On Jul 17, 2015, at 4:03 PM, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote: On 07/17/2015 06:26 PM, Dave McGuire wrote: Steve is fine, just very busy. He's going to check on SG1 shortly. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

On Jul 17, 2015, at 9:08 PM, Chris Kurowicki <ckurowic at gmail.com> wrote: Hi there. I'm new. No equipment yet. My father used a PDP-11 years ago. I'm into retro computing, learning all I can about DEC and VAX. I think this network you've created is awesome. So, hi! Any early suggestions? retroblog.tauceti.org Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 17, 2015, at 4:03 PM, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote: > > On 07/17/2015 06:26 PM, Dave McGuire wrote: >>> Seems like our link to SG1 has been down for weeks. I don't recall >>> seeing anything on list. Anybody know what's up? Or perhaps I should >>> ask if I need to do some local troubleshooting. :) >> >> I've tried to reach Steve privately but have not heard back. I will >> try to call or text him to see if he's ok. > > Steve is fine, just very busy. He's going to check on SG1 shortly. > > -Dave > > -- > Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > New Kensington, PA

On 07/17/2015 09:08 PM, Chris Kurowicki wrote: Welcome! First, get ahold of an emulator; I suggest simh. Next...do you have the space for actual hardware? Where are you located, if you don't mind my asking? I myself am cleaning up some rack wiring after repairing my PDP-11/34a system. I'll be doing a Phase III sysgen (RSX-11M) on it tonight. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

On Jul 17, 2015, at 11:59 PM, Hans Vlems <hvlems at zonnet.nl> wrote: Good morning Chris, welcome to this list. It's across the globe, I'm in the Netherlands. ?As others already suggested, the quickest way to get started is with a simulator. VMS has an active hobbyist program and HP issues licenses and operating system kits as well as compilers. VMS runs on three platforms and though I love the VAX if you're looking for real hardware go for a cheap Alpha. Even an rx2600 itanium is cheap these days. Why, well VAX hardware is showing its age in terms of performance and VMS was frozen at V7.3. Itanium and alpha run VMS V8.4 and that runs? fast and offers reasonably current software to run on. You can run simh and emulate a VAX on alpha/vms too :-) Hans Verzonden vanaf mijn BlackBerry 10-smartphone. Van: Chris Kurowicki Verzonden: zaterdag 18 juli 2015 05:43 Aan: hecnet at Update.UU.SE Beantwoorden: hecnet at Update.UU.SE Onderwerp: Re: [HECnet] Hello I've read a bit about simh, the general opinion seems to be that that is the place to start. I do have some space. Problem is I already have a decent setup of machines, it's on my blog, but I have an 18U enclosure with a few things mounted up, maybe 6U left over. I don't think that'll help with a miniVAX, though. I've considered a VAXstation, there was a 3100 on E-bay for $80 that looked promising. For now I'm getting my LCII going again ("new" hard drive the way. The darn thing failed immediately after I installed System 7.5.5 from a set of floppy's, go figure). I need to focus on one thing at a time, but the VAX world definitely has my interest. I have a microVAX handbook from '84 on the way to me from E-bay land to read over. Anyway, to answer your question, I'm in Portland, OR. Recent(ish) transplant from Michigan. Oh, I didn't notice at first! Ian McLaughlin is the one who "sent me" here. Thanks! -- Christopher G. Kurowicki M.S. Information Assurance www.tauceti.org

On Jul 18, 2015, at 12:06 PM, Hans Vlems <hvlems at zonnet.nl> wrote: Hi Chris, plenty models are rack mountable. The problem may be lifting the heavy boxes... My systems live in the attic and I only take systems that I can handle all by myself. In terms of performance, and more importantly, power consumption, have a look at more modern machines: with EV6 cpu's. Like a ds10, ds20 or ds20e, a ds25. Or a workstation : xp900, xp1000. Prices may vary from free (just lift it from the floor) to over $1000 on ebay. These guys are looking at commercial users that still operate old gear like this. I only paid for three Alpha's, the most expensive one a ds25 for ?100, say $120. ?The rest was free. Good luck! Hans ?Http://home.zonnet.nl/hvlems Verzonden vanaf mijn BlackBerry 10-smartphone. Van: Chris Kurowicki Verzonden: zaterdag 18 juli 2015 19:12 Aan: hecnet at Update.UU.SE Beantwoorden: hecnet at Update.UU.SE Onderwerp: Re: [HECnet] Hello Thanks, Hans. I have considered and looked at the Alphas, that may be the way I go after I play with simh. There are models I can rack mount, which is great. Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 18, 2015, at 12:27 PM, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote: Resale shops won't often get high-end enterprise gear like this, and most of them wouldn't recognize it if they did. The prices you'll see on eBay are actually quite reasonable when you compare them to what the hardware cost when it was new, and what vendors are selling them for. A lot of organizations are running these machines and have to keep them functional. Your best bet is probably to find someone local to hook you up. If you weren't on the wrong coast, I'd have an Alpha or two with your name on 'em! -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

Well yeah...when a machine cost $80,000 new... -Dave On 07/18/2015 06:53 PM, Chris Kurowicki wrote: starting bids I'm seeing. I get what you are saying, the original price on this stuff was pretty far up there. wrote: -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA