[SPARCbook] SPARCBook Digest, Vol 51, Issue 1

Justin Haynes justin at justinhaynes.com
Wed Oct 27 07:12:13 CDT 2021


I had good luck replacing the SCSI drive with an SD based one and got 32GB
running OpenBSD.  It ran well and of course quietly as a result.  Still
maxes out at 5MB/s?  10MB/s?  I do not remember now.  FastSCSI I believe.

On Sat, Oct 23, 2021 at 1:02 PM Liam <liam1f at blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I can confirm I used an old Apple connector and it was a direct fit. I
> didn't know the model number. The CDROM boots, as I recall, with 512 bytes
> per sector, which is the original 'single speed' which all others (24x,
> 48x, etc) are based on. I had/have several internal drives that I just
> power externally, and they have a jumper to select 1x.
>
> There was a converter board (ADTX?) that allowed the use of a larger IDE
> hard drive in the sled - I still have some, and gave one away to someone
> here several years ago, who wasn't even polite enough to confirm receiving
> it! I have read about, bought, but never got round to using, CF card
> converters and PCMCIA boards. I also have SCSI2SD boards, which I bought
> for my long-lusted-after Tadpole Bullfrog, and again never got around to
> doing.
>
> I have a bit of a collection of SparcBook3s and peripherals. A SparcBook2,
> an RDI Powerlite, a PreciscionBook (HP-UX), a couple of Voyager IIis, one
> still in the box, a Talin 15, a Talin 12, a P1000.... and a Naturetech
> which MIGHT be a 777S; I can't remember. I'll probably have batteries and
> external chargers somewhere too.
>
> I spent years collecting this stuff, and the people at Tadpole used to be
> great. When I was passing Cambridge, I would nip in for advice. Jan (Eden?)
> once even sorted me out circuit board component values to get a SB3 damaged
> in transit from the US repaired. (Not by me, I might add.. I took it apart
> and put it back together. Someone else did the dirty work).
>
> All this stuff really needs rehoming with someone who appreciates it, but
> I live in the UK and there's never seemed to be much of a following.
>
> Good luck with yours.
>
> Cheers, Liam
>
>
> > On 23 October 2021 at 18:00 sparcbook-request at sunhelp.org mailto:
> sparcbook-request at sunhelp.org wrote:
> >
> >
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> >     than "Re: Contents of SPARCBook digest..."
> >     Today's Topics:
> >     1. SPARCbook 3 external SCSI connector. (Andrew Back) 2. Re:
> SPARCbook 3 external SCSI connector. (Bob Bramwell) 3. Re: SPARCbook 3
> external SCSI connector. (Andrew Back) 4. Re: SPARCbook 3 external SCSI
> connector. (Andrew Back)
> >     _______________________________________________
> >     SPARCBook mailing list - SPARCBook at sunhelp.org mailto:
> SPARCBook at sunhelp.org
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> >
>
>
>
> > On 23 October 2021 at 11:20 Andrew Back <andrew at carrierdetect.com
> mailto:andrew at carrierdetect.com > wrote:
> >
> >
> >     Hello,
> >
> >     Recently picked up a SPARCbook 3, would like to attach an external
> drive
> >     and need to source a cable. The connector looks to be a HDI-30, as
> once
> >     used on AppleB computers. Is this correct, with the same pinout and
> can
> >     I just use a cable sold for use with old PowerBooks?
> >
> >     Regards,
> >
> >     Andrew
> >
>
>
>
> > On 23 October 2021 at 12:38 Bob Bramwell <stuff0001 at gmail.com mailto:
> stuff0001 at gmail.com > wrote:
> >
> >
> >     Hello Andrew,
> >
> >     Itb s been so longb& Ib m sorry, but I really donb t recall. The
> >     connector youb re talking about is about 1cm square, right? Looks
> like I
> >     asked if anyone wanted it back in 2009. Ib ll see if Ib ve still got
> it,
> >     but that is very doubtful. Ib ll let you know.
> >
> >     Best of luck,
> >     Bob.
> >
> >         > > On Oct 23, 2021, at 7:20 AM, Andrew Back <
> andrew at carrierdetect.com mailto:andrew at carrierdetect.com > wrote:
> > >
> > >     >
> >         > > Hello,
> > >
> > >     >
> >         > > Recently picked up a SPARCbook 3, would like to attach an
> external drive
> > >         and need to source a cable. The connector looks to be a
> HDI-30, as once
> > >         used on AppleB computers. Is this correct, with the same
> pinout and can
> > >         I just use a cable sold for use with old PowerBooks?
> > >
> > >     >
> >         > > Regards,
> > >
> > >     >
> >         > > Andrew
> > >         _______________________________________________
> > >         SPARCBook mailing list - SPARCBook at sunhelp.org mailto:
> SPARCBook at sunhelp.org
> > >         http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/sparcbook
> > >
> > >     >
>
>
>
> > On 23 October 2021 at 12:42 Andrew Back <andrew at carrierdetect.com
> mailto:andrew at carrierdetect.com > wrote:
> >
> >
> >     Hi Bob,
> >
> >     That's the one. 5 rows of 6 pins I think, and thanks!
> >
> >     It would be nice if it was the same pinout as an Apple cable, as
> those
> >     can be found on eBay.
> >
> >     Best,
> >
> >     Andrew
> >
> >     PS. On the off-chance you or anyone else has one, I'm also on the
> >     lookout for a battery pack for the SPARCbook 3. Dead is totally fine
> and
> >     can re-cell it. Mine didn't come with one, sadly.
> >
> >     On 23/10/2021 12:38, Bob Bramwell wrote:
> >
> >         > > Hello Andrew,
> > >
> > >     >
> >         > > Itb s been so longb& Ib m sorry, but I really donb t recall.
> The
> > >
> > >     > connector youb re talking about is about 1cm square, right?
> Looks like I
> >     asked if anyone wanted it back in 2009. Ib ll see if Ib ve still got
> it,
> >     but that is very doubtful. Ib ll let you know.
> >     >
> >
> >         > > Best of luck,
> > >         Bob.
> > >
> > >     > >> On Oct 23, 2021, at 7:20 AM, Andrew Back <
> andrew at carrierdetect.com mailto:andrew at carrierdetect.com > wrote:
> >     >>
> >     >> Hello,
> >     >>
> >     >> Recently picked up a SPARCbook 3, would like to attach an
> external drive
> >     >> and need to source a cable. The connector looks to be a HDI-30,
> as once
> >     >> used on AppleB computers. Is this correct, with the same pinout
> and can
> >     >> I just use a cable sold for use with old PowerBooks?
> >     >>
> >     >> Regards,
> >     >>
> >     >> Andrew
> >     >> _______________________________________________
> >     >> SPARCBook mailing list - SPARCBook at sunhelp.org mailto:
> SPARCBook at sunhelp.org
> >     >> http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/sparcbook
> >
>
>
>
> > On 23 October 2021 at 15:02 Andrew Back <andrew at carrierdetect.com
> mailto:andrew at carrierdetect.com > wrote:
> >
> >
> >     Hi Kevin,
> >
> >     Thanks! ISTR something about Sun sector size being different, but in
> any
> >     case I have a Sun CDROM drive that I've previously used with an IPX,
> so
> >     should be good on that front.
> >
> >     I've also heard mention of people replaced the 2.5" SCSI HDD with a
> >     SCSI2SD "PowerBook Edition", but can't seem to find anyone online
> with
> >     these, apart from a vendor in Australia who has not responded to
> e-mail.
> >
> >     Regards,
> >
> >     Andrew
> >
> >     On 23/10/2021 13:35, kevin kociba wrote:
> >
> >         > > Andrew.
> > >         Congrats on the 3. They are getting hard to find! Yes thatb s
> a good old
> > >
> > >     > apple PowerBook scsi! Are you looking to boot it from a external
> cd? If so,
> >     you are going to have to find either an old sun or early Panasonic
> made apple
> >     CD drives. SUN arch had an different boot sector on the OS cds, not
> all drives
> >     can boot them. Save you throwing cables drives and adapters around :)
> >     >
> >
> >         > > Kevin
> > >
> > >     >
> >         > > Sent from my iPhone
> > >
> > >     > >> On Oct 23, 2021, at 7:42 AM, Andrew Back <
> andrew at carrierdetect.com mailto:andrew at carrierdetect.com > wrote:
> >     >>
> >     >> o;?Hi Bob,
> >     >>
> >     >> That's the one. 5 rows of 6 pins I think, and thanks!
> >     >>
> >     >> It would be nice if it was the same pinout as an Apple cable, as
> those
> >     >> can be found on eBay.
> >     >>
> >     >> Best,
> >     >>
> >     >> Andrew
> >     >>
> >     >> PS. On the off-chance you or anyone else has one, I'm also on the
> >     >> lookout for a battery pack for the SPARCbook 3. Dead is totally
> fine and
> >     >> can re-cell it. Mine didn't come with one, sadly.
> >     >>
> >     >>> On 23/10/2021 12:38, Bob Bramwell wrote:
> >     >>> Hello Andrew,
> >     >>>
> >     >>> Itb s been so longb& Ib m sorry, but I really donb t recall. The
> >     >> connector youb re talking about is about 1cm square, right? Looks
> like I
> >     >> asked if anyone wanted it back in 2009. Ib ll see if Ib ve still
> got it,
> >     >> but that is very doubtful. Ib ll let you know.
> >     >>> Best of luck,
> >     >>> Bob.
> >     >>>
> >     >>>>> On Oct 23, 2021, at 7:20 AM, Andrew Back <
> andrew at carrierdetect.com mailto:andrew at carrierdetect.com >
> >     wrote:
> >     >>>> Hello,
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> Recently picked up a SPARCbook 3, would like to attach an
> external drive
> >     >>>> and need to source a cable. The connector looks to be a HDI-30,
> as once
> >     >>>> used on AppleB computers. Is this correct, with the same pinout
> and can
> >     >>>> I just use a cable sold for use with old PowerBooks?
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> Regards,
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> Andrew
> >     >>>> _______________________________________________
> >     >>>> SPARCBook mailing list - SPARCBook at sunhelp.org mailto:
> SPARCBook at sunhelp.org
> >     >>>>
> >
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