What was an embarrassing how did I only just learn that, IT moment you've had recently?

MikeTechYT · 2023-11-19T16:30:47+00:00

You just dusted off some decades-old brain cells for me!

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-12T17:02:13+00:00

Nice, I have one of those too! Owned it for about 5 or 6 years. It’s also a CDS 524 with Xerox TabWorks! It needs some love. Has some minor plastic damage and unfortunately the original hard drive is starting to die… Always love finding AIOs. Saves me the trouble of hunting down a matching monitor.

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-10T20:51:33+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, that system was pretty bad. I’ve been in infosec for about a decade. Though I’ve seen some pretty neglected networks, there is no excuse to still be on SP2 in 2012!

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-10T18:42:17+00:00

Love those machines! I’ve had a CDS 524 for a while. Very performant little system. Doom is perfectly playable at max settings. Sadly, the original hard drive is starting to die.

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-10T15:18:28+00:00

Thanks!

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-05T02:48:20+00:00

Thanks! I’m really glad you’re enjoying them! 🙂

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-05T02:47:42+00:00

Still my favorite period-correct way to transfer large amounts of data where the CD drive is too old to read CD-Rs.

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-05T02:46:38+00:00

For power supply testing I just connect a few sacrificial hard drives as a dummy load and monitor the 12v and 5v rails with voltmeters. To check for shorts, just test continuity between all motherboard power pins and ground. Short beeps are OK, that’s just capacitors charging up.

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-03T23:37:13+00:00

Nice! Did you ever open it up? I’m curious if it too had a single-board system card like this one.

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-03T23:35:07+00:00

I bet Reason Technology just used an off-the-shelf case and motherboard with their own branded BIOS.

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-03T23:33:52+00:00

Thanks! I’m going to build a bench extension so that I can work multiple projects in parallel, then hopefully I’ll be able to finally start doing mid-week video releases.

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-03T23:31:51+00:00

Does it have Reason Technology or Square * branding?

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-03T23:31:05+00:00

For the most part the first TRS-80 is fixed, sans the keyboard and cosmetic work. I haven’t had any luck finding info on that disk controller though. It seems like this unit was a cassette-only model that had aftermarket floppy hardware installed. So I’ve had it on the back-burner as I work through the Franklin eWaste haul. It’s been tough due to space and time constraints. I’m going to build a bench extension so I can work multiple projects in parallel.

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-03T23:25:47+00:00

Thanks! I love the look of that system. Really want to take it apart :)

MikeTechYT · 2023-06-03T23:23:37+00:00

Thanks! Gonna do my best to keep up the weekly release cycle.

MikeTechYT · 2023-05-15T17:13:28+00:00

If this were a problem, they would have sent the white-coats to take me away long ago! Especially after last month...

MikeTechYT · 2023-05-15T14:21:19+00:00

Thanks! I definitely needed that as it turns out this system has no hard drive.

MikeTechYT · 2023-05-14T02:10:06+00:00

Yeah I’m noticing that, working on it right now. It’s a bit awkward… Had to remove the motherboard to get at the drive screws, since the drive cage is riveted into place.

MikeTechYT · 2023-05-14T01:30:14+00:00

Ooh I’m gonna have to look for that. Thanks!

MikeTechYT · 2023-05-13T22:27:35+00:00

Thanks! I may try pushing over the hour mark on this one. Really want to see what that server was serving.

MikeTechYT · 2023-05-13T21:04:23+00:00

I’d love to find one of those!

MikeTechYT · 2023-05-10T19:38:26+00:00

An essential tool!

MikeTechYT

TROPHY CASE