RE: Adding DASD to a 520

Real CE's. The kind of folks who could turn a paper clip and a little solder
into a new jumper pin while waiting for delayed parts.

Those were the days.

Paul Nelson
Office 512-392-2577
Cell 708-670-6978
nelsonp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Wintermute, Sharon
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 7:18 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Adding DASD to a 520

Paul,

You reminded me of one of my former jobs. The CE would come be for
coffee every week and chat. (Those were the days.) The 8" diskette
magazine cover "happened" to be open while we were talking. Someone
else asked some question about the front panel lights. The CE leaned
over to explained and a screwdriver fell out of his pocket into the
magazine slot.

The system quickly "convulsed and died". The CE continued to work for
us at our request. They tried to pull him off and we said no. Everyone
makes mistakes.

We had to laugh since from then on, everything was in the briefcase and
he had scotch tape over the shirt pockets to remind himself not to use
them!

Poor guy!


Sharon Wintermute

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Musselman, Paul
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 12:51 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Adding DASD to a 520

At one of my former jobs we had an S/38. No one had dropped the
'landing gear,' and if you were working at the console and rested your
hands too heavily the whole CPU would roll across the floor slightly--
maybe an inch or so.. We'd just pull it back where it belonged.
.
One day the CPU moved, and we got a strange halt on the system. Moved
it back, and the halt went away! Turns out the halt said something
like, "You've unplugged a disk-- GIVE IT BACK!"
.
CE determined that one of the disk attachment cables was not fully
seated-- the rolling CPU would unplug/replug the cable. We were
pleasantly pleased that the system just halted and asked for its disk
back, then continued merrily on once it saw the disk again.

Paul E Musselman