HHC presentation teaser

[brouhaha]

For one of my presentations at the HHC conference next weekend, I'll be bringing biggish (compared to a typical HP calculator, or even an HP-97) and somewhat delicate custom equipment. I don't want put it in checked luggage, even surrounded by clothing or other padding. It appears that a Pelican 1535 carry-on case with pluck foam would be suitable, but it's $289, which I can't afford at the moment.

I was shopping for other things locally this afternoon, and found a comparable product, not as well-made as the Pelican, but good enough, and for only $99! Now I have better confidence that it will arrive unharmed, unless the TSA screeners at the checkpoint break it.

I'll post a link information here a few weeks after the conference. It will take some time to get web pages put together for the official introduction.

[Namir]

Wooooohoooo! Can't wait!

Namir

[vassilisprevelakis]

(09-30-2023 10:09 PM)brouhaha Wrote:  For one of my presentations at the HHC conference next weekend, I'll be bringing biggish (compared to a typical HP calculator, or even an HP-97) and somewhat delicate custom equipment. I don't want put it in checked luggage, even surrounded by clothing or other padding.

I agree with you 100%, I recently travelled from Greece to Germany via Munich carrying an HP-7963B. Since this thing barely fits in a suitcase and weighs about 14 Kg, I packed it carefully in my suitcase and checked it in.

Predictably Lufthansa misplaced my luggage, so they did not arrive with me at my final destination and it took 19 **DAYS** for the luggage to be finally delivered.

So while happy that I got reunited with my HP-IB disk drive, I am very hesitant about sending anything via checked luggage again .

Vassilis
http://www.series80.org

[Jeff_Birt]

I have a few boxes of various pocket computers including a few 'prototypes'. I attended Tandy Assembly in Ohio this weekend and accidently bought a pristine TRS-80 Model II which is now occupying the passenger seat in my truck. I will be my traveling companion from Ohio to Florida and back to Missouri even though it does not fit in at HHC

[rprosperi]

(10-01-2023 08:02 PM)Jeff_Birt Wrote:  I have a few boxes of various pocket computers including a few 'prototypes'. I attended Tandy Assembly in Ohio this weekend and accidently bought a pristine TRS-80 Model II which is now occupying the passenger seat in my truck. I will be my traveling companion from Ohio to Florida and back to Missouri even though it does not fit in at HHC

While in Florida, I think it will be necessary to open the boxes, just to make sure... you know... that they sold you the right parts.

[brouhaha]

(10-01-2023 08:02 PM)Jeff_Birt Wrote:  I have a few boxes of various pocket computers including a few 'prototypes'. I attended Tandy Assembly in Ohio this weekend and accidently bought a pristine TRS-80 Model II which is now occupying the passenger seat in my truck. I will be my traveling companion from Ohio to Florida and back to Missouri even though it does not fit in at HHC

I still have a soft spot for the Model II (and the 16/16B/6000). I worked at Apparat in 1981-82. They were best known for their NewDOS-80 operating system for the Model I and Model III. They had a Model II in house, but did not develop any software for it. I have a model 1, model II, two 16Bs, a model 4P, and various Color Computers, but unfortunately have no 16B keyboard. I've been meaning to make an adapter to use a normal USB keyboard for the II/12/16/6000.. The gender of the keyboard cable and connector on the system unit changed at some point, and maybe pinout.

Until 386s started appearing in PCs, and ports of BSD Unix BSD386 (commercial from BSDi), then Jolitz'386BSD, th, my favorite computers for doing "real stuff" were the Apple II+ (with Softcard to run CP/M), TRS-80 Color Computer 2 (later 3), and the AT&T UnixPC (models 7300 and 3B1), though I generally used dialup access to DECsystem-10 or DECSYSTEM-20 timesharing for anything compute-intensive.

[brouhaha]

Got it all packed up in the transit case, which I'm taking as a carry-on. Even if I'm forced to check it, I think it will be well-protected. I can't wait to see those who are attending!
My flight is at 6:05AM local on Friday, so I won't get much sleep tomorrow night. C'est la vie.

[Brad Barton]

This project was AWESOME. Nixie tube output married to an HP classic calculator. The displays (yes they had 2 of them) were beautifully designed and executed, and with the flawless logic of nonpariel. I'd love to have one for my office with the 14 Nixie character display mounted on the wall above my monitors. I'm imagining a 34c brain (because, you know, all those shift keys) driving the whole thing, and maybe a bluetooth connection.

This was by far my favorite project at HHC. Really well done. A gentlemen's version of a well-sharpened tool.

Eric do you have any pictures to share?

[brouhaha]

(10-10-2023 04:19 AM)Brad Barton Wrote:  This project was AWESOME.

Thanks for the kind words! Note that the the Nixie calculator hardware and packaging is the amazing work of John Doran, though I had some input to it. My responsibilities were the firmware (based on my Nonpareil), helping with hardware debugging, and making the key legend labels and product labels. John built two units, and generously gave me one.

Quote:I'm imagining a 34c brain (because, you know, all those shift keys) driving the whole thing,

The 32E was chosen by John Doran when he started his project in 2008. Aside from needing a slide switch for some other models (e.g. DEG/RAD, BEGIN/END, or PROG/RUN), and a minor amount of additional firmware hacking, any of the Woodstock and Spice models can be simulated. Of those, the 34C is my top interest, followed by the 29C.

We could also make keyboards with more keys and different layouts, to simulate other models. Since Nixie tubes can't display non-numeric digits (other than the +/- tubes we're using for signs), various non-numeric displays such as errors and program step displays have to be altered somewhat.

The 41C family is, alas, a non-starter with numeric Nixie tubes. Segmented Nixie tubes exist, but are almost unobtanium now.

Quote:and maybe a bluetooth connection.

The current version uses a WCH eval board for their CH32V307 RISC-V microcontroller, chosen because I had some boards on hand, I like RISC-V, and the board costs less that $10. It doesn't have any wireless capability.. Adding wireless could be done by adding a module, or by replacing the board with one that has wireless, such as an ESP32 board or a Raspberry Pi Pico W.

Quote:A gentlemen's version of a well-sharpened tool.

An elegant calculator, for a more civilized age.
:-)

Quote:Eric do you have any pictures to share?

We'll try to get a web page put together soon, complete with photos. I'll announce it in the "... but related" forum.