Wow, that is very cool. Didn't know this thing existed.

I assume you have the requisite basic electronics skills and know to take the thing apart and replace the electrolytics, check for bad tantalums, etc?

wowbobwow wrote on 2023-07-13, 14:31:

That wild feeling when you pop into a local junk store and spot a computer you weren’t sure you’d ever see in person, let alone […]
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That wild feeling when you pop into a local junk store and spot a computer you weren’t sure you’d ever see in person, let alone own… After some successful haggling, I’m now the delighted owner of a Dynalogic Hyperion!

The shopkeeper said that it didn’t power on, and I noticed what might be some small burn marks on the power cord socket on the rear. It also didn’t come with any software or anything, so I’ll definitely have some work to do to bring it back to life. Honestly, this thing is so cool that I think it will be worth whatever it takes to get it running again.

Tips, advice and suggestions are very welcome - I really want to bring this remarkable machine back to life!

Cool inded! - there does seem to be plenty info, videoes, resources etc online which will hopefully help with the restoration. Here's an old ad for it (after Dynalogic were taken over by Bytec)

To reinforce the cool (I think 😀 ) it even made a brief appearance in an episode of Airwolf - https://www.starringthecomputer.com/computer.html?c=155

keenmaster486 wrote on 2023-07-13, 15:18:

Wow, that is very cool. Didn't know this thing existed.

I assume you have the requisite basic electronics skills and know to take the thing apart and replace the electrolytics, check for bad tantalums, etc?

At this point, I would classify my electronic repair skills as "enthusiastic amateur" - I've successfully recapped a few power supplies and floppy drives, repaired the Composite video jack on my Apple III, etc. That said, I don't own an oscilloscope or logic analyzer, and wouldn't know what to do with them if I did. I'm hoping that I can get this machine going again with my basic skills, but I'm totally willing to engage the services of a skilled repairperson if or when my limited skills prove insufficient 😀

Cool inded! - there does seem to be plenty info, videoes, resources etc online which will hopefully help with the restoration. Here's an old ad for it (after Dynalogic were taken over by Bytec)

hyperion.jpg

To reinforce the cool (I think 😀 ) it even made a brief appearance in an episode of Airwolf - https://www.starringthecomputer.com/computer.html?c=155

Oh man, I love this stuff - thank you for sharing!

The Hyperion is so glad he got rescued. I can almost see him beaming with joy 😁

256K, odd floppy format and semi compatible with some programs and needs specific DOS.

Cheers,

pentiumspeed wrote on 2023-07-13, 19:02:

256K, odd floppy format and semi compatible with some programs and needs specific DOS.

Cheers,

Haha - when you say it that way, what's not to love?! 😁

I'm back with a few new Hyperion questions:

1. I keep seeing references to the Hyperion having "320k" drives, whereas a typical IBM PC of the day was known as having "360k" drives. Is there actually any meaningful difference once you've accounted for DOS formatting? If I have a bootable DOS disk from a typical PC, should I expect it to work in the Hyperion, or do I need to account for a more exotic format?
2. I've also seen references to a Hyperion expansion module which allowed for hard drives and expansion slots (unclear if ISA or something custom), but other than fine-print references in old Hyperion ads, I can't find any info about such an expansion. Did they actually exist? What did they look like? Would the system still have been "portable" with an expansion installed, or did that effectively turn it into a stationary / traditional desktop system?
3. The rear of the machine has some typical ports, and then one very weird D-sub connector with 3 rows of offset pins. What is that for? Does that connect to the expansion system noted above, or something else?

Thanks for any more info you guys can offer!

PM sent.

wowbobwow wrote on 2023-07-13, 21:45:

I'm back with a few new Hyperion questions: […]
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I'm back with a few new Hyperion questions:

1. I keep seeing references to the Hyperion having "320k" drives, whereas a typical IBM PC of the day was known as having "360k" drives. Is there actually any meaningful difference once you've accounted for DOS formatting? If I have a bootable DOS disk from a typical PC, should I expect it to work in the Hyperion, or do I need to account for a more exotic format?
2. I've also seen references to a Hyperion expansion module which allowed for hard drives and expansion slots (unclear if ISA or something custom), but other than fine-print references in old Hyperion ads, I can't find any info about such an expansion. Did they actually exist? What did they look like? Would the system still have been "portable" with an expansion installed, or did that effectively turn it into a stationary / traditional desktop system?
3. The rear of the machine has some typical ports, and then one very weird D-sub connector with 3 rows of offset pins. What is that for? Does that connect to the expansion system noted above, or something else?

Thanks for any more info you guys can offer!

Yeah, that 3 row connector is for the expansion unit, the Hyperion ex - https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/items/show/326

This links to their full Dynalogic collection - https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/collections/show/7

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2023-07-14, 13:33:

Yeah, that 3 row connector is for the expansion unit, the Hyperion ex - https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/items/show/326 […]
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wowbobwow wrote on 2023-07-13, 21:45:

I'm back with a few new Hyperion questions: […]
Show full quote

I'm back with a few new Hyperion questions:

1. I keep seeing references to the Hyperion having "320k" drives, whereas a typical IBM PC of the day was known as having "360k" drives. Is there actually any meaningful difference once you've accounted for DOS formatting? If I have a bootable DOS disk from a typical PC, should I expect it to work in the Hyperion, or do I need to account for a more exotic format?
2. I've also seen references to a Hyperion expansion module which allowed for hard drives and expansion slots (unclear if ISA or something custom), but other than fine-print references in old Hyperion ads, I can't find any info about such an expansion. Did they actually exist? What did they look like? Would the system still have been "portable" with an expansion installed, or did that effectively turn it into a stationary / traditional desktop system?
3. The rear of the machine has some typical ports, and then one very weird D-sub connector with 3 rows of offset pins. What is that for? Does that connect to the expansion system noted above, or something else?

Thanks for any more info you guys can offer!

Yeah, that 3 row connector is for the expansion unit, the Hyperion ex - https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/items/show/326

This links to their full Dynalogic collection - https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/collections/show/7

Hyperion ex.jpg

WOW that is awesome - thank you for the link and pic! I guess when I saw references to an "expansion chassis" I was picturing something that attached to the back of the Hyperion - maybe something like the expansion modules that could be bolted onto some early Compaq portable machines. This thing is NOT what I was expecting, in a very cool way! Now it makes sense that they could offer hard drives and 7 expansion slots - it's HUGE!