[u-u] Computer stuff to go

[David Gilbert]

On 8/17/2015 9:01 PM, D'Arcy J.M. Cain wrote:
> We are downsizing and a bunch of stuff has to go.  Much of it is
> probably dumpster bound but I would hate to think that someone might
> have had a use for it.  I have some old CP/M machines, an early Mac, a
> Sun 3/260, an ancient Commodore and others.  There are a number of 1U
> servers which aren't working but parts are probably good.  I just need
> to keep the hard drives so that they can be shredded.  There may be
> client information on them.  If nothing else they probably have scrap
> value.

IIRC, the 3/260 has a 12V 1500 watt power supply (maybe it was only 1200
watt?).  That 12V rail should do ~100A or more?  Might make a good small
welder or bench power supply.  Not much can be said for a 68020 machine
that draws 5 or 6 amps at idle.  I ditched my 4/260 for power usage when
I moved into a house where I had to pay for power.  It is kinda
facinating to take a look at the architecture --- Sun built their own
MMU, but did make use of the 68881 FP accelerator.

For the keen, the power supply is pretty much a separate unit in the
construction.  It's affixed to the front "door" by some bolts and would
be easy to remove and repurpose.  The VME chassy is a real ... only
somewhat hacked up ... VME chassy (if you have some VME-based ideas).  
The hacks, IIRC, center around the middle connector that Sun used for
the RAM bus.

I actually repaired one of the RAM cards while I owned and used it.  The
ROM diagnostics will lead you to which chip is bad.  I think a socket
and a RAM chip cost me around $5 at Active surplus (also not what it
once was)... and I actually soldered on replacement RAM in a computer
... and it worked!