barkin Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) Clearing out the man-cave...this lot's got to go. I'd be surprised if anybody wants this stuff, but just thought I'd offer it up here before it goes to the [s]dump[/s] recycling centre... A big pile of old PC's - all were working fine when they were retired. 1 X IBM PS/2 model 30-286 2 x IBM PS/2 model 35 1 X IBM PS/2 model 56 (also have another of these, but the PSU is knackered) 1 X IBM PS/2 model 57 [edit - might also be a couple of mod 76/77's in there as well] In addition, I've a large box of PS/2 specific odds & sods...speaker assemblies, hard drive mountings, cables etc, and some floppy drives...including some 2.88MB ones. I've also a handful of generic 386/486/Pentium PCs - some were working, some have been canibalised to varying degrees. Plus loads of various old add-on cards: ISA bus modems, sound cards, NIC's etc, and a handful of small IDE and SCSI hard drives...40MB, 100MB etc. I'm SG8 postcode, roughly midway between Cambridge & Stevenage, so collection from there, or I could deliver/meet up if it's not to far. Edited January 27, 2014 by barkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Good luck with that lot. I've got a similar pile of old PC stuff and it's almost impossible to give away even if fully working, but I hate just skipping it - especially such well-built stuff as those PS/2s. Coincidentally, I've also got a model 30-286 that cost me about £1600 in the 80s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Anybody got an old Pentium II/III system with an ISA (8-bit) slot? I could use one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) I'm pretty sure I've got a Dell XPS P2 333MHz and a Dell XPS T600r P3 600MHz somewhere. I presume they would have 8-bit ISA slots but you could probably check on the Dell website. I say 'pretty sure' because I scrapped a lot of stuff last year, but I think it was mainly CRT screens, and 'somewhere' because we moved last year and a lot of stuff is boxed up. Both were working when I stopped using them. The P2 box has Windows95 on it and the P3 box has Ubuntu. You're welcome to them if I can find them but I don't want to start searching high and low unless you're really serious. PS: I don't mean to take over Barkin's topic and am more than happy to step back if he has what you're after. Edited January 16, 2014 by flyfisher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 No problem - carry on. I've a feeling I'll be taking a carload or two to the dump anyway - a motherboard more/less is neither here nor there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 If you have a fair bit of stuff, it might be worth checking for a local electronics scrap dealer - I doubt you'd get much cash, if any, but at least they might collect and save you a journey. I got rid of a load of old industrial electronics stuff (racks, boards etc) to a local hospice. They'll collect anything and dispose of it wherever they can make the most money. They wouldn't take any CRT screens or TVs though, even though they were all working, so they went to the council dump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hadn't thought of that...cheers. Screens...got some of those as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1389904975' post='2339471'] I'm pretty sure I've got a Dell XPS P2 333MHz and a Dell XPS T600r P3 600MHz somewhere. I presume they would have 8-bit ISA slots but you could probably check on the Dell website. I say 'pretty sure' because I scrapped a lot of stuff last year, but I think it was mainly CRT screens, and 'somewhere' because we moved last year and a lot of stuff is boxed up. Both were working when I stopped using them. The P2 box has Windows95 on it and the P3 box has Ubuntu. You're welcome to them if I can find them but I don't want to start searching high and low unless you're really serious. [/quote] I found the T600 on the web (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=XPST600R-1B) but not the other one. According to that site, the T600r has an ISA slot, which makes it ideal for my purpose. I regularly use an old MS-Dos program based on a specific ISA sound card. If the P2 also has an ISA slot, I'd take that too. I'm happy to organize (or pay for) a carrier if you wouldn't mind digging it/them out and putting them in a box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Over to you FF. I've nothing here as modern as P2/P3 that I'm getting rid of - I can still make use of cutting edge stuff like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 [quote name='stevie' timestamp='1389957175' post='2339872'] I found the T600 on the web ([url="http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=XPST600R-1B"]http://www.geeks.com...tid=XPST600R-1B[/url]) but not the other one. According to that site, the T600r has an ISA slot, which makes it ideal for my purpose. I regularly use an old MS-Dos program based on a specific ISA sound card. If the P2 also has an ISA slot, I'd take that too. I'm happy to organize (or pay for) a carrier if you wouldn't mind digging it/them out and putting them in a box. [/quote] OK, I'll try to find it over the weekend and let you know. Do want a screen as well? I know where I've got a Dell 17-inch high-res CRT - it's probably the one that came with the PC come to think of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) No screen needed, thanks. I gave my last CRTs away on Freecycle. Oh, and there's no rush on this, by the way. Please take your time. Edited January 17, 2014 by stevie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Right. Bad news, good news, good news, bad news. Bad news - I can't find the P2 PC anywhere. Perhaps I threw it out, I didn't think so but really can't find it. Good news - I found the Dell Dimension XPS T600r (P3) PC. Good news - It works and is running Ubuntu (Hardy Heron, so quite old). Bad news - I think the PSU has just died I was using the PC for about 20 minutes when it just quit on me, just like a power cut, and now I can't restart it. The PSU is supplying the standby power, as indicated by a motherboard LED being on, but the power switch is doing nothing. I've re-seated the various connectors but no luck. I suppose it could be a motherboard fault preventing the 'startup' signal being sent to the PSU, but I suspect it's more likely to be the PSU itself. I recently had to replace the PSU on my server PC after it had been unused for about three weeks and it failed when powered on. This PC has not been powered up for at least a couple of years. Unfortunately, I don't have a spare PSU so can't really do anything else. You're still welcome to it but I appreciate you might want to change your mind! Let me know what you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 For anyone getting rid of old computers that contain working hard drives, make sure you scrub them of all data or physically destroy them to prevent some unknown person collecting personal information. I've just taken an old laptop to my local recycling centre and used 'Darik's Boot and Nuke' (that you need to run from a bootable CD) to destroy everything on the hard drive http://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/?source=pdlp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1390226176' post='2342778'] You're still welcome to it but I appreciate you might want to change your mind! Let me know what you think. [/quote] That's very good of you but I think that I'd rather see if I can get a PC with a working power supply. The power supplies do seem to be the weak link on those. Unfortunately, you can't fit a new power supply - it has to be an original one capable of supplying the special voltage to the ISA card. I appreciate your looking anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1390227425' post='2342801'] For anyone getting rid of old computers that contain working hard drives, make sure you scrub them of all data or physically destroy them to prevent some unknown person collecting personal information. I've just taken an old laptop to my local recycling centre and used 'Darik's Boot and Nuke' (that you need to run from a bootable CD) to destroy everything on the hard drive [url="http://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/?source=pdlp"]http://sourceforge.n...an/?source=pdlp[/url] [/quote] Good point. I had wiped the entire drive and reformatted it before loading a new install of ubuntu and had hardly used it since, so I'm pretty sure it's safe . . . especially to a good BCer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 [quote name='stevie' timestamp='1390228242' post='2342823'] That's very good of you but I think that I'd rather see if I can get a PC with a working power supply. The power supplies do seem to be the weak link on those. Unfortunately, you can't fit a new power supply - it has to be an original one capable of supplying the special voltage to the ISA card. I appreciate your looking anyway. [/quote] Interesting. I know that the mobo PSU connectors have evolved over the years but I've always assumed that if it fits then it must be fully compatible. Still, I'm glad it failed in my hands - I'd have hated to have shipped it only to fail after 15 minutes! Sorry to get your hopes up - we nearly made it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1390228734' post='2342835'] Interesting. I know that the mobo PSU connectors have evolved over the years but I've always assumed that if it fits then it must be fully compatible. [/quote] Yes, ISA cards need a -5V connection, which was removed when 16-bit cards became obsolete. Not a lot of people know that ..... but why should they? Thanks for all your efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentalextra Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Have a "I wonder if 'classic computers' will ever happen" bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [quote name='stevie' timestamp='1390234730' post='2342932'] Yes, ISA cards need a -5V connection, which was removed when 16-bit cards became obsolete. Not a lot of people know that ..... but why should they? Thanks for all your efforts. [/quote] No worries. Perhaps you'll find an old duff PC with a working PSU? Let me know if you do and we'll revisit things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 In the spirit of the thread, I have a Dell mid-format Pentium IV motherboard, a Foxconn LS-36, available to a good home. I believe it came from a Dell Dimension PC. It's complete with processor but no heat sink or memory. 3GHz - so not that ancient. Shame to bin it, but I have too much stuff lying around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1390226176' post='2342778'] The PSU is supplying the standby power, as indicated by a motherboard LED being on, but the power switch is doing nothing. I've re-seated the various connectors but no luck. [/quote] I've a HP desktop that does something like that. It's fine as long as it's connected to a mains socket that's switched on. But if it loses its mains supply - a power cut, for example - it won't turn on with the switch. The LED on the PSU flashes, in time with something clicking inside. I can get around it by pulling the power connector from the motherboard, then reconnecting it while holding the on/off switch in which starts it, and it's all fine again until next time the mains goes off. Anyhoo - all these highly collectables are still here, but only 'till the weekend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Now skipped... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diablo Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 nonononoooooo - can you dig them out of the skip...? I've only just read this thread. I have two CNC machines and both run 386's on DOS and boot off an old 3 1/2" floppy. One is dead and I've found it impossible to replace, to the point I may have to sell the lathe for scrap as without a DOS 2/3/486 machine with an ISA slot the IO cards won't work with Pentium motherboards. It is the motherboard, memory and PSU I need, nothing else. Cheers, Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I've still got my Dell P3 PC that was working before the PSU gave up (see above). Alternatively, what's the make and model of your CNC lathe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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