SolderIron
Super Member
Me.
-
Feeling lucky? Check out the AK 24th Anniversary Giveaway thread and join in the fun!
C'mon Guys, Fess Up
- Thread starter spok
- Start date
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
Forgot the H/Z computer stuff!
I built some peripherals for an H-89 (2 MHz Z-80A CPU) we had in grad school: Double-disk drive (5.25" hard sector floppies; remember those?), accessory boards, stuff like that. Also helped a friend build an H-19 (the terminal/monitor part of the H-89).
I built some peripherals for an H-89 (2 MHz Z-80A CPU) we had in grad school: Double-disk drive (5.25" hard sector floppies; remember those?), accessory boards, stuff like that. Also helped a friend build an H-19 (the terminal/monitor part of the H-89).
dshoaf
That high voltage buzz
Ok, now we've morphed into old-school computer building:
* Built a number of S-100 systems back in the 70s. Wire-wrapped the boards, built the power supplies, wired the memory and floppy controllers.
* Bit switched boot loaders via front panels - anyone remember the Altair?
* Wrote the drivers for the CP/M operating system, assembled all the bits onto floppies. I note that Al Shugart died last year - he was running a small VC firm just down the street from my house in Santa Cruz at the time. Anyone remember those 8" floppy drives his firm made?
* Rewired an old TV and build a video card so I could use that new word-processor thing called WordStar. You have to poke (Basic anyone?) the keystroke codes into memory so you could use your keyboard with it.
* Purchased a copy of a Basic programming language on ROM from a struggling outfit called Microsoft in 1977. Most of us used an assembler and thought in machine language.
* Joined the DARPA system of interlinked computers found mostly on college campuses. You had to know how they were interconnected so you could send an electronic mail message to someone else - no directories existed; you had to keep up with the connection changes each day. It was the early days of what we now know as the Internet.
* Most software was passed around as text files of computer language listings - at 300 bps or, if you had the $$ to spend, at 1200 bps. You captured it to a file as it came across the screen in what was known as TTY format - so called because a number of folks still used cast off Teletype machines from the Cold War along with paper tape punch/readers.
* A guy named Ward Christensen developed a cool assembly language program that took executable programs and repackaged them so they could be sent as a text file - the protocol was called XModem and became what would come to be known as a Freeware hit. All those who were connected, contributed features to the original program since we all had access to the assembly language code. After the introduction of the original IBM PC in 1981, this sort of collaborative software development process didn't take off again until the late 90s.
Ok, enough of highjacking the thread......sorry....
Cheers,
David
* Built a number of S-100 systems back in the 70s. Wire-wrapped the boards, built the power supplies, wired the memory and floppy controllers.
* Bit switched boot loaders via front panels - anyone remember the Altair?
* Wrote the drivers for the CP/M operating system, assembled all the bits onto floppies. I note that Al Shugart died last year - he was running a small VC firm just down the street from my house in Santa Cruz at the time. Anyone remember those 8" floppy drives his firm made?
* Rewired an old TV and build a video card so I could use that new word-processor thing called WordStar. You have to poke (Basic anyone?) the keystroke codes into memory so you could use your keyboard with it.
* Purchased a copy of a Basic programming language on ROM from a struggling outfit called Microsoft in 1977. Most of us used an assembler and thought in machine language.
* Joined the DARPA system of interlinked computers found mostly on college campuses. You had to know how they were interconnected so you could send an electronic mail message to someone else - no directories existed; you had to keep up with the connection changes each day. It was the early days of what we now know as the Internet.
* Most software was passed around as text files of computer language listings - at 300 bps or, if you had the $$ to spend, at 1200 bps. You captured it to a file as it came across the screen in what was known as TTY format - so called because a number of folks still used cast off Teletype machines from the Cold War along with paper tape punch/readers.
* A guy named Ward Christensen developed a cool assembly language program that took executable programs and repackaged them so they could be sent as a text file - the protocol was called XModem and became what would come to be known as a Freeware hit. All those who were connected, contributed features to the original program since we all had access to the assembly language code. After the introduction of the original IBM PC in 1981, this sort of collaborative software development process didn't take off again until the late 90s.
Ok, enough of highjacking the thread......sorry....
Cheers,
David
I still have a working Heath H-89 (Z80, CPM) computer, and a working Heath/Zenith LSI-11 (a kit Digital PDP-1103) computer, and various other stuff round about.
Still have my very 1st kit, a strobe light, likely a Knight Kit. Aslo have a working Bell-and Howell kit O'scope.
I have a full-up IMSAI-8080 computer, with all the trimmings and lots of peripherals as well, including a genuine SOROC video teletype terminal...
Enjoy,
Rich P
Still have my very 1st kit, a strobe light, likely a Knight Kit. Aslo have a working Bell-and Howell kit O'scope.
I have a full-up IMSAI-8080 computer, with all the trimmings and lots of peripherals as well, including a genuine SOROC video teletype terminal...
Enjoy,
Rich P
Mark W.
Nut house of the Universe
To the best of my Knowledge My dad built:
A 6 volt tube CB I haven't been able to figure out the model number yet.
A GW-21 CB
A Tube table radio I still have
A Mohican SW receiver I still have
A Metal Detector
I was a little to young to build anything during the time he was doing it. And it sames by the time I was I was into other things.
A 6 volt tube CB I haven't been able to figure out the model number yet.
A GW-21 CB
A Tube table radio I still have
A Mohican SW receiver I still have
A Metal Detector
I was a little to young to build anything during the time he was doing it. And it sames by the time I was I was into other things.
webbb
Active Member
Well Rich, it was in your very town that I populated a 48k (yes K) memory board for the Altair 8800. Another lab had the Imsai 8080. And I've toggled in the bootstrap loader for HP 5100 (maybe I forgot the right model number) machines with paper tape. Don't miss that !! Wrote a chromatography data package in assembly. Ugh.
After swapping platters around in surplus Data General drives (5 megs per 12 inch platter), we booted one up and it said "Hi, I am an 84 inch telescope, what do you want to look at today?" I think that one came from Kitt Peak but not sure anymore.
Back to thread topics - I got heathkit amp and tuner built by my Dad's friend as my first stereo, complete with manuals. Both dead in the garage at the moment, probably will stay that way. Then I built Dynaco PAT-4 preamp and FM-5 tuner. Bought a Stereo 400 from somebody who built it - faster that way - to run the dreamed for DQ-10s that I never actually bought because I heard Tad Dad's Qysonic Array instead. He's posted a few above in this thread. Small world.
Mr. Snoid
Feats Don't Fail Me Now
The Heath computer that I built only had the POS tape reader and tape puncher as its I/O device
Heath Heaven
I started building heathkits when I was in high school. I still have the V-6 Vtvm that was my first Heathkit. It is still useable, as are the following: Heathkit signal tracer, sine/square wave oscillator, impedance bridge, capacitor checker, tape recorder electronics, and ham gear: HR-1680 receiver, HX-1681 CW transmitter, HX-11 transmitter, VF-1 vfo. I built heathkit power amplifiers for one of my employers. I built other Heath audio kits as well, mostly gone. Their products were well engineered and represented good value. The Japanese competition put them out of business by selling finished products that cost less than Heath's kits.
Building and using Heathkits was an integral part of my practical "training" in electronics, amateur radio, and audio. I wish they were still around.
2chanman
I started building heathkits when I was in high school. I still have the V-6 Vtvm that was my first Heathkit. It is still useable, as are the following: Heathkit signal tracer, sine/square wave oscillator, impedance bridge, capacitor checker, tape recorder electronics, and ham gear: HR-1680 receiver, HX-1681 CW transmitter, HX-11 transmitter, VF-1 vfo. I built heathkit power amplifiers for one of my employers. I built other Heath audio kits as well, mostly gone. Their products were well engineered and represented good value. The Japanese competition put them out of business by selling finished products that cost less than Heath's kits.
Building and using Heathkits was an integral part of my practical "training" in electronics, amateur radio, and audio. I wish they were still around.
2chanman
carolinabirdman
Active Member
I used to live about two miles from the Heath Co. plant in Benton Harbor Mi. I was on the "proof-build list and got to build and keep many of their products, both audio and test equipment. After building I would return the finished kit to the factory for review. What they were doing was testing the assembly manuals.
gouldsborogr
Active Member
I never built any myself, but I used one of their old guitar amps for a while that a friend had built...at the time I thought it sounded pretty cool. That thing kicked around for years; I wouldn't doubt it if someone was still using it. Same guy used one of their power amps for his stereo for awhile.
Similar threads
