BitWrangler wrote on 2021-08-20, 23:45:

Good stuff, where did you get the battery? I have similar model, not quite sure it's the 3765, but rounded bottom, PCMCIA in back. It's acting dead though, even with external power hooked up, hopeful for battery replacement or do you think it will need more?

Finally found the old email from the order. I ordered the battery packs from https://www.batteryspace.com/1-2cratepolymerl … cellspacks.aspx -- they are designed/assembled in the US and tested to meet the claimed specifications per NRTL requirements. So, probably quite a bit better than buying a chinesium battery with no standards held to it where they cheat the mAh and charge/discharge specifications. The prices aren't bad either. I paid $9ea for the batteries. I pretty much buy all my oddball batteries I need from them, and I'm never disappointed.

wiretap wrote on 2021-08-24, 18:46:

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-08-20, 23:45:

Good stuff, where did you get the battery? I have similar model, not quite sure it's the 3765, but rounded bottom, PCMCIA in back. It's acting dead though, even with external power hooked up, hopeful for battery replacement or do you think it will need more?

Finally found the old email from the order. I ordered the battery packs from https://www.batteryspace.com/1-2cratepolymerl … cellspacks.aspx -- they are designed/assembled in the US and tested to meet the claimed specifications per NRTL requirements. So, probably quite a bit better than buying a chinesium battery with no standards held to it where they cheat the mAh and charge/discharge specifications. The prices aren't bad either. I paid $9ea for the batteries. I pretty much buy all my oddball batteries I need from them, and I'm never disappointed.

Awesome, thanks a lot, I might even find replacements for 3 or 4 other things there too.

I've been selling all my stuff - even stuff I previously thought you'd have to prise from my cold, dead hands 6ft underground before I'd let it out my grasp - but it makes me a bit sad even though I know I won't miss the stuff in the slightest. To help with this (one way or another) I decided to have one last hurrah with my 486 before I move it on. I've decided if I complete Monkey Island, Doom 2 and Monkey Island 2 (optional - I just like the Woodtick music) I can sell it without regret.

The Vogons Case makes one last appearance (i'm not sure what to do with this thing to be honest).

It's got a very modern ATX PSU with an AT adapter. The PSU does -5v and it's silent. It's sitting pride of place on my work desk (hence the camera - the case is hopefully out of sight!) as my main PC monitor doesn't have a VGA input Hopefully it can figure out 4:3 aspect ratios...

I'm running an AMD DX2-80 at DX4-100 speeds* with a fan with a Noctua low noise adapter considering it's got a relatively weighty Socket A heatsink on it.
Tomatoboard / Zida 4DPS 2.11
16MB of RAM
STB Lightspeed 128 (which is a Tseng 6000)
Sound Blaster 2.0 with CMS chips (my AWE32 is wrapped and boxed on sale)

It's not, like, "the end" as I am leaving myself a Slot 1 board for all DOS and Windows 98 duties - coincidently what I started with! but I've got an M-ATX case for that. I could complete any of these games on this PC (might have to disable some cache or whatever).

Anyway wish me luck in finally completing those games.

*This CPU runs at 80MHz with a 40MHz bus but 100MHz with a 33MHz bus? 66 with a 25MHz Bus? It's a weird CPU...

Desoldered some parts from defunct CD drives - to be reused for random things - pin blocks, sockets, switches. Reduce reuse recycle 🤣

Almoststew1990 wrote on 2021-08-24, 20:28:

I've been selling all my stuff - even stuff I previously thought you'd have to prise from my cold, dead hands 6ft underground be […]
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I've been selling all my stuff - even stuff I previously thought you'd have to prise from my cold, dead hands 6ft underground before I'd let it out my grasp - but it makes me a bit sad even though I know I won't miss the stuff in the slightest. To help with this (one way or another) I decided to have one last hurrah with my 486 before I move it on. I've decided if I complete Monkey Island, Doom 2 and Monkey Island 2 (optional - I just like the Woodtick music) I can sell it without regret.

The Vogons Case makes one last appearance (i'm not sure what to do with this thing to be honest).

It's got a very modern ATX PSU with an AT adapter. The PSU does -5v and it's silent. It's sitting pride of place on my work desk (hence the camera - the case is hopefully out of sight!) as my main PC monitor doesn't have a VGA input Hopefully it can figure out 4:3 aspect ratios...

I'm running an AMD DX2-80 at DX4-100 speeds* with a fan with a Noctua low noise adapter considering it's got a relatively weighty Socket A heatsink on it.
Tomatoboard / Zida 4DPS 2.11
16MB of RAM
STB Lightspeed 128 (which is a Tseng 6000)
Sound Blaster 2.0 with CMS chips (my AWE32 is wrapped and boxed on sale)

It's not, like, "the end" as I am leaving myself a Slot 1 board for all DOS and Windows 98 duties - coincidently what I started with! but I've got an M-ATX case for that. I could complete any of these games on this PC (might have to disable some cache or whatever).

Anyway wish me luck in finally completing those games.

*This CPU runs at 80MHz with a 40MHz bus but 100MHz with a 33MHz bus? 66 with a 25MHz Bus? It's a weird CPU...

May I ask, out of interest, what general sort of thing spurred you to make this abrupt divestment? You don't have to give detail if you don't want to, I'm interested in the broader picture, e.g. whether it's related to moving, taking up too much space, life changes, mental health, etc. (if privacy is a concern, then naturally please ignore this!)

Tested out a free Samsung synchmaster 906bw. It takes like 5 minutes for it to warm up and display a picture. Im betting it'll need a recap.

Unless it's the actual heater in the tube burned out, then it's 1950s TV emulation mode even after a recap.

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-08-25, 02:45:

Unless it's the actual heater in the tube burned out, then it's 1950s TV emulation mode even after a recap.

I will pop it open and check the caps, if they look good I'll just recycle it. Ha, I also bought a early 2000's Colby5inch black and white portable tv to hook up to my P4 ati-all-in-wonder setup to watch some old movies on. It was $5 !

Also found a slot load Pioneer ide dvd drive for $4 to use as a spare since iv been giving away my crappier working drives.

Testing the AT clone case I pulled out of my parents' attic. It held our family's first PC, a 286 with EGA graphics, 40MB hard drive, and 287 FPU (to run AutoCAD). I have a pic of the actual system when it was new!

polpo wrote on 2021-08-25, 04:57:

Testing the AT clone case I pulled out of my parents' attic. It held our family's first PC, a 286 with EGA graphics, 40MB hard drive, and 287 FPU (to run AutoCAD). I have a pic of the actual system when it was new!
E17p0qVWYAIVius.jpg
E9RlO-zVgAMgDuO.jpg

Very cool although a little sad that it was picked apart, those drive bays scream to be filled up! Does it have any original accessories like CRT or keyboard for instance?

Shreddoc wrote on 2021-08-24, 22:24:

May I ask, out of interest, what general sort of thing spurred you to make this abrupt divestment? You don't have to give detail if you don't want to, I'm interested in the broader picture, e.g. whether it's related to moving, taking up too much space, life changes, mental health, etc. (if privacy is a concern, then naturally please ignore this!)

I guess it's mental health really. I have too much stuff that that never got used. I am constantly building and rebuilding PCs that are slightly different but otherwise all do the same job in the quest for 'perfection'. It doesn't help that I'm now down to a hdmi port on a 1440p screen, Display Port and a VGA input on a 1080p screen that is crap at doing 4:3 resolutions, all due to my work arrangements, so now I am constantly swapping out what works where. I just don't really need eight different ways to play my disk games!

Because of this poor VGA scaling the 486 will now be getting an upgrade to a Matrox G450 PCI that has a DVI output. So I'll be running a SB2.0 based PC using a DVI to HDMI cable, a very weird mix of old and new!

I stayed up late and installed dos in style!

ODwilly wrote on 2021-08-25, 02:52:

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-08-25, 02:45:

Unless it's the actual heater in the tube burned out, then it's 1950s TV emulation mode even after a recap.

I will pop it open and check the caps, if they look good I'll just recycle it.

If you get the datasheet for the tube, you can check the heater pins for continuity. Then if it's no go, there's one more trick if you were determined to save it... Ever had a filament light bulb blow in one spot, but when you tapped it the ends flailed around, with power still applied if you tapped it right, they might weld together when they touch and then the bulb works for another few week? Well that could work with a heater filament in a CRT, however, you'd probably need the tube right out, give it some freedom of movement, connect power inline with an ammeter, and ping it gently with a rubber mallet until you see the ammeter register current flow... it will be sensitive to additional knocks now, but for now it's connected. For longest "bonus life" I would then make sure to add resistance inline to compensate the ~10% length it lost (Otherwise it's running that 10% hotter, and putting 10% more demand on heater circuit) You'll probably need a high watt resistor or a convenient filament bulb of a few ohms. Anyhoo, that would be a last ditch kinda thing. Also you don't wanna put the tube face down ever after this, or if intending to put up with the warmup time on a blown heater, as there might be heater fragments floating around and you don't want them in the aperture grille or on the phosphor making shadows.

ODwilly wrote on 2021-08-25, 02:52:

Ha, I also bought a early 2000's Colby5inch black and white portable tv to hook up to my P4 ati-all-in-wonder setup to watch some old movies on. It was $5 !

Heh yeah I have a Curtis and Durabrand 5" B/W, they're super similar but not quite identical, think they're all "store brand" badge engineered. They've got composite input and a super large battery bay underneath. You can cram a Pi in there, examples of that on the web, or guts of an android box. I was planning to build one of those retro style arduino 8 bit games into one of them. Both mine need a going over though, one has developed a vertical kink and one a horizontal kink in the picture (folded over) I did have the Durabrand hooked to the Ati Rage composite out on my compaq armada and played a couple of levels of DN3D on it for giggles. One of them might get deployed for CGA if/when I get PC/XT to 286 machines going and run out of monitors.

Joakim wrote on 2021-08-25, 07:04:

polpo wrote on 2021-08-25, 04:57:

Testing the AT clone case I pulled out of my parents' attic. It held our family's first PC, a 286 with EGA graphics, 40MB hard drive, and 287 FPU (to run AutoCAD). I have a pic of the actual system when it was new!
E17p0qVWYAIVius.jpg
E9RlO-zVgAMgDuO.jpg

Very cool although a little sad that it was picked apart, those drive bays scream to be filled up! Does it have any original accessories like CRT or keyboard for instance?

It is sad that it was picked apart. The floppies were carried over to the next couple PCs, a 386sx16 and 486dx33and I have no idea what happened to them after that. And the motherboard is long gone. There are a few surviving accessories: the EGA monitor is still in the attic and I still have the Mouse Systems optical serial mouse, complete with the mouse pad it requires!

Holy crap that mouse is awesome.

I had a very similar mouse when I had my IBM PCJr.

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2021-08-25, 15:16:

I had a very similar mouse when I had my IBM PCJr.

Yep. Same. I think most PCjr owners had one of those.

I still wish I had that computer and not sold it but at the time money and space we're very tight. I had it quite maxed out too even had the special monitor and printer. It did go to a good home the guy was a avid collector of IBM hardware.

My ATX-64 is finally done, and working. I did it correct and did no solder mistakes. Like. That is awesomme.
Anyway.... Did a video and uploaded to my Youtube channel.

IT'S ALIVE..... ALIVE!!!!!

I have even modded the Kernal ROM and personalised it, with the use of a HEX editor.

pampilhoso wrote on 2021-08-23, 22:05:

Today was a perfect day for some retrobright with a blue sky and with 34°c degrees outside. I decided to retrobright these some […]
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Today was a perfect day for some retrobright with a blue sky and with 34°c degrees outside. I decided to retrobright these somewhat rare Compaq beige speakers. I gave a good cleaning with warm soapy water to remove the annoying scratches and scuffs.
The speakers were very yellowed as you can see in the second photo comparing the circles that were covered by stickers.
Sun exposure was around 3 hours and I'm pretty happy the results! Tomorrow I will take care of the second speaker.

240437424_4223186711052496_4302124702125615191_n.jpeg
240437432_4223187107719123_105306694363417631_n.jpeg
240487065_4224033640967803_6073151260559675825_n.jpeg
20210823_175759.jpg
240376692_4224032100967957_9018871384803514405_n.jpeg

Cont.

So the speakers grill were also showing some signs of rust on the back side, so I decided to give a paint job, removed the rust/paint, applied primary and a darker grey to give a more premium look. In the future I may rollback to the original lighter gray but for now I will stick it with it 😀

For reference the model number of the speakers is 288839-001.

And everything put together