🚀 go-pugleaf

Rainbow EchoMail Digest                         Aug 14, 1990

In this issue:
  RE: RX50 AT DRIVER
  VR241 AND RD53
  DEC MONITOR INQUIRY
  MORE INFO ON MY NEW 'BOW       (2 messages)


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------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:     08-11-90 (08:34)
To:       GEORGE THEALL
Subject:  RE: RX50 AT DRIVER
From:     DAN O'REILLY

> From: "Russ Cook" <rcook@pk705vma.iinus1.ibm.com>
>
> I saw a RX50 driver for the AT mentioned in a previous
> posting, how can I get this driver?

Freq magic name "RX50" from here (1:128/58), or log into the system
(The CS-DEPOT) @ 719-550-9305.  The file name is RX50.ZIP.

DanO

- --- D'Bridge 1.30 demo/940584
 * Origin: Not "over the Rainbow" at The CS-DEPOT (719)550-9305
------------------------------
Date:     08-12-90 (16:32)
To:       GEORGE THEALL
Subject:  VR241 AND RD53
From:     FRANK MALLORY

 GT> From: "James A. O'Brien (203) 432-4382"
 GT> <OBRIEN%OBRIEN@venus.ycc.yale.edu>
 GT>
 GT> Two questions.
 GT>
 GT> a)  Anyone want to sell me a VR241 (i.e. color) monitor for my Rainbow?
 GT>  A working clone would do the job fine (I believe there was a Hitachi
 GT> model that was compatible).  If so, please contact me at the phone
 GT> number below, by e-mail, or evenings at (203) 322-7222.  The VR241 is
 GT> the color monitor for Rainbows and (I think) VT241's, (PRO's?) etc.
 GT> Doesn't matter how old, as long as it works!

 Not I.

 GT> b)  I've logged onto bulletin boards in the past that claimed to be
 GT> running RD53 (70Mb) hard disks.  While I know the Rainbow HD controller
 GT> will handle that disk (it's actually the biggest one you can use), how
 GT> do you connect it? The standard Rainbow hard disk data cables don't fit
 GT> through the openings in the RD53 case!  Any information will be
 GT> welcome.  The RD53 became "available" after a disk upgrade to my uVAX.

My BBS is running an RD53, using a CHS controller & cable.  But I an
sure the  DEC controller will work with it, and I understand that the
DEC cable can be  adapted by some careful paring of the excess
insulation.

The RD53 jumpers will need to be changed for use with the Rainbow.


- --- msged 1.99L MSC
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md. - 301-622-2247
------------------------------
Date:     08-12-90 (16:42)
To:       DAVID HEID
Subject:  DEC MONITOR INQUIRY
From:     FRANK MALLORY

 DH> Does anyone have information on what a VTRS-3 Dec Monitor is?

I don't know what a VTRS-3 monitor is, but there is a VRTS1-A monitor
that  was part of a Pro 350 option called "DECtouch".

According to the 1985 VAX Systems and Options catalog:

        "Specifications and requirements for the DECtouch color
monitor are  identical to those of the VR241 color monitor, with the
following additions:

         - Activation force: 1-2 oz nominal
         - Resolution: .04 in. (1.0 mm)
         - Sampling rate:  10-400 samples/sec. (programmable)
         - Ports:  2 serial positional device attachment ports with
graphics  tablet and serial mouse support; 2 parallel positional
device attachment  ports with joystick or single quadrature mouse
support; 1 keyboard port; baud  rate (programmable) of 5 to 19.2K."

So the VRTS1-A is essentially a VR241 monitor with touch screen and
additional inputs/outputs.  If the VTRS-3 is upward compatible with
the VRTS1  (or you simply made a mistake in the model designation),  I
think it is safe  to assume that it, like the VR241, can be used on
the Rainbow.

 DH> I think I can get it for around $100. Any additional comments on the
 DH> price would be appreciated too.

Please let me know if they have more than one, or you decide not to
take it.


- --- msged 1.99L MSC
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md. - 301-622-2247
------------------------------
Date:     08-13-90 (07:53)
To:       ALL
Subject:  MORE INFO ON MY NEW 'BOW
From:     CHRISTOPHER WROTEN

I wrote over a month ago and said I had bought a new (old) Rainbow and
 promised I'd write more about it, looking for help and handouts. Sorry
 it's been so long; I lost my BBS password that same day. :-(

 Anyway, I have a Rainbow 100A with 256kb memory.  It has a PC1XX-AB
 memory expansion board (192kb) and a graphics option board.  I just
 acquired a LA-50 printer from Marek.  I have Lotus 123, PeachTree
 Word Processor, MS-DOS 2.5, CP/M 1.1, WordPerfect, KnowledgeMan (??)
 and some other stuff.  I also have wonderful manuals for Pearl database,
 but no diskettes!  Can anyone help me out on that one?

 I also have with it another memory extension board with the title 'PC100B
 Memory Extension Board'.  It has socketed chips, all sockets with chips,
 and the 4 DIP switches are all up or on.  It has 27 similar chips which
 I believe are the memory chips.
 14 of them have this id:           and 13 have this id:
    21-21414-01 M000                   21-21414-01 M000
          Japan 071                          Japan 07N
    HM50256-20 8405                    HM50256-20 8421
 The symbol on the chips is just left of the 'Japan' and looks
 like a circle with a square inside and a dot inside that.

 Any idea what this board is and can I use it in my 100A?  If
 not, is it of value to someone else?

 The memory extension board in the Rainbow now has soldered chips, not
 socketed.  Will I still be able to increase its memory capacity?

 I also have another, apparently duplicate, graphics option board. How
 do I tell if either board works?  With the board that's in the machine
 now, using the Lotus 123 Tutorial and going into the 'graphics' lesson,
 it displayed nothing.  Any idea on what I have to do to get the graphics
 option to work?  Anyone want a graphics option board?

 Is SS really out of the Rainbow business?

 Where/How do I find out about Rainbow "swap meets" or other such shows,
 such as the one which occurred in Boxborough on August 4th?

 Again, any hardware/software contributions that people might want to make
 to our group for our Rainbow will not only be deeply appreciated, but also
 tax deductible, since we are a non-profit tax-exempt corporation.

 Thanks!!

 Christopher Wroten
 Treasurer, Neponset Choral Society Inc.
 140 Lovering Street
 Medway, Ma. 02053-2303

 508-879-2960 x4336 (7:30am-4pm EST)
 508-533-4680 (5pm-10pm EST)

 CFW@RES-C4.PRIME.COM


- --- QM v1.00
 * Origin: Still Servicing the Rainbow - Maybee Forever (1:101/1.0)
------------------------------
Date:     08-14-90 (07:26)
To:       CHRISTOPHER WROTEN
Subject:  MORE INFO ON MY NEW 'BOW
From:     GEORGE THEALL

CW> Anyway, I have a Rainbow 100A with 256kb memory.  It has a PC1XX-AB
CW> memory expansion board (192kb) and a graphics option board.

    Oh, so you do have only 256K! This is bad news, Chris. It means
you can't add more memory to your system using this board. Instead,
since you have a 100A, you'll need a PC1K1-AK (Memory Adapter Option
for PC100-A) before you can even consider going beyond 256K.

CW> I also have with it another memory extension board with the title 'PC100B
CW> Memory Extension Board'.  It has socketed chips, all sockets with chips,
CW> and the 4 DIP switches are all up or on.  It has 27 similar chips
...
CW>    HM50256-20 8405                    HM50256-20 8421
...
CW> Any idea what this board is and can I use it in my 100A?

    These appear to be 256K chipsets (notice the "256" in the
numbers?). Since you have 27 chips, the board apparently has 768K of
memory on it, the maximum it can hold. You can use it in your 100A
*only* if you use it in conjunction with the PC1K1-AK option. NB: this
gives you only 832K of memory (768 + 64 on the 100A motherboard).

    You can get around the hassle of the adapter option by "TRUMPing"
up your motherboard from an A to a B. That is, swap out your
motherboard for one from a Rainbow 100B. The PC1XX-AB board you have
will be useless then, but it pretty much is already, right? Then
you'll be able to add the other board you already have giving you a
total of 896K.

CW> The memory extension board in the Rainbow now has soldered chips, not
CW> socketed.  Will I still be able to increase its memory capacity?

    I'm not a hardware guru, but I doubt it.

CW> I also have another, apparently duplicate, graphics option board. How
CW> do I tell if either board works?

    There's a neat game that requires the Rainbow graphics option -
called SCRAM. See if your local board has it. If not, Penn's Landing
bbs (+1 215 898 8511, 8N1) does; look for SCRAM.ZIP after joining the
Rainbow conference.

CW> Is SS really out of the Rainbow business?

    As far as I know, yes.

CW> Where/How do I find out about Rainbow "swap meets" or other such shows,

    If there's a local Rainbow user group, join it. (Isn't there one
still active in the Boston area?) Follow the discussions in this echo.
And subscribe to _Rainbow News_, a somewhat quarterly newsletter
covering Rainbows.

CW> Again, any hardware/software contributions that people might want to make
CW> to our group for our Rainbow will not only be deeply appreciated,

   I saw your post to misc.wanted on USENET. Did you also see the post
from Bard Bloom in misc.forsale? He'll consider giving away his
Rainbow to a charity for the cost of shipping. I believe it appeared
on the 10th.


George
------------------------------