(Please make responses via email to: scott@ss.org)

At a recent Con I managed to find on the free table an IBM P70 386
(the luggable) and thought it would be great to 'gut and upgrade' as a
retro computer.

I wasn't expecting it to be working, but it is and I have to much
respect for the work put into maintaining it.

I'd like to find it a good home and in the process acquire a dead one
that I could gut for the case.

# Specs & Info:
Fully working w/ 60MB HDD and 8MB of ram.

It's previous owner upgraded it to have:
- dual boot Linux and DOS
- 10baseT ethernet card
- (what I think is) a scsi card

http://openrebel.ss.org/images/IBM-P70-external.jpg
http://openrebel.ss.org/images/IBM-P70-internal.jpg

--
Scott Sullivan
Toronto, ON Canada
scott@ss.org

Hi OpenRebel !

> (Please make responses via email to: scott@ss.org)
>
> At a recent Con I managed to find on the free table an IBM P70 386
> (the luggable) and thought it would be great to 'gut and upgrade' as a
> retro computer.
>
> I wasn't expecting it to be working, but it is and I have to much
> respect for the work put into maintaining it.

Sometimes these machines are very rigid. Even though they suffer very 
much on component aging effects. Unfortunately.

> I'd like to find it a good home and in the process acquire a dead one
> that I could gut for the case.

Hmmm. That one doesn't look much worse. Those non-functionals are mainly 
even more beaten up when it comes to the case. They are often disposed 
in the last dirty corner and I -personally- think you won't gain much 
with it. Apart from the risk of ruining / voiding the current setup.

> # Specs & Info:
> Fully working w/ 60MB HDD and 8MB of ram.
>
> It's previous owner upgraded it to have:
> - dual boot Linux and DOS
> - 10baseT ethernet card
> - (what I think is) a scsi card
>
> http://openrebel.ss.org/images/IBM-P70-external.jpg
> http://openrebel.ss.org/images/IBM-P70-internal.jpg

Not a SCSI card.
Looks much like the BOCA 2-serial / 1-parallel card (ID 60E5), to which 
you miss the "octopuss cable" most likely, which goes to the rear 
connector and splits into the 3 connectors.

The 3Com Etherlink-III is a good card. Have some of them myself and 
cannot complain about them. They are very versatile and have support 
from almost any operating system.
-- 
Very friendly greetings from Peter in Germany
http://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/mcaindex.htm

*** Reply to: peterwendt@mcamafia.de only ! ***

Me again.

> I wasn't expecting it to be working, but it is and I have to much
> respect for the work put into maintaining it.
>
> I'd like to find it a good home and in the process acquire a dead one
> that I could gut for the case.

Obviously I didn't understand your intention that well on first look.

You want a dead one to convert it into "something else" with more modern 
parts. Hmmm. Okay. I can see that. However the P70 case is very specific 
- and so are its inside dimension and you could use absolutely nothing 
in combination with a modern micro-ATX board for instance. You will even 
have to kiss the power supply, diskette drive and plasma screen goodbye, 
because they have totally proprietary connectors and pinouts (and 
different function).

Be prepared that it would be a "dremel festival" to make modern stuff 
fit inside ...
-- 
Very friendly greetings from Peter in Germany
http://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/mcaindex.htm

*** Reply to: peterwendt@mcamafia.de only ! ***

On May 15, 6:21=A0am, "Peter H. Wendt" <peterwe...@mcamafia.de> wrote:
> Obviously I didn't understand your intention that well on first look.
>
> You want a dead one to convert it into "something else" with more modern
> parts.
[snip]
> Be prepared that it would be a "dremel festival" to make modern stuff
> fit inside ...

I full expected too, everything must go which is why I'd prefer not to
slaughter this working beast.

Additional Details:

Some one at the Con did ID the linux install as an early slackware.
2.0.7 Kernel
Installed in 1997.

It also has the Original Manual.

--
Scott Sullivan

On May 15, 12:14=A0pm, OpenRebel <openre...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On May 15, 6:21=A0am, "Peter H. Wendt" <peterwe...@mcamafia.de> wrote:
>
> > Obviously I didn't understand your intention that well on first look.
>
> > You want a dead one to convert it into "something else" with more moder=
n
> > parts.
> [snip]
> > Be prepared that it would be a "dremel festival" to make modern stuff
> > fit inside ...
>
> I full expected too, everything must go which is why I'd prefer not to
> slaughter this working beast.
>
> Additional Details:
>
> Some one at the Con did ID the linux install as an early slackware.
> 2.0.7 Kernel
> Installed in 1997.
>
> It also has the Original Manual.
>
> --
> Scott Sullivan

Hi Scott........

Contact me:   dogpatch11 at comcast dot net

CT who has several model 70s

OpenRebel wrote:

> I full expected too, everything must go which is why I'd prefer not to
> slaughter this working beast.


If no one else comes forward that really wants the machine for the 
forces of good, I think I've still got a P70 somewhere with a broken 
screen. I'm assuming that you would be thinking of mounting an LCD panel 
or something along that line, so the broken screen shouldn't be an issue.

Or maybe you would like the Panasonic 286 lunchbox I have that also has 
a broken screen? :)

-Jim

Hi!

I might be able to help you, as I have a P75 (think of a P70 with a bigger
case and you'll have the idea) whose planar died. I took the parts out of
the machine, but I am pretty sure that I have the full casing around here
someplace. As it's empty (except for the display, which is still intact and
should work perfectly well), that should help with the shipping.

William

Hi William

> I might be able to help you, as I have a P75 (think of a P70 with a bigger
> case and you'll have the idea) whose planar died. I took the parts out of
> the machine, but I am pretty sure that I have the full casing around here
> someplace. As it's empty (except for the display, which is still intact and
> should work perfectly well), that should help with the shipping.

By any chance, do you still have the video board ? If so, are you
willing to get rid of it ?
I'm finally restoring my P75, after many caps had leaked... (that was
a few years ago)
I gave the video board to a friend of mine, who is trying to fix it
resoldering caps, vias and ICs.
But just in case that won't work...

And if anyone has a qwerty keyboard for a P75, i'd be glad to have
one.
Not that I hate qwertz keyboards, but mine has a broken plastic tab
and won't close perfectly.

Nicolas

Hi Nico...

> I gave the video board to a friend of mine, who is trying to fix it
> resoldering caps, vias and ICs.
> But just in case that won't work...
>
> And if anyone has a qwerty keyboard for a P75, i'd be glad to have
> one.
> Not that I hate qwertz keyboards, but mine has a broken plastic tab
> and won't close perfectly.

I may be able to help with one or both of the above, as I have 2 P75s. One's 
video is working, but flickering badly on occasion, probably a similar 
problem to yours, but with a better chance of repair. The other, which I'm 
expecting to use as a source of spares, which you'd be welcome to the 
keyboard from, doesn't display, IIRC, but I'm unsure whether it's the video 
section or the plasma display, as yet. There might be the odd missing keycap 
from the keyboard, but you should have spares for those, n'est-ce pas?
-- 
Cheers,
    Tim Clarke(a.k.a. WBST)
    Guildford, U.K.

Hi Tim,

> > I gave the video board to a friend of mine, who is trying to fix it
> > resoldering caps, vias and ICs.

Unfortunately, that didn't change anything. I still get one long beep,
followed by two short beeps. I still suspect the video board, since I
can't get a picture on the VGA output either. Can anybody try &
disconnect the HE20 ribbon from the video board, and see if you get
anything on an external monitor ? (and any beeps maybe ?)

Oh, and before the 3 beeps, my 8513 produces a high pitch sound, as if
the P75 was trying to output a frequency too high for this monitor.
Just in cas that rings a bell to anyone...

> I may be able to help with one or both of the above, as I have 2 P75s. One's
> video is working, but flickering badly on occasion, probably a similar
> problem to yours, but with a better chance of repair.

Better flickering than no picture at all !

> There might be the odd missing keycap
> from the keyboard, but you should have spares for those, n'est-ce pas?

Well, I can probably get some from my german keyboard.

(I'll send you an e-mail)

Thanks
Nicolas