wood fabrications (I build guitars, this PC case stuff out of wood is EASY) to make "masters".

Good approach, it seems we all share the same problems. I’m educating myself in hobby style CNC milling (MPCNC) right now just to tackle these kind of challenges. Instead of silicone molds I’ll try to make my own aluminum or wooden molds.

Hmm... retro activity. I think this counts?

I just cobbled a quick fix for the loose arms on the 10 year old Herman Miller Aeron chair I picked up a few months ago. The chair was a bit cruddy but the mesh was all intact and all the functions worked, aside from the loose arm height adjusters (lock lever style). To my astonishment, THESE are the parts that aren't user replaceable? Good to know now after reading all this stuff about them being the "last office chair you'll ever buy". I wanted a chair I could replace parts on to keep long term, and that had decent ergonomics. I thought basically anything that could be wrong with them was just a matter of unbolting and replacing... except the arm height adjusters are built into the whole bottom frame, which are the only bad part on this one. I got the idea to just loosen the arm levers and insert some folded up sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil on either side, so that when I tighten it down there is more for it to hold onto. We'll see how long it lasts, but I always use the arms at full height anyway, so this feels more comfortable and totally rock solid now. 100% free is nice too. 😀

I dismantled and cleaned the chair thoroughly and it looks great. I paid about $200 for it, and I feel it was a good price, considering a new one is $1200. I've been using cheap Staples chairs or second hand chairs for years. There aren't any decent furniture stores near me where I could try things out (especially during the pandemic), so I was left with either ordering a $400-$500 "mid range" chair based solely on anecdotes online, or, sitting in a busted up Aeron, buying it, cleaning it up and either keeping it or selling it for a sizable profit back home. I was traveling several hundred miles to buy a used car (had to travel 450 miles one way to get a car that had never seen road salt) and thankfully, I bought the car, because the chair was available at the halfway point on the return trip and there's no way it would have fit in my old vehicle. 😀

Anyway, old chair... used for computing... or something. I think it's relevant... shhh...

Shagittarius wrote on 2021-01-08, 06:21:

RetroLizard wrote on 2021-01-08, 06:15:

Shagittarius wrote on 2021-01-08, 06:10:

I'm sorry I don't know of any physical signs that would be indicative. Plug and Pray.

It's not a big loss, so I guess it's just time to move on. Got the card for free, alongside the FX5200 I bought for a different computer, so there's that.

You could always try another motherboard to be sure.

False alarm. I removed some jumpers from my 440BX board, and the card works fine now.

RetroLizard wrote on 2021-01-09, 00:01:

Shagittarius wrote on 2021-01-08, 06:21:

RetroLizard wrote on 2021-01-08, 06:15:

It's not a big loss, so I guess it's just time to move on. Got the card for free, alongside the FX5200 I bought for a different computer, so there's that.

You could always try another motherboard to be sure.

False alarm. I removed some jumpers from my 440BX board, and the card works fine now.

Glad to hear it!

Also, Windows 98's Device Manager lists the card as an ATi Radeon 9500 Pro/Radeon 9700. Any idea why?

Both cards (9500Pro and 9700 series) share fully functional R300 chip, so this is correct way for driver to recognize it.
I own one 9500Pro that gets recognized as 9700Pro for some reason, which is more unusual.
For the sake of card's longevity, you should replace stock cooler with Zalman VF700/VF900 or Arctic Cooling ATI Silencer 1 (not VGA Silencer!). Chip has tendency to cook itself and die under flat surface coolers, since it is sitting a bit lower then a shim sorounding it's PCB.
Other way to do it is to remove the shim, which is more tricky (I wasn't able to do it even on a dead card).
Don't try to change thermal paste with stock cooler, leave it as it is before you get something better.

Noted. I'll keep that in mind.

Ozzuneoj wrote on 2021-01-08, 20:27:

Hmm... retro activity. I think this counts?

I just cobbled a quick fix for the loose arms on the 10 year old Herman Miller Aeron chair I picked up a few months ago.
Anyway, old chair... used for computing... or something. I think it's relevant... shhh...

Good Job ! Got a picture ? That fits in my retro mentality ! Always good fixing anything we personally think is retro.
My Uncle gave me a old desk chair and matching office chair about 20 years ago and they are still in good condition.
Tonite after a few beers fired up my Kenwood KR-8010 and played some AC-DC on the Denon DCM-360 tonight.
Both still work well, the receiver is older than any parts mentioned here and the Denon is Pentium era 😀
OK guess we should get back to computers ;p

Horun wrote on 2021-01-09, 05:11:

Good Job ! Got a picture ? That fits in my retro mentality ! Always good fixing anything we personally think is retro. My Uncle […]
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Ozzuneoj wrote on 2021-01-08, 20:27:

Hmm... retro activity. I think this counts?

I just cobbled a quick fix for the loose arms on the 10 year old Herman Miller Aeron chair I picked up a few months ago.
Anyway, old chair... used for computing... or something. I think it's relevant... shhh...

Good Job ! Got a picture ? That fits in my retro mentality ! Always good fixing anything we personally think is retro.
My Uncle gave me a old desk chair and matching office chair about 20 years ago and they are still in good condition.
Tonite after a few beers fired up my Kenwood KR-8010 and played some AC-DC on the Denon DCM-360 tonight.
Both still work well, the receiver is older than any parts mentioned here and the Denon is Pentium era 😀
OK guess we should get back to computers ;p

Funny you mention old stereos. I actually rebuilt a Pioneer SX780 a few months back as my first amplifier restoration project. Complete with new DIY amp boards to replace the original non-repairable (and easily damaged) STK units. It worked out beautifully. I never found a good home for it anywhere else in the house, mainly because my best speakers are part of the home theater, which this doesn't work well for since there is no remote and it won't fit in the entertainment center. Sooo... it is now under the monitor on my main desk. It drives the C-Note speakers I built "well"... I have have that in quotes because it has so much extra power that I would totally annihilate these speakers if I wasn't careful. 🤣

At some point I plan to hook up the midi stack I have been accumulating to the SX780 so I can play midi files from my main PC using a Roland UM-ONE. I now have an early MT-32, CM-64, SC-55(GS Only), and a Yamaha TG-100 hooked together. Just a matter of running some cables and enjoying the high fidelity boops and beeps. 😁

Got this "Apple killer" running.

More of a pre-activity than an activity. I'm trying to limit my purchases because I already have trouble storing the stuff I have, but came up a couple of thing locally which would be really nice to have and all of them for decent prices.

Sparkle single slot 8800GT 512MB - Price 18$
- The 8800GT is a very common card I can buy any time for a similar price or even cheaper, so it's most likely a skip for now. The thing is, I'd like a good period correct replacement for the 8800 Ultra in my C2Q build. It's too rare and valuable (and hot and loud) to overuse it.

Gainward 2-slot 8800GT 1GB - Price: 10$
- It should probably be more silent and cooler than the Sparkle, though for a mATX board and case it'd make the PC a little cramped.

Galaxy 7600GT - Price: 12$
- I'm not at all hyped to get a 7600GT. I think they are awesome for a budget XP build, and can be reliably found for a low price. However the selling point for me is the Zalman VF700 AL cooler which I could use on much more interesting cards, like my notoriously hot Radeon 9800 Pro and resell the 7600 with a different cooler and maybe breaking even.

ASUS EN7900GT 256MB with Zalman VF900 CU - Price: 18$
- I would rather have a GTX, but it's really cheap as it is. It also comes with its original box.

ASUS EAX1950XT 256MB - Price: 25$
- Same as with the 7900, I would rather have an XTX. It's also somewhat tied to the 7900 as I'd like something in the same price bracket as that one as the last performance/high-end DX9 cards form each manufacturer. And both of them are ASUS. Though this one doesn't come with a box.

As for actual activity, I sold my 450MHz Katmai PIII alongside with some other stuff (HP SCSI DAT drive with a handful of brand new cassettes; brand new unopened OEM W95 CD; WinNT CD with manual). I felt it to be a little redundant, since I have a 450MHz Deschutes PII and a 500MHz Katmai PIII. I should probably sell 2 out of the 3 Klamath-300 I have. That's even more redundant. And further downsize my collection so I can get stuff without remorse.

sf78 wrote on 2021-01-09, 12:01:

Got this "Apple killer" running.
apricot.jpg
apricot2.jpg

What spec is that, 8088 or 286 or later?

I used to have an older Apricot PC (a Sirius 1, branded under the older ACT company name) which had an 8088 but it wasn't IBM PC compatible. Is this the same with the later Apricot systems or is that IBM compatible?

Spent a few hours figuring out, or at least trying to, CF card issues. For now it seems that my newly built retro den will house my software titles and some tumbleweed.

OK maybe my Siemens Noxdorf :F

@fool out of nothing, I'm just curious, how did you took your pictures ? they seem a bit different from what we use to see.