On 16 Jan 2014 07:00, Mark Wickens <mark at wickensonline.co.uk> wrote: > > On 15/01/2014 22:35, Cory Smelosky wrote: >> >> On Wed, 15 Jan 2014, Dave McGuire wrote: >> >>> On 01/15/2014 04:28 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote: >>>> >>>> They are line printers. Which means they are large, heavy, fast, and >>>> very noisy. I have not seen any in the last 20 years now. I remember >>>> when we dragged an LP14 out of the computer room. Two people with >>>> shoulder straps, and we barely managed to lift it an inch off the floor >>>> while dragging it out. >>>> >>>> I really like the line printers, but they are not for home use... But >>>> they work fine on a PDP-11 as well. You just need an LP11 card in the >>>> machine. (Or LPV11 if you're a Qbus person.) >>> >>> >>> I have an LP26, an LP27, two LXY21s, and a Genicom (forgot what model, >>> but as I understand it it's still a current model) line printer here. >>> Great stuff. >>> >>> I see no reason why these would "not be for home use". ;) >>> >> >> They're fine for /our/ homes...but not perhaps for everyone. ;) >> >>> -Dave >>> >>> >> > I searched for DEC LP27 printer and came across this treasure chest: http://www1.appstate.edu/~jmm/operations.tour.html > Not sure it'll be the same since the last update in 1994! >
Interestingly enough, here in sunny Perth, WA the state owned ticketing office was called BOCS and ran entirely on VAXen and other DEC equipment, using software they developed, right up until they were shut down. I wonder if the VAX mentioned on that page, called bocs, is/was running the same stuff.
Regards, Tim.
On Wed, 15 Jan 2014, Dave McGuire wrote:
On 01/15/2014 01:37 PM, Paul_Koning at Dell.com wrote:
The LA180 receive-only printer was, I think, a derivative of the
LA36, not the LA120. The 1976 Peripheral handbook seems to support
that. Note that there also was an LA35, a receive-only variant of
the LA36. The difference is that the LA35 had a serial interface
while the LA180 had a parallel (line printer style) interface.
The LA180 has more in common with the LA120 than the LA36. There is
also a serially-interfaced variant of the LA180, which has a
serial-to-parallel (*NOT* "Centronics" parallel, for others reading
this) converter board mounted internally.
That's...quite interesting. Why is it parallel internally...
-Dave
--
Cory Smelosky
http://gewt.net Personal stuff
http://gimme-sympathy.org Projects
On 15/01/2014 22:35, Cory Smelosky wrote:
On Wed, 15 Jan 2014, Dave McGuire wrote:
On 01/15/2014 04:28 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote:
They are line printers. Which means they are large, heavy, fast, and
very noisy. I have not seen any in the last 20 years now. I remember
when we dragged an LP14 out of the computer room. Two people with
shoulder straps, and we barely managed to lift it an inch off the floor
while dragging it out.
I really like the line printers, but they are not for home use... But
they work fine on a PDP-11 as well. You just need an LP11 card in the
machine. (Or LPV11 if you're a Qbus person.)
I have an LP26, an LP27, two LXY21s, and a Genicom (forgot what model,
but as I understand it it's still a current model) line printer here.
Great stuff.
I see no reason why these would "not be for home use". ;)
They're fine for /our/ homes...but not perhaps for everyone. ;)
-Dave
I searched for DEC LP27 printer and came across this treasure chest: http://www1.appstate.edu/~jmm/operations.tour.html
Not sure it'll be the same since the last update in 1994!
Mark.
--
http://www.wickensonline.co.ukhttp://hecnet.euhttp://declegacy.org.ukhttp://retrochallenge.nethttps://twitter.com/urbancamo
On 01/15/2014 01:37 PM, Paul_Koning at Dell.com wrote:
The LA180 receive-only printer was, I think, a derivative of the
LA36, not the LA120. The 1976 Peripheral handbook seems to support
that. Note that there also was an LA35, a receive-only variant of
the LA36. The difference is that the LA35 had a serial interface
while the LA180 had a parallel (line printer style) interface.
The LA180 has more in common with the LA120 than the LA36. There is
also a serially-interfaced variant of the LA180, which has a
serial-to-parallel (*NOT* "Centronics" parallel, for others reading
this) converter board mounted internally.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
On Wed, 15 Jan 2014, Dave McGuire wrote:
On 01/15/2014 04:28 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote:
They are line printers. Which means they are large, heavy, fast, and
very noisy. I have not seen any in the last 20 years now. I remember
when we dragged an LP14 out of the computer room. Two people with
shoulder straps, and we barely managed to lift it an inch off the floor
while dragging it out.
I really like the line printers, but they are not for home use... But
they work fine on a PDP-11 as well. You just need an LP11 card in the
machine. (Or LPV11 if you're a Qbus person.)
I have an LP26, an LP27, two LXY21s, and a Genicom (forgot what model,
but as I understand it it's still a current model) line printer here.
Great stuff.
I see no reason why these would "not be for home use". ;)
They're fine for /our/ homes...but not perhaps for everyone. ;)
-Dave
--
Cory Smelosky
http://gewt.net Personal stuff
http://gimme-sympathy.org Projects
On 01/15/2014 04:28 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote:
They are line printers. Which means they are large, heavy, fast, and
very noisy. I have not seen any in the last 20 years now. I remember
when we dragged an LP14 out of the computer room. Two people with
shoulder straps, and we barely managed to lift it an inch off the floor
while dragging it out.
I really like the line printers, but they are not for home use... But
they work fine on a PDP-11 as well. You just need an LP11 card in the
machine. (Or LPV11 if you're a Qbus person.)
I have an LP26, an LP27, two LXY21s, and a Genicom (forgot what model,
but as I understand it it's still a current model) line printer here.
Great stuff.
I see no reason why these would "not be for home use". ;)
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
On 2014-01-14 03:44, Sampsa Laine wrote:
sampsa <sampsa at mac.com>
mobile +44 7961 149465
On 14 Jan 2014, at 13:42, "Brian Schenkenberger, VAXman-" <system at TMESIS.COM> wrote:
Sampsa Laine <sampsa at mac.com> writes:
Anybody know what happened with that discussion re: EISNER and HECnet?
Also, is EISNER even up any more? I can't seem to connect to it.
EISNER is being or has been physically relocated. Once it is back up, I'll
see what can be done about getting it connected to HECnet. I have no idea
what'll be available network-wise/router-wise until EISNER is back on-line.
Mind you with such a large change anyway, it might be a good time to "sneak in" the connection to HECnet :)
I totally dislike the "sneak in" comment. If it is going to happen, it
must be done very openly and consciously. Noone will benefit from trying
to sneak something in.
Once Eisner has been reconnected and revived -- seriously, I do not know
why this relocation effort is taking so long -- I will communicate with
the new caretakes about their router config; hopefully, it's a Cisco box
that can support the DECnet tunnel. I doubt that there would be a Linux
box there that would serve as a gateway.
--
VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)ORG
Well I speak to machines with the voice of humanity.
On 2014-01-14 03:44, Sampsa Laine wrote:
sampsa <sampsa at mac.com>
mobile +44 7961 149465
On 14 Jan 2014, at 13:42, "Brian Schenkenberger, VAXman-" <system at TMESIS.COM> wrote:
Sampsa Laine <sampsa at mac.com> writes:
Anybody know what happened with that discussion re: EISNER and HECnet?
Also, is EISNER even up any more? I can't seem to connect to it.
EISNER is being or has been physically relocated. Once it is back up, I'll
see what can be done about getting it connected to HECnet. I have no idea
what'll be available network-wise/router-wise until EISNER is back on-line.
Mind you with such a large change anyway, it might be a good time to "sneak in" the connection to HECnet :)
I totally dislike the "sneak in" comment. If it is going to happen, it must be done very openly and consciously. Noone will benefit from trying to sneak something in.
Johnny
Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
On 2014-01-15 13:13, Cory Smelosky wrote:
On Wed, 15 Jan 2014, Johnny Billquist wrote:
On 2014-01-15 10:20, Cory Smelosky wrote:
On Wed, 15 Jan 2014, Dave McGuire wrote:
On 01/15/2014 09:58 AM, Daniel Soderstrom wrote:
The chances of a printer turning up in Perth, WA are zip. If I had to
pay money for one "desert island" DEC printer. What would it be?
I'm not sure it'd be fair to designate one printer out of so many
different models, with such different capabilities.
My opinion, though...If you're talking about an output-only device,
assuming for the minicomputer family, my personal favorite is the
LA180.
It has its faults (unidirectional printing comes to mind) but overall
it's a great printer. My opinion of it is not objective because I had
one for years on my first PDP-11.
No receive-only LA120?! ;)
(Is that was the LA180 is? I can't remember what the models number for
the receive-only LA120 was.) I like my printers big. ;)
So you should really aim for the LP26 or LP27 then... You need to be
at least two people to even lift it off the ground.
Perfect! ;)
They are line printers. Which means they are large, heavy, fast, and
very noisy. I have not seen any in the last 20 years now. I remember
when we dragged an LP14 out of the computer room. Two people with
shoulder straps, and we barely managed to lift it an inch off the floor
while dragging it out.
The LP27 was quiet compared to the desktop dot matrix printers of the same
vintage connected to desktop systems.
--
VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)ORG
Well I speak to machines with the voice of humanity.
On 2014-01-15 13:13, Cory Smelosky wrote:
On Wed, 15 Jan 2014, Johnny Billquist wrote:
On 2014-01-15 10:20, Cory Smelosky wrote:
On Wed, 15 Jan 2014, Dave McGuire wrote:
On 01/15/2014 09:58 AM, Daniel Soderstrom wrote:
The chances of a printer turning up in Perth, WA are zip. If I had to
pay money for one "desert island" DEC printer. What would it be?
I'm not sure it'd be fair to designate one printer out of so many
different models, with such different capabilities.
My opinion, though...If you're talking about an output-only device,
assuming for the minicomputer family, my personal favorite is the
LA180.
It has its faults (unidirectional printing comes to mind) but overall
it's a great printer. My opinion of it is not objective because I had
one for years on my first PDP-11.
No receive-only LA120?! ;)
(Is that was the LA180 is? I can't remember what the models number for
the receive-only LA120 was.) I like my printers big. ;)
So you should really aim for the LP26 or LP27 then... You need to be
at least two people to even lift it off the ground.
Perfect! ;)
They are line printers. Which means they are large, heavy, fast, and very noisy. I have not seen any in the last 20 years now. I remember when we dragged an LP14 out of the computer room. Two people with shoulder straps, and we barely managed to lift it an inch off the floor while dragging it out.
I really like the line printers, but they are not for home use... But they work fine on a PDP-11 as well. You just need an LP11 card in the machine. (Or LPV11 if you're a Qbus person.)
Johnny
