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dmh · 03-31-2021, 04:41 AM

I purchased a very nice 71B recently, however, I think it was parted out by the seller so has no port covers.

If anyone has any spare port covers (bottom, top, card reader front hole cover) that they can spare please let me know.

Hoping to find a reasonable price here rather than exorbitant auction site prices.

Thanks, dmh

Hans Brueggemann · 03-31-2021, 06:34 AM

if it's just about having the ports covered for daily use, you may want to check out nate martin's models on shapeways.

dmh · 04-01-2021, 09:36 AM

(03-31-2021 06:34 AM)Hans Brueggemann Wrote: if it's just about having the ports covered for daily use, you may want to check out nate martin's models on shapeways.

Thanks - might be the only option.

Have you or anyone else used these? Do they fit ok?

Black unless you pay more I guess.

Dave Frederickson · 04-01-2021, 04:34 PM

The covers fit very well. The front-port covers are a little tricky to get the feel of the detent just like the original. If it doesn't feel right it can always be trimmed to fit.

White is the cheapest color. All the parts are printed in white and then dyed to the desired color. If you come up with the Rit dye formula for HP Brown please let us know. It would be interesting to see these parts in some of the new materials Shapeways has available.

Dave

Sylvain Cote · 04-02-2021, 01:23 PM

Nate Martin's 3D printed pieces are perfect, the problems if any, comes from Shapeways.
In this case, the little plastic piece that is keeping the port cover inside the 71B are not always printed correctly by Shapeways.
This create the issue that sometime the port cover fall off.
To address this little problem, I have put a small electric tape on the cover, this changes the depth a little but enough to create a small friction keeping the port cover in.
Sylvain

Pictures ...
[Image: 71b_fp_3d_a.jpeg]

dhe · 04-02-2021, 08:52 PM

Hi,
I'm with dmh. Recent buyer of a nice 71B, but I think it was a part out also.
I tried to navigate shapeways, and got it mostly right, but wasn't able to ask a question.
Can someone tell me what parts I need to cover all my holes?
Thanks,

**rprosperi** · 04-02-2021, 09:09 PM

(04-02-2021 08:52 PM)dhe Wrote: Hi,
I'm with dmh. Recent buyer of a nice 71B, but I think it was a part out also.
I tried to navigate shapeways, and got it mostly right, but wasn't able to ask a question.
Can someone tell me what parts I need to cover all my holes?
Thanks,

You need at least:

1 front port cover
1 HP-IL port cover

Without seeing the top, we can't say for sure if you are missing the Card Reader port blank (fills in the CR hole with a golden bezel to match the metal bezel surrounding), but most likely that's gone too.

Dave Frederickson · (This post was last modified: 04-02-2021 09:53 PM by Dave Frederickson.)

(04-02-2021 09:09 PM)rprosperi Wrote: You need at least:

1 front port cover
1 HP-IL port cover

Without seeing the top, we can't say for sure if you are missing the Card Reader port blank (fills in the CR hole with a golden bezel to match the metal bezel surrounding), but most likely that's gone too.

Close inspection reveals that the 71 has an HP-IL module, so a cover isn't needed. To be precise, the front cover is called HP-71 Front Port Module modified Shelf.

dhe · 04-02-2021, 11:11 PM

Thanks, the front cover thing had me confused, because there seems to be 3 versions of the port covers.

Anything I can use to replace the tape on the back of the IL-Port?

and as for the card reader area, I purchased a Multi-Module to fill the blank in with! =)

**rprosperi** · 04-03-2021, 02:12 AM

@dhe - does this 71 have an HP-IL module installed? On a quick look, it appeared the tape is just covering the port where the HP-IL module should plug-in, but Dave may be right, there is an edge seen in the photo that could be the actual port lip, but if so, why is the tape there.

Can you peel off the tape to show what's under that? Perhaps someone jury-rigged an HP-IL module which has a broken case? Sometimes the HP-IL ports are hard to remove and people damage the case house trying to pry it out, doing so may have damaged the case and now the "guts" don't stay in without the tape?

dhe · 04-03-2021, 11:57 AM

>Can you peel off the tape to show what's under that? Perhaps someone jury-rigged an HP-IL module which has a broken case?

>Sometimes the HP-IL ports are hard to remove and people damage the case house trying to pry it out, doing so may have damaged the case and now the "guts" don't stay in without the tape?

Ok, pretty sure that's what this is, damaged HP-IL module case, the advert said, they had covered the bottom with none conductive material and taped it in place. - Which sounds like it's not just missing a stand alone plastic piece. (well it is, but the plastic piece was a part of the device.).

Guess I need to find a photo of an HP-IL outside of a 71B. I think at this point, if it's working taking apart the patch, might do more harm then good. Since I purchased my 71B - I've been watching the bay, and not much new comes up. The stuff, that's out there has usually been out there for a while.

I guess that's why repair and resupply is so valuable - MultiMod/FRAM/PIL-Boxes (o my)!

Thanks for your help, I might just fill that whole with a survey module! =)

**rprosperi** · 04-03-2021, 12:38 PM

Here's a listing on eBay that has some photos of an HP-IL module that's intact:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-82401A-HP-IL...3324498177

Did that unit with the damaged HP-IL come from eBay or some other connection?

dhe · 04-03-2021, 12:55 PM

Ebay, and to their credit, the seller did a VERY good job of describing everything in the listing.

Since I've never owned a 71B before, it's kind of like buying a car, I had to get my feet wet and learn about what I don't know.

**rprosperi** · 04-03-2021, 05:14 PM

I assume the HP-IL works, but I'll caution you that sometimes it's far harder than you might guess to remove HP-IL cables; since the module's case/frame/body seems to be missing or damaged, be careful to hold the adapter/module in-place when pulling out the cables (always holding/pulling the backshell, never the cable itself).

Good luck with it, and welcome to the wonderful world of the 71B.

dhe · 04-17-2021, 08:47 PM

Hi Dave,
Thanks to your information about what exact front port cover I needed, I was able to order the correct part.
A few observations:
1) Part worked perfectly.
2) Shapeways website DOES work, it's just not in a form or fashion that was abundantly clear to me.
3) The parts it's self was way over packed.
4) It's a pity so many of these got tossed when folks purchased a new module.

I used to do IT, and HP desktops in the 80's and 90's where always my go to machine, because I knew I could buy a model, purchase an honest to god service manual, and then if needed call 1-800-HP-PARTS - and order the EXACT part I needed - no messing around on the phone for an hour while someone tried to figure out what I was talking about.

Thank you again for the good advice.

Dave Britten · 04-18-2021, 08:31 PM

(04-03-2021 05:14 PM)rprosperi Wrote: I assume the HP-IL works, but I'll caution you that sometimes it's far harder than you might guess to remove HP-IL cables; since the module's case/frame/body seems to be missing or damaged, be careful to hold the adapter/module in-place when pulling out the cables (always holding/pulling the backshell, never the cable itself).

I've noticed that with mine. The port next to the power supply jack disconnects easily, but the other port is much tougher to remove. Might just be specific to the cables on my PIL-Box. Is it safe to put a little electrical grease - maybe headlight bulb grease - into the connectors to loosen them up a little?

**rprosperi** · 04-18-2021, 08:50 PM

(04-18-2021 08:31 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:
(04-03-2021 05:14 PM)rprosperi Wrote: I assume the HP-IL works, but I'll caution you that sometimes it's far harder than you might guess to remove HP-IL cables; since the module's case/frame/body seems to be missing or damaged, be careful to hold the adapter/module in-place when pulling out the cables (always holding/pulling the backshell, never the cable itself).

I've noticed that with mine. The port next to the power supply jack disconnects easily, but the other port is much tougher to remove. Might just be specific to the cables on my PIL-Box. Is it safe to put a little electrical grease - maybe headlight bulb grease - into the connectors to loosen them up a little?

I've never tried that, but I assume it's safe to do so. It won't hurt the metal connectors for sure, and I doubt very much if it affects the plastic. But it could attract dust and eventually that mix will dry to gunk that may inhibit connection, but that would take years, depending on your environment.

These connectors will loosen with use over time, at least when using the same cables. My original 71B from '84 is still tight enough to retain the cables, but otherwise fairly loose and easy to insert/remove.

Dave Britten · 04-18-2021, 09:00 PM

(04-18-2021 08:50 PM)rprosperi Wrote:
(04-18-2021 08:31 PM)Dave Britten Wrote: I've noticed that with mine. The port next to the power supply jack disconnects easily, but the other port is much tougher to remove. Might just be specific to the cables on my PIL-Box. Is it safe to put a little electrical grease - maybe headlight bulb grease - into the connectors to loosen them up a little?

I've never tried that, but I assume it's safe to do so. It won't hurt the metal connectors for sure, and I doubt very much if it affects the plastic. But it could attract dust and eventually that mix will dry to gunk that may inhibit connection, but that would take years, depending on your environment.

These connectors will loosen with use over time, at least when using the same cables. My original 71B from '84 is still tight enough to retain the cables, but otherwise fairly loose and easy to insert/remove.

That's a good point, I wouldn't want dirt getting caught in the grease. Maybe a dry lube like teflon or graphite would work. I've got a spare cable lying around that I could test by plugging it into itself before I go lubing anything really expensive. Smile

Dave Frederickson · 04-18-2021, 09:39 PM

(04-18-2021 08:31 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:
(04-03-2021 05:14 PM)rprosperi Wrote: I assume the HP-IL works, but I'll caution you that sometimes it's far harder than you might guess to remove HP-IL cables; since the module's case/frame/body seems to be missing or damaged, be careful to hold the adapter/module in-place when pulling out the cables (always holding/pulling the backshell, never the cable itself).

I've noticed that with mine. The port next to the power supply jack disconnects easily, but the other port is much tougher to remove. Might just be specific to the cables on my PIL-Box. Is it safe to put a little electrical grease - maybe headlight bulb grease - into the connectors to loosen them up a little?

DeoxIT Red (D Fomula) lubes and improves electrical contact. You might already have some around. https://caig.com/deoxit-d-series/

**rprosperi** · 04-19-2021, 01:32 AM

(04-18-2021 09:39 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:
(04-18-2021 08:31 PM)Dave Britten Wrote: I've noticed that with mine. The port next to the power supply jack disconnects easily, but the other port is much tougher to remove. Might just be specific to the cables on my PIL-Box. Is it safe to put a little electrical grease - maybe headlight bulb grease - into the connectors to loosen them up a little?

DeoxIT Red (D Fomula) lubes and improves electrical contact. You might already have some around. https://caig.com/deoxit-d-series/

DeoxIT will help contact and not harm anything, but it will also collect dust like any wet material. If the cables stay installed, this will prevent airborne dust from getting in there, but if they were staying plugged, then the original issue of easing removal probably wouldn't be under discussion.