[FS - Toronto] Rare: Sun SparcStation Voyager + parts

[D.]

Hello groups,

Sorry for the semi-commercial cross-posting, but given the nature of the
item I figured out some of you may be interested, before I put it up on eBay.

I have for sale a SparcStation Voyager, with some parts. The general specs
of the machine can be found there:
http://www.milestonesolutions.com/voyager/

It is the 14" greyscale model, with the 800MB hard drive and 48MB of RAM.
Last time I checked it was fully working, I installed NetBSD and it ran just
fine (X included).

On top of the main unit, I have some spare parts that come with it, some of
them scavenged from a second dead Voyager:

- two original mini Sun keyboards (coolness factor +10)
- one optical mouse + metal mat
- one external SCSI CDROM, in a Sun enclosure
- a second B&W screen! (they can be replaced - geek factor +NaN)
- all cables needed to connect everything

I also have, laying around, a second 800MB 2.5" SCSI hard drive (they were
specific to those machines), and a second power adapter. I haven't located
them yet, but I'll look for them.

I can send by email a picture of the machine and all the parts.

I never had a battery for that machine.

It's in very good shape, although a bit dirty, and would need a good
cleanup. It needs a loving home.

Given the number of parts and the weight of everything, I will not ship it
out. Therefore it's for sale only in the greater Toronto area. I live
downtown near the Danforth, and I work in Markham.

The price I ask for everything is 100$.

To get my email address, just figure out what to do with that:

#include <stdio.h>
main(){char
x[]={101,108,45,106,101,102,102,101,64,104,111,116,109,97,105,108,46,99,111,109,0};puts(x);}

Thanks!
D.

[Dave]

Post by D.
Hello groups,
Sorry for the semi-commercial cross-posting, but given the nature of the
item I figured out some of you may be interested, before I put it up on eBay.
I have for sale a SparcStation Voyager, with some parts. The general specs
http://www.milestonesolutions.com/voyager/
It is the 14" greyscale model, with the 800MB hard drive and 48MB of RAM.

I'd be somewhat surprised if you will be able to sell that for $100.

I can see it has a degree of uniqueness, but by today's standards it is
just so slooooow.

Post by D.
#include <stdio.h>
main(){char
x[]={101,108,45,106,101,102,102,101,64,104,111,116,109,97,105,108,46,99,111,109,0};puts(x);}

I like that one. Not sure how practical it would generally be, but I
could find you at hotmail easily if I wanted.



Dave

[D.]

Post by Dave

Post by D.
Hello groups,
Sorry for the semi-commercial cross-posting, but given the nature of the
item I figured out some of you may be interested, before I put it up on eBay.
I have for sale a SparcStation Voyager, with some parts. The general specs
http://www.milestonesolutions.com/voyager/
It is the 14" greyscale model, with the 800MB hard drive and 48MB of RAM.

I'd be somewhat surprised if you will be able to sell that for $100.
I can see it has a degree of uniqueness, but by today's standards it is
just so slooooow.

Post by D.
#include <stdio.h>
main(){char
x[]={101,108,45,106,101,102,102,101,64,104,111,116,109,97,105,108,46,99,111,109,0};puts(x);}

I like that one. Not sure how practical it would generally be, but I
could find you at hotmail easily if I wanted.
Dave

I know the machine is slow, but it's really an odd beast, and a more of a
collection item nowadays anyway. So given that it's in very good shape and
working perfectly, let's see if anyone is interested.

D.

[Martin Etteldorf]

Post by D.
I know the machine is slow, but it's really an odd beast, and a more of a
collection item nowadays anyway.

With the richt OS, it's not that slow after all. Just use an older
Solaris release, maybe something like 2.5.1. Having said that, even
a stripped-down 2.7 runs fine.

Post by D.
So given that it's in very good shape and
working perfectly, let's see if anyone is interested.

I would be, but the shipping costs would be way beyond what I'm willing
to pay.
By the way... the 2.5" SCSI disks weren't unique to the Voyager.
Sparcbooks used them as well, as did IBM in their RS/6000 Notebooks
and Apple in a lot of older Powerbooks.

If one is lucky, he can still find one of these nifty SCSI-IDE converters
made by ADTX until about five years ago: <http://mickey.lucifier.net/adtx/>

They're working just fine in the voyager, once you get the DIP switches
right.



Martin

[Angel]

Post by D.
I have for sale a SparcStation Voyager, with some parts. The general specs

I'd love to get a Voyager for my collection. I wish it was at the other
side of the pond. :-)

[Dave]

Post by Angel

Post by D.
I have for sale a SparcStation Voyager, with some parts. The general specs

I'd love to get a Voyager for my collection. I wish it was at the other
side of the pond. :-)

Given it's relatively low value, and it does not look too heavy, have
you considered shipping it via surface mail? It's not as expensive as
you might think.

[Angel]

Post by Dave

Post by Angel
I'd love to get a Voyager for my collection. I wish it was at the other
side of the pond. :-)

Given it's relatively low value, and it does not look too heavy, have
you considered shipping it via surface mail? It's not as expensive as
you might think.

I haven't though about it, since I even don't know what it is. :-)

I guess you refer to ship it by boat instead of by air, right?

Which carriers do so and how expensive could it be to ship to Spain?

Thanks and cheers,
Angel

[Dave]

Post by Angel

Post by Dave

Post by Angel
I'd love to get a Voyager for my collection. I wish it was at the other
side of the pond. :-)

Given it's relatively low value, and it does not look too heavy, have
you considered shipping it via surface mail? It's not as expensive as
you might think.

I haven't though about it, since I even don't know what it is. :-)
I guess you refer to ship it by boat instead of by air, right?
Which carriers do so and how expensive could it be to ship to Spain?
Thanks and cheers,
Angel

Yes, by boat. I've shipped the odd few things that way. It can take
about 3 months, but if you are not in a hurry, it can be attractive.

In the UK we use "Royal Mail" which is the company that delivers lots of
letters. I don't know much about Spain, but I've shipped things from the
UK to Korea via surface mail, and bought stuff from the US by surface
mail. I would not use it for high value items.

Since this is located in Canada, the seller would need to find a
Canadian courier. In the US the USPS can send things via surface mail. I
assume the same can be done in Canada, but I don't know.

[D.]

Post by Dave

Post by Angel

Post by D.
I have for sale a SparcStation Voyager, with some parts. The general specs

I'd love to get a Voyager for my collection. I wish it was at the other
side of the pond. :-)

Given it's relatively low value, and it does not look too heavy, have
you considered shipping it via surface mail? It's not as expensive as
you might think.

Well actually it's pretty heavy. Remember that there isn't only the machine,
but also a second screen, two keyboards, an external CD drive (this thing
weights a ton), and so on. I haven't weighted it, but I used my old trusty
self-balance method: if I need to be careful not to lose my balance when
carrying something, it's heavy. And I'm 1m90 and weight about 100kg. :)

Regards,
D.

[Dave]

Post by D.

Post by Dave
Given it's relatively low value, and it does not look too heavy, have
you considered shipping it via surface mail? It's not as expensive as
you might think.

Well actually it's pretty heavy. Remember that there isn't only the machine,
but also a second screen, two keyboards, an external CD drive (this thing
weights a ton), and so on. I haven't weighted it, but I used my old trusty
self-balance method: if I need to be careful not to lose my balance when
carrying something, it's heavy. And I'm 1m90 and weight about 100kg. :)
Regards,
D.

Given it is not exactly a must have item for everyone in Toronto, I
would suspect you might want to consider shipping it to maximise the
chance of a sale. If you intend to ship it anywhere, you will need to
know the weight to give someone the shipping costs.

Since you have someone in Spain who is interested, it might be worth
your while finding the cheapest way to ship it to Spain. My guess is
that the local postal service will have a surface mail option, which
tends to be more attractive on heavy items. With no tracking information
surface mail is useless for high value items, but tends to be attractive
on heavy items where the cost of airmail is very high.

[Wes Groleau]

Post by D.
- two original mini Sun keyboards (coolness factor +10)
- one optical mouse + metal mat
- one external SCSI CDROM, in a Sun enclosure
- a second B&W screen! (they can be replaced - geek factor +NaN)
- all cables needed to connect everything
I also have, laying around, a second 800MB 2.5" SCSI hard drive (they were
specific to those machines), and a second power adapter. I haven't located
them yet, but I'll look for them.

Will any of those work with an Ultra 10 ?

If yes (and I'd need confirmation from a disinterested party
or from online documentation), would you be willing to sell
one or more of them separately?

Not sure I could afford even the shipping from Toronto
to Indiana but could think about it.

[DoN. Nichols]

Post by Wes Groleau

Post by D.
- two original mini Sun keyboards (coolness factor +10)
- one optical mouse + metal mat
- one external SCSI CDROM, in a Sun enclosure
- a second B&W screen! (they can be replaced - geek factor +NaN)
- all cables needed to connect everything
I also have, laying around, a second 800MB 2.5" SCSI hard drive (they were
specific to those machines), and a second power adapter. I haven't located
them yet, but I'll look for them.

Will any of those work with an Ultra 10 ?

The keyboard and mouse -- no problem. Both use the DIN style
connector, not the USB used by the Sun Blade machines.

The B&W screen? No bets. Those were 13W3 connectors with just
the green channel used for video.

The external SCSI CDROM -- yes -- *if* you get a PCI SCSI host
adaptor. Why not put an IDE DVD+-RW drive in the Ultra-10 instead?

Most of the cables are probably external the weird grid of pins
connector (which I know was used on the Tadpole -- and possibly the
Voyager as well) which was also used on some earlier Mac laptops. As
such, they would not be much use with an Ultra-10.

The power adaptors are also useless for anything like an
Ultra-10.

Post by Wes Groleau
If yes (and I'd need confirmation from a disinterested party
or from online documentation), would you be willing to sell
one or more of them separately?
Not sure I could afford even the shipping from Toronto
to Indiana but could think about it.

Skip the B&W monitor and the external SCSI CD-ROM and the
shipping cost will drop significantly. But it does not strike me as
making sense to get a Voyager to try to use its accessories on an
Ultra-10.

Good Luck,
DoN.

[Wes Groleau]

Post by DoN. Nichols

Post by Wes Groleau
If yes (and I'd need confirmation from a disinterested party
or from online documentation), would you be willing to sell
one or more of them separately?
Not sure I could afford even the shipping from Toronto
to Indiana but could think about it.

Skip the B&W monitor and the external SCSI CD-ROM and the
shipping cost will drop significantly. But it does not strike me as
making sense to get a Voyager to try to use its accessories on an
Ultra-10.

Sorry, that's why I said separately. I understand if you
want to keep them together. I don't know what a Voyager is,
so I'm sure I don't need it.

Also don't need the CDROM--I wsn't paying attention and
was thinking of a SCSI disk drive.

Basically, I'm a cheapskate looking for a monitor, keyboard,
and mouse to get this Ultra 10 back in service.

[DoN. Nichols]

Post by Wes Groleau

Post by DoN. Nichols

Post by Wes Groleau
If yes (and I'd need confirmation from a disinterested party
or from online documentation), would you be willing to sell
one or more of them separately?
Not sure I could afford even the shipping from Toronto
to Indiana but could think about it.

Skip the B&W monitor and the external SCSI CD-ROM and the
shipping cost will drop significantly. But it does not strike me as
making sense to get a Voyager to try to use its accessories on an
Ultra-10.

Sorry, that's why I said separately. I understand if you
want to keep them together.

Well ... *I* don't -- but then I'm not the one offering them for
sale.

Post by Wes Groleau
I don't know what a Voyager is,
so I'm sure I don't need it.

A SPARC-based laptop computer -- running Solaris (at least up to
2.6).

Post by Wes Groleau
Also don't need the CDROM--I wsn't paying attention and
was thinking of a SCSI disk drive.

O.K. It wasn't clear which parts you wanted and which you
didn't.

Post by Wes Groleau
Basically, I'm a cheapskate looking for a monitor, keyboard,
and mouse to get this Ultra 10 back in service.

The keyboard and mouse would be good for you -- but I suspect
that the monitor would be a problem since the system would probably
think that it was talking to a color monitor.

The second keyboard I found on eBay (the first was a Type-5,
which I would expect to cost less, but which cost more) is a Type-6
going for $9.00 at present -- no bids. # 130253729522

Of course -- you can do it with a null modem cable and a
computer pretending to be a serial terminal connected to TTYA on the
back of the Ultra-10. (May be just labeled "A".

Have fun looking.
DoN.

[Wes Groleau]

Post by DoN. Nichols
Of course -- you can do it with a null modem cable and a
computer pretending to be a serial terminal connected to TTYA on the
back of the Ultra-10. (May be just labeled "A".

Actually, I have an H-89 in my garage--a Z80 computer
with a smart terminal built in. I can open it up,
move a couple of connectors and turn it into a VT-50
clone.

I'll probably do that first, just to make sure the Ultra
really works. Because of the source, I don't expect failure,
but why spend money that has even a chance of being wasted?

[DoN. Nichols]

Post by Wes Groleau

Post by DoN. Nichols
Of course -- you can do it with a null modem cable and a
computer pretending to be a serial terminal connected to TTYA on the
back of the Ultra-10. (May be just labeled "A".

Actually, I have an H-89 in my garage--a Z80 computer
with a smart terminal built in. I can open it up,
move a couple of connectors and turn it into a VT-50
clone.
I'll probably do that first, just to make sure the Ultra
really works. Because of the source, I don't expect failure,
but why spend money that has even a chance of being wasted?

O.K. You'll want a minimal null modem cable. Cross pin 2 at one
end to pin 3 at the other and vice versa. Connect pin 7 between both
connectors. And (IIRC) connect pin 20 to pin 7 for some possible data
configurations in the OBP.

Good Luck,
DoN.

[Wes Groleau]

Post by DoN. Nichols
O.K. You'll want a minimal null modem cable. Cross pin 2 at one
end to pin 3 at the other and vice versa. Connect pin 7 between both
connectors. And (IIRC) connect pin 20 to pin 7 for some possible data
configurations in the OBP.

By another coincidence, I long ago bought a printer that had a
completely screwed up variant of RS-232. To make it work with
said Z-80, I had to cut an RS-232 cable and put a patch box in the
middle of it. I still have that item and some of the patch jumpers
I used with it!

But, I suspect one bit of your advice is off.
The H89's terminal is a real terminal, and thus
should not require the cross-over of pins 2 & 3
Right?

[Christopher Noyes]

Post by Wes Groleau

Post by DoN. Nichols
O.K. You'll want a minimal null modem cable. Cross pin 2 at one
end to pin 3 at the other and vice versa. Connect pin 7 between both
connectors. And (IIRC) connect pin 20 to pin 7 for some possible data
configurations in the OBP.

By another coincidence, I long ago bought a printer that had a
completely screwed up variant of RS-232. To make it work with
said Z-80, I had to cut an RS-232 cable and put a patch box in the
middle of it. I still have that item and some of the patch jumpers
I used with it!
But, I suspect one bit of your advice is off.
The H89's terminal is a real terminal, and thus
should not require the cross-over of pins 2 & 3
Right?

You need a null modem cable so that your terminal's TXD goes to the
Sun's RXD and vica versa. The H89's serial port follows the RS232 spec,
as does the Sun box; simply using a straight through cable will connect
TXD to TXD and RXD to RXD.


-CN

[Wes Groleau]

Post by Christopher Noyes
You need a null modem cable so that your terminal's TXD goes to the
Sun's RXD and vica versa. The H89's serial port follows the RS232 spec,
as does the Sun box; simply using a straight through cable will connect
TXD to TXD and RXD to RXD.

The H89 has both DTE and DCE on the back.
But I won't be using the H89 as such.

Since I cannot use the computer (floppy
drive dead), I must rewire the boards,
effectively making it an H19 terminal.

So TXD and RXD will be fine. However,
the patch box I mentioned does allow
swapping those. And I will need to
patch other lines according to DoN

[DoN. Nichols]

Post by Wes Groleau

Post by DoN. Nichols
O.K. You'll want a minimal null modem cable. Cross pin 2 at one
end to pin 3 at the other and vice versa. Connect pin 7 between both
connectors. And (IIRC) connect pin 20 to pin 7 for some possible data
configurations in the OBP.

By another coincidence, I long ago bought a printer that had a
completely screwed up variant of RS-232. To make it work with
said Z-80, I had to cut an RS-232 cable and put a patch box in the
middle of it. I still have that item and some of the patch jumpers
I used with it!

:-)

Post by Wes Groleau
But, I suspect one bit of your advice is off.
The H89's terminal is a real terminal, and thus
should not require the cross-over of pins 2 & 3
Right?

Wrong! The Sun's connector is as a "real terminal" too. Both
your computer/terminal and the Sun's connector are configured as DTE
(Data Terminal Equipment), and one end needs to be DCE (Data
Communications Equipment) configuration -- like a Modem.

So -- yes you will have to cross over the pins as I said above,
just as I do with DEC VT??? terminals (from VT100 through at least the
VT-340 which is the latest that I have.)

If your patch box is a true "breakout box", and includes LEDs to
show the status of the different leads, then it should show you that
both ends are trying to send on pin 2, and none of them are using pin 3
for the output. A breakout box is a good thing to have in general.

Enjoy,
DoN.

[Wes Groleau]

Post by DoN. Nichols
Wrong! The Sun's connector is as a "real terminal" too. Both
your computer/terminal and the Sun's connector are configured as DTE
(Data Terminal Equipment), and one end needs to be DCE (Data
Communications Equipment) configuration -- like a Modem.

Well, in that case I'll just use my terminal's DCE connector.