OT Troubleshooting: Old computers with modern parts

[woodelf]

Tom Jennings wrote:

>
> Punches are indeed the harder part. I've got a DSI in decent
> shape, nice serial interface for general use, but punch mechanisms
> are harder to find, esp. ones easily interfaced. THere seems to be
> 10 times the number of readers as punches (makes perfect sense in
> context of what paper tape was must used fo rin the computer
> world).

Well I could buy a used serial punch for about $800 to $1000 us
but they are not for a song like many people have picked up 8's
with a tty or high speed punch. The lack of a punch has kept me from
doing a PDP/8 in a CPLD as well as not knowing of where to get
ferromagnetic? ram. I want real non-voiltile memory.

> Yup! Even the non-oiled paper will last 500 years if it's kept
> dry. It indeed suffers in the data-density department but it's fun
> to work with on a non-production basis!

Keeping dry is the hard part unless you got a water tight storage for tape.
Accidents with water like a broken water line, flood or heavry rain just
wait to happen.
Ben alias woodelf